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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Most desktop customers have no less than one M.2 slot of their PC.
- These slots aren’t only for storage.
- Choices embrace upgraded web bandwidth and extra USB ports.
I am undecided who wants to listen to this, however when you have a desktop PC in 2026, you are in all probability not utilizing its M.2 slots to their fullest potential. If it is from the final 5 to 10 years, likelihood is you could have unused M.2 slots that may very well be put to make use of with extra equipment.
M.2 slots aren’t only for NVMe SSDs; they will allow units for a number of completely different functions, together with a quicker Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection, a USB port enlargement, or an additional GPU. With a bit of funding, a number of of those units can considerably enhance the worth of your PC.
Additionally: The best M.2 SSDs of 2026: Expert tested and reviewed
M.2 slots join on to your motherboard’s PCIe lanes, that are a number of orders of magnitude quicker than older interfaces like SATA. They’re additionally linked to the chipset, so you do not have to fret about stealing juice out of your main SSD or your graphics card.
To learn how many M.2 slots your motherboard has, determine its make and mannequin. If you happen to’re undecided, I like to recommend CPU-Z – a secure and dependable app that may assist you to shortly find this data. After getting CPU-Z downloaded, navigate to the Mainboard tab to show the producer and mannequin of your machine.
I then suggest looking the online in your motherboard’s title to seek out both its producer’s web site or a retail website, which is able to typically checklist its specs. Clearly, you too can bodily examine your PC — open it up and find the bodily slots on the motherboard, which are sometimes labeled “M.2,” “M2_1,” or “M2_2”.
Improve your Ethernet card
You probably have a desktop, you in all probability do not want the portability that Wi-Fi gives. I like to recommend utilizing a wired Ethernet cable to attach on to your modem for the quickest connection potential.
Additionally: I used an M.2 PCIe enclosure for data storage, and it made file transfers so much faster
Your motherboard’s inventory Ethernet port probably helps both 1Gbps (1000 Mbps) or 2.5GbE, however with a complicated M.2 Ethernet card, you’ll be able to open that as much as 5GbE or 10GbE, considerably dashing up bandwidth for big file transfers, downloads, streaming, and sharing content material between units on your house community.
To see how a lot bandwidth you are working with in Home windows 11, open Settings, then navigate to Community & Web, Superior Community Settings, and broaden the “Ethernet” dropdown menu on the prime. Search for the Hyperlink Velocity metric.
Add extra USB ports
You probably have an older PC, likelihood is you could have just one or two USB-C ports in your desktop — and also you could be at capability for USB-A ports. You do not want an entire new machine to get the ports you want in your equipment; simply pop a USB enlargement card into your unused M.2 slot, utilizing the PCIe (Peripheral Element Interconnect Categorical) connection.
There are quite a few variationsof those units obtainable on-line, and relying in your motherboard and case, you may need to be certain that the one you select really matches, so seek advice from your motherboard’s make and mannequin for compatibility.
Additionally: I tested Samsung’s fastest portable SSD for work and travel, and it’s changed how I transfer data
Additionally, be aware that as with all enlargement gadget, with a brand new enlargement card, you may have to obtain and replace the mandatory drivers earlier than it’s going to work correctly. Comply with the gadget’s set up directions.
Add a secondary GPU
If you happen to’re utilizing your desktop for AI-powered duties, a second GPU helps you to dedicate it to these workflows, together with growing AI fashions, rendering, and machine studying.
However there are different causes as properly, specifically, driving extra screens. If you’re making a workstation with 4, six, or eight screens, you’ll be able to obtain that with a secondary GPU designed particularly to energy the screens whereas your fundamental GPU focuses on efficiency.
Lastly, in case you’re streaming, the identical precept applies: let your fundamental GPU deal with the sport whereas the secondary GPU powers your video feed to forestall FPS drops.
In fact, the commonest gadget in your M.2 slots is an NVMe SSD for extra storage. Growing the quantity of storage in your machine for media, backups, photographs, and movies out of your smartphones, and further apps can extend your gadget’s longevity with out the necessity to pay for cloud storage.
