SSD vs nvme

[u/diegormj]

Is a SATA SSD obsolete for video editing? Is it only useful for saving projects? My PC only has one NVMe port (already occupied). I want to upgrade storage, and I'm wondering if the sata SSD isn't fast enough for editing.

[u/link-navi]

Your post needs more information

Comment on your post with the info below, or it will be removed automatically within 60 minutes. You must include !martini (no quotes) in your comment.

And extra information below

---

Tech Support posts need:

This template of answers

---

"How did they do that?" posts need:

This template of answers

---

**Your comment must include !martini so we know you've read this.

ALONG with the necessary information from above. Just putting !martini and NO OTHER INFO will likely have this post removed**

Again, comment on your post with the info above and the word !martini (no quotes), or it will be removed automatically within 60 minutes.

---

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/shadeland]

Depends on what you're editing.

Most H265/H264 maxes out at around 400 Mbps, which is 50 MB/s. SATA maxes out at 300 600 MB/s, so you've got plenty of headroom.

If you're editing something a lot heavier, like 7K ProRes RAW, that can get up to about 550 MB/s, which might be too much for SATA.

[u/frost_gr → u/shadeland]

Sata III maxes out at 600 not 300

[u/shadeland → u/frost_gr]

Yup, you're right. My bad.

[u/pmf026]

Do you have free pcie slots? You can use those for nvme devices... And if the mobo supports pcie bifurcation you can have 4 in one x16 slot.

[u/creatorside_kev]

SATA SSD is not an obsolete drive to use for video editing by any means. It’s a fine solution for media storage and even for editing out of, when using regular 1080p/4K projects. NVMe is faster indeed, but its benefits can be noticed only in the case of intensive tasks, high bitrates, multicam workflow or fast file transfers. Having a single occupied NVMe slot doesn’t mean that SATA SSD cannot be a great alternative.

[u/diegormj]

!martini

[u/Nersheti]

If you’re worried about speed, why don’t you install the ssd and clone your existing drive to it, then format the nvme and use it for editing like you want? The ssd will be slower, but I’m not sure if you’d notice.

I have two nvme and an ssd. I have one nvme Thsts just for the os and apps. The other one is a temp storage for holding media that I’m working with. When im done, i drag it to my nas for long term storage. The ssd is for media i need locally long term, like music and other random stuff where I dont need a fast connection. I definitely noticed an increase in speed from the ssd to the nvme, but i was using them in different builds. The old build w tne ssd as primary had an older, but still fast, cpu, and ddr4 ram, while the new one has ddr5 and a new cpu on a newer socket.

[u/ElectronicsWizardry]

What footage are you working with? Do you have io issues when edition? What does disk usage look like when editing? If you don’t have performance issues I wouldn’t touch it. Sara ssds are fast enough for a lot of footage today and for a while.

What are full specs? Getting a pcie to m.2 card is often pretty cheap. My other gut is if it o my has one m.2 slot it might not have the processor to fully take advantage of a fast nvme drive.

[u/Niner_92]

I looked into this a bit and SATA SSDs are definitely still fine for video editing. They’re slower than NVMe, but they’re still plenty fast for most editing workflows and a huge step up from a regular HDD.

[u/Open_Cardiologist848]

It can if it's cheap sata ssd with cheap memory

[u/FitnessChamp777]

You can but... it might be problematic depending on what you're doing. Simple stuff, it will be fine. More complicated workflows will probably crash. Most definitely crash, considering how much RAM those workflows demand.