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SSD sizes explained, from M.2 2230 to 2.5-inch

SSDs come in a handful of shapes, and buying the wrong one is an easy mistake. I have drawn every common size at its real dimensions, so you can see which one fits your PC, laptop or console.

Every SSD size, to scale

  1. 2.5-inch100 x 69.85 mm

    2.5-inch SSD, drawn to the same scale as the others

  2. mSATA50.8 x 29.85 mm

    mSATA SSD, drawn to the same scale as the others

  3. M.2 2211022 x 110 mm

    M.2 22110 SSD, drawn to the same scale as the others

  4. M.2 228022 x 80 mm

    M.2 2280 SSD, drawn to the same scale as the others

  5. M.2 226022 x 60 mm

    M.2 2260 SSD, drawn to the same scale as the others

  6. M.2 224222 x 42 mm

    M.2 2242 SSD, drawn to the same scale as the others

  7. M.2 223022 x 30 mm

    M.2 2230 SSD, drawn to the same scale as the others

M.2 2280

Size
22 x 80 mm
Interface
NVMe or SATA
Where you see it
Desktops, most laptops, PS5
Screw
One, at 80 mm
An M.2 2280 SSD drawn in 3D: green circuit board with a gold edge connector, a controller under a metal lid, a DRAM cache chip, two NAND flash chips, rows of tiny capacitors and resistors, and a screw at the far end, with an 80 mm dimension lineGold edge connectorControllerDRAM cacheNAND flash: your files live hereScrewCapacitors and resistors80 mm long, 22 mm wide

The four digits are the size: 22 mm wide and 80 mm long. This is the SSD most desktops and laptops take, so if you are not sure, start here.

M.2 2230

Size
22 x 30 mm
Interface
NVMe
Where you see it
Steam Deck, original ROG Ally, thin laptops
Screw
One, at 30 mm
An M.2 2230 SSD drawn in 3D: a short green board with the same gold edge connector, a controller, one NAND flash chip and a screw, with a 30 mm dimension lineSame connectorOne NAND chipScrew30 mm long

Same connector, a lot less board. It is the go-to size for handhelds and thin laptops, and a 2230 drive also fits a 2280 slot if the board has a screw hole at 30 mm.

M.2 2242, 2260 and 22110

  1. M.2 2242Budget laptops, mini PCs

    M.2 2242 SSD, drawn to the same scale as the others

  2. M.2 2260Rare, older laptops

    M.2 2260 SSD, drawn to the same scale as the others

  3. M.2 22110Workstations, servers

    M.2 22110 SSD, drawn to the same scale as the others

Same 22 mm width and connector, just different lengths. Check how far your slot's screw standoff sits from the connector before you buy.

M.2 keys: M, B and B+M

The edge connectors of three M.2 cards drawn close up: an M key card with one notch on the right, a B key card with one notch on the left, and a B+M card with both notchesUsually NVMeM keyRare on SSDsB keyUsually SATAB keyM key

The notches in the gold edge are called keys, and they decide which slots a card fits. NVMe SSDs almost always use the M key, while B+M usually means a slower SATA drive.

NVMe vs SATA on M.2

  1. SATAM.2 or 2.5-inch560 MB/s
  2. NVMe PCIe 3.0x4 lanes3,500 MB/s
  3. NVMe PCIe 4.0x4 lanes7,450 MB/s
  4. NVMe PCIe 5.0x4 lanes14,800 MB/s
Top read speed of the fastest drive in each class

Two M.2 drives can look identical and run at very different speeds. Check that your slot supports NVMe, and which PCIe generation, before you pay for a fast drive.

Where an M.2 SSD goes

An M.2 slot on a motherboard drawn in 3D, with gold contacts and a key ridge inside, brass screw standoffs at 30, 42, 60, 80 and 110 mm with a screw on the 80 mm one, and a dotted outline where a 2280 card liesM.2 slotWhere a 2280 card liesStandoff with its screwKey ridge

The card slides into the slot at an angle, lies flat and is held by one screw. Most boards have a standoff at 80 mm, and some add holes for the other lengths.

2.5-inch SATA SSD

Size
100 x 69.85 mm
Thickness
About 7 mm
Interface
SATA, up to 560 MB/s
Where you see it
Older laptops, desktops
A 2.5-inch SATA SSD drawn in 3D: a flat dark case with a printed label, barcode and QR code on top, and the SATA data and power connectors on its short endSATA dataSATA powerAbout 7 mm thick100 x 70 mm, the size of a 2.5-inch laptop drive
The same 2.5-inch SSD with its top cover off: a circuit board with a controller, DRAM and three NAND chips fills only half the case, the rest is emptySATA connectorControllerNAND flashThe board fills about half the caseEmpty space
With the top cover off

This is the same size as a laptop hard drive, which makes it the easiest upgrade for an older machine. It plugs in with a SATA data cable and a SATA power cable.

mSATA

Size
50.8 x 29.85 mm
Interface
SATA
Where you see it
Older laptops and mini PCs
Screws
Two
An mSATA SSD drawn in 3D: a wide green card with a gold edge connector on the left, a controller, two NAND chips, small parts and a screw notch at each far cornerMini PCIe-style edgeTwo screw notches50.8 x 29.85 mm

mSATA came before M.2 and is now mostly found in older laptops. It does not fit an M.2 slot, even though the cards look alike.

SSD sizes compared

Form factorSizeInterfaceWhere you see it
M.2 223022 x 30 mmNVMeSteam Deck, original ROG Ally, thin laptops
M.2 224222 x 42 mmNVMe or SATASome budget laptops and mini PCs
M.2 226022 x 60 mmNVMe or SATARare, a few older laptops
M.2 228022 x 80 mmNVMe or SATADesktops, most laptops, PS5, ROG Ally X
M.2 2211022 x 110 mmNVMeWorkstations and servers
2.5-inch100 x 69.85 x 7 mmSATAOlder laptops, desktops, consoles
mSATA50.8 x 29.85 mmSATAOlder laptops and mini PCs
U.22.5-inch, usually 15 mm thickNVMeServers and workstations

Which SSD size should you buy?

If you haveBuy
Desktop PC or most laptopsM.2 2280 NVMe
PS5M.2 2230 to 22110, PCIe 4.0 NVMe
Steam Deck or original ROG AllyM.2 2230 NVMe
ROG Ally XM.2 2280 NVMe
Older laptop with a drive bay2.5-inch SATA

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