In fact, before building a PC, consumers will usually look for a storage device that suits their needs. For example, if users frequently move large files, SSDs with high sequential read and write speeds are ideal. For everyday tasks, users may care more about 4K random read and write performance. In addition, heatsinks with excellent heat dissipation may be a consideration that affects system stability.

There are a plethora of M.2 SSDs on the market. Coupled with the trend of upgrading components driven by Gen4 SSDs, do you know which one to choose?

Furthermore, before buying a PCIe Gen4 SSD, consumers must first confirm processor and motherboard support for PCIe lanes. If the host cannot support PCIe Gen4 lanes, the SSD will not be recognized correctly. Moreover, Intel and AMD platforms also differ in terms of support with differing numbers of slots that support PCIe Gen4 SSDs. The following describes the compatibility of the two platforms, respectively.

In terms of the Intel platform, Intel’s 11th generation processors can only support one PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD, but this does not mean that users can just install the SSD in any empty PCIe slot. On the contrary, users must first confirm the lane configuration supported by the M.2 slot on the motherboard (there are usually multiple M.2 slots). Generally speaking, the M.2 slot closest to the processor can enable Gen4 SSDs to perform at their full potential.

12th-generation Alder Lake processors offer greatly enhanced support of PCIe lanes. Although the CPU only manages 4 PCIe Gen4 lanes, which is only enough for one M .2 SSD, the Southbridge chipset makes up for this deficiency. If gamers adopt a Z690 series motherboard, the chipset can provide 12 PCIe Gen4 lanes and, if all of them are allocated to M.2 slots, this is equivalent to slotting in 3 additional SSDs. In terms of B660 series motherboards, there are 6 PCIe Gen4 lanes in the chipset, so at least one additional M.2 SSD can be used.

Incidentally, post 11th generation Tiger Lake, Intel laptops have added support for PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSDs. Gamers can go to Intel’s official website to check whether their laptop models can support these SSD expansions!

All motherboards/processors on the AMD platform support PCIe Gen4. Currently, most processors in the Ryzen 3000 and 5000 families can support one PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD. However, there are a few exceptions. The Ryzen 5 5600G, 5700G, and 5500 do not support PCIe Gen4, so cannot be installed with PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSDs. In addition, there is a Ryzen 4000 series sandwiched between the Ryzen 3000 and 5000 series. This series does not support PCIe Gen4 lanes, so please pay special attention when considering this series of products.

The choice of motherboard is also very important. Even though the latest Ryzen 5000 series processors are compatible with 500, 400, and 300 series motherboards, only "X570 and B550 chipset" motherboards support PCIe Gen4 lanes.