M.2 NVMe to PCI-E adapter card?

[stockhausen]

I am keen to use a M.2 SSD on a motherboard that doesn't have built-in M.2 slot.
Does anyone have any experience with using a M.2 NVMe to PCI-E adapter card?

 

[LuckyBenski]

Generally works for storage but might not be able to boot from it if your motherboard is older than around Haswell.

 

[stockhausen]

My motherboard (Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 (rev. 1.0)) uses the LGA 1156 socket so I guess that it would allow booting from it? Off-hand I can't be sure of the actual processor or architecture. I hope to be able to boot from the M.2 SSD, if I can't I will have to use a regular SSD.

I may just get a suitable card and use a spare M.2 SSD to test it out.

 

[b00merang69]

Officially the Z87's cannot boot from M2 that came in the Z97 but there is modded Bioses to allow it to do so, you could see if there is similar for your chipset.

 

[stockhausen]

. . . but there is modded Bioses . . .

Thanks but no thanks, the idea of a "modded BIOS" makes me think of Alice and the Rabbit hole

I guess I'll just stick with something like the 256GB Samsung 860 PRO.

 

[LuckyBenski]

Thanks but no thanks, the idea of a "modded BIOS" makes me think of Alice and the Rabbit hole

I guess I'll just stick with something like the 256GB Samsung 860 PRO.

Sensible I'd say if you need booting, as the X58 is about three chipset generations behind Z97. Alternatively you could get a SATA SSD for booting and the NVMe for storage but that seems almost redundant in terms of benefits.

 

[EsaT]

I guess I'll just stick with something like the 256GB Samsung 860 PRO.

While 860 Pro is actual MLC drive (newer "MLC" Samsungs which are actually TLC/QLC) there simply isn't sense in paying such prices from SATA SSD.
That's literally more expensive than good half TB NVMe drives, which just shred it to pieces and pee on its grave in any performance metrics!
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/cors...d-state-drive-cssd-f480gbmp510-hd-064-cs.html

Even if we skip cheaper 3 year warranty/DRAM cacheless drives quarter TB SATA SSD can be had for £44
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/wd-b...-solid-state-drive-wds250g2b0a-hd-54g-wd.html
But 10 more gets half TB drive.
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/wd-b...-solid-state-drive-wds500g2b0a-hd-54h-wd.html

For the price of that Samsung it would be possible to get small SATA SSD for boot drive and PCIe adapter+half TB Kingston A2000 as work drive.

 

[stockhausen]

Thanks for that, i accept your point about a small SATA SSD to boot from and a PCIe adapter+M.2 SSD for data. However, I am only really interested in booting Windows 10 faster.

As it happens, I am not a huge fan of either Corsair or Western Digital - bad past experiences although in the dim distant past I used to be a huge WD fan

 

[Nononame]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but I have a m.2 nvme boot drive (1gb) but also have a second m.2 nvme (received as a gift) but no second slot on my motherboard for it.

does anyone have a recommendation for a pcie adaptor just for storage?