Will an SSD work with this motherboard (and recommendations if it can).

demonix · 25 Mar 2014 at 16:20

This is probably a stupid question, but since the motherboard in question probably came out before SSD's did I'd rather be 100% certain.

With support for windows XP ending soon, I've decided to add a windows 7 install (I'm keeping XP installed just in case there's something 7 or XP mode in pro (I'm thinking of getting either pro or ultimate) can't handle as I have a few games that run in 16-bit mode only) along with a few more hard drives and I'm thinking of getting an SSD but I'm unsure if one would work with the ASUS M2N-MX motherboard.

If it can, then I would like some suggestions on what to get (only the OS, whatever programs are included with it, the world of tanks online game (it could possibly benefit from being on a SSD as the maps take at least 30 seconds or longer to load) and anything else I think could benefit from being on there as everything else will be on a mechanical hard drive, although the less then 100GB SSD's can possibly be ruled out since any updates for the game and the OS would have to be factored in).

wazza300 · 25 Mar 2014 at 16:24

yeah it has sata2 speed ports so should work fine

id look at the Samsung evo 250gb ssd,or the crucial m500 250gb

SC0TTRS · 25 Mar 2014 at 16:24

Yep, the ASUS M2N-MX supports SATA2

kefan77 · 25 Mar 2014 at 16:25

m500 is 240GB and yes.

make sure you're on AHCI before install.

SC0TTRS · 25 Mar 2014 at 16:30

kefan77 said:
.make sure you're on AHCI before install.

Agree, but if that option isn't available (most unlikely) it would still function over IDE.

wazza300 · 25 Mar 2014 at 16:37

youd have to choose raid if ahci wasn't there

it contains same ahci drivers

demonix · 25 Mar 2014 at 16:48

I'd have to go through the BIOS to be 100% sure, but I'm certain that there is an AHCI option there (I remember that there is an option that makes the SATA ports emulate (if that reference is correct) IDE as I didn't have to include any SATA drivers when installing windows XP ).

ndaar · 25 Mar 2014 at 21:48

Good advice already given.

Id add that the crucial M500 240gb is great value at the minute @ only £89.99 compared with the Samsung evo and would be my choice.

Juggern · 26 Mar 2014 at 15:47

The 250 Evo is only an extra £10 if you only want it for out and out speed, with an extra 10GB to boot.

The M500 is far better built however (Metal case over plastic) but is a tad slower overall.

demonix · 26 Mar 2014 at 15:58

wazza300 said:
youd have to choose raid if ahci wasn't there

it contains same ahci drivers

There's an nvidia raid option in the BIOS which is probably what I have to activate unless there's something else I was missing when I looked through the BIOS a few hours ago.

ndaar said:
Good advice already given.

Id add that the crucial M500 240gb is great value at the minute @ only £89.99 compared with the Samsung evo and would be my choice.

As the crucial M500 240GB has a significantly lower write speed and a slightly lower read speed then the samsung, I'll probably pay the extra and get the samsung 840 EVO 250GB.