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M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution?
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Just get the $14 pci card from Amazon. It works perfectly. They have dual ones for like $50.
Personally I’d boot Mac OS from NVME and run windows on an SSD.
PCIe is backwards-compatible, so any m.2-NVMe-to-PCIe adapter like this will technically work.
However, the PCIe bandwidth will be limited to the lowest generation supported, which in this case means that you will halve the theoretical max bandwidth (~3.9GB/s to ~1.85GB/s).
That motherboard only has a single M.2 interface.
If you want to use both drives at the same time, you'll need a PCIe card designed to adapt to additional M.2 interfaces. Something like this would work:
What motherboard is this? That's a bit unusual these days. You can of course use one of these adapters if you have a free PCIE slot.
something like this should get the job done, some mobos you might have to look around to get it to recognize a pcie storage device, should be pretty straight forward https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=sr_1_3?crid=YTNMOA1NCPZY&dchild=1&keywords=m.2+pcie+adapter&qid=1595821027&sprefix=m.2+pcie+%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-3
No, don't run them in RAID 0, it just introduces more problems than it solves. And it is actually detrimental to performance in every respect except sequential reads/writes (the least important factor for storage performance)
A PC from 2014 will be pretty dubious in NVMe support. Assuming it is Haswell (Intel 4th gen), it should have native support for recognizing and booting NVMe drives, assuming you have the BIOS updated. If it is an older Sandybridge/Ivy Bridge platform (2nd/3rd gen) there are some hacky ways to get NVMe to work, but I honestly wouldn't recommend them. For anything older than that, don't even bother with NVMe.
If you are on 4th gen or newer and your motherboard does not have any NVMe slots, then all you really need are some of these cheap passive adaptors: https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM/
They do have cards you can install into these ports for m.2 devices. May not be as fast. But it will provide additional storage support for fast media. https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=asc_df_B07JJTVGZM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=366315397608&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15676386480161078328&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&am...
You've got a great handle on it.
Yes, m.2 slots can be either SATA or PCIe (NVME). That is the controller on the SSD that you plug in.
Correct, PCIe slots are not keyed - the number of lanes determines what fits and what doesn't. (x16 vs x8 vs x4).
There are m.2 -> PCIe adapter cards. That adds more m.2 slots to a system by plugging them into the PCIE slots.
Yes, SATA has a max speed of 600 MBps, which is closer to about 500-550 actual. That also applies to 2.5" SATA SSDs (and HDDs, though rotational drives don't push that limit - they are about 100 MBPs for a normal drive).
Soooo... to boil it down to what most builders need to know:
1) You need a free m.2 slot on your motherboard. Those are usually m-key or m+b. B-keyed are usually for wifi/bluetooth cards.
2) You probably want a 2280 length (80 mm) SSD. Other lengths (22110, 2230, 2242) exist but are more rare and used for special implementations like add-on cards or Surface Pro Laptops. Those other sizes will probably work on a desktop mobo.
3) NVMe will be faster than a SATA drive. DRAM will be faster during extended writes than a DRAM-less drive, but more expensive.
4) That's really it.
Tested on ssd connected via usb<>SATA cable. Now installed and testing on nvme drive using cheap PCIE usb adapter, like this one[amazon].
100% sure you could add a HDD (hard drive).
X570 motherboards usually have 2 built in slots to put a NVME ssd and it looks like that prebuilt is using one of them. if my assumption is correct then you'd be able to add 1 more no problem. Even if you didn't have a 2nd slot to use you could always buy one of these adapters that plug into a pcie slot below your GPU, then plug in the nvme to the adapter
Hi, So you would need something like this to adapt the PCIE 4x to an M.2.
You'd only be able to get a single M.2 drive working on such an expansion card with your existing motherboard, so a simple M.2 NVME to PCIe x4 adapter would do just as much for you as that high-end ASUS card in this instance.
ok. I had purchased this card originally for that purpose, but it didn't work (probably because it is PCIe 3.0?): PCIe NVM Adapter
I could not get the server to recognize it at all.
Sure, but SATA SSD are still just as inexpensive and fill 99% of the data speed needs for most users.
You can also use an adapter like this to add additional M2 drives to unused PCIe slot depending on your motherboard chipset.
Hi,
I have an R10 (B550A aka B450 board) with a 2080S and 3800X.
It came with the 1 TB NVME SSD.
I just bought a Samsung EVO 970 EVO Plus 1 TB and the adapter at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJTVGZM/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o00\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I ran some benchmarks and I am getting read/write speeds around 1600.
The stock SSD that came with the machine is running around 3200.
The drive is in the Pcex4, slot 3 position. Nothing abnormal that I can see in Samsung Magician.
Anyone have any ideas as to why the speed is so slow? Did I do something wrong?
PCIe is a kind of connection, and there are different slots/plugs for PCIe. A "PCIe slot" is that typical long slot where the GPUs plug in, but PCIe can also be in a form or M.2 (SSDs), USB-C, or some proprietary connections. NVMe disks connect to PCIe, either via PCIe 4x slot or M.2 slot.
Your motherboard doesn't have any M.2 slots so you can't plug in the SSD directly into the board, but you can buy a PCIe M.2 card - https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=m2+pcie+card&qid=1648719081&sr=8-4 your motherboard only supports PCIe 3.0, so either way your SSD will only work at PCIe 3.0 speeds.
These adapters are really simple, because they're pretty much just wire for wire adapters, because M.2 slots are also PCIe, just a different connector.
If you want to actually achieve PCIe 4.0 speeds on your SSD, you'll need a new motherboard that supports PCIe 4.0.
You can get adapters that will allow him to plug the NVME into an open pcie slot. It may not give him the fully rated speeds, but if he can’t return the ssd it’s an option until his does a system upgrade to a mobo with m.2. I had one in my 7700k build that ram flawlessly for more than a year before I upgraded. m.2 pcie card
Keep your 2 slots open for more drives, you will need it eventually. Get yourself a PCI/NVME adapter like THIS, and put a 1tb or more NVME in there as cache. Move all your dockers/metadata/vm images to your NVME and be done :) (I have 2 of those adapters in my environment and have had 0 problems with them in UNRAID)
Assuming you're referring to m.2 SSD slots, the MSI B550 Tomahawk features 2 x M.2 slots. Though if you need more slots, it's relatively easy to install an m.2 add in card which will allow you to install additional m.2 PCIe SSDs.
