220-1101 Hardware Practice Question
A technician is building a new desktop computer for a graphic designer who works with large files. The motherboard has an M.2 slot that supports PCIe 3.0 x4. Which of the following storage devices will provide the BEST performance for this user?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that any M.2 form factor drive is equally fast, but the trap is that M.2 SATA SSDs (Option B) still use the SATA protocol and cannot match the performance of M.2 NVMe SSDs, which require PCIe support in the slot.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD
The M.2 slot supports PCIe 3.0 x4, which provides up to 4 GB/s bandwidth. An M.2 NVMe SSD uses the NVMe protocol over PCIe lanes, delivering significantly higher sequential read/write speeds (typically 3,500 MB/s) compared to SATA-based drives (max ~550 MB/s). This makes it the best choice for a graphic designer working with large files, as it minimizes load and save times.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
1 TB 7200 RPM SATA hard disk drive
Why it's wrong here
A 7200 RPM SATA HDD uses spinning magnetic platters and a mechanical read/write head, with average seek times around 9–15 ms and random read/write IOPS in the hundreds. Even though 7200 RPM improves sequential transfer over 5400 RPM models, it still caps around 180–220 MB/s and suffers enormously on random access, making it a severe bottleneck for graphic design's large file scrubbing and multitasking.
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500 GB M.2 SATA SSD
Why it's wrong here
An M.2 SATA SSD installs into the same M.2 connector shape as NVMe drives, but it uses the SATA III protocol, which caps throughput at 550 MB/s. Because the M.2 slot on modern motherboards provides PCIe lanes (often x4), this drive fails to take advantage of the available bandwidth and offers only a moderate speed bump over a 2.5-inch SATA SSD. The 500 GB capacity also falls short for design libraries, but the core flaw is the interface limitation.
- ✓
1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Why this is correct
A 1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD uses the NVMe protocol over direct PCIe lanes (commonly PCIe 3.0/4.0 x4), delivering sequential reads of 3,500–7,000 MB/s and dramatically lower latency because it bypasses the legacy SATA controller. This is the right choice for a graphic designer because large raw photos, 4K video, and complex project files can be read and written in a fraction of the time, which directly accelerates application loading and asset access. The 1 TB capacity provides ample space for current projects and software, making it both fast and practical.
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2.5-inch 1 TB SATA SSD
Why it's wrong here
A 2.5-inch 1 TB SATA SSD is a solid-state drive but it relies on the SATA III interface standard, limiting its real-world transfer speed to around 550 MB/s (and often lower for random small-file operations). Unlike M.2 NVMe drives, it uses the 2.5-inch bay with separate power and data cables and is constrained by the same AHCI protocol that was designed for spinning disks. For a high-end desktop build, this drive would be a budget-friendly storage option, but it sacrifices the multi-gigabyte-per-second performance that a graphic designer's workload can leverage.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Storage Devices: HDD, SSD, NVMe
Key term
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) is a computer bus interface used to connect storage devices like hard drives and solid-state drives to a computer's motherboard.
Key term
Solid-state Drive
A solid-state drive (SSD) is a storage device that uses flash memory to save data permanently, with no moving parts, making it much faster and more durable than a traditional hard disk drive.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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