M.2 2230 SSD: Size, Compatible Devices and Price per TB

What is an M.2 2230 SSD?

An M.2 2230 SSD is an SSD on a circuit board 22 mm wide and 30 mm long that plugs straight into an M.2 slot. The first 2 digits give the width, the last 2 the length in millimeters. Delock explains the scheme with the example 2280: 22 mm wide, 80 mm long.

M.2 is a form factor for plug-in cards. The SSD itself determines the transfer method. The same board can carry an NVMe SSD (Non-Volatile Memory Express, data over PCIe) or a SATA SSD. Every 2230 SSD in our database is an NVMe SSD with an M key, the notch used by PCIe SSDs. Dell lists the lengths 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110 in its overview. All of them are 22 mm wide and differ only in length:

Sources: Delock: The M.2 interface, Dell: M.2 cards, slots, keys and sizes. How NVMe and SATA SSDs differ is covered in the guide NVMe vs SATA.

Which devices need an M.2 2230 SSD?

Handhelds and slim mobile devices are the main users of 2230 SSDs. According to Tom's Hardware, the Steam Deck has exactly 1 M.2 2230 slot, and PC Games Hardware describes the original ASUS ROG Ally slot as made for 2230 drives. Microsoft lists many Surface devices with a removable SSD.

The key devices at a glance:

In the Steam Deck spec sheet, Valve lists the 256 GB model with an "NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3 x4)" and the 64 GB model with "eMMC (PCIe Gen 2 x1)". According to Valve, all models use socketed M.2 2230 modules. Everything about the Steam Deck swap is in the guide Steam Deck SSD.

With the ROG Ally, check the exact model: TechPowerUp writes that the ROG Ally X has a larger M.2 bay for 2280 drives. PC Games Hardware describes the first ROG Ally slot as meant for the smaller M.2 2230 SSDs. For Surface, Microsoft lists among others the Surface Pro 7+, Surface Pro 8, 9 and 10, Surface Pro X, Surface Laptop 3 to 6, Surface Laptop Go and Surface Laptop Studio as devices with a removable SSD. The length your Surface model uses is in Microsoft's service guide for that model. SSD maker Corsair has its own guide for swapping an M.2 2230 SSD in Surface devices.

Does a 2230 SSD fit in a 2280 slot?

Electrically yes, both lengths use the same M.2 connector with an M key. Mechanically the short SSD lacks support at the end: you need a screw position at 30 mm or an extension adapter, such as the 2230 to 2280 adapter sold by Moddiy. The other way round never works: a 2280 SSD does not fit a 2230 slot.

A small screw or clip holds the end of the SSD. Whether your motherboard or laptop has a position at 30 mm is shown in its manual. If there is none, extension brackets exist: Moddiy lists a universal adapter that brings 2230 SSDs to the 2242, 2260 or 2280 length. Make sure the SSD sits firmly and does not hang at an angle in the slot.

Is it worth it? In a desktop PC usually not, because 2280 SSDs cost less per TB. It makes sense if you want to keep using a 2230 SSD you already own, for example after upgrading a Steam Deck. It also fits an external enclosure: Delock lists all lengths from 2230 to 2280 for its combo enclosures, but only 2280 for its USB4 enclosure. More in the guide NVMe enclosure.

Forcing longer SSDs into short devices is a bad idea. There are Steam Deck mods with 2242 SSDs. Valve designer Lawrence Yang warned, according to GamingOnLinux, that most 2242 SSDs draw more power and run hotter than the Deck can handle, which can significantly shorten the life of the device.

Which M.2 2230 SSDs are available on amazon.com right now?

ratioDB currently lists 6 new M.2 2230 SSDs from known brands on amazon.com, all of them NVMe. The cheapest per TB is Crucial P310 2 TB at $177.28 per TB, and the largest 2230 SSD in the list has 2 TB. As of Nov 1, 2026 at 1:17 PM UTC.

New M.2 2230 SSDs from known brands on amazon.com, sorted by price per TB, as of Nov 1, 2026 at 1:17 PM UTC

A 2230 SSD is any new offer from a known brand whose title says 2230 and neither 2242 nor 2280. We also read the PCIe generation from the title. Right now 5 offers state PCIe 4.0 and 0 state PCIe 3.0. Well-known 2230 lines include the Kingston NV3, the WD_BLACK SN770M, the Crucial P310 and the SanDisk Optimus GX 7100M. Crucial rates the P310 at up to 7,100 MB/s read in both lengths, 2230 and 2280. Which line costs how much changes with every price check.

How much more does a 2230 SSD cost than a 2280 SSD?

On amazon.com a new M.2 2230 SSD currently has a median of $231.39 per TB, a longer M.2 NVMe SSD without 2230 and 2242 $199.58 per TB. The short form factor costs a premium of about 15.9%. As of Nov 1, 2026 at 1:17 PM UTC.

The premium is easiest to see at the same capacity. The table puts the cheapest 2230 SSD next to the cheapest longer M.2 NVMe SSD. Offers without a length in the title count as longer drives, most of them are 2280 SSDs.

M.2 2230 vs longer M.2 NVMe SSDs of the same capacity on amazon.com, new single drives from known brands, as of Nov 1, 2026 at 1:17 PM UTC

For comparison: the cheapest longer M.2 NVMe SSD per TB right now is Crucial E100 2 TB at $129.00 per TB (2 TB). The TB index for all M.2 NVMe SSDs, the median of the 10 cheapest new offers, is $133.85 per TB. For a desktop PC or a laptop with a 2280 slot there is no reason to buy a 2230 SSD. You only pay for the short form factor when your device requires it.

How fast is an M.2 2230 SSD?

