Don't make these mistakes with your NVMe SSD installation - NVMe tips and tricks

In this video, we're going to be talking about some of the most common mistakes that people make when installing a NVMe SSD, and how to avoid them. We're also going to be going over some of the best ways to measure the performance of a NVMe SSD, and dispel some of the myths about NVMe PCIe speeds.

If you're looking to install a NVMe SSD in your computer, then this video is for you! We'll cover everything from the basics of NVMe SSDs to the best way to install them. We'll also discuss some of the key factors to consider when choosing a NVMe SSD, and how to measure their performance.

The process for installing is really easy but may vary depending on your motherboard - some have heatsinks and different screw setups. It's also worth checking your manual as you may find that not all the drives work the same way.

NVMe installation is easy in theory but it's important to keep these things in mind:
- Use the top spot where possible to ensure x4 PCIe lanes
- Remove any plastic stickers from heatsinks and shields
- Use thermal pads to disperse heat
- If you install multiple drives this may reduce PCIe lanes available for your GPU
- You may need to change settings in your BIOS
- When installing in Windows use the Disk Management/Create a partition settings to set the drive up
- Always benchmark to make sure it's running as it should be.

Other videos to watch:

Unlike most NVMe SSDs, this one does NOT come with M2 screws in the box! If you lose it or find you don't have one then there's good news as you can buy them from Amazon*:

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[LifeIsButaBluff]

You should check the MB manual for the bifurcation table which will detail PCIE lane sharing details.

[Murph]

It's not always the top slot. Some boards steal PCIe 5 lanes from the GPU in the top slot (M.2_1), reducing your GPU from x16 to x8. This would be less of an issue with a PCIe 5 GPU, but the current generation of GPUs are PCIe 4, and will lose performance. The correct slot for a gen 4 drive can be M.2_2, if the board routes the CPU's x4 lanes there.

[hansvanderniet]

Thank you. I just installed a 2nd 4TB ssd on the motherboard, and it didn't show, but after watching your video above regarding "disk management " it came alive 😊

[netizen]

Happy to see NVMe slot between CPU and peg slot. I was the engineer inside Intel added a nvme to desktop in Skylake time keeping atx form factor.

[hexcei]

This seems to be a very underrated channel, the content is excellent. One question I had and was confusing from the manual, is there a difference or something to be aware of when installing NVME double sided vs single. It mentions rubber grommets and seems slot dependent looking at a ASUS z790 manual. - Cheers

[saveEarth]

I'm blown away how there's almost no videos on YT that dicuss single sided vs double sided NVMe drives, or the standoffs. Or the little rubber pad risers that come with Asus motherboards. My manual doesn't even mention any of this. What the heck

[iamamish]

I don't think you mentioned it, one thing I'd add is that for whatever reason, the retention screws for M.2 drives are exceptionally easy to strip. After stripping two of them, I went and bought an IFixIt kit. You don't really need to go that far, but you probably want to make sure you're using a Phillips #1 bit. Often it doesn't matter w/ Phillips heads, but in this case it does.

[Starsnu]

Thanks you for these great tips. I don't have any Gen 4 stuff yet, but I'll make sure my 3 NVMe's are working properly thanks to your video!

[gibbysworldoftech]

As always a soothing and helpful guide for this nutty new technology. As some have mentioned, you should definitely be looking at your motherboard manual. I think people try to wing it too much and with m.2 you cannot do that. Many people don't know you will often lose the use of a few sata ports when using m.2 on certain slots as well. I check m.2 configuration before I even buy a motherboard so I know it will work for my need.

[Voidrunner]

You can just right-click the Windows start button and go right to disk management directly in Windows 11. If I remember right, the same shortcut works in 10 as well.

[jcesparza]

Thanks installed extra ssd and I didn’t see it on pc, followed your easy steps and I am good to go. Thanks.

[rankisdumb]

I never thought to check the m.2 speed/lanes. I have 1 firecuda 530 2tb and 2 Samsung 980pro 1tb. I remember using the magician software on my ddr4 board and when I used their benchmark it never reached the rated speed. This is probably the reason.

God there's so much to learn.

[abrahamarmani]

The P.Prawn just gave a whole bunch of crucial info on PCI NVMe that every mid-level user has to know. what makes it better is that it was delivered effectively under 10 minutes. Bravoooo

[ThoRax]

Would be intrested in knowing which Case you showed in this video? It looked so nice and clean!

[danieldelgado]

Love this! I just recently added my SSD to the wrong slot after checking in Samsung magician. I'm still new to the custom PC space, so videos like this help me out a ton! Thanks for the tips/guide!

[esmereldaerasmus]

Thank you for this video this is the First time installing a SSD like this, Really helped

[TheHumbleRoots]

You mentioned using NVME in all slots reducing GPU PCIE to 8x. As I understand it, there is no current GPU that takes advantage of using 16X. For reference I am using Asrock Taichi z790 and Asus Tuf Oc 4070n ti. I plan on using the top slot and at least 2 others for NVME installation. Thanks. Great video

[Sir-Prizse]

You sound like the male counterpart to the female narrator in Baldur's Gate 3.

[PatrickBarnaby]

Prawn I have the Asus GeForce RTX 4090 ROG Strix OC 24GB GDDR6X PCI-Express Graphics Card and Windows 11 installed on Crucial T705 2TB SSD PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 Internal Gaming SSD. The Case is NZXT H7 Flow RGB | Mid-Tower ATX Airflow Case with RGB Fans and Water Cooler NZXT Kraken ELite 360 RGB Black AIO Intel/AMD CPU Hydro-Cooler (2023 Edition). Now because I listen to some advice by you I think in another video you said to install just one for the first time and that's what I did. I have two more drives which are: Samsung 990 PRO 4TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD/Solid State Drive PC/PS5 and Samsung 870 QVO 2TB 2.5” Gen2 SATA SSD/Solid State Drive.
The ROG HYPER M.2 CARD looks very close to the Graphics Card. It would be right underneath the fans. Which is best a ROG HYPER M.2 CARD or just install on the motherboard? I would have to remove the Graphics Card first to install the Samsung 990 PRO 4TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD/Solid State Drive PC/PS5 or is it easier just to install a ROG HYPER M.2 CARD? Prawn what do you think?

[nspam]

FYI always read the M/B guidance some M/B will reduce the speed on the GPU lane, and some will say slot 1 and slot 2 cannot be populated simultaneously