For gaming just get a sata drive. If you’re image or video editing it’s more of a toss up, but I think you could circumvent the problem by buying a pci to m.2 adapter card. This one is currently $13 on amazon and has good ratings.
Huh. Well, if you wanted to do NVME, you could use an adapter card for a PCIe slot, which is what I do. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM/
Just make sure the adapter card is long enough for your drive. Also, if your system doesn't support PCIe bifurcation, you can only use one drive per slot (no dual or more adapters)
>ere a good cheap adaptor to install an m.2 drive into a PCI slot? My old PCs SATA ports got a bit fucked up somehow and it’s an LGA 1150. Runs pretty slow whenever reading or writing, hits 100% disc usage. Trying to get more life out of it.
is this what you need?
https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=asc\_df\_B07JJTVGZM
Your motherboard does not have a dedicated M.2 slot at all. If you want to install an NVMe drive, you would also need a M.2 to PCIe adapter card such as this. Even with this card, you may experience issues installing an OS on the drive. Motherboards that lack a native M.2 slot don't always have proper NVMe boot support in their BIOS.
If you do not have a GPU installed, you could install this card into the main PCIe x16 slot and get decent speeds: x4 3.0 on the NVMe drive.
If you do have a GPU, then you would have to install this card in the lower x1 slots, and would naturally be limited to x1 2.0 speeds (about 500MB/s)
Now to answer your main question, can you use a 4.0 drive? Yes, PCIe is backwards compatible will all previous versions, so the drive will function on either 3.0 or 2.0 slots. However the speed will be capped to the max bandwidth of the slot you have it installed in, and buying a higher end drive will just be wasted money (unless you plan to upgrade your Mobo and CPU in the near future).
In the event that you have a GPU, as mentioned above, the best you can get is 500MB/s on an NVMe card. This is about the same (actually a little slower) than just using a 2.5" SATA SSD. In this case, not only is a 4.0 drive pointless, a 3.0 drive would be pointless as well. You can get the same speed out of a normal SATA drive and also not have to mess with adapter cards and possible compatibility issues.
Thanks for the reply and feedback.
This is the type of NVMe to PCIe HBA I was referring to https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM
For backups I have my own software solution I’ve been using, Macrium Reflect. Unraid would serve as the NAS to store the backups. Not really concerned so much about the CPU power consumption. It’s old but don’t have much of a choice. Looking to repurpose hardware I already have. The license fee doesn’t seem so bad for the basic which is what I would need. I’ve used TrueNAS and have been happy with it so far but looking to try Unraid. Maybe it’s just me but looks to be more user friendly. Just wanted to get some feedback if with the hardware and setup I was on the right track.
I was looking at the Aorus B450 Pro! Sorry about that. Yes you've only got one slot on the mb. you could get something g like this: M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_A2HKXRXAEF2WET14QDY8?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
So just got that cheap M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter, slapped a spare M.2 SSD in it, and it actually works. I am curious if Elgato has responded now.
Hi, I want to get a budget NVME (gen 3) for extra storage. I already have a WD Black SN750 1TB as my boot drive in my only m.2 slot, and was planning on getting a WD SN550 to put into my X370 Crosshair VI Hero's PCIE 2.0x4 slot using a PCIE to M.2 adapter like this. I'm shooting for a budget NVME drive that will max out the PCIE 2.0x4 slot's bandwidth, which IIRC is around 2,000 MB/s, and is considered reliable while keeping the price to a minimum, so I'd settled on the WD SN550 last year based on all your helpful info.
Well, now that I'm running out of storage and was ready to pull the trigger, I did a quick double check and saw that WD pulled some shenanigans with the SN550. Would you recommend an alternative NVME SSD for my use case now, or do you think I should still go with the SN550? Thanks for all the awesome help you give!
Your motherboard does not have a dedicated M.2 slot. It states "supports NVMe boot disks" under the PCIe slot section because you can install NVMe drives in an expansion card such as this. However, these cards are designed for a PCIe x4 (or larger) slot, and your board only has an x1 and x16 slot. If you have a GPU (or other card) already installed in the main x16 slot, then you have nowhere to install an M.2 card.
> should I just get another SHDD/HDD
No, you should get a 2.5 in. SATA SSD, it will be just as easy to install as your current drive, and still many times faster and more reliable than an HDD or SSHD.
You can add two additional SATA SSDs . . . you will need to supply the data cable. Consider a data cable with a 90 degree connector on one end.
You can add an M.2 NVMe SSD with a PCIe adapter . . . as an example. This would be the fastest solution.
When people say "ddr cache", they are referring to DRAM. And it's not really a cache. That's a common misconception. The SLC cache is the cache.
You were right the first time, you need a SSD with DRAM and TLC flash.
For a SATA drive, you can't really go wrong with the Crucial MX500.
How old is your PC? If you have an Intel 4th gen or newer and just don't have a M.2 slot, you can still use a M.2 drive with a PCIe adaptor like this one:
Sure, adapters are pretty cheap if you have a spare pcie slot: https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM
You may not be able to boot off of the drive in an adapter card like that though if you wanted to install windows on it, I'm not sure. Further research/expertise is required for that answer.
You can just get a cheap, passive adapter.
Not the most elegant option but pretty cost effective. I would not spend $1-300 on a brand new mainboard months before we get DDR5 and maybe PCIe Gen5 boards.
My m.2 is pretty much directly under my gpu too. Its never been a problem with no heatsink. You probably wouldn't fit a heatsink on it, but there may be something slim enough available online.
If it really bothers you, you can get a PCI-E adapter like this. I believe your empty pci-e slots are only x1 however, so it may be slower if so.
tldr; just use the slot on the motherboard.
