In the field of solid-state drives, the concepts of NVMe protocol and NGFF (formerly known as the M.2 interface in the early days, now often discussed in connection with the M.2 form, mainly from the perspective of distinguishing protocols based on the M.2 form) are often mentioned, but there are essential differences between the two. Below, we will teach you how to distinguish them from multiple aspects.

　　Conceptual essential differences

　　NVMe is a high-speed storage protocol designed specifically for solid-state drives. It is optimized for non-volatile storage and can fully utilize the high-speed read and write performance of solid-state drives, reducing data transmission latency. It is like laying a dedicated track for high-speed trains, making data transmission more efficient and smooth.

　　NGFF (predecessor concept of M.2 interface) is essentially a physical interface standard that defines the size, shape, and connection method of solid-state drives. It mainly solves the physical compatibility problem of solid-state drives between different devices, like sockets and plugs of different specifications, ensuring that solid-state drives can be correctly installed on the motherboard.

　　Appearance is related but not the determining factor

　　From the appearance, solid state drives using NVMe protocol and those based on NGFF (M.2 form) interface may both appear in the shape of M.2 slender bars, but this cannot be used as a basis to distinguish between the two. Because the M.2 interface can support both NVMe protocol based solid-state drives and SATA protocol based solid-state drives (some early products designed based on the NGFF concept). However, M.2 solid-state drives with NVMe protocol usually have the word "NVMe" clearly marked on the label, while M.2 solid-state drives based on SATA protocol may be labeled with "SATA" related information.

　　The transmission speed varies greatly

　　Transmission speed is an important indicator to distinguish between the two. The transfer speed of NVMe protocol solid-state drives is extremely fast, and the sequential read speed of NVMe solid-state drives with PCIe 3.0 × 4 interface can reach about 3500MB/s, and the sequential write speed can also reach around 3000MB/s; The PCIe 4.0 × 4 interface can even exceed a read speed of 7000MB/s. Solid state drives based on SATA protocol (commonly used in early NGFF related products) have a theoretical transfer speed limit of about 600MB/s, but in actual use, sequential read and write speeds are usually around 500-550MB/s, which is significantly different from NVMe protocol solid state drives.

　　Applicable scenarios vary

　　NVMe protocol solid-state drives are suitable for scenarios that require extremely high storage performance, such as professional video editing, 3D modeling and rendering, large game loading, etc. They can quickly process large amounts of data, improve work efficiency and gaming experience. Solid state drives based on SATA protocol (early NGFF related) are more suitable for daily office, internet, video watching and other scenarios that do not require high speed, with relatively affordable prices and higher cost-effectiveness.

　　By distinguishing from the above multiple aspects, I believe you can accurately distinguish between NVMe protocol and solid-state drives based on NGFF (related in M.2 form), so as to choose the appropriate product according to your own needs.