noun

NVMe

EN-vee-em-ee

NVMe (noun) means a standard that lets a solid-state drive talk to a computer directly over its high-speed internal connection, designed around flash memory rather than the older conventions inherited from spinning disks, and allowing much greater speed. Example: “The board has two NVMe slots and one older SATA port.”

noun

A standard that lets a solid-state drive talk to a computer directly over its high-speed internal connection, designed around flash memory rather than the older conventions inherited from spinning disks, and allowing much greater speed.

"The board has two NVMe slots and one older SATA port."

"Copying the project folder took seconds once it moved to NVMe."

informal A drive that uses this standard, typically a bare stick of circuit board that screws flat onto the motherboard.

"She replaced the laptop's NVMe with a two-terabyte model."

How to Use NVMe

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA fast way for modern storage sticks to plug into a computer.

When to use it

Written with a lowercase e as NVMe. Standard in specifications and retail listings.

Memory tip

Spell it out as en-vee-em-ee. Note the trailing lowercase e in the written form.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

SATA M.2 SSD →

Common pairings

NVMe SSD NVMe slot PCIe NVMe drive M.2 NVMe

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Test yourself on “NVMe” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The board has two _____ slots and one older SATA port.

Etymology

An initialism of NVM Express, itself from non-volatile memory, with express marking the interface's high speed.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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NVM Express NVMe interface NVMe drive NVMe SSD M.2 drive

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between NVMe and SATA?

SATA is the older connection designed in the era of spinning hard disks, and it caps the speed of any drive attached to it. NVMe was designed for flash memory and connects over the faster PCIe lanes, so an NVMe drive can move data several times quicker than a SATA one.

What is the difference between NVMe and M.2?

M.2 is the physical shape of the slot and the stick that fits it, while NVMe is the language the drive and computer use to communicate. Most M.2 drives are NVMe, but some M.2 drives use SATA instead, so the two labels are not interchangeable.

Is every NVMe drive an SSD?

Yes. NVMe is a standard for talking to non-volatile flash memory, so any NVMe drive is a solid-state drive. The reverse is not true, since plenty of SSDs connect over the older SATA interface.