I don't get what are you asking about, this is the first NVMe card I see on Amazon, it doesn't have SATA ports. Some of them may have SATA ports because it can pass through the PCIe interface just like M.2 SSDs can be NCMe (PCIe) or SATA. Yes, these SATA ports would be just as fast (or slow) as regular SATA. No, that doesn't affect the speed of M.2 MVMe port on the expansion card as long as they aren't used both at the same time (which I don't think is possible anyway).
> 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot (PCIE5: x4 mode)
You can use a riser on this slot, one like this, but you also won't be able to boot off it on such an old motherboard if you intended to do so.
The SSD will work. For the adapter, I am used to seeing that has a PCIe slot cover connected to it . . . like this
I'm stumped as to why that is. There's no additional manual available to explain the UEFI BIOS options for the motherboard, and all I can think of are the following options:
Reseat the 2TB NVMe drive
Move 2TB drive to DIMM.2 slot. The con is that it cuts the primary PCIex16 GPU slot to x8.
Get a PCIex4-to-M.2 adapter card and connect it to the PCIex4 slot above the graphics card.
Aside from that and a lack of a UEFI BIOS manual, that's all I can think of.
You can leave your 512GB M.2 SSD connected to the mobo and add your M-Key Rocket M.2 SSD in a PCIE slot with an adapter something like tihs
If you want another M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD you will not need a SATA cable. You would need an adapter something like this .
/u/Appropriate_Spend659 had a pretty decent idea. A PCIE M.2 adapter could allow you to rule out the M.2 slot.
It is not showing up in the device manager.
Used this one but I think it was faulty. I have aorus elite wifi x570 mobo with 2 m.2 slots I had 2 500gb and just bought a 1tb so I just wanted to use the 3rd one instead of selling it.
I have an MSI B550-A Pro and WD SN550 incoming.
MSI's website doesn't state that the mobo have NVME capabilities so does that mean I will have to buy something like this to be able to take advantage of NVMe speeds on my SSD?
>E5-2640 v4 10C
Ah ok. The problem with this one is that yes, it'll technically work, but it'll be pretty slow. The main issue is that the CPU is old and doesn't support SHA acceleration. This means that the PreCommit1 phase could take over a day just to commit one 32 GB sector and you need to get to 10 TB+ to earn mining rewards. On a more modern CPU that supports SHA acceleration, that time would drop to just a few hours. For Intel, you'd want Rocket Lake or Ice SP, for AMD you'd want an Epyc or ThreadRipper. The memory is a good quantity though. You'd want to add an NVME device or several devices to form a RAID 0. You can add PCI-E adapters that you can plug NVME drives into. ( Amazon.com: M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution: Computers & Accessories ) NVME is much faster than a regular SATA SSD. You can get by without a powerful GPU but it helps some phases of the workload. But you'd want a powerful GPU with over 8 GB of memory (8 GB is not quite enough.)
M.2 SSD PCIe Adapter or something similar. Make sure the adapter and your M.2 SSD are 'M Key'. You will need to determine if it will fit with your 3090.
There are NVMe to sata adapters that you can buy, but at that point you are better off buying a m.2 to PCIe adapter if you have an open PCIe slot. Then you will get the full performance of your SSD. You will have to make sure your motherboard supports PCIe boot but otherwise something like this will work well.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_XKNDXAPM1AN9S1V2H56N
something like this: AmazonSmile: M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution: Computers & Accessories on the slot furthest away from the CPU (depending on how your mobo splits the pcie lanes)
Looking at the specifications page it says “Supports NVMe SSD as boot disks”. Since it doesn’t have a m2 slot I would think they are referring to using a PCIe adapter card that then fits the NVMe SSD onto it. I used to run an x58 motherboard and used this to run an NVMe drive however I could not boot from it, just use it as gaming storage. I’m guessing their BIOS supports booting from an adapter card. Just for reference - M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_sEg9Fb8ZDRDF1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
While not actually answering your question, I was wanting an extra m.2 slot in the past and saw this product. Not sure if it's as fast as a native m.2 slot but it might be worth looking into needing an extra m.2 slot your only reason for thinking of replacing the board.
There is one M.2 slot on the Aurora R9 motherboard. If that is occupied, you can add an additional M.2 SSD using a PCIe adapter like this
Your PC has one M.2 slot which could be used to install the SSD. If you already have an SSD in that slot, and are trying to add a 2nd one, then you will need an M.2 PCIe Expansion card such as this. You plug this into one of the PCIe x4 slots and it gives you another M.2 connection for the drive.
You can buy cheap adapters that allow you to use a NVME SSD in a normal PCI-E slot - here's one example, or search "PCI-E NVME Adapter" to see others. I can't vouch for compatibility with your particular system, in particular you may not be able to boot from it. For $14 it's probably worth a try though.
Your motherboard almost certainly has an extra PCIe slot, you should get an M.2 / PCIe adapter. Something like this, it would be cheaper to get a decent NVMe and the adapter than an external ssd, and would perform way better.
Thanks! It's mostly for aesthetics, really. Just one of those things that make you feel good when you look at it.
1) I can't speak for the r710, but The CPU architecture would need to support NVMe. I just picked up a cheap one on amazon that worked fine in my r720 and r730:
You just need to make sure your drive is keyed properly for the adapter. One thing to note is that the older generations do not support bifurcation, if you happen to be using a PCIe single card that support multiple drives. The r730 does, which allows you divide the PCIe lanes up between them.
2) I wouldn't run a full operating system on the IDSDM module, because they're generally used for operating systems that load into memory (e.g. EXSi), which minimizes the number of writes to the media. The SD media would likely wear out much faster and result in poor performance.
3) This is precisely why I chose to go this route. The performance impact is fairly negligible so long as your have a decent CPU that supports virtualization and the number of VMs you need. I have unRAID passed through this way, however, I am only using it for a NAS and docker host. To use the virtualization (KVM), you'd have to enable nested virtualization, which would likely result in poorer performance.
