Install a new NVMe SSD on Windows 11, initialize it, format it and point Steam, Epic and Xbox to it as a dedicated game drive.
Opening the PC and handling internal hardware carries a small risk of ESD damage. Ground yourself and unplug the PSU before touching components.
Install the **NVMe** in a free **M.2 slot**, initialize it as **GPT** in **Disk Management**, format **NTFS** and add it as a storage location in **Steam**, **Epic** and **Xbox**.
Power off, unplug the PSU and press the power button to drain. Unscrew the M.2 heatsink, insert the SSD into the slot at a 30-degree angle, press it flat and secure with the M.2 screw or latch. Reattach the heatsink thermal pad liner removed.
Boot into **BIOS** (**Del** or **F2**) and check the **Storage** or **NVMe Configuration** page. The new drive should be listed with its model name and capacity. If missing, reseat it and check lane sharing.
Boot Windows. Right-click **Start**, pick **Disk Management**. The new drive appears with an **Initialize Disk** prompt. Pick **GPT** and click OK.
Right-click the unallocated space, pick **New Simple Volume**. Accept the full size, assign a letter like **G:**, format as **NTFS** with a **64 KB** allocation unit for a game-only drive, label it **Games**. Quick format is fine.
Open **Steam**, go to **Settings** then **Storage**. Click the dropdown at the top, pick **Add Drive**, select **G:** and confirm. Steam creates **steamapps** on the new drive.
In **Epic Games Launcher** go to **Settings**, scroll to **Install Location** and point it at **G:\\EpicGames**. In the **Xbox app**, open **Settings** then **General** and set **Change where new games install** to the new drive.
Install **CrystalDiskMark** from https://crystalmark.info/en/software/crystaldiskmark and run the default test. A PCIe 4.0 drive should hit around 7000 MB/s read, PCIe 5.0 around 12000+ MB/s. If numbers are far below spec, check that the slot is wired for the drive's generation.
Open PowerShell as admin and run the diskpart rescan command below, then reopen Disk Management.
The M.2 slot is likely wired at Gen3 x4 or shares lanes. Move the drive to the primary CPU-connected M.2_1 slot.
Open Settings then System then Storage then Advanced storage settings then Where new content is saved and set New apps will save to the new drive.
Right-click the drive in Explorer, go to Properties then Security, and give your user Full control. Also disable BitLocker if it auto-enabled.
No. This guide treats the drive as a secondary game library. The OS stays on your existing drive.
No. If the drive is NVMe and Windows 11 is up to date, DirectStorage-capable games use it automatically.
It is on by default. Leave it unless you run without a UPS and worry about sudden power loss.
To remove the drive: uninstall games or move them back using each launcher's move function, remove the drive from Steam Settings then Storage, then shrink or delete the partition in Disk Management. Power off and physically remove the SSD from the M.2 slot.
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