How do SATA and NVMe SSDs differ?

SATA SSDs use the SATA interface and typically the AHCI command model, while NVMe SSDs use the NVMe protocol, commonly over PCIe. NVMe supports greater parallelism and can offer higher throughput and lower latency, but results depend on the device and workload. M.2 describes a form factor and connector family, not a guarantee of NVMe; an M.2 drive can be SATA. Verify motherboard slot support, physical length, lane sharing, thermals, and firmware compatibility before selecting a replacement.