Strix 790 mobo M.2 questions

[DuaneTwo]

I am putting together a new computer for my 4K photography and video processing.  Looking for the most optimum M.2 configuration.   Have Intel I9, 128 MB of DDR5 memory.  Only using one GPU installed at  PCIEX16(G5).   I would like to use M.2 card to enhance performance.  1)Is it best to use a Gen 4 or Gen 5 card?   2)From what I can read from this site, it should be placed in the M.2_2 slot.  Is that correct?       3)From what I can read, M.2_1 is connected to the processor.  Can this slot be used for putting the Windows 11 o/s on? 4)That leaves 2 or 3 slots unused.  Can I use them for storing inactive files?  If so, can I use them with just non-PCIE or NVMe storage?  What is the criteria for their use?

Duane T

[JohnAb]

Generally, you can put an NVME SSD in any slot and it use for whatever you like - OS, data, whatever. Slot M.2_1 tends to be slightly faster, but on some boards this can reduce the GPU to x8. Although, in practice even if it does you'll get no more than a 3-5% speed reduction.

You don't say which version of the Strix 790 you have exactly, so check the manual. It will tell you which M.2 slots will give a speed reduction on PCIe slots. On some boards it makes no difference at all, on other boards it does.    

I'd say go for a Gen 3 or Gen4 drive. Gen 5 drives are nice, but still quite new, can be problematic, run hotter and they are still expensive. Gen 3 & 4 are fine for storing and retrieving data, you probably won't notice a big difference. I'd say Gen 4 is better for the small price increase and a little more future proof. The Samsung 890 Pro (Gen 4) is a very good drive and good value for the performance you get with it. I just got another one of those today for an external enclosure. Not the cheapest, but a good drive with high sustained write speeds. Of course, look at reviews and see what suits your needs best.  

PS Don't forget the value of hard drives. If you are generating a lot of high res images and videos (like I do) then that's by far the cheapest storage. I use two HDs internally, one is a backup of the other, 6TB each, but you'll probably fill those eventually as well, lol.