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Is the M.2 really an mSATA on the Z97 FTW?

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thsmrtlcl
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2014/11/17 10:57:01 (permalink)
Let me state upfront I have no prior experience with the M.2 interface. 
I just purchased a Z97 FTW off newegg and purchased an M.2 ssd (a CRUCIAL M550 256GB M.2 SSD) drive to go along with it.  When looking at the M.2 drive and the supposedly M.2 interface on the motherboard I can tell they are not compatible.  From pictures on the internet, it looks like the interface on the motherboard is actually an mSATA interface,  but I do not know for sure.
I have already emailed EVGA 5 days ago about this and have not received any response from them yet,  which more then bugs me.
Can anyone help clarify this and let me know what kind of specs I need to look for when ordering a drive for the supposedly M.2 slot on this mortherboard?
 
Thanks!
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    aka_STEVE_b
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    Re: Is the M.2 really an mSATA on the Z97 FTW? 2014/11/17 11:18:25 (permalink)
    At  the bottom left of the specs page, it clearly shows the m.2 slot 
     
    http://www.evga.com/products/pdf/142-HR-E977.pdf   That is what your m.2 SSd end should look like & plug into.
     

     
     
    post edited by aka_STEVE_b - 2014/11/17 11:23:35

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    thsmrtlcl
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    Re: Is the M.2 really an mSATA on the Z97 FTW? 2014/11/17 14:26:41 (permalink)
    Thanks for you quick response!
    Both your pictures are correct, but as you can see in the picture of the M.2 slot on the mobo it only has one notch in it, and the Crucial drive is keyed for two notches.  The one notch the mobo  does have is slightly in more toward the center of the card then either of the slots on the ssd.  And the ssd itself is too long to fit in the physical space that is allowed on the mobo (which you can't tell from the picture of the slot on the mobo because of how it is cropped).  
    So either I am missing something or my problem still exists.
     
    Thanks!
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    thsmrtlcl
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    Re: Is the M.2 really an mSATA on the Z97 FTW? 2014/11/17 17:22:18 (permalink)
    I found my information.   Anyone wanting to actually use the M.2 interface in the Z97 FTW should read this first,  the M.2 interface on the Z97 FTW is almost useless. 
     
    And anyone wanting to get involved in the M.2,   there are at least 2 very important parameters involved.    1.  the size of the card and 2.   the keying of the card.  Be very careful that these are correct, because in my research I have discovered that these aren't usually clearly listed.
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    jll544
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    Re: Is the M.2 really an mSATA on the Z97 FTW? 2014/11/17 19:11:05 (permalink)
    Wow, good to know. I hadn't looked closely before, but you're right... it looks like a 2230 M.2 socket with E-keying.  The only thing you could put there would be a Wi-Fi card, and yet EVGA provides no antenna knockouts on the back panel, lol.  It does seem rather useless.
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    the_Scarlet_one
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    Re: Is the M.2 really an mSATA on the Z97 FTW? 2014/11/17 21:00:04 (permalink)
    That m.2 in the picture (slot, not drive) looks to be an E-Key used for wireless adapters, where the M550 is an M-Key.

    E-Keys typically seem to be 22mmx40mm, wireless adapters, and blue tooth adapters.

    M-Key, as you can see, is typically 22mmx60mm, 22mmx80mm or 22mmx100mm and are used as storage devices. An E-Key and a M-Key are not interchangeable. Maybe EVGA can speak more on this for you, but I am pretty sure that it is the case with the drive and key you have.


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    thsmrtlcl
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    Re: Is the M.2 really an mSATA on the Z97 FTW? 2014/11/18 10:16:03 (permalink)
    I think EVGA really dropped the ball here.  Even though I have determined what the specs on the slot are,  an E-key interface and 22mmx32mm card, I can not find any official documentation on these specs from EVGA, even within the motherboard manual.  How in the world is anyone supposed to make an informed decision on if the slot is going to be useful to one if the important specs aren't given out with the other specs of the board?  I know the M.2 can be used for other items also, but the most common usage of the slot seems to be for an ssd so I kind of assumed on my part that that is what it was going to be used for.  And that is what the ASUS gaming motherboards boards are using it for.
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