Which M.2 slot should I use for my SSD?

Not all motherboards are the same, and some come with multiple options for installing your M.2 SSDs. It's important to note that not all of these slots will give you the maximum performance of the drives though, and typically only HEDT (High End Desktops such as AMD Ryzen Threadripper) support the highest speeds to all of M.2 slots at the same time.

On regular office and gaming PC motherboards, the M.2 slot closest to the CPU will most often be the one that has the highest bandwidth, but always check your motherboard manual to make sure.

This is especially important if you purchase a high-end SSD, such as one of these speedy M.2 drives from CORSAIR, as these will require high bandwidth from the motherboard for the best performance.

It is also worth noting that if you purchase a PCIe Gen4 or Gen5 SSD, you should also check that your motherboard supports it. While a Gen5 SSD will work in a Gen4 motherboard, you will not unlock its full potential.

In the above video you can see how to easily mount an M.2 SSD. On some modern motherboards this installation has been made even easier with snap-on clips instead of screws.