Install an external M.2 SSD?
Helloooo
I bought a new PC to replace my current one. My current one has two m2 SSDs installed. However, the new PC will be getting another one. I want to install my current SSDs in the new PC, but the new motherboard only has two m2 SSD slots available.
Is there any way I can convert SATA slots to m2 slots, or is there an external enclosure into which I can install the third m2 SSD and connect it via USB?
If so, is there a significant loss of data in read or write speed?
Thanks for your answers!
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Hello,
about SATA not now. Anyway, there’s nothing I know about.
But there are PCIe Cards that have M.2 plug-in interfaces.
This then runs over the chipset and is of course not so fast.
Furthermore, there are USB housings that can accommodate USB C and/or USB 3, M.2.
https://www.amazon.de/pcie-m2-adapter/s?k=pcie+m2+adapter
And if you want to drive it to the top, with RAID 5:
https://www.amazon.de/ASUS-Hyper-Interface-Adapter-Internal/dp/B0863KK2BP/ref=sr_1_19
Hansi
Thank you for the effort! What slot does the RAID 5 use? Is it faster than the other options?
My motherboard is by the way the MSI PRO B650-P WIFI DDR5
Now the PCIe X12 is free.
Connected with X4 to the Southbridge.
If not faster, it doesn’t have to.
As the name says:
ASUS Hyper M.2 x 16 PCIe4.
That’s nothing for gaming PCs.
But so for secure data storage, already in professional area.
ASUS does not compromise.
Hansi
With the PCIe slots and their lanes,
it gets really interesting.
Here it comes to the motherboard, the chipset (Southbridge).
I like to take the road again as a comparison.
If you want to reach a destination in a city centre
There are wide fast roads that lead right there.
But they are limited. “Direct lanes to the CPU”.
All other ways must stop by a circular traffic (chipset).
And here you have to wait one for the other.
And then it comes to the processes in the target area.
So how the controller at the entrance lets your cargo through.
And if there is no parking space for your BMW, you have to wait,
until one becomes free.
So you’ll be sent to a waiting room first.
In any case, a twice as fast part only brings something,
if it also has direct access to the cash register.
And these direct express lanes are limited to a few.
So 16 Lanes for graphics and 4 Lanes for an M.2.
If one takes more for direct connection, then they must be divided among themselves.
All others must be by circular traffic (chipset).
But the whole is running in microseconds time ranges,
that we only remember “Usergötter”
once again an accident (data collision) happens.
And then you have to draw the right conclusions, even if you can’t observe it directly.
Then these well-known ideas come:
So when the foundation (mainboard, earth) was saved,
I can put on what I want, it just won’t be great.
Hansi
You know,
the most important thing is that it works, and you know how and why.
And as there are problems with the settings, and how to avoid this.
Only then you have to make a head over reading speeds,
because what is in advertising is not always realistic.
I hope you understand the comparison.
Hansi
Ignore my last comment. I’ve been informed about it now. So my ordered SSD is a 4.0 with a x4 slot. And the adapter I have now selected on Amazon transforms the whole into an x8 or x16 slot as I understood.
As for reading speed: My new SSD has a speed of 4150MB/s. 4GB/s? And the adapter has a speed of 8GB/s at PCIe 4.0 x4 (at least so on the side). Accordingly, I should not have any problems in terms of speed! Is that right?
So it would have to be faster because it is plugged directly on the mainboard to the PCIe slots, and not like the external enclosures to a USB-C or USB 3.1. I want to hold more than data with my PC
I also like to pay a little more on price terms if I have the faster reading speeds
Um…
to the lowest X16 PCIe slot.
Otherwise the graphics card will be cut,
and we don’t want that.
Better take a smaller extension card.
That’s better, cheaper and faster.
Hansi