Hope this helps.
Under my motherboard's specifications it says:
2 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slots (PCIE2: x16 mode; PCIE4: x4 mode)*
3 x PCI Express 3.0 x1 Slots (Flexible PCIe)
Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX™ and CrossFireX™
*Supports NVMe SSD as boot disks
Would this be a suitable adapter, or should I get a x16 slot adapter?
M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RGEHFbQBNJ5MV Currently looking at this one - single nvme card adapter with an aluminum heatsink for about 14$. It has decent reviews and it’s not that expensive.
> Most motherboards only have one M.2 slot
What matters is the board you have. So, what board do you have? Or are thinking of getting since I just realized this is r/buildapc
If it only has one slot then you would have to buy a m.2 pcie addon card to add a second drive. Something like this https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3UVRB7PKAL8FX&dchild=1&keywords=m.2+pcie+adapter&qid=1601581775&sprefix=m.2+pci%2Caps%2C152&sr=8-3
So the PCIe x4 adapter that I ordered didn’t fit any of the PCIe slots. Honestly I’m not too sure what I’m looking for at this point. Maybe I should just get a entirely new motherboard I don’t know. More help would be much appreciated. Here’s the link to the one I purchased (sorry to keep bothering you as well) amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
You can buy a very cheap PCI-E to M.2 NVMe adapter though. Like it's literally $13.99 shipped on Amazon for a nicer one with a heatsink. It's really hard to use this as the justification.
I bought 4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM to add 4 NVMe drives to an r720 without any issues. I didn't try booting from them but they worked on the host OS as well as VMs using PCIe passthrough.
This consumes about as much power as the NUCs, but should cost slightly less, and it has internal room for a 3.5" drive or two.
HP ProDesk 400 for $110 on eBay. Offer the seller $90. You’ll need an HDMI dummy plug to enable hardware transcoding. You’ll need to install your own SSD. You can use a SATA SSD, or if you’d like extra speed for your metadata, you can get a PCI-E to NVME adapter, and use an NVME SSD. Windows would cost extra, if you choose to go that route. Linux is free, but you pay by learning a bit. FreeNas is cool too, but I'm not sure about setting it up with individual drives.
Even if the mobo doesn't have one built in you can add one, all you need is an extra 4-16X slot which 99% of mobos will have. using a card like this.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_EZY52K3DJSGNQCPM75MK
I only know of the Asus and Gigabyte quad cards, but they are hard to find for a reasonable price. I've had good luck with single and dual cards on amazon like this one
They're pretty close, but quicksync can handle more transcodes, dollar for dollar.
Nvidia
/r/plex - Tutorial on setting up unlimited transcodes for Nvidia GPUs
This has estimated limits for a bunch of the options - elpamsoft - Plex Media Server Hardware Transcoding Cheat Sheet
The M2000 is $105 on ebay.
The P400 is around $90
Wikipedia lists which generation each GPU is.
Intel
This Quicksync computer is around the same price:
HP ProDesk 400 for $110 on eBay. Offer the seller $90. You’ll need an HDMI dummy plug to enable hardware transcoding. You’ll need to install your own SSD. You can use a SATA SSD, or if you’d like extra speed for your metadata, you can get a PCI-E to NVME adapter, and use an NVME SSD.
This one is a good start:
HP ProDesk 400 for $110 on eBay. Offer the seller $90. You’ll need an HDMI dummy plug to enable hardware transcoding. You’ll need to install your own SSD. You can use a SATA SSD, or if you’d like extra speed for your metadata, you can get a PCI-E to NVME adapter, and use an NVME SSD.
FreeNas is a free NAS operating system that's generally fairly straightforward to use.
M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QkZuFb4F282VT
everything i bought to add a second ssd
pci adapter
heatsink
crucial 2tb ssd
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098WKQRDL?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED! IT WILL WORK GURANTEED NO QUESTIONS ASK MY FRIEND. FOR YOU A GOOD PRICE VERY MUCH WOW
/s please don't buy this shit
According to your MB's specs page, it states the M.2 slot only supports SATA drives. No NVMe / PCIe compatibility is mentioned.
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B150-PC-MATE/Specification
If you have a PCIe slot available, you could add an M.2 expansion card to use an NVMe drive: Amazon Link. You should be aware however, that not every motherboard model supports booting from a drive connected to a PCIe slot like this, installing an OS to a drive like this may or may not be possible on this motherboard.
If your computer has any spare PCIE slots and you have a few spare $ there are adapters that you can mount an M.2 into.
Something like this perhaps. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/
Adapters exist. Don't know how well they work but they exist
https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM
I think something like this should do the trick
For what it's worth I usually buy used ~5400RPM server drives off of ebay. This is DEFINITELY less reliable but they're like... half or a third the price. If you're doing RAID1, then you have some tolerance. Some of the "savings" get used to have a cold spare (spare drive that's not plugged in) and/or a cold backup.
You SHOULD be able to put the system data on the SSD. This probably doesn't matter a ton. When I added a cache, I kept the OS on the HDDs because I liked the idea of N+1 redundancy. Here's the first guide I came across. https://forum.qnap.com/viewtopic.php?t=152335 For what it's worth when I fiddled with it, the SWAP partition automatigally got moved to the SSD (this also helps for low RAM set ups)
2 minutes worth of Amazon skimming - https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM These are commodity items, just make sure it'll physically fit and that it has the right bracket coming with it.
m.2 nvme SSDs (NOT SATA) - the choice won't matter much here if you're ONLY doing read caching. If you're absolutely trying to minimize costs, a 16 or 32GB Intel optane stock works OK (note these are better with QuTS hero as an OS since that OS is better at being selective with what it caches). If you're just using QTS and have a "dumb" caching algo then basically anything big and cheap. 480/512GB is probably an OK spot. 1TB will also probably work since your NAS has an OK amount of RAM (more stuff on SSD means more RAM look ups) - my default is to check SlickDeals for sales and to cross reference against THIS - https://linustechtips.com/topic/1092033-ssd-tier-list/ I'd avoid anything below C-tier. It's a "good enough" rule of thumb.
