Here is the list of best M.2 2242 SSDs available online: 1. Transcend MTS400 M.2 2242 256GB SATA TS256GMTS400: The M.2 SSDs come in three specific sizes – 2242, 2260 and 2280. Well, the nomenclature is what would represent the dimensions of the drives. The first two digits represent the width of the drives, while the last two figures are representative of the length. The M.2 2242 merely the diameter of 22 mm and a length of 42 mm. Likewise, the M.2 2260 and M.2 2280 come with the measurements of 22 mm width and 60 mm length and 22 mm width and 80 mm in length. The width for the drives is uniform across all of them with a difference in the range. The Essential Concept behind M.2 Architecture There are not many competitors to the Toshiba RC100. The 42mm length is quite difficult to find these days. We may need to wait for a while until we can find any of the SSDs with a similar technology. The Addlink AddGame A93 is a good choice for budget-conscious users looking for a high-performing general-purpose PCI Express 4.0 SSD, either as an upgrade for a desktop computer or to add extra storage space to a PS5. The M.2 form factor is small and rectangular in shape, almost like a piece of gum. Sizes can vary, with possible widths of 12, 16, 22, or 30 millimeters, but they’re generally 22 millimeters wide. Lengths can also vary, coming in 16, 26, 30, 38, 42, 60, 80, or 110 millimeters. Motherboards will accommodate a variety of lengths for an M.2 module to allow for flexibility, while the width is more fixed.

The last, but not least in our list, is another capable M.2 2242 SSD. The KingSpec 128G MLC M.2 NGFF 42mm Digital Flash SSD Solid State Drive is one of the excellent choices you will opt for. The Storage Capacities – The M.2 2242 comes with a capacity of 8 GB to 256 GB. The M.2 2280 drives are available in the sizes of 16 to 64 GB. Most new motherboards have at least one M.2 slot, and there’s a lot going on inside those little ports. Instead of accepting one kind of connector, component, or interface, M.2 slots provide a one-stop shop for all your computer’s component connection needs. The significant differences between the two drives have already been indicated in the above paragraphs. Other variations can vary depending upon the manufacturer of the M.2 SSD drive you have chosen.

Nowadays, though, many lean, premium laptops can make use of PCI Express-bus M.2 SSDs. (Just about all new desktop motherboards with M.2 slots also support PCI Express M.2 SSDs, too.) With these, you may see a substantive increase in performance in benchmark testing, but in most real-world usage, they'll just feel like a fast, premium SATA SSD. (Credit: Molly Flores) Well, the significant difference between the M.2 2242 and M.2 2280 lies in the measurement of the SSD drives. Of course, this difference translates into further differences ahead. We will have a look at them as well.

NVMe: This interface connects an SSD to the motherboard. NVMe travels over PCIe for blazing-fast speeds. Current NVMe consumer drives are about three times faster than SATA III. We all know that SSDs perform way better compared to conventional HDDs in terms of performance, power consumption and capacity. SATA, PCI-E, M.2 2242 and M.2 2280 are most commonly used SSD interfaces. If you are finding it hard to determine which one is best for you, this post will provide some help. Today, we will be talking about M.2 2242 and M.2 2280. Moreover, we also have the list of best products in each category so it would be even easier for you to choose one for yourself. Understand M.2 Interface:A standard PCI-e port provides data transfer speeds as much as six times faster than SATA interfaces, and NVMe-enabled PCI-e ports offer even faster transfers. NVMe SSDs are faster than any other internal storage media on the market today, and most of the available models come in the M.2 form factor. You can find some 2.5-inch NVMe SSDs, but they’re uncommon enough that it wouldn’t be a stretch to call NVMe compatibility a big, semi-exclusive feather in M.2’s cap. But first, the shape issue. Any M.2 drive you are looking at will be labeled with a four- or five-digit number as part of its specifications or model name. It's a measurement, in millimeters: The first two numbers define the drive's width, the second two the length. M.2 is a form factor specification that was introduced in 2012 and designed to replace the mSATA standard. The form factor specification spells out the physical size and shape of the SSD card you can connect to your system. The M.2 form factor is designed to maximize PCB (printed circuit board) while minimizing the amount of space it takes up in your PC or laptop. To connect an M.2 specified SSD, your motherboard will need to have an M.2 slot. The ADATA XPG Spectrix S40 is an unapologetically bright RGB-lit PCIe 3.0 NVMe M.2 SSD that blings up your PC. Its 4K read and write speeds should keep most gamers happy, too. The ADATA XPG Spectrix S40G carries some respectable wins out of its duel with other competing drives we've tested, and it looked great doing it.

At the core, an SSD is just a thin circuit board studded with flash-memory and controller chips. Why not design around that? Thus the M.2 form factor was born. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. We actually like these because often, you often get a robust heat sink on the M.2 drive. Some PCI Express-bus M.2 SSDs can run hot under sustained read/write tasks and throttle their speed. That said, unless you're running a server or something similar, where a drive is constantly getting hammered with reads and writes, that's usually not something you have to worry about. That's because many of these drives are so fast, they get their transfer duties done before they have a chance to get all that hot. M.2 connectors are compatible with PCI-e ports (3.0 or newer), PCI-e NVMe, SATA (3.0 or newer), and USB 3.0 ports, enabling them to support a wide range of functions and making them (theoretically) compatible with a huge variety of devices and motherboards. The M.2 standard has been the new upgrade in terms of SSDs. The M.2 SSD will come with a four-digit numbering that forms part of the specification and part number. The four digit number specifies the measurement of the drive. The first two digits indicate the width of the drive, while the last two digits indicate the length – both of them taken in millimetres. That's not a bad thing. Especially in the case of laptops, an older machine might support only M.2 SATA-bus SSDs, and that will be the boundary of your upgrade path...end of story. As a result, the only reasons you'd upgrade the drive, in that situation, would be to get more capacity, or if the old one failed.

Are you looking to upgrade to the advanced device capability? The SSD supports capacities up to 512 GB. The next-gen SATA III performance that promises a 6GB per sec is another excellent feature. The drive is available in capacities ranging from 120 GB to 480 GB. It offers you sequential transfer speeds quite faster than the regular SATA drives. The Random Access Performance is at par with the SATA drives. The length of the SSD drive has a significant bearing on the performance characteristics of the SSD. Given this fact, since the M.2 2242 is smaller than the M.2 2280, the performance of the latter will be a little better placed in comparison to the M.2 2242. If you are looking for a faster, thinner and quieter environment of working with your drives, this can be your best bet. It offers you a faster boot time. You get an extra performance as compared to the traditional options available through hard drives. The KingSpec drives to ensure you an excellent trouble free and reliable performance. The Crucial T500 is for users willing to pay a little extra to get the best PCI Express 4.0 SSD performance. At a time when many low-priced DRAM-less SSDs are hitting the market, the T500 has a full DRAM cache (as well as a top-shelf Phison controller and 232-layer TLC NAND flash), which could give it an advantage in sustained large-file transfers, as well as in use with the PS5.