How To Add Windows 10 To New Ssd

How to install an G.ii (NVMe/SATA) SSD on your PC

Learn your M-key from your B-key, and what to do in the BIOS

How to install an M.2 (NVMe/SATA) SSD on your PC

(Image: © Futurity)

It feels like only recently that SSDs landed to supercede our creaking mechanical difficult drives, delivering an incredible heave to loading times across our operating systems, software and games. But in fact, the newest and fastest form-factor of SSD - Thousand.2 - has already been around for a fair few years itself, and can at present be bought at a pretty affordable toll.

That ways information technology's a good time to learn how to connect and install these diminutive wafers of tech, which somehow run things faster and cooler than annihilation preceding them. The good news is that Thou.2 drives are relatively simple to plug into your PC - non requiring any cables or extraneous faff.

Merely adding any hardware to your PC's innards is always a sensitive job, so this guide is here to help you install your new Yard.2 drive properly.

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1. Is your motherboard uniform with your Chiliad.two key?

When buying an M.ii SSD, it's of import to know whether your motherboard is compatible with information technology. G.2 is only the stick-like form factor of the SSD, merely the really important detail is in the fact that there are slower SATA Thousand.2 drives and faster NVMe Yard.2 drives, which utilise dissimilar 'keys'.

Even if your motherboard has an M.two slot, its compatibility with your new M.ii drive volition depend on whether the slot is uniform with B Central drives, M+B Key or K Key drives.

And so information technology's worth researching your motherboard to figure out whether information technology's compatible with your Thousand.ii drive before pushing on.

2. Insert the M.2 drive into your PC

The location of the Grand.2 slot on your PC motherboard varies between different manufacturers and board models. The most common places to find an Thousand.2 slot are between the GPU and CPU, or in the lower right part of your motherboard.

Some motherboards even have a special metallic plate that covers the M.ii drive and keeps it absurd, so you may need to unscrew that kickoff.

As yous can meet in a higher place, our M.2 slot is rather inconveniently sandwiched between a graphics bill of fare and processor. To comfortably insert the new M.2 drive, we'll need to carefully remove my GPU and set it aside.

Once you've got all obstructing hardware out of the way, it's time to insert your M.ii drive into the M.2 slot.

Starting time, unscrew the mounting spiral near the Chiliad.ii slot. If your M.2 drive came with whatsoever mounts, you should screw them in at present. This will ensure that when you screw downward the drive it will be parallel to the motherboard rather than angled downwards towards it.

With the mounting screw out and the drive mounts in (if provided), carefully insert your M.2 drive into the G.ii slot at a thirty-degree angle from the motherboard.

Once inserted, it should dangle at that 30-degree angle up from the motherboard.

Gently press the upwardly-angled end of the drive down towards the screw mount, then secure it with the mounting spiral. Don't overscrew it, merely screw it in enough and so that the Chiliad.2 drive isn't wobbling.

Reinsert your GPU and whatsoever other hardware you had to remove previously, close your PC case, and plug everything back in.

iii. Install your Chiliad.ii Drive in BIOS

Before you install your M.2 drive on Windows 10, there may be a few things you need to configure in your motherboard BIOS. The tweaks yous should make volition depend on your motherboard'south capabilities, but one in item may be essential if you want Windows to recognise your One thousand.2 drive.

Go to your BIOS (usually past pressing F2 or Delete when your PC is booting).

The exact process from hither will vary depending on your motherboard. On our ASUS Z97 Pro Gamer board, we went to Advanced > Onboard Devices Configuration > Yard.2 PCIe fashion and changed the dropdown to 'Enabled'. On other Asus boards, you become to Advanced, click the dropdown next to 'PCI Express X4_3 Slot Bandwidth' and change it to M.ii Mode.

Save and leave.

4. Install your M.ii Drive in Windows 10

Your Grand.two drive should now be recognised by Windows 10. Log into Windows x, type 'deejay direction' into the Offset search bar, and choose the option to create difficult disk partitions.

Here, your new Grand.2 drive should announced in the lower half of the window with 'Unallocated' space.

What y'all do from here depends on whether you desire to run Windows 10 from your new NVMe or whether you just want to employ it as a regular drive. Nosotros have a guide on paw if yous desire to move Windows ten over to your new M.2 drive.

If you just want to apply your Chiliad.2 drive as a regular bulldoze, right-click the bar that says 'Unallocated' next to it > New Elementary Book then follow the instructions to create your drive. One important thing to note during the wizard is to set the 'File organization' equally NTFS. Beyond that, give the bulldoze a proper noun and most of the other options should be fine as they are.

Once that's washed, your swift new NVMe is ready to use! Enjoy a level of read/write rates similar you've most certainly never experienced before.

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Robert Zak is a freelance writer for Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He writes in impress and digital publishing, specialising in video games. He has previous experience equally editor and writer for tech sites/publications including AndroidPIT and ComputerActive! Magazine.