If you're also doing write caching (this also modestly increases the risk of data loss) it'll matter more and you'll want to make sure the drive has a dRAM cache. You'd probably want something at or above B tier on the list I gave.
Here is a plug-in card that should work.
Idk if you'll be able to boot from it, but at least you should be able to access a drive on it.
If you have space for a PCI card, why don't you pick up a PCI Express NVME adapter and buy a multi-terabyte NVME card
https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM/
Of course I imagine this would depend on how the adapter presents the device to esxi and whether or not it would recognize it.
https://www.gamingpcbuilder.com/ssd-ranking-the-fastest-solid-state-drives/
msata and sata make no real-life difference in speed. no nvme support on that mobo, unless you get a pci-e to nvme adapter: https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM
and even then, your motherboard bios may not support booting from it.
Thanks for your reply.
I checked another R430 I have access to and I can't find the option either. From what I've been reading PCIe bifurcation is only available on R630 and R730's, but not lower models. Not sure about 14th generation.
So... Looks like I will have to go with PCIe-M.2 converter. Would something like this work? I think I saw this one posted a couple times:
For the time being, though, I might just go with a caddy adapter for the CD/DVD drive to insert a 1TB SSD disk in there. Don't need that much space right now...
And if I need more storage in the future, I might also consider a card with PLX support to do bifurcation on the card. Saw a couple listed in this subreddit in Aliexpress, for about USD 150.
> Hello, I have a 287M extreme4 motherboard
I'm assuming you mean that you have a Z87M Extreme 4
> and i would like to install pci ssd
I am also assuming that you mean a PCI-E NVME SSD drive
> is that possible?
Yes, but you will need to buy an SSD that is already mounted in a PCI-e expansion card which generally stated as an "Add-in card" solution - for example: The Western Digital Black AN 1500 as you do not have an M.2 slot
OR
You buy an M.2 NVME expansion card, and then pick any M.2 NVME SSD you want, install the SSD in the expansion card, install the expansion card in the lower x16 slot. What sucks about this route is that most single M.2 expansion cards are only PCI-e x4
However, the problem is - it won't reach the theoretical maximum speeds as if you have a GPU on the first PCI-e slot which is PCI-e x16 3.0, you will have to install that drive on the 2nd large PCI-e slot which is PCI x16 2.0
If you can find the AN1500 which looks to have a PCI-e x8 interface, you will probably get about half the theoretical maximum rated speed. So probably 2500-3000MB/s sequential read
For the expansion card...At best, your speeds might be around 1200-1600MB/s - give or take due to it only being an x4 interface
Long story short, it might be a waste of your time and money to do so.
For an M.2 NVMe drive, you need an adapter that goes in a PCIe slot. Like this.
Would using an NVME to PCIe 3.0x4 adapter like this one sidestep this issue? I don't have an additional M.2 slot on my motherboard.
Doesn't look like it, says it supports it though, you can use something like this.
Yes
https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM
Make sure you slots are available
Found the guide I used: https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/2313032-how-to-boot-a-dell-poweredge-gen-12-server-r320-r520-r720-etc-from-nvme
And this was the PCIe card I used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJTVGZM
Note: your server may is probably new enough that you don't need to follow this guide at all and everything will just work from the beginning. The guide is only needed if the server doesn't recognize the SSD during boot (and therefore is unable to boot from it). What is not mentioned on the linked guide if you need to go down this route is making it work with Secure Boot enabled: you'll want to enter UEFI configuration and manually add every active efi file from the Clover USB stick to the signature database; this takes a while because you can only add one file at a time and it takes like 10 clicks per file.
As for the RAID thing: be very careful with chicken/egg problems if setting up a software RAID in a VM and exposing that to ESXi via the network (I would suggest iSCSI if that's supported) -- the datastore needs to be available to boot any VMs using it, so the VM that provisions the combined datastore needs to live on a separate one. So, configure a datastore using your single 1TB disk, install the TrueNAS VM on that datastore, pass through the other 3 disks to it, and expose the combined one as a network disk back to ESXi. This will make upgrades a bit more finnicky since you'll need to ensure the TrueNAS VM is started before any of the VMs depending on that "network" datastore are started.
Here's the m.2 pcie card:
https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM
Here's a tool-less external m.2 drive enclosure that I use:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-Type-C-Tool-Free-Enclosure-EC-SNVE/dp/B08RVC6F9Y
Oh, I meant the other way... https://www.amazon.ca/NVME-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=pd_lpo_2?pd_rd_i=B07JJTVGZM&psc=1
Take the m.2 card off the motherboard (which turns the sata ports back on) and then put the nvme on a card.
My guess is that it's stating you could use a NVME to PCIe adapter and have the system boot off of a M.2 drive contained therein.
It depends on what your system can support.
If you have a spare SATA connection on your motherboard and room for another hard drive, you could get another hard drive and install TrueNAS on that.
I didn't have a spare SATA connection or room in my enclosure, but I had a free PCIe slot on my motherboard, so I bought an M.2 NVME to PCIe adapter and an M.2 NVME SSD to install TrueNAS on. I had to flash the firmware on my motherboard to the latest version so it would be able to boot from that.
Another option would be to get a USB enclosure for a spinning hard drive or an M.2 NVME SSD, and install TrueNAS on that. I think the issue with USB sticks is the maximum number of writes they support. Once you exceed that, things will start failing.
something like this: https://www.amazon.ca/NVME-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM
It would let me get the full speed out of the NVME drive but from what I've read it doesn't really matter for load times since CPU will be bottleneck anyway.
Ah, you’re right. Just one slot. I’d get an m.2 card, they are cheap. Here’s one for $12: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_D79EKKE3QQ30SM3CEGHY
I actually did! I installed Crucial P5 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD 2280 CT1000P5SSD8 with this adapter - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_1FM5FEHJQAGA5S8PZXZW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Everything is working fine
This was the adapter I ordered: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_TCT68WQE6VNGJGM7ED2X?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
and this is the drive I'm trying to use: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-SN550-500GB-NVMe-Internal/dp/B07YFF3JCN
As stated in the adapter description, NVMe M.2 2280 keys are supported.
