Installation Manual

be fully utilized by a host's hardware and software, NVM Express brings various
performance improvements. Therefore, to experience the best performance, NVMe
is best implemented with a direct PCI Express connection, foregoing any
backwards compatibility with SATA. NVM Express should not be confused with
SATA Express, which is a host bus specification (or physical interface) that supports
both SATA and PCIe storage devices, and suffers from limitations that are not
bound to NVMe. NVM Express is supported natively from Windows 8.1, Windows
Server 2012 R2, and Linux Kernel 3.3.
NVM Express SSDs exist both in the form of standard-sized PCI Express expansion
cards (Add-in card or AIC) and as 2.5-inch drives that provide a four-lane PCI
Express interface through the U.2 connector (formerly known as SFF-8639) or the M.
2-M connector (this is a
specific M.2 edge connector with the "M Key ID"). Although
NVMe is supported as a logical device interface for SATA Express storage devices, it
would be limited in performance by the SATA Express standard, which among
other limitations, provides only a two-lane PCI Express interface.
Solid State Device (SSD)
Known either as Solid State Drive or Solid State Device, an SSD is a device that
stores data using microchips (usually NAND Flash) instead of using magnetic disks
that spin, like the technology used in hard disk drives (HDDs).
Glossary
WD Black NVMe SSD
M.2 Desktop Installation Guide
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