Side-by-Side Comparison
SSD
M.2 vs. mSATA
Comparing 2 standards across 9 specifications. 9 key differences identified.
Comparing:
M.2
mSATA
M.2 is the dominant SSD form factor today, sized by a code like 2280 (22mm wide, 80mm long). B-key supports SATA or PCIe x2; M-key supports full PCIe x4 NVMe speed; B+M-key dual-notch modules are actually capped at PCIe x2, not the full x4 the two notches might suggest.
mSATA (Mini-SATA) packed a SATA interface into the same physical card size as Mini PCIe, standardized in 2011 -- but despite sharing its connector and outline with Mini PCIe, it's electrically incompatible, carrying SATA signal lines instead of PCIe lines. M.2 has now largely superseded it.
Specification Comparison Table
9 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Common Sizes
|
2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, 22110 | — |
|
B-Key
|
SATA or PCIe x2 | — |
|
M-Key
|
SATA or full PCIe x4 (NVMe) | — |
|
B+M-Key (dual notch)
|
SATA or PCIe x2 only -- not x4 | — |
|
Introduced
|
November 2013 (as "NGFF") | — |
|
Standard Base Dimensions
|
— | ~30 x 51mm (Mini PCIe card size) |
|
Bus Interface / Protocol
|
— | SATA |
|
Standardized
|
— | July 2011 (SATA revision 3.1) |
|
Status
|
— | Largely superseded by M.2 |