Most laptop computers built after 2005 use PCI Express for expansion cards however, as of 2015, many vendors are moving toward using the newer M.2 form factor for this purpose. The host device supports both PCI Express and USB 2.0 connectivity, and each card may use either standard. PCI Express Mini Card (also known as Mini PCI Express, Mini PCIe, Mini PCI-E, mPCIe, and PEM), based on PCI Express, is a replacement for the Mini PCI form factor. The M.2 standard is designed as a revision and improvement to the mSATA standard.
Having a smaller and more flexible physical specification, together with more advanced features, the M.2 is more suitable for solid-state storage applications in general, especially when used in small devices like ultrabooks or tablets. It replaces the mSATA standard, which uses the PCI Express Mini Card physical layout. M.2, formerly known as the Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), is a specification for computer expansion cards and associated connectors. Applications include netbooks, laptops and other devices that require a solid-state drive in a small footprint.
Mini-SATA (abbreviated as mSATA), which is distinct from the micro connector, was announced by the Serial ATA International Organization on September 21, 2009. SSD technology primarily uses electronic interfaces compatible with traditional block input/output (I/O) hard disk drives, which permit simple replacements in common applications.” “A solid-state drive (SSD, also known as a solid-state disk although it contains neither an actual disk nor a drive motor to spin a disk) is a solid-state storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently. We’ve also included some information on the various types of form factors currently being used by manufacturers. Ok, before we go any further, and for all those who don’t know what SSDs are … here’s a little blurb taken from Wikipedia. So in this article we’ll be breaking down the tech terms and taking a look at the performance comparison between these different interfaces, and hopefully this will give you a better picture and understanding. There’s mSATA, M.2 and PCI Express mini … all of which use different interfaces and offer different levels of performance. However, there are several form factors that SSDs currently use. It’s definitely a lot faster and more responsive than having a standard 2.5″ mechanical hard drive. The performance benefits of having a SSD in your laptop is without question.
But as technology progressed, along with memory prices declining, it was only a matter of time before they the all started to use SSDs instead. In the past, laptop manufacturers mostly used 2.5″ hard drives (mechanical spinning disk platters) featuring the standard SATA interface. Most mini SSDs can be found on newer laptops, ultrabooks and slimmer notebook models. In this article we’ll be taking a look at the mini SSD performance comparison between the various types of mini SSDs available on the market.