Interface: PCIe 3.0 / 4.0 / 5.0 NVMe vs SATA
How the drive talks to the computer.
Why it matters
4.0 (5,000–7,400 MB/s) is the value sweet spot; caps at ~550 MB/s.
What to check
5.0 runs hot and rarely speeds up everyday work — check your slot supports it.