re: PC Discussion - Gaming, Performance and Enthusiasts

One thing to understand about M.2 is that it's a form factor rather than an interface. It uses PCIe as the interface (it can also use SATA mode if no PCIe lanes are available), and depending on gen and number of lanes, PCIe bandwidth of M.2 drives can range from as-good-as-SATA, slightly-but-not-noticeably-better-than-SATA, to a-good-bit-better-than-SATA (the PCIe x4 M.2 drives on boards that allocate PCIe 3.0 lanes). You obviously have to pay attention to the drive you choose as well as the platform you're putting it on. The Z170 chipset actually allocates PCIe 3.0 lanes to the M.2 slot, so it'll benefit the most from an appropriate M.2 drive. X99 and Z170 are the only two platforms I'd put an M.2 drive into.