[Full Guide] How to Clone SSD to NVMe SSD in Windows 10/11

Can you clone an SSD to an NVMe?

In recent decades, Solid State Drives (SSDs) have become increasingly popular due to their faster read/write speeds, lower power consumption, and higher durability than traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). Many users upgrade disk from HDD to SSD for better performance.

However, some of these users may find the upgraded disk is still not fast enough. What is the reason behind? In fact, there are several types of solid-state hard drives on the market, including SATA SSD, U.2 SSD, M.2 SSD, NVMe SSD, PCIe SSD, and SAS SSD. The read & write speeds of each type of SSD may vary from interface and form factor. (See the differences on the below chart).

For game enthusiasts, IT professionals, or other users with higher requirements for speed and performance, NVMe SSD is the most cost-effective choice. It has more advantages than SATA/U.2/M.2 SSD. In this case, we recommend users to clone SSD to NVMe for faster speeds, lower latency, and more powerful performance.

So the question is: Can SSD be cloned to NVMe? The quick answer is yes, using professional disk cloning software. If your solid-state drive contains your current operating system, you can also choose to only clone Windows 11/10 to NVMe without reinstallation.

How to clone SSD to NVMe SSD in Windows 10/11

You may be confused as to why you need specialized NVMe cloning software. This is because Windows 11/10/8/7 does not have a default disk cloner. Therefore, if you want to either clone the entire disk or migrate Windows 11/10 from SSD to NVMe only, you must choose a third-party cloning tool.

Considering the importance of transferring a Windows operating system, it is crucial to turn to a reliable NVMe cloning utility. It is recommended that you use AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This versatile and practical cloning wizard supports almost all Windows versions, including Windows 11/10/8/7. Its streamlined design and complete functions will bring you the best experience. Simply put, make sure whether you want to reinstall or troubleshoot Windows 10 before picking recovery tool, and check which device you have that can be used as recovery media. Thus you should have a conclusion.

How to clone SSD to NVMe SSD using this AOMEI software? There are two solutions: clone the entire SSD to NVMe SSD; clone only the operating system to NVMe solid-state drive. Let's talk about them one by one.

★Preparations before proceeding:

Connect the NVMe to the correct slot and make sure it is recognized.

Back up important data on the NVMe SSD because the cloning process will overwrite all data on it.

NVMe boots in UEFI mode (only supports GPT). You should initialize a new NVMe SSD to GPT or convert an MBR disk to GPT.

Option 1. Clone the entire SSD to NVMe SSD

Make sure all preparations are done correctly. Then read the step-by-step guide below to clone from SSD to NVMe.

Step 1. Install and start AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.

Step 2. Navigate to Clone > Clone Disk.

Step 3. Choose a cloning method. Here we select Clone Disk Quickly.

Step 4. Select the SSD disk with Windows 11 as the source disk. Click Next.

Step 5. Select the NVMe solid-state disk as the destination disk. Click Next. Check "Optimize the performance of SSD" to make a 4K alignment of your NVMe SSD.

Step 6. Edit partitions on the target drive. Choose one approach and click Next.

Step 7. Review notes on how to boot from the cloned NVMe disk and click Finish.

Step 8. Click Apply > Proceed to finish the cloning operation.

Option 2. Clone only the OS to NVMe SSD

If you just want to clone Window 11/10 operating system, please refer to the following guide:

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. Click Clone > Migrate OS. Read the introduction and select Next.

Step 2. Select unallocated space on the NVMe solid-state disk as the target location. Click Next to continue. Tick "I want to delete all partitions on the disk to migrate system to the disk" if there is no unallocated space.

Step 3. Resize the partition and change drives parameters as needed. Click Next.

Step 4. Review the and boot notes choose Finish.

Step 5. Click Apply > Proceed on the main interface to execute the cloning operation.

Further reading: How do I change my boot drive from SSD to NVMe?

After fixing the question of how to clone a SSD to NVMe, you need to set the cloned NVMe SSD drive as the boot drive. If you don't know the detailed operation, please refer to the following steps:

Step 1. Restart your computer. Press F2/F8/Del or other hotkeys to enter BIOS setup.

Step 2. Use the arrow keys to find the Boot option in the BIOS setup. Here you will find the Boot Device Priority option or a similar one.

Step 3. Use the + or - keys on your keyboard to assign the highest priority to the new NVMe drive.

Step 4. Press F10 to save and exit the BIOS interface. Restart your system. Now you can boot your computer from the NVMe SSD.

FAQs on cloning from SSD to NVMe

Q1. Is it worth replacing SSD with NVMe?

It depends on your specific needs. If you have enough budget and want to enhance device performance, speed up your computer, and reduce power consumption, you can use AOMEI Partition Assistant to replace your solid-state drive with NVMe.

Q2. Can I replace my SATA SSD with a NVMe?

Yes, you can. Installing NVMe on a compatible computer or other device can significantly improve the performance of your PC or laptop over a SATA SSD disk.

Q3. Do I need to format an NVMe SSD before cloning to it?

Formatting the disk is not a required option. During the SSD cloning process, the data on the target drive will be automatically overwritten. But if you use a brand new disk as the target drive, you need to initialize the SSD and format the disk in advance.

Q4. Can a SATA SSD go into an NVMe slot?

Yes. You can install SATA SSD in an NVMe slot, but you need to make sure your motherboard supports both SATA and NVMe slots.

Q5. Can I use NVMe SSD and HDD together?

Yes, you can. Using a combination of NVMe SSD and HDD can optimize your device on a tight budget. NVMe solid-state hard drive offers faster speeds, lower power consumption, and better performance, while HDD can give you more space for multi-purpose data storage.

Final words

In conclusion, you can clone SSD to NVMe SSD in Windows 11/10/8/7, but third-party tools are required. We recommend you to use AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This user-friendly disk cloner helps you clone the entire SSD disk to NVMe SSD or transfer just the Windows operating system.

In addition to SSD disk cloning, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional offers other advanced features, including fixing the C drive full issue, moving an installed game to another drive, and resizing recovery partition. For Windows Server users, AOMEI Partition Assistant Server offers a corresponding alternative.