r/buildapc • u/AshSoul34 • 4h ago
Build Upgrade B550 Gaming GEN3 SSD recomandation
Hello,
I have a B550 Gaming Gen3 mother board and i was wondering what is the best way to upgrade storage capacity (i am pretty sure there is only one SSD port)
For context my SSD curently is 464 Go and clearly it isn't enough for today so I want to see what I can buy to upgrade it.
I admit i am not a expert of the field so if you need some info just ask and i will try to find it.
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u/Cer_Visia 2h ago
The MSI B550 Gaming Gen3 has only one M.2 slot, but M.2 slots are just PCIe slots in a different form factor, so if you do not want to throw away your old drive, you can use an adapter. If the second PCIe ×16 slot is available, use a ×4 adapter card, otherwise, a 1× adapter.
NVMe drives with Gen4/Gen5 controllers would work, and even with the interface running at Gen3, they would be slightly faster than Gen3 drives because of the more powerful controller.
If you want to install the OS on it, you should get a drive with TLC flash:
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Timetec 35TTFP6PCIE 512 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | €86.99 @ Amazon France |
| Storage | Patriot P320 512 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | €86.99 @ Amazon France |
| Storage | Acer FA100 512 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | €98.19 @ PC Componentes |
| Storage | FanXiang S660 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | €144.99 @ Amazon France |
| Storage | Verbatim Vi3000 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | €147.56 @ Cdiscount |
| Storage | Biwin Black Opal NV7400 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | €149.99 @ Amazon France |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-09-08 11:49 CEST+0200 |
But as a secondary drive for files and games, a slightly cheaper drive with lower-durability QLC flash would also work:
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Silicon Power P34A6X 512 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | €84.99 @ Amazon France |
| Storage | PNY CS2230 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | €139.98 @ Cdiscount |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-09-08 11:51 CEST+0200 |
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u/Outrageous-Delay2553 4h ago
You could just buy a normal SSD. A bit slower than a PCIE m2 but enough for files / games where loading times don't really matter (for e.g. Single player games). If you need a m2 there is extension cards (ca. €15) you can put in a PCIE slot, but the speed depends on your motherboard. (And m2 ssds are like 4x the price, so i would just go with a normal SSD). ps. If it isnt clear the extension card still needs a m2 ssd in it.