SSD Form Factors Explained
Switching from a hard disk drive (HDD) to a solid state drive (SSD) can be confusing. After you’ve established what kind of performance you need and how much storage space is required, it’s time to find a form factor that is compatible with your system.
Solid state drives are defined by three form factors; these are: the size of the drive, the type of connection interface, and the physical space the drive will occupy in the computer.
2.5-Inch SSD
The standard form factor for an SSD is 2.5-inch, which fits inside the drive bay of most laptop or desktop computers. Because many users replace their hard drives with solid state drives, the 2.5-inch drive has become a standard for all HDDs and SSDs, designed to allow compatibility for those upgrading. They are designed to minimize the need to replace the connecting interface cables, making the transition to a higher performance drive as easy as possible. See the top 10 reasons to upgrade to an SSD.
mSATA SSD
A smaller form factor SSD is called mSATA. mSATA SSDs are one-eighth the size of a 2.5-inch drive and are designed to plug into an mSATA socket on a system’s motherboard. mSATA drives are used in ultra-thin and mini devices, or as a secondary drive in desktops.
M.2 SSD
The smallest form factor for SSDs is called M.2, which is about the size of a stick of gum. M.2 SSDs attach to the motherboard via an M.2 socket and are designed for space-constrained tablets and ultrabooks.
SSD Form Factors
|
2.5-inch SSD |
mSATA SSD |
M.2 SSD |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Installation |
SATA cable (located in drive bay) |
mSATA socket (located on motherboard) |
M.2 socket (located on motherboard) |
|
Best For |
Laptops, desktops, servers |
Ultrathin laptops, Intel® NUC systems, mini ITX |
Tablets and ultrabooks |
|
Target Application |
Primary or secondary storage |
Primary storage in systems noted above; secondary storage (cache |
Primary storage in tablets and ultrabooks |
To determine which type of SSD is compatible with your system, use the Crucial® Advisor™ or System Scanner tools and find out in just a few clicks.
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