These here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJTVGZM
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Hea… | $12.98 | $12.98 | 4.5/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
How many pcie x16 slots does it have? What motherboard chipset? If you don't know the chipset, what cpu is it using?
On my board using certain pcie slots can take away lanes from other things. For example if I was try to add another ssd with adapter in my 2nd pcie slot it would take lanes away from my gpu which would absolutely hurt gaming performance. Also using both of my m.2 slots will disable a few SATA ports. Again not sure how this will work on your board, just be sure you're not gimping your gpu by adding the adapter and drive. GPU-Z will show you how many lanes your gpu has, should be x16 if it drops to x8 after adding the ssd that is no good.
This is what I got: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJTVGZM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Works and hasn't started a fire or anything horrible.
This one:
M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
The red light is coming from the drive I believe not the adapter.
Not sure what your budget is, but here's a better cheap option:
- NVME PCIE Adapter - $12.99
- 256GB NVME Drive - $38.99
- Instructions - $0.00 😉
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Hea… | $12.98 | - | 4.5/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
Yes you can.
What you cannot do is boot from that drive.
I did just this until I upgraded to Ryzen, and here is the adapter I use
I doubt a Thunderbolt 2 to USB-C adapter exists.
If you are looking for a high-speed external drive (that will be somewhat stationary), then your best option may be a used Thunderbolt 2 external PCIe expansion enclosure.
Something like the following from US eBay may work... Akitio Thunderbolt 2 PCIe expansion chassis.
Then add a PCIe NVMe card like... M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution.
Drive performance should be very good with bandwidths like...
- Thunderbolt 2: 20 Gbps
- PCIe 3.0 x4: 32 Gbps
- NVMe SSD: read/write speed up to 28 Gbps
I used a PCIe NVMe card like the one above in an old 2010 Mac Pro (cheese crater) to run macOS High Sierra and it worked very well.
Are you looking for something like this?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJTVGZM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3F3TWMW51FQC7&psc=1
Search for "NVMe card" or "NVMe adapter" on Amazon if so.
If you're looking for an actual PCIe SSD, this is strangely the only one I could find:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HBZCSHW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2SPB4TKWFHOSC&psc=1
But if you search for "PCIe SSD" and keep scrolling through the options, you might find more. It looks like you'd have better success with the former rather than the latter, though.
It is possible, however you will have the following limitations.
- The interface will be USB so will be slower than what the drive is capable. It also depends on the available USB ports you have, USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, Type-C.
- NVMe drives are not meant to be used constantly outside of a computer. They need active cooling as they get really hot. Usually the airflow in the case provides this, however external drives do not have this.
- Most external drive holders for NVMe are designed to clone, slower read/write or act as a storage device only. Not handle high speed read/write operations.
I would recommend you do one of the following instead, (1) upgrade your motherboard to support NVMe, (2) use a PCIe addon card to plug in an NVMe.
PCIe Card: https://www.amazon.ca/NVME-Adapter-Aluminum-Heatsink-Solution/dp/B07JJTVGZM
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Hea… | $12.98 | $12.98 | 4.5/5.0 |
| Crucial P2 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD Up to… | - | - | 4.8/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Hea… | $12.98 | $12.98 | 4.5/5.0 |
| Crucial P2 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD Up to… | - | - | 4.8/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Hea… | $12.98 | $12.98 | 4.5/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
Is this what I need?
Thanks!
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Hea… | $12.98 | $12.98 | 4.5/5.0 |
| Crucial P2 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD Up to… | - | - | 4.8/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Hea… | $12.98 | $12.98 | 4.5/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Hea… | $12.98 | $12.98 | 4.5/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
Good choice, Crucial makes great storage products. I just looked on Amazon and the P2 250GB is going for $49.99 while the 500GB is going for $44.99… good time to save some change and upgrade your storage space.
I am particular about brands, BUT only when it comes to motherboard, CPU, RAM, PSU, and GPU. Everything else can be “off brand” or a lesser known brand. For SSDs, the technology is not necessarily different. While a Samsung EVO might be able to withstand longer run times, the drive will still function the same as Crucial, or even a lesser known brand. As long as your read/write speeds (MB/s) are comparable to what the current market is, you’ll be fine.
Actually, I have a Crucial 1TB as my main drive, and two 500GB M2 SSDs running as a shared drive and gaming file drive, respectively. I will never go back to a regular SSD. I use these if I have to: M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_9D8WHPZ8QQPCM82FZ3C0
Crucial P2 500GB: Crucial P2 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD Up to 2400MB/s - CT500P2SSD8 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086BGWNY8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_N3MPK8NG18ZVW34TFN5X?psc=1
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Hea… | $12.98 | $12.98 | 4.5/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Hea… | $12.98 | $12.98 | 4.5/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
No problem!
Intel Alder Lake (like a i5-12500k) is expected by end of year. I expect AMD to be not far behind with their next-gen chips. Both will use DDR5 memory.
If you worry about the ssd, you can pick up an inexpensive PCIe nvme card and buy the 500GB SSD I recommended now. I used an nvme disk in a 2500k build myself.
Yes, a device like that: https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM
M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_W05NQVR6VWR77K777AP4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Would this one work with my spare PCIe slots?
You could get a PCIE adapter card or return it and get a SATA SSD.
M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_CZ379Q9NT9T3Q2Z6ZG1Z
I use a bunch of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJTVGZM
With the back plate removed for airflow, using the stock mesh covers.
Since, the r720xd does not support bifurcation, you can only use a single NVMe in each PCIe slot. However- this is not an issue, because the server has a ton of PCIe slots.
This is the type of M.2 PCIe Adapter you will need . . . should be Plug & Play
The bottom X16 slot (X8 electrical) in the Aurora R12 supports PCIe Gen 4.0 . . . so you could optionally use something like this M.2 PCIe NVMe GEN4 SSD
Get your AIO liquid cooling and fans installed!
