Compare M.2 SSDs and SATA SSDs to see which suits your needs best.
Compare M.2 SSDs and SATA SSDs to see which suits your needs best.
I have an HP EliteBook 840 G2 that's quite outdated, and I'm figuring out whether to upgrade with a SATA SSD or just install an M.2 SSD. I'm not very familiar with the details, so I need some guidance.
Based on my observations, I strongly recommend choosing an M.2 drive—it offers better performance and a smoother experience. You can adjust the price based on the size you need, but the benefits are significant. Replacing the traditional HDD with an SSD would make your system more efficient and eliminate any mechanical parts. Adding an M.2 chip is a smart move no matter which path you take!
Edited August 31, 2022 by AustinProH
The review suggests considering a free M.2 NVME SSD option. If valid, it would be advantageous to choose this type. Otherwise, discarding the HDD might be necessary. Afterward, transferring the operating system to the SSD would significantly enhance performance. A step-by-step guide is provided, as I have personally used such software—it works well. However, this isn't fully accurate; for most users, an all-SSD setup isn't cost-effective. Many store non-speed-sensitive files, and the optimal storage remains an SSD for OS and games, with a few HDDs for bulk data like movies, old games, or media.
It really comes down to pricing, since the user experience won't be all that different. If you can get a decent M.2 NVMe SSD for the same amount of money or close to the same amount of money as a decent SATA 2.5" SSD, then I wouldn't think about it and just get the NVMe drive. But if there is a substantial price difference and you'd have a capacity advantage of which you can make use of, then you should probably choose a SATA 2.5" SSD. And as mentioned before, it's not a bad idea to keep the hard drive as additional storage. It's likely still fine for pictures, videos and documents, but the OS should definitely go onto the SSD.
PCIe3 M.2 NVMe offers the best performance. SATA M.2 behaves just like any other SATA SSD. PCIe4 provides little benefit and isn't worth the cost, as gains over 3,400-3,500 Mbps are minimal.