M.2 SATA NGFF 2242 / 2260 / 2280
Also sold as M.2 NGFF — the older name for the same card format.The compatibility tier for machines already in the field — industrial boards, thin clients and all-in-one PCs whose M.2 slot runs on the SATA channel. Same card format as NVMe, a different protocol underneath, and that is what decides whether it is recognised at all.
Will it fit your board?
Three questions, each under a minute. Any one of them can rule this drive out — better to find that out here than after the goods ship.
1 Does your M.2 slot run on the SATA channel?
2 How long is your M.2 slot?
3 What kind of writes will the drive see?
Continuous recording and backup targets are the one case where the SATA ceiling is actually felt — sustained writes stay near the rated figure instead of bursting. Tell us the write rate you need and we will confirm what this series holds; if it is not enough, the NVMe series is the honest answer.
Databases, logs and operating systems write in small scattered blocks. SATA handles that pattern comfortably — it is sustained sequential writing, not random writing, that hits the interface ceiling. This series is the right fit.
Boot drives, firmware storage and signage players read far more than they write. This is the workload M.2 SATA was built for — and the machines that use it usually only offer a SATA-channel slot in the first place.
M.2 SATA and M.2 NVMe look identical but are not interchangeable. A SATA-channel slot does not recognise an NVMe drive at all — it never appears in the BIOS. Send us the board model and we will confirm which one it takes.
SATA III — up to 550 MB/s
550 MB/s sequential read, 500 MB/s sequential write — the practical ceiling of the SATA III interface. This is not a performance drive and it does not pretend to be: it exists because a large installed base of industrial boards, thin clients and all-in-one PCs only has a SATA-channel M.2 slot.
Three things decide whether this drive is recognised
1 · The channel the slot runs on
A SATA-channel M.2 slot takes this drive. Put an NVMe drive in the same slot and the board never sees it. Most industrial boards built before PCIe M.2 became standard are wired this way.
2 · The key notch
These drives are B&M key — both notches are cut, so they seat in a B slot and an M slot alike. NVMe drives are M key only, which is why a pure B slot cannot take one.
3 · The physical length
2242, 2260 and 2280 are all in production. Length sets the screw-standoff position: a board that is too long fouls the enclosure, one that is too short cannot be fastened down.
Tell us the machine or board model with the enquiry and we will confirm the channel and the standoff before you order.
SATA III runs at 6 Gb/s — about 600 MB/s of theoretical bandwidth, and real drives settle at 450–550 MB/s. If your board has a PCIe M.2 slot, the NVMe series is several times faster for similar money. See the NVMe series
Specifications
Seven capacities from 32 GB to 2 TB across three lengths — 2242, 2260 and 2280.
| Parameter | 32 GB | 64 GB | 128 GB | 256 GB | 512 GB | 1 TB | 2 TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A · Per-capacity | |||||||
| Capacity | 32GB | 64GB | 128GB | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB | 2TB |
| Min Sequential Read/Write (MB/s) | 248/166 | 475/305 | 500/360 | 500/390 | 500/390 | 510/450 | 510/450 |
| Max Sequential Read/Write (MB/s) | 248/166 | 475/305 | 520/450 | 520/460 | 520/460 | 520/500 | 550/500 |
| 4KB Random Write | 72943 (IOPS) | ||||||
| 4KB Random Read | 55681 (IOPS) | ||||||
| B · General | |||||||
| Product Series | M.2 SATA NGFF 2242 / 2260 / 2280 SSD Series | ||||||
| Interface Type | M.2 SATA (6.0 Gb/s) | ||||||
| Transport Protocol | AHCI | ||||||
| Form Factor | M.2 2242 · 2260 · 2280 (22 mm wide) | ||||||
| Internal/External | Internal | ||||||
| Cache | None | ||||||
| Nand Flash Type | TLC / QLC | ||||||
| Flash Brand | Intel / Micron / SAMSUNG / SK Hynix / SanDisk / Kioxia / YMTC | ||||||
| Controller | SMI / Yeestor / Realtek / Maxio etc | ||||||
| RGB | No | ||||||
| Temperature Alert | No | ||||||
| OEM/ODM | Yes | ||||||
| C · Physical & electrical | |||||||
| Item Dimension | 22 × 42 × 3 mm (2242) · 22 × 60 × 3 mm (2260) · 22 × 80 × 3 mm (2280) | ||||||
| Net Weight | 6g | ||||||
| Gross Weight | 26g / 20g | ||||||
| Operating Voltage | 3.3V | ||||||
| Operating Temperature | 0–70 °C | ||||||
| Storage Temperature | −40 to +75 °C | ||||||
| D · Reliability & compliance | |||||||
| MTBF | 1000000h | ||||||
| Factory testing | 100% burn-in and environmental testing | ||||||
| Certificate | CE, FCC, RoHS, KC | ||||||
| Warranty | 3 Years | ||||||
| E · Application | |||||||
| Application | PC / NB / Server / All-in-one PC etc. | ||||||
| Compatible Systems | Windows · Unix · Linux · Mac | ||||||
| Origin | CN (Origin) | ||||||
What can be changed before production
Send us the specification you need. Most of this is settled before the first unit is built.
Capacity
128 GB – 4 TB
Firmware
Customized to your requirements.
Silkscreen & label
Your own logo on the drive label.
Packaging
Standard packaging, or your own branded box.
Certifications
CE, FCC, RoHS, KC — and certification for your target market.
Test reports
Available on request.
Common Questions About M.2 NVMe SSDs
Answers to the questions that come up most often before an order. Don’t see yours? Ask us — a datasheet and quote follow within 24 hours.
Will an M.2 SATA drive work in my slot?
It depends on which channel the slot is wired to. A SATA-channel M.2 slot takes this drive; a PCIe-only slot may or may not accept it, because not every PCIe slot is wired for SATA as well. Send us the board model and we will confirm it before you order.
How do I tell whether my slot is SATA or PCIe?
Check the board manual for the M.2 slot — it will say SATA, PCIe, or both. If the manual is not to hand, the manufacturer’s slot specification or the model number is usually enough for us to look it up. A SATA-only slot is the single most common reason an M.2 drive is not detected.
What is B&M key, and why does it matter?
The key is the notch pattern on the gold-finger edge. B&M key cuts both notches, so the drive seats in a B slot and an M slot. Almost every M.2 SATA drive is built this way, which is what gives it the widest compatibility. An NVMe drive is M key only and will not enter a pure B slot.
Is 550 MB/s enough when NVMe is so much faster?
For boot drives, POS terminals, signage players and thin clients, yes — those workloads are limited by the CPU and the network long before the drive. The Gen3 NVMe series is the better choice when you are moving large files or serving several concurrent workloads. The ladder above shows where each one sits.
Which capacities and lengths do you offer?
32 GB to 2 TB, in 2242, 2260 and 2280 lengths. Availability differs by capacity — the smaller lengths top out earlier — so tell us the capacity and the standoff and we will confirm what is buildable.
Can you do OEM — our logo and our packaging?
Yes. Silkscreen on the label, your own branded box and firmware strings are all settable before the first unit is built. MOQ is 50 pcs for a branded run.
Get a quote for your M.2 SATA NGFF SSD project
Tell us the slot length, capacity, quantity and operating environment. We reply with pricing, lead time and the complete datasheet.