NVMe vs SSD: is NVMe an SSD?
Published: Updated:
Spec-based comparison. We have not tested these products. Figures below come from the linked manufacturer datasheets and standards documents.
Short verdict
NVMe vs SSD is not either-or: an NVMe drive is an SSD. NVMe is the protocol a solid-state drive uses to talk to the computer over PCI Express; the older alternative is SATA. So the real comparison is NVMe SSD vs SATA SSD.
NVMe if your system has an M.2 slot that supports it; SATA if it only has a 2.5-inch bay or SATA ports. The SATA interface caps transfers at 6 Gb/s, which is why SATA SSDs are rated at about 560 MB/s. NVMe drives connect over PCI Express and are rated many times faster. For capacity, endurance and everyday reliability, the interface matters less than the model.
Key differences
| SATA SSD | NVMe SSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Bus | SATA, 6 Gb/s (SATA-IO Revision 3.0) | PCI Express, usually 4 lanes (x4) |
| Per-lane rate | — | PCIe 3.0: 8 GT/s · PCIe 4.0: 16 GT/s · PCIe 5.0: 32 GT/s (PCI-SIG) |
| Typical form factor | 2.5-inch, or M.2 (SATA) | M.2 2280 |
| Example drive | Samsung 870 EVO 1TB | WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB |
| Rated sequential read / write | up to 560 / 530 MB/s | up to 7,300 / 6,300 MB/s |
| Rated endurance (1TB) | 600 TBW | 600 TBW |
| Warranty | 5 years limited | 5 years limited |
Example figures: Samsung 870 EVO datasheet; WD_BLACK SN850X product page. Both are manufacturer “up to” figures, not our measurements.
What the differences mean
The 560 MB/s ceiling. A SATA 6 Gb/s link cannot carry much more than about 600 MB/s of data after encoding overhead, so every current SATA SSD is rated close to the same sequential speed. Differences between SATA models show up elsewhere — in sustained writes, random performance and endurance.
NVMe scales with PCIe generations. Each PCIe generation doubles the per-lane rate. A PCIe 4.0 x4 drive such as the SN850X is rated at 7,300 MB/s; PCIe is backward compatible: Sandisk notes the SN850X is backward compatible with PCIe Gen3 slots.
M.2 is a shape, not a speed. An M.2 slot can be wired for SATA, for NVMe, or both. Check your motherboard or laptop manual before buying. Some devices accept only one type — the PS5, for example, supports PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 drives and does not support M.2 SATA (Sony).
Endurance is similar. In our two examples the 1TB SATA drive and the 1TB NVMe drive carry the same 600 TBW rating. Endurance depends on the model and capacity, not on the interface.
When SATA still makes sense
- Older desktops and laptops without an NVMe-capable M.2 slot.
- Adding a second drive to a 2.5-inch bay.
- Replacing a 2.5-inch hard drive in an older laptop.
When to choose NVMe
- Any system with a free M.2 NVMe slot — most current desktop boards and laptops.
- PS5 storage expansion (PCIe Gen4 NVMe only, see Sony’s requirements).
Prices: M.2 SSD prices (NVMe) and all SSD prices on nandprices.com.
FAQ
Will an NVMe SSD make my games load faster? Rated speeds are much higher, but load times depend on the game and the rest of the system. We will publish load-time measurements only after we have run them ourselves.
Can I put an NVMe drive in a SATA port? No. NVMe needs an M.2 slot (or adapter) wired for PCI Express.