Is it an NVMe SSD in the device or in the storage case?

19 Tem 23:19

I was in the same dilemma about two years ago when I built my new PC. At first, I thought, "I'll put this NVMe in the external case just in case," but then I realized that the direct performance on the motherboard is unmatched. With the NVMe inside, game loads like Cyberpunk or Elden Ring go from 15-20 seconds to almost instant, with no weird wait times or latency. That said, what I did was leave 2TB in the motherboard (for the OS and frequently played games) and keep other important data on an external USB 3.2 NVMe case as a backup, in case it fills up. I only use the external case for backups and old files because, while the PCIe 4.0 x4 port is superior, the flexibility of having an external SSD to transfer data between systems is another big plus. If you have space on the motherboard and don’t mind not being able to disconnect it easily, putting it inside is the best option. But if you change PCs often or want files accessible in multiple places, the external case is a lifesaver. In the end, I went with a mix of both and don’t regret it.

20 Tem 00:56

Installing an NVMe SSD directly into a device via PCIe will give you the best performance because it avoids any bottlenecks in the Link Speed. I always put them inside my friends' PCs, and you can really notice the difference in gaming or when rendering videos—the read/write speeds are instantly noticeable. But if you need to swap SSDs often or use the same drive across multiple computers, then external enclosures make sense. At the office, I use portable NVMe drives on laptops so I can easily transfer projects. So it really depends on your use case: if you want performance and stability, go internal; if you need flexibility and mobility, go with an enclosure.