Last year, Samsung came out with a steady line of solid state storage called the SSD 850 Pro Series, a higher-end variant, then the more affordable 3D V-NAND technology, SSD 850 EVO Series soon after. The most recent update in Samsung SSD is an extension of its 850 EVO Series into two new form factors, mSATA and M.2 (Forbes).

The 2.5-inch drive is known to deliver great performance and be set at an affordable price. Back in December, Cnet described it as “an easy recommendation for any home users who want to add a huge performance boost to their computer”. It was the second SSD from Samsung, after the 850 Pro, to use 3D vertical flash memory cells stacked in 32 layers, which made for more dense storage space. More density means more storage for less cost.

Now we're looking at mSATA and M.2 versions of the 850 EVO Series, which, although aren't as popular as the 2.5-inch design, each still have their own place. The M.2 drive, for example, is made for high-end laptops, as it uses a PCI-e connection for better performance. The mSATA is an even smaller form factor, and uses a standard SATA 3 (6Gps) connection (Cnet). However, as many PC OEMs have switched from mSATA to M.2, we will eventually be seeing M.2 completely replacing mSATA.

As far as architecture, the new form factors function the same way the 2.5-inch version functions. Inside is Samsung's MGX controller, 32-layer 128Gbit TLC V-NAND (by 40nm lithography), TurboWrite technology, Rapid mode, high endurance, encryption, and energy efficiency (AnAndTech). The mSATA will be available anywhere from 120GB to 1TB capacities, and the M.2 versions will go up to 500GB.

Finally, a good 5 year warranty is included on each SSD option. Endurance is said to be high, and only continues to increase the higher capacity model you choose. Testing has shown top of the chart performance, also “sequential transfers, access times, and 4K random transfers” according to Forbes. Prices include $80, $130, and $230 for the 120GB, 250GB, and 500GB versions, respectively.