In some cases, standard SSD form factor configurations are not an option, so SSD manufacturers have made it their mission to create custom board and interface configurations that meet these less typical requirements. The standard SATA connector is too large for small form factors These form factors are older dimensions of older floppy, disk, and CD-ROM drives. but keep it because it made it easier for PC manufacturers to mount and replace drives. Desktop systems often have multiple 5.25-inch drive bays for cd-rom/Blu-ray or other optical hard drive formats (although there were even 5.25-inch hard drives and 5.25-inch floppy drives at the time). The 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch drive bays are found in desktops and laptops. As laptops decreased, so did the size of hard drives. The 1.8-inch disk sizes were the smallest things we had before we switched to even smaller formats that didn`t require 4-point physical media. PCIe cards can also be available in multiple widths. Such a configuration allows connection to adjacent motherboard connectors and allows for superior performance by supporting more than 16 PCIe ports. Due to their better performance and faster data transfer rate, SSDs are much more popular among users who like to play video games or have to deal with demanding tasks on the computer. For more information about SSD and HDD, you can read this article: SSD VS HDD: What`s the Difference? Which one should you use in your PC? A SlimSATA SSD, also known as Half-Slim SATA, uses a 22-pin SATA connector, the same connector used for 2.5-inch SSDs.
SlimSATA ATP SSDs are powerful and reliable mass storage devices with an advanced wear leveling algorithm for improved endurance. The important point about this interface is to know that if your device uses the SATA III interface, you will not get more than 600 MB/s. This can be confusing as some M.2 storage media offers support for both NVMe and SATA III interfaces. However, if your motherboard only supports SATA III M.2 devices, you will only get the slowest SATA III speeds. So be sure to check your motherboard`s specifications and make sure you`re using the right ports on your motherboard, otherwise you could be wasting a lot of money on performance that you won`t get. Also, you might think you`re upgrading when you get rid of your 2.5-inch form factor SSD drive, which has the classic SATA III ports for your sleek new M.2 form factor drive. But if this new M.2 drive uses the SATA III interface internally, you`ll get pretty much the same performance. So, if you want NVMe speeds, make sure that the storage device and your motherboard support NVMe. Otherwise, you`ll likely get SATA III speeds.
The largest component of an SSD is a flash memory chip, so depending on the number of flash chips used, manufacturers have virtually unlimited options for defining dimensions. JEDEC (Joint Electronic Device Engineering Council) sets technical standards for the electronics industry, including SSD form factors. JEDEC has defined the MO-297 standard, which defines the layout, port position and dimensions parameters of 54 mm x 39 mm Serial ATA (SATA) SSDs so that they can use the same port as standard 2.5-inch hard drives, but fit a much smaller space. SATA ATP M.2 SSDs offer powerful 6Gbps SATA and adopt a double-sided configuration to allow for higher densities. They are available in three sizes: 2242, 2260 and 2280. I`ve only read the article once to understand the differences between form factors and interfaces. This is the information that has been well gathered, unlike many YouTube videos that have done a terrible job of explaining it. EDSFF E3 is a family of form factors designed to update and replace the traditional U.2-2-2.5-inch form factor in servers and storage systems. The different versions have the same height (76 mm) and have similarities in length (112.75 mm and 142.2 mm) and width (7.5 mm and 16.8 mm). These hot-plug drives are best designed for the flash density of the SSD and system chassis. The E3 family connector is designed for PCIe x4 to x16 lanes and power ranges up to 70W.
All versions must be compatible with slots/sockets and designed to be accessible from the front. Designed for future servers and storage systems, EDSFF E3 will adapt to the next generations of PCI Express and device types such as GPUs and network cards. Jonathan Hassell is an award-winning author specializing in enterprise information technology, including administration, security, and mobile devices. His work has been published in Computerworld, CIO.com, Network World and dozens of other publications. U.2 is another form factor standard for specifying the shape, dimensions, and layout of a physical device. U.2 SSDs are often associated with 2.5-inch SSDs because they look like 2.5-inch SATA SSDs. But in fact, U.2 SSDs are thicker than 2.5-inch SSDs. As a replacement for HDDs, many SSDs are currently produced in 2.5 inches, which is the standard form factor of an SSD. This type of SSD is similar to the shape of traditional laptop hard drives. .