To recap once again, there are a lot of aspects to consider that can manage to have compatibility with your computer. This is very important to note as there are important things that need to be taken into account before updating the RIG you possess with an Add-in card.
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UEFI:
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) are fundamentally the exact same thing. They are a specification that allows a computer’s firmware to connect to the Operative System. It’s basically the life force of any computer you will ever see.
Many users might’ve seen those fancy looking User Interfaces that come up the second the computer is turned on. This is the very first program that runs in the computer and exists to check on the hardware components and then waking them up to finally start the computer up through the Operative System.
This is basically the computer making sure that the computer’s components are pretty much ready to go before the launch sequence commences. It sounds like something pulled off from a space ship launch but it’s the perfect analogy to describe the functions of the UEFI and BIOS interfaces.
The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface is managed by a group of chipset, hardware, system, firmware, and operating system vendors called the UEFI Forum. Not only that but this is also a sort of “Customizable Mini OS” that the computer can run in order to check the PC Health Status and Bootable Drives.
A lot of manufacturers actually embrace this change. Especially those who develop SSDs that have the NVMe protocol as the UEFI can allow Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to add drivers and applications to their boot up sequences. Making it an intuitive way of allowing new devices to be connected without much of a hassle.
A lot of modern day Motherboards possess UEFI interfaces. Some actually own a BIOS interface which, while it’s not completely obsolete yet, doesn’t offer the same capabilities as the UEFI interface does.
It’s always important to check the motherboard Manufacturer’s manual or website to know the compatibility of the Motherboard’s Firmware with the PCIe NVMe Add-in Cards. Otherwise a lot of people might just purchase an SSD that really doesn’t have a point and is rendered inoperable due to lack of compatibility with the system itself, to ensure it’s compatible, make sure it’s running a UEFI.
Windows 10 64-Bit
Windows 10 is one of the best Operating Systems out there for most actual computers. There is something to be said about old computers that are frequently throttled with the system’s updates but that’s mostly a topic for another article.Windows 10 offers automatic Driver Updates and it makes sure that your computer’s vital components stay up to date to allow compatibility with most, if not all components that might be introduced or removed from the system. This is where Windows 10’s magnificent compatibility with most SSDs that are introduced by PCIe lies in.
The Operative System itself offers a lot of users the possibility of having enhanced performance and to allow them to continue playing with their computers by easily having access to overclock options with the right programs. Of course, it also doesn’t need to have the Native PCIe NVMe architecture support as the drivers that are installed automatically do that job for the system.
A lot of users might ask, why 64-Bit? The basic answer is that most components (Including Motherboards, Processors and PCIe Components) of the computer can actually perform better in a 64-Bit environment. The 32-Bit Operating System can actually hamper the peak performance of most devices.
It’s important to make note of this as some users believe that 32-bit systems can actually outperform 64-bit ones. This is only applicable to legacy processors and components that are meant for this sort of system. However, for everything else that has a 64-Bit Compatibility, it’s not.
PCIe 3.0 X4 Compatible Motherboard
A lot of PCIe NVMe chips require a Third Generation PCIe X4 Compatible Motherboard to be able to run properly. The reason for this is basically the same as the 64-bit computer. It’s required in order to have the computer performing at its maximum performance without the possibility of harming the computer itself or the SSD.
Thanks to the specification, the SSDs that are plugged through the slot can actually perform at theoretically higher speeds than most would imagine. Motherboards will often come with a Generation 3 (3.0) X4 PCie alongside a 16x PCIe dedicated for Graphics Cards or something of the sort. However, this specification can vary and some motherboards might not even have a 3.0 X4 PCIe slot at all.
For those who are mostly interested in getting the speeds of M.2 drives but don’t actually possess the slot to do so. There are a lot of M.2 adapters that can actually give you the performance of an M.2 card without the need of needing to buy a motherboard that fits a bigger Form Factor than the one the user is getting.
However, some of these adapters can come with their own myriad of compatibility issues and can actually end up hampering the performance of the SSDs themselves. For example, if the user uses a motherboard with a Generation 2 PCIe x4 slot and tries to plug in an adapter with an M.2 that is rated for Generation 3 PCIe x4 slots, the performance will be extremely undermined.
It’s the same deal with Add-in Cards (AIC), sadly. The more outdated the technology is on the motherboard itself, the harder it becomes for the SSD itself to actually run on the proper environment. This ends up consuming resources and a lot of people becoming frustrated with the product because they didn’t know how to handle it.
It’s worth noting that Generation 3 PCIe X4 slots are starting to become more and more of a standard for Motherboards despite the fact that’s some don’t possess the slot at all. So a lot of users might just find the slot that’s capable of functioning perfectly fine. The best part about this is that performance can be kept intact so long as the user knows what they’re putting on the computer.
Can I use an Add-in Card SSD on my Laptop/Macbook?
When it comes to Add-in Card SSDs, a lot of users wonder whether or not their laptops can run them even if they meet the hardware requirements for the system itself. While it’s certainly not impossible for Laptops with Windows 10 Operative Systems to actually be able to use an Add-in PCIe SSD Card, it actually is near-impossible for Macbook users to get cards of their own.
Let’s start by saying that Apple uses their own PCIe port which is often an X2 port, this port is specifically made for Macbook units. Not only is it outdated but it also comes with its own SSD and the drivers that the Mac computer runs often are only compatible with that SSD and nothing else.
As such, the usual “Overpriced accessory” meme that many tech enthusiasts know about Apple becomes true and makes the very idea of implementing an SSD a chore because it’s simply not possible to do so without trying to compromise the system entirely. It’s a shame because a lot of users could definitely use a boost from the SSDs themselves.
It’s been often rumored that the latest High Sierra updates have actually offered an ampler NVMe interface update that can actually accept third party NVMe drives to work. This really hasn’t been confirmed by many people in the scene, however. Not only that but this only applies towards M.2 Form Factor cards, not so much AIC Form Factor cards.
Conventional Laptops with Windows OS have an easier time adapting to the AIC SSD conditions due to the structure of the motherboards themselves and the AIC’s heatsink which usually isn’t that big or bulky and can actually fit inside the laptop itself without compromising the system itself. It’s simply a matter of meeting the aforementioned specifications.
However, AIC cards are mostly meant to be used in Short Form Factor (SFF) builds that don’t have any sort of compatibility with M.2 cards. While bigger Form Factor motherboards/computer cases can also apply to the lack of an M.2 port, most of them actually do possess an M.2 port and can greatly benefit from having an SSD that actually performs way better than AIC.
In summation, a lot of Laptop/Macbook users would be better off going for an M.2 drive as the current available AIC cards can be a hassle to both install or fit. Short Form Factor computer owners with pre-made chipsets and graphics cards will definitely benefit the most from using Add-In SSD Cards. As such, it’s better to just leave this sort of thing to mid-range SFF computer.
Here are some of the best recommendations for the PCIe NVMe Cards (here).
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