Go Open Source: Install Linux on a 2TB NVMe SSD, Step by Step

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Go Open Source: Install Linux on a 2TB NVMe SSD, Step by Step

A free operating system on serious hardware — install Ubuntu, Mint or Fedora on 2 TB of NVMe storage and rediscover how fast your PC can be.

Reading time: ~10 minutes  •  Difficulty: Beginner-friendly

Linux has never been easier to use — and it costs exactly nothing. Paired with the V-NAND 1080 Pro-Grade 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD, it boots in seconds, breathes new life into older machines, and gives you a mountain of space for projects, media, and even gaming with Steam. Here's the full journey, no prior Linux experience required.

1Get the SSD

Product V-NAND 1080 Pro-Grade 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Capacity 2 TB — enormous for Linux, which typically uses under 20 GB for the system itself
Form factor M.2 2280, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (M-Key)
Works in Desktops and laptops with an M.2 slot that supports NVMe (PCIe) — not SATA-only slots

View the 2TB NVMe SSD →

You'll also need a USB stick of 4 GB or more, a small Phillips screwdriver, and about 45 minutes.

2Pick Your Linux

  • Ubuntu — the most popular choice; huge community, excellent hardware support. Download at ubuntu.com.
  • Linux Mint — the smoothest landing for Windows users; familiar desktop layout. Download at linuxmint.com.
  • Fedora — cutting-edge and polished, favored by developers. Download at fedoraproject.org.

Can't decide? Linux Mint if you're coming from Windows, Ubuntu if you want the biggest community. All of them are free — no license, no key, no activation.

3Create the Bootable USB

  1. Download the .iso file of your chosen distribution (about 3–5 GB).
  2. Download balenaEtcher (etcher.balena.io) — free, works on Windows and Mac.
  3. Plug in the USB stick (it will be erased), open Etcher, select the .iso, select the stick, click Flash.
  4. Five minutes later, your installer is ready.

4Install the SSD

  1. Shut down completely, unplug the power, press the power button once to drain residual power.
  2. Touch bare metal on the case to discharge static.
  3. Find the M.2 slot (desktop: near the CPU, sometimes under a heatsink cover; laptop: under the bottom panel).
  4. Insert the SSD at a ~30° angle, press it flat, secure the small screw, and close everything up.

5Boot the USB and Install Linux

  1. Plug in the USB stick, power on, and tap the boot menu key (F12, F11 or Esc). Pick the USB drive (UEFI entry).
  2. Choose "Try" first if you want to explore without touching your disks — the whole system runs from the USB stick. When ready, double-click Install.
  3. Follow the installer: language, keyboard, Wi-Fi, then the important screen — installation type.
  4. Installing only Linux on the new SSD? Choose "Erase disk and install" and make absolutely sure the 2TB NVMe drive is selected as the target. The installer formats it automatically — no manual partitioning needed.
  5. Keeping Windows on another drive? The installer detects it and offers "Install alongside" — a boot menu (GRUB) will let you pick your OS at every startup.
  6. Create your username and password, and let it finish (10–15 minutes). Remove the USB stick when asked and reboot.
⚠ Double-check the target drive "Erase disk" means exactly that. Identify the new SSD by its size (~2 TB / 1863 GiB) before confirming — never select a drive whose size matches your old data drive.
💡 Secure Boot note Ubuntu, Mint and Fedora work with Secure Boot enabled on most PCs. If your machine refuses to boot the USB stick, temporarily disable Secure Boot in the BIOS (Del/F2 at startup) — you can re-enable it after installation on Ubuntu and Fedora.

6First Boot: Make It Yours

  • Run the update tool (Software Updater) — first thing, always.
  • Install what you need from the built-in app store: LibreOffice (often preinstalled), GIMP, VLC, Chrome/Firefox, VS Code… all free.
  • NVIDIA graphics card? On Ubuntu/Mint, open "Additional Drivers" and select the recommended proprietary driver for full performance.
  • Your NVMe drive needs no special care — Linux handles TRIM automatically, and there's nothing to defragment.

Gaming on Linux? Yes, really 🎮

Install Steam, enable Proton (Steam → Settings → Compatibility → "Enable Steam Play for all other titles"), and a huge share of the Windows game catalog runs on Linux — the same technology that powers the Steam Deck. With 2 TB, your whole library fits.

• • •

Quick Troubleshooting

  • USB won't boot: pick the UEFI entry in the boot menu; if needed, disable Secure Boot temporarily.
  • SSD not listed in the installer: check the BIOS — on some Intel systems, switch storage mode from RAID/VMD to AHCI/NVMe.
  • No Wi-Fi after install: connect by cable once and run the driver/update tool — it usually fetches the missing Wi-Fi driver.
  • Dual boot shows the wrong OS first: the GRUB menu order can be changed with the free tool Grub Customizer.

The Bottom Line

For the cost of the SSD alone — the operating system is free — you get a private, fast, virus-resistant system with 2 TB of NVMe headroom. Whether it's a fresh start for an aging PC or a clean dev machine, Linux on NVMe is one of the best value upgrades in computing.

Get the 2TB NVMe SSD →

Guide based on the standard installers of Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Fedora, and the V-NAND 1080 Pro-Grade 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD sold at pc-hybrid.ca. Always back up important data before modifying drives or partitions.

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