M.2 standards and storage

georgelza

georgelza

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I'm wanting to connect some faster storage to RPI4b's​


Hi all.

Still playing around with idea's.

#1 plug a M.2 card into adapter, then connect this via cable to USB3 port
or
#2 normal 2.5" SSD -> SATA port to USB3 Cable -> RPi4B USB3 port.

I prefer #1.
some silly questions, looking at M.2 it looks more to refer to form factor these days, connections design, but not necessarily the protocol as there is M.2 NVMe and M.2 SATA and ... am my assumption right.
for the external housings for M.2, guessing most of them are SATA and the NVMe is reserved for high end on board connection options.

G
 
I also was wanting to buy me an enclosure to connect via USB C and use virtual machines off it. M2 nclosures are also useful to strip it out of old laptop and use it as external.
There are multiple types of M2 drives

M2 NVMe is about 6 times faster than M2 SSD

I notice the shops sell the enclosures for M2 SATA enclosures as NGFF so make sure to buy the correct enclosure as most either support M2 SATA or M2 NVMe M key.

nvme vs ngffpng.png

I tried to put a M&B key SATA in a M Key only enclosure which didn't work however there are some enclosures that support both but thoses one much more expensive.

Anyone with recommendations for an enclosure?
 
georgelza said:

I'm wanting to connect some faster storage to RPI4b's​


Hi all.

Still playing around with idea's.

#1 plug a M.2 card into adapter, then connect this via cable to USB3 port
or
#2 normal 2.5" SSD -> SATA port to USB3 Cable -> RPi4B USB3 port.

I prefer #1.
some silly questions, looking at M.2 it looks more to refer to form factor these days, connections design, but not necessarily the protocol as there is M.2 NVMe and M.2 SATA and ... am my assumption right.
for the external housings for M.2, guessing most of them are SATA and the NVMe is reserved for high end on board connection options.

G
Click to expand...

GeeekPi X872 M.2 NVMe SSD Shield Expansion Board for Raspberry Pi 4 Model B,Supports up to 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD solid-state drives : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Buy
www.amazon.co.uk


www.newegg.com

X872 NVMe M.2 SSD Storage Expansion Board for Raspberry Pi 4 Model B.up to 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD Solid-State Drives.Supports Multiple M.2 NVMe SSD Lengths Including: 2280, 2260, 2242, 2230. - Newegg.com

Buy X872 NVMe M.2 SSD Storage Expansion Board for Raspberry Pi 4 Model B.up to 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD Solid-State Drives.Supports Multiple M.2 NVMe SSD Lengths Including: 2280, 2260, 2242, 2230. with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!
www.newegg.com www.newegg.com


Currently Out of Stock
 
Crowley said:
I have both the "normal" M.2 and NVME enclosures from Orico and they work great.

View attachment 1156836
Click to expand...
Crowley said:
I have both the "normal" M.2 and NVME enclosures from Orico and they work great.

View attachment 1156836
Click to expand...
Orico is the most common one that Takealot sells but it is so confusing as they have so many of the same looking one at different pricepoints sold by different suppliers with different descriptions. Takealot should really force the suppliers to standardize the description for these otherwise it gets so confusing

The Orico M2PJM-C3-GY-BP model seem to be the one that supports but SATA (NGFF) and NVMe
 
... aware i need to make sure the M.2 standard matches the enclosure.
interesting about NVMe 6x faster. knew it was faster... but was not aware that much.
the 6x would be great if I get a daughter board later, to have that faster M.2, but as it's going through USB3 at this time that throttles it anyhow will have to make a call on the price difference.
thanks for links.
As for take allot, they like amazon and alibaba, just a market place, they like the parking lot bazaar, they just give space for the shop/tent. and do the finances for you. rest is up, there are pro', but also some serious con's there.

as you noted the free for all does create some serious gotcha's at times.

G
 
georgelza said:
... aware i need to make sure the M.2 standard matches the enclosure.
interesting about NVMe 6x faster. knew it was faster... but was not aware that much.
the 6x would be great if I get a daughter board later, to have that faster M.2, but as it's going through USB3 at this time that throttles it anyhow will have to make a call on the price difference.
thanks for links.
As for take allot, they like amazon and alibaba, just a market place, they like the parking lot bazaar, they just give space for the shop/tent. and do the finances for you. rest is up, there are pro', but also some serious con's there.

as you noted the free for all does create some serious gotcha's at times.

G
Click to expand...

Way Way faster than Sata ... go look at some comparison videos on YT with NVMe drives on these Pi4's
 

ADATA SWORDFISH M.2 250GB NVMe PCI-Express 3.0 ASWORDFISH-250G-C Internal SSD​

  • 250GB
  • M.2 2280
  • PCIe Gen3 x4, NVMe 1.3
  • 3D TLC
  • Sequential Read Speed: Up to 1800 MB/s
  • Sequential Write Speed: Up to 900 MB/s
at a do-able price. paired with a https://www.rebeltech.co.za/transcend-cm80-m-2-usb-3-2-type-a-ts-cm80s-external-enclosure.html enclosure... been promised it's compatible... this then goes into USB3.x port... throttled now by whatever speed the port can handle... and potentially later out of the enclosure and directly onto a board.

getting one pair to confirm compatibility (got a RPi4b 4Gb), and use for sizing to make carry tray etc.

G
 
georgelza said:

ADATA SWORDFISH M.2 250GB NVMe PCI-Express 3.0 ASWORDFISH-250G-C Internal SSD​

  • 250GB
  • M.2 2280
  • PCIe Gen3 x4, NVMe 1.3
  • 3D TLC
  • Sequential Read Speed: Up to 1800 MB/s
  • Sequential Write Speed: Up to 900 MB/s
at a do-able price. paired with a https://www.rebeltech.co.za/transcend-cm80-m-2-usb-3-2-type-a-ts-cm80s-external-enclosure.html enclosure... been promised it's compatible... this then goes into USB3.x port... throttled now by whatever speed the port can handle... and potentially later out of the enclosure and directly onto a board.

getting one pair to confirm compatibility (got a RPi4b 4Gb), and use for sizing to make carry tray etc.

G
Click to expand...
Why would you go to all of that effort and expense for a pi4? It doesnt make sense at all.
From my tests with the pi4 the USB ports were pretty slow, even a simple SATA SSD was unable to max out its speed because of the USB port.
Even if you could get it to run at drive throughput speeds, its still a pi4!!! what would the point be?
All I can see with this is those bra's who put 18" rims on their Polo Vivos, sure you can do it, but why would you?
 
yes I can go normal sata... but idea is to move this storage onto a faster RPi sub system... the CM04 that can go onto a board that can drive that storage, there is also a board on it's way that takes a CM04 and a M.2 NVME and drive it at full speed.
so ye can go cheaper. and make it run at board capability, and be then fixed to the board, or go faster and move the storage onto faster RPi as they come, costing me R300/system for better future proofing.
G
 
Looking at this one, their last picture, look how they connect the boards, interesting the speed they reference.. but then forget that the RPi4 only has USB3 and not 3.1 so can't see how they can do the seeds ?

G

GeeekPi X872 M.2 NVMe SSD Shield Expansion Board for Raspberry Pi 4 Model B,Supports up to 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD solid-state drives - GeeekPi​

Buy GeeekPi X872 M.2 NVMe SSD Shield Expansion Board for Raspberry Pi 4 Model B,Supports up to 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD solid-state drives at Amazon.
www.amazon.co.uk
Click to expand...
 
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