A 2230 SSD can be as fast as a 2280 SSD of the same line: Crucial rates the P310 at up to 7,100 MB/s read in both lengths. Inside the device, the connection often sets the limit. Valve connects the Steam Deck SSD over PCIe 3.0 x4, so a PCIe 4.0 SSD runs at PCIe 3.0 speed there.

PCIe generations are backward compatible. A PCIe 4.0 SSD works in a PCIe 3.0 slot, but delivers at most the speed of the older standard. In handhelds this is rarely a noticeable drawback. Tom's Hardware compared several 2230 SSDs in the Steam Deck, including the WD_BLACK SN770M, the Corsair MP600 Core Mini and the Lexar Play, and found only small differences.

Heat matters more in tight devices. Tom's Hardware measured between 54 and 66 degrees Celsius for 2230 SSDs in the Steam Deck. Short SSDs for handhelds usually come without a heatsink, and Valve advises leaving the thermal pads in the Deck in place. More on cooling M.2 SSDs is in the guide SSD heatsink. Whether a PCIe 5.0 SSD is worth it is covered in the guide PCIe 5.0 SSD. For 2230 devices this generation plays no role in our list.

What capacity makes sense for M.2 2230?

For handhelds, 1 or 2 TB are the usual upgrade sizes. The largest 2230 SSD in our amazon.com list right now has 2 TB. A 2230 SSD with 2 TB starts at $354.55 ($177.28 per TB). With 1 TB it starts at $285.78.

The choice of 2230 SSDs at high capacities is smaller than for 2280 SSDs. Valve sells the Steam Deck OLED with 512 GB or 1 TB, so an upgrade mainly pays off at 2 TB. Keep the difference between labeled and displayed capacity in mind: a 1 TB SSD shows up as about 931 GB in the operating system, because makers count in decimal and Windows in binary. The guide TB vs TiB does the math.

Prices by size on amazon.com, as of Nov 1, 2026 at 1:17 PM UTC: At 1 TB, SanDisk Optimus GX 7100M 1 TB is the cheapest 2230 SSD right now at $285.78. At 2 TB, Crucial P310 2 TB leads at $354.55. The list above shows how much the price per TB varies by size: small 2230 SSDs are usually the most expensive per TB. All NVMe SSDs of one size are on the pages 1 TB NVMe SSD and 2 TB NVMe SSD.

What should I check before buying a 2230 SSD?

Check 5 things before you buy: the length in your device's manual, NVMe with an M key, a single-sided SSD for very slim devices, the PCIe generation of your slot and the price per TB. A known brand with a warranty matters even more with short SSDs because the choice is small.

For the Steam Deck, iFixit explicitly calls for a single-sided 2230 SSD. For other devices, the manual shows how much room there is above the slot. General SSD buying criteria, for example on memory cells and warranty, are in the guide Best SSD, and the difference between QLC and TLC memory is explained in QLC vs TLC.

How do I swap an M.2 2230 SSD?

Back up your data, power the device off, open access to the slot, undo the retaining screw, pull the old SSD out at an angle and insert the new one at the same angle. For Surface devices Microsoft recommends saving the BitLocker recovery key to a USB drive first or turning BitLocker off.

The steps at a glance:

1. Back up data: Copy everything important to another drive. If you want to keep the system, clone the old SSD to the new one first, for example through a USB enclosure. The guide Clone HDD to SSD shows how.
2. Handle BitLocker: For Surface devices Microsoft describes 2 options: turn BitLocker off under "Manage BitLocker", or generate a recovery key and save it to a USB drive. You then need a second device to read the key.
3. Open the device: Depending on the model through a hatch, as on many Surface devices, or through the back cover, as on the Steam Deck. Follow the maker's instructions.
4. Swap the SSD: Undo the screw, pull out the old SSD, slide the new SSD into the slot and secure it with the screw. On the Steam Deck you move the foil sleeve from the old SSD to the new one, which Valve also recommends according to PC Games Hardware.
5. Install the system: Without a clone you reinstall the operating system, on the Steam Deck with Valve's recovery image.

If the device does not detect the new SSD, the cause is often how it sits in the slot or the BIOS settings. The fixes are collected in the guide SSD not showing up. For laptops with other lengths, see the guide Best SSD for laptop.

What can I do with the old 2230 SSD?

You can put the old 2230 SSD in a USB enclosure for M.2 NVMe SSDs and use it as a fast external SSD. Make sure the enclosure explicitly lists the 2230 length, like Delock's combo enclosures. Alternatively, it fits a PC's 2280 slot with an extension adapter.

A small 256 or 512 GB SSD is handy as an external drive for documents, photos or installer files. Wipe it securely before passing it on if it held personal data. The guide How to wipe a hard drive shows how. If you would rather buy a ready-made external SSD, current prices are under External SSD.

For handhelds, a microSD card is the simpler expansion without screws. It loads more slowly than the internal SSD, but is enough for many games. Current prices are under microSD cards.

How does ratioDB compare M.2 2230 SSDs?

ratioDB checks the amazon.com prices of all listed NVMe SSDs regularly and converts them to price per TB, with 1 TB equal to 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. A 2230 SSD is any new offer from a known brand whose title says 2230. The TB index is the median of the 10 cheapest new offers per product type.

For the tables we take the cheapest new single drive per product. Offers with 2242 or 2280 in the title do not count as 2230. Used and refurbished offers are labeled in the lists and never count toward the index or the medians. The live boxes above only show offers whose title says 2230. We do not run our own measurements, speeds and dimensions are manufacturer specs. All rules are on the methodology page, all NVMe SSDs under M.2 NVMe SSD.