At this stage, you probably have an SSD in your PC. SSDs are significantly faster than HDDs, and they come in many different formats. You can get an M2 or a SATA SSD, and one M2 SSD can use a different generation of PCIe technology to another. If you have an SSD already, is it actually worth upgrading to just get a faster SSD?

The answer, as always, is complicated. Generally speaking, the answer if you're coming from an M2 SSD is probably not. If you're coming from a SATA SSD, then the answer is probably yes, but it also depends on what you use your computer for.

When it makes sense to upgrade your M2 SSD

It depends on the tech inside

Upgrading from one M2 SSD to another can seem like a tempting way to squeeze more performance from your computer. However, since M2 SSDs already offer high performance, the decision depends heavily on how you use your system. For example, if you have a SATA-based M2 SSD, then it's immediately worth upgrading to an NVMe-based SSD.

If you already have an NVMe M2 SSD, and it's an older PCIe Gen 3 model, upgrading to a modern PCIe Gen 4 or Gen 5 SSD can yield noticeable improvements, but mostly in specific scenarios. For instance, tasks like intensive video editing, large-scale data processing, or running advanced simulations can benefit significantly from the improved read and write speeds, resulting in smoother workflow and shorter processing times.

You also need to make sure you have enough PCIe lanes so that a faster SSD can actually avail of those speeds. For example, if you're using up all of your PCIe Gen 4 lanes already, then it'll downgrade to PCIe Gen 3 speeds.

The biggest performance benefit will come from handling large files; think raw video footage and datasets. Gamers might also see some benefits from a faster M2 SSD, although these tend to be more nuanced. Certain games, particularly large open-world titles, can have reduced loading times and smoother transitions when using a PCIe Gen 4 or Gen 5 drive as large assets need to be read from storage for processing. However, the actual improvements can vary significantly from one game to another, and the performance gain might be marginal compared to investing in other components like a new GPU or CPU.

On the other hand, if your typical tasks are everyday computing, such as web browsing, writing documents, streaming video, and casual gaming, the gains from upgrading your M2 SSD might not justify the cost. While a faster drive will undoubtedly launch applications quicker, boot up the operating system faster, and improve general responsiveness, the improvement might be subtle if you're already using a solid mid-range M2 SSD.

On top of that, you'll need to make sure your motherboard is capable of supporting the PCIe version that you're upgrading to. There's no point upgrading to a PCIe Gen 5 SSD if your motherboard doesn't support it (and arguably no point in general, anyway), and you could save money by picking up a PCIe Gen 4 SSD instead.

All of this is to say that there are very specific instances where it makes sense to upgrade an M2 SSD, and it may not always be necessary. There are diminishing returns when going from a fast SSD to a very fast SSD, and the jump may not be noticeable enough to justify the cost.

When it makes sense to upgrade your SATA SSD

Pretty much always

If you're upgrading from a SATA SSD, it'll almost certainly be to an NVMe-based M2 SSD. It can significantly improve your system's performance, even for general tasks. SATA SSDs are limited by their maximum theoretical transfer speed, typically between 500 and 600 MB/s, whereas even entry-level NVMe SSDs can offer speeds several times higher.

For pretty much all tasks, there'll be a noticeable improvement. Boot-up times, game load times, and handling larger files and datasets on an NVMe M2 SSD will be a significantly better experience when compared to your SATA SSD. It'll all-around be a better experience, and it'll be hard to miss for anyone who uses their computer for more than just light tasks.

As well, both modern operating systems and modern software are being optimized to make use of NVMe M2 SSDs. For example, Microsoft's DirectStorage, used for improving game loading times, only works on NVMe-based M2 drives. It's hard to overstate just how good of an upgrade it will be to an NVMe-based M2 SSD if you don't already have one.

However, you'll need to ensure that your PC has an M2 slot before you take the plunge on an upgrade. Most M2 slots will support NVMe (and in fact, it's sometimes the case that some M2 slots won't support SATA M2 drives), but you'll need to make sure that you have the slot in the first place and that it supports NVMe.