: For a standard x4 M.2 SSD, the theoretical maximum bandwidth increases from ~8 GB/s (Gen 4) to ~16 GB/s (Gen 5).
While M.2 5.0 maintains backward compatibility with older slots, the physical demands of Gen 5 speeds are higher: Specifications - PCI-SIG pci express m.2 specification revision 5.0 version 1.0 pdf
: This is a direct doubling of the 16 GT/s offered by PCIe 4.0. : For a standard x4 M
Understanding the PCI Express M.2 Specification Revision 5.0, Version 1.0 Version 1.0 Beyond raw speed
Beyond raw speed, the Revision 5.0 Version 1.0 document incorporates several critical updates for modern hardware:
The defining feature of the M.2 5.0 specification is its ability to support a (Giga-transfers per second) raw bit rate per lane.