In this guide, we’ll show you how to install an M.2 SSD in your motherboard, as well as how to fit an SSD heatsink. If you’ve never built a PC before, or if it’s been a while since you last assembled a rig, then M.2 SSDs might be completely new to you, but there are numerous benefits to these drives, which come mounted on circuit boards that connect straight to your motherboard.

Most of the drives on our best gaming SSD guide use the M.2 standard, and for good reason. M.2 SSDs don’t require any power or data cables, unlike older 2.5-inch SSDs and hard drives, and the latest PCIe 4 and PCIe 5 models are extremely fast as well.

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