Throw that sucker in an pci-e adaptor and go https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=nvme+pcie+adapter&qid=1628631623&sr=8-3
I realize this is digging deep, but do you have an available PCI slot? If so, you can get something like this: https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM and still use an m.2 drive.
The big question you need to ask yourself is: Will I be using all of the features that these boards offer? Sure they may be nice to haves, but realistically are you ever going to use them?
What do you want all the headers and back panel I/O for? If you already have use cases in mind then fair enough, but do you have anything you plan on using USB-C for? Do you have a home network that can support 2.5Gbps networking? Do you have a case that can make use of all of the internal headers (for reference, most cases only have 2-4 USB sockets on the front panel which is 1 USB 3.1 header and maybe 1 USB 2.0 header, so you'll probably end up with a bunch of wasted headers).
VRMs are less of an issue than you might think - almost all B550/X570 boards will have VRMs that can support up to a 5950x, and overclocking on Ryzen is not worthwhile. The CPUs are pretty much at their limit out of the box and you're not going to really push them much further.
The reason I'm asking/pointing this stuff out is because I made the same decisions when I bought my X570 Aorus Master and frankly I could have gone for a much cheaper board and get exactly the same amount of use out of it. The VRMs are kind of wasted as I quickly discovered that overclocking (beyond turning PBO overdrive on) was pointless, and I have a tons of headers and I/O that just aren't getting used.
In terms of the audio - I don't know what the difference between the 1200 and 1220 is. but having briefly googled the difference it seems most people won't even notice. If audio is *that* important to you, I would suggest looking at getting an external DAC rather than using the onboard sound anyway.
The split lanes issue for your second NVMe... I wouldn't worry. I don't think a 3080 suffers any significant performance drop working at x8 instead of x16. If it is still a concern to you, I kind of have a workaround solution. Get a NVMe to PCIe adapter and plug it in to one of the lower PCIe lanes. Use your 3.0 NVMe for this one as those slots are limited to PCIe 3.0 x4. This will not cause any conflict with your CPU's PCIe lanes, although it may limit the number of SATA ports you have available. Looking at the specs of the B550 Aorus Master you lose 3 ports out of 6, so you should have more than enough left over unless you have a buttload of SATA drives.
X570 boards may also be worthwhile for you to look at, particularly to solve the split lane issue. X570 chipsets work a little differently in terms of PCIe lanes and afaik none of them do this spilt lane malarkey with the top x16 slot, so check a few of them out too. Don't go top end though, $200-$275 will get you a pretty decent x570 board.
I'm using this one for about a week, thus far no issues:
Would this adapter work? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_XA18H4EKV1JB67NGG9DK
I dont think your mobo supports booting from an M.2 drive, but you may be able to add NVME M.2 connections with a PCIE card - https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM/
I would go for a 1 TB SATA 2.5" SSD for your boot drive - https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/h3tQzy,68c48d,2PXYcf/
Definitely do the nvme PCIe route. It is FAST fast. I did this to my r11 and it worked perfectly.
Link
M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I am using these and they’re working well.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJTVGZM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I had a similar situation. I eventually reformted for Secure UEFI boot in a fresh Windows GPT partition.
You can always buy an x4 Nvme M.2 pciexpress card. And insert you new MP600 in that and have it as another drive.
Yes, you can do it as long as you have a vacant PCIe x4/x8/x16 slot with no performance loss. There are many adapters, some are fancy and expensive x16 ones that can accomodate even up to 4 additional NVMe drives at once, and can feature active cooling (Asus makes one), and there are cheap ones good for a single additional NVMe SSD like this one: https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1YNMB0COXL31T&dchild=1&keywords=nvme+pcie+adapter&qid=1613377293&sprefix=nvme+pcie%2Caps%2C269&sr=8-3. This one is 14 USD and comes with a low-profile bracket and a small heatsink for the SSD, but more bare ones can be found for as low as 6 USD.
Transcode it ahead of time. Keep it in a separate library.
This should be able to do it for you with hardware transcoding if you decide to go that route.
HP ProDesk 400 for $110 on eBay. Offer the seller $90. You’ll need an HDMI dummy plug to enable hardware transcoding. You’ll need to install your own SSD. You can use a SATA SSD, or if you’d like extra speed for your metadata, you can get a PCI-E to NVME adapter, and use an NVME SSD.
Server builds listed on www.serverbuilds.net are generally pretty good, and reasonably priced.
This guy:
- HP ProDesk 400 for $110 on eBay. Offer the seller $90. You’ll need an HDMI dummy plug to enable hardware transcoding. You’ll need to install your own SSD. You can use a SATA SSD, or if you’d like extra speed for your metadata, you can get a PCI-E to NVME adapter, and use an NVME SSD.
Plus one of these:
Together, these give you room for about 5-6 3.5" drives.
With 3 of these inside, you get 36TB, you can keep the old drives offline as a backup?
You might, maybe be able to fit the drives int the case and uses the motherboard's SATA ports, saving $110 or so.
Others have used these, with the Intel QuickSync hardware transcoding, which is a Plex Pass feature.
HP ProDesk 400 for $110 on eBay. Offer the seller $90. You’ll need an HDMI dummy plug to enable hardware transcoding. You’ll need to install your own SSD. You can use a SATA SSD, or if you’d like extra speed for your metadata, you can get a PCI-E to NVME adapter, and use an NVME SSD.
This guy costs the same, and probably doesn't consume much more power.
HP ProDesk 400 for $110 on eBay. Offer the seller $90. You’ll need an HDMI dummy plug to enable hardware transcoding. You’ll need to install your own SSD. You can use a SATA SSD, or if you’d like extra speed for your metadata, you can get a PCI-E to NVME adapter, and use an NVME SSD.
Which model TV?
Check your dashboard to see why (or if) it's transcoding.
Plex - Support Articles - Server Status and Dashboard
Consider just grabbing an Nvidia Shield Pro to be your client. They have better codec support and a gigiabit NIC, unlike (most) TVs.
Otherwise, this one should be a good choice:
HP ProDesk 400 for $110 on eBay. Offer the seller $90. You’ll need an HDMI dummy plug to enable hardware transcoding. You’ll need to install your own SSD. You can use a SATA SSD, or if you’d like extra speed for your metadata, you can get a PCI-E to NVME adapter, and use an NVME SSD.
> Am I forgetting something?
Passmark is a proxy for CPU transcoding, not hardware (GPU) transcoding.
HP ProDesk 400 for $110 on eBay. Offer the seller $90. You’ll need an HDMI dummy plug to enable hardware transcoding. You’ll need to install your own SSD. You can use a SATA SSD, or if you’d like extra speed for your metadata, you can get a PCI-E to NVME adapter, and use an NVME SSD.
What's your goal in terms of storage size?
This one generally makes a good starting point, but only has room for a couple drives inside:
HP ProDesk 400 for $110 on eBay. Offer the seller $90. You’ll need an HDMI dummy plug to enable hardware transcoding. You’ll need to install your own SSD. You can use a SATA SSD, or if you’d like extra speed for your metadata, you can get a PCI-E to NVME adapter, and use an NVME SSD.
FreeNas, makes for a good, straightforward, focused Operating System with little overhead.
Serverbuilds.net - [Guide] Hardware Transcoding: The JDM way! QuickSync and NVENC
Plex - Support Articles - Using Hardware-Accelerated Streaming
I switched to NVMe with a PCIe adapter and it works great. If you have two PCIe x4 slots available you could keep your mirror. Most NVMe drives are 6x faster than SATA.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJTVGZM/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_5?smid=A3F3TWMW51FQC7&psc=1
That card you linked will work but so will a x1 card or an x4 card like this - M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_RNX9FbZWJ74YK
You don’t have to fill the entire x16 slot -
It was a problem with the M.2 expansion slot for me. I used a PCIe to M.2 adapter (something like this ) and that fixed it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJTVGZM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P6STQ54/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I used this stuff in my ts-453be, I pretty much just chose these items for price/perf ratio.
IMO, unless you really think you will absolutely be getting a couple of PCIe 4 SSDs within the next 3 years, I don't think it is worth the price or trouble of replacing your current working motherboard.
If you want to add another NMVe drive in the future (not PCIe 4), then you can buy one of these adaptor cards:
https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM/
And an Intel Wifi 6/Bluetooth 5 PCIe card:
https://www.amazon.com/Cudy-WE3000-3000Mbps-Wireless-Bluetooth/dp/B082NZYDDM/
You'll want an SSD or NVME for that box since it doesn't come with HDD. For NVME, You'll need an adapter like this. And just read that ServerBuilds link I provided. Thats basically a guide to the whole Plex Box setup. Although, I installed Plex in a docker container instead of DIRECTLY on the Ubuntu OS. Up to you though. And I did RAM Transcoding and added an additional 8GB RAM stick. Not necessary but nice as it will take a load off the SSD/NVME wear and tear from Transcodes
Buy a PCIe adapter
As long as your motherboard supports NVMe, you can install an NVMe drive even if there isn't a free M.2 slot.
All you need is a free PCIe x4, x8, or x16 slot. And one of these adaptors:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/
Alternatively, you can run the NVMe drive inside an external USB enclosure. It will run at 10Gbps instead of the full 32Gbps, but it's still crazy fast for most people:
sweet okay and as my final question would there be any benefit in getting this or not at all?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JJTVGZM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I don't get it. Anyways here's one I found on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_L9uVFbKANY7PF
No, don't buy that SATA SSD. It's pretty mediocre. If you absolutely must get a SATA SSD, get a Crucial MX500:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ft8j4D/crucial-mx500-500gb-25-solid-state-drive-ct500mx500ssd1
However, I would recommend a NVMe SSD and a PCIe adaptor if you have a spare PCIe slot:
https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM/
You have free PCIe slot?
https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM
H10 is regular NVMe drive (2280 form factor). You plug it into your motherboard, if you have available slot. Or you buy PCIe expansion card similar to this: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM
If you can't extract the screw or replace the standoff, you could try a PCIe adapter.
You can put it in a PCIe slot
I use these for our machines at work. It requires the Mojave bios update but it’s really fast.
M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_69TwFbTACHHVS
Inland Professional 2TB SSD 3D QLC NAND M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive (2TB) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08867VV6V/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ibUwFb9N1GVSW
Samsung's Evo series are still the top option for a consumer-oriented drive.
Newmaxx made this flowchart. Should be easier to follow.
Also, PCIE > M.2 adapters are fairly cheap, so that's also an option.
> From what I read, if I were try to use some sort of PCIe adapter for another M.2, the speeds would be reduced to PCIe 2.0 speeds due to I guess bandwidth limitations? Is this correct?
Yes, this is true. You will be limited to PCIe 2.0x4. That is still 16Gbps though. Significantly faster than SATA III's max of 6Gbps. More importantly, you get the benefits of NVMe reduced latency and overhead compared to SATA. Admittedly, this is not a huge deal to most regular users.
> Should I therefore use a normal SATA-based SSD if I want a second one?
It's up to you. Basically you are looking at a $30 difference (including the adaptor):
A good 1TB SATA SSD (TLC flash, SLC cache and DRAM):
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/h3tQzy/crucial-mx500-1tb-25-solid-state-drive-ct1000mx500ssd1
A good 1TB NVME SSD (TLC flash, SLC cache and DRAM) and PCIe adaptor:
https://www.amazon.com/YATENG-Controller-Expansion-Card-Support-Converter/dp/B07JJTVGZM
You can get something like this
It's unlikely you'd be able to boot off it on a Z77 motherboard though.
My mobo only has 1 m.2 slot.
Would this work? M.2 NVME to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter with Aluminum Heatsink Solution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJTVGZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8ks4DbBZDNSTX
Would it cause any performance issues?
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