The Samsung XP941, and the AHCI model of the Samsung SM951 use the AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) protocol, which is very widely compatible, and requires no additional drivers to boot Windows 7/8/10. There are two types of controllers used on PCIe M.2 SSD's. These measurements are commonly expressed like '2242' (meaning 22mm wide, 42mm long), or '2280', meaning 22mm wide, and 80mm long. Commercially available M.2 SSD drive lengths include 30mm, 42mm, 60mm, 80mm, and 110mm. M.2 form factors vary in length and width, with the chips usually populating just one side of the circuit board to keep the drive profile extremely low (less then 3mm). Put simply, it typically can't be installed from the Windows DVD, but it is possible to do a UEFI install from a USB drive with these instructions. One of the most common questions we get is how to get Windows installed onto the Samsung XP941, SM951 or 960 Evo. Installing Windows on the Samsung XP941 / SM951 / SM961 / 960 Pro/Evo PCIe M.2 SSD This blog post he wrote helped clarify some of the finer points contained here. A special mention needs to go Kent Smith of LSI.

This post is an attempt to dispel any confusion around the new M.2 SSD format, and has been developed as a resource for RamCity staff, customers and anyone else with an interest.

Looking for help with XP941/SM951/SM961/960 Evo/Pro compatibility information for your laptop/NUC/desktop or motherboard? Jump straight to it.

How to format samsung ssd mp851