I need hotswap faster than ssd

[VisualProcessor]

Hi,

My system runs with an nvme ssd, I am wondering if a product exists which will let me hot swap nvme drives on the front of my PC, like hot swappable SSD bays that already exist.

Putting a nvme in an SSD adapter will still cap me at Sata 3 speeds.

I have found a product that seems to only exist as a concept.

https://www.icydock.com/goods.php?id=259f

 

Does anything like this exist right now? I need to move large amounts of data FAST.

 

[brandishwar]

Yes and no. The question is whether you can hot-plug a PCI-E device on your mainboard. If so, then you should be able to use a PCI-E extender with an adapter card. But that presumes the drive supports being hot-plugged.

[VisualProcessor]

3 minutes ago, brandishwar said:

Yes and no. The question is whether you can hot-plug a PCI-E device on your mainboard. If so, then you should be able to use a PCI-E extender with an adapter card. But that presumes the drive supports being hot-plugged.

lets say we dont hot swap pcie, but there are other protocols that i know which offer super fast speeds, like thunderbolt

[VisualProcessor]

I just need a product

[RayLeech]

Would something like this work? NVME to USB 3.1 type 2 adapter.

 

https://www.newegg.com/orico-tcm2-c3-sv-bp-enclosure/p/0VN-0003-001D4

[Kilrah]

That's your best option, you'll get up to 1GB/s transfer if the port on the PC is 3.1Gen2. An NVMe drive won't sustain much more than that if you're going to fill it up in one go anyway.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

11 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

That's your best option, you'll get up to 1GB/s transfer if the port on the PC is 3.1Gen2. An NVMe drive won't sustain much more than that if you're going to fill it up in one go anyway.

I might add that Orico makes pretty decent products and has excellent customer service, even if you buy through Newegg (and the current price on Newegg is one "heckuva" deal).

[Kilrah]

There's also a TB3 option that's even faster, but it seems you can't buy the case alone... can always buy one with SSD and swap the drive inside:

https://www.amazon.com/Certified-TEKQ-Rapide-Thunderbolt-Windows/dp/B07C9DY7QF/ref=sr_1_18

 

Downside is that it will ONLY work on TB3-equipped computers, NO compatibility with standard USB.

[Sir0Tek]

The better option would be SAS, I guess, 12Gb/s.

[VisualProcessor]

Thanks Ray and Fitz.
Thanks Kilrah.
SirTek, That is a good idea, because I am looking for the ability to remove and place drives in my computer from the front. I guess I have a server technician gene or something. USB doesn't cut it for me.

[Sir0Tek]

I was eagerly looking for a SATA 3.2 optional but I was unable to find something that would fit. There's also U.2 somehow.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

@VisualProcessor Forgive an old lady's nosiness but why do need that kind of speed on a portable drive? I'm not saying there isn't one; I just don't know what it could be.

[VisualProcessor]

@Lady Fitzgerald
Its for my convince. I need a rugged and standard way to transfer large files from computer to computer consistently.
For downloaded content such as video games, and movies.
 

We dont have fast internet, so when one person in our house wants to share some large media file with another who hasnt downloaded it, I want a plug and play drive that can be copies to and read from quickly. USB 3.0 has never done the magic speeds as advertised, and usually slows down for some reason, its just not consistent (usb 3.0) is what im trying to say.
Network transfer is an option, but windows shared folders is a headache, and so it setting up p2p/ftp.

I have found that my need for a super flash drive has become quite clear over the years.

When I want something really large downloaded. I can give my friend the drive (he has fast internet) and he can plug it into his system and download it and drive the drive over to me. it'd be faster than downloading the media myself.

the point is, I cant rely on USB 3.0 for fast transfer speeds, because for some reason, it never goes the speed I need it to (yes, usb 3.0 drivers are installed, I think it might be something with the flash drives, usb 3.0 isnt slow on just my computer)

[Kilrah]

USB is perfectly consistent, it's the storage behind that isn't.

I.e. don't buy crap USB3 flash drives, they never actually write anywhere close to USB3 speeds, get an actual decent brand USB3 SSD like these and you'll get your steady ~400MB/s which should be more than enough to transfer games and movies...

[VisualProcessor]

@Kilrah
I bought a usb