How To Install an M.2 SSD: Installation Tutorial with Samsung 960 Pro M2 SSD Drive

M.2 solid state drives (SSD) are replacing SATA Gen 3 drives with their insane performance. Learn how to install an M2 drive with this how to / tutorial video!

To install an M.2 Drive do the following. Turn off your PC. Unscrew the small phillips head screw from the proper M.2 slot on your motherboard, make sure you remove the correct screw to accommodate the length of your M2 drive. Insert the M2 drive gently at a 30 degree angle and slowly slide it in until it stops. Then push the drive down flat on the mobo, reinsert the phillips screw, and tighten it down with light force. Then open up your BIOS and ensure the drive is enabled and being read. That's it! Installing an M.2 SSD is easy and can be done in about 5 minutes.

**NOTE: If your motherboard or SSD comes with an M.2 spacer/standoff you should install it into the motherboard under the screw. Mine was already installed in this video. The drive should be parallel with the motherboard once installed**

High end M.2 SSD drives are over 6 times faster than the world's fastest SATA drives! These drives are awesome and I highly recommend them for Windows boot drives, video editing, or any very fast read / write performance applications.
The drive being installed is a Samsung 960 Pro 512GB M.2 SSD drive into my MSI M7 Gaming Desktop motherboard. Links to the 960 pro and the lower cost, but still very fast Samsung 960 Evo are below.

If you need to learn the best way to setup your drive in windows or configure it in the BIOS, see the video tutorials below:

Product Links (some are Amazon affiliate):

Playlists:

I have an Amazon affiliate page, some of my videos have Amazon affiliate links.

[Compulsion]

**NOTE: If your motherboard or SSD comes with an M.2 standoff/spacer you should install it into the motherboard under the screw. Mine was already installed in this video.**


How to configure new drives in the BIOS:

[snaffu]

Instructions too clear, applied heatsink to forehead at 30* angle.

[RSKING]

Straight to the point, appreciate that.

[ImEcchi]

jusr bought one of these and needed something easy to understand before I accidentally break it.

thank you for the no BS video.

[Lucians_Sword]

Right to the point and clean video demonstrating the process. Thanks for the short video!

[momotahmasbi]

You gave that info in less than 3 minutes? Damn, man!

[AngerProblems]

Hey man, this video is 2 + years old now. Don't know if you make em anymore. I found this video to quickly confirm how I thought these drives were installed. I don't normally comment or like videos, but I really enjoyed everything about this. Your tone, the quick, easy and to-the-point nature, visual representation and bonus little tid-bits of information.


Keep it up.

[ADSupa]

Thank you for making a video without all of the fluff. Just straight to the point and exactly what I need to know. I'm going to buy an M.2 SSD soon and this was exactly what I needed to see.

[formoftherapy]

Damn, this might be one of the best instructions I’ve ever received. Clear and fast video right to the point but also really good quality and demonstration!

[jon-umber]

I haven't built a PC since 2014 and all this newfangled technology scares the shit out of me.

[silva]

I am building my first computer and I just spent the past two hours trying to figure out why my nvme ssd wasn't being detected by the bios. Looked through forum posts and reddit threads but my bios was updated and resetting the cmos didn't help. This right here 1:00 saved me and made me slap my head at such a rookie mistake. Everything's good now. Thank you so much. Much love from the Philippines.

[NahThanksImGood]

YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER. I got this thing and had no idea what to do with it as it looks nothing like any HD I have ever worked with.

[kolefffff]

Yooo this actually saved me I was building my first gaming pc and this is the best video under 3 min about installing something on a pc

[vladimirputin]

little note: if you can't find the ideal slot for your m.2, it's numbered on the motherboard, you'll be looking for a slot labelled something like " M.2 _1 " and make sure it doesn't say " M.2(wifi) " on motherboards that don't have inbuilt wifi.

[marcusedmonds]

Watching these be installed does something to me. It's so satisfying how it just pops in and pushes down.

[romrom]

Honestly this is a life saver, instructions are very precise and clear, quality is good and its straight to the point, thanks for making such efficient tutorials

[MaximumChannel]

I found a screw to mount the M.2 drive in the box from motherboard, I hope it helps if someone couldn't find one with the drive itself.

[luke]

I cannot express how good this tutorial was. Thank you I've been stuck here for hours!! Thank you much!

[imperiumcommentingnetwork]

Its that simple? Wow, I was like "I don't want to use M.2's til i know how to install them" but now, I'll start using them. Thanks a bunch :)

[DLCoates]

Forgot the most important thing about installing any M.2... Use the included standoff screw otherwise you’re putting too much tension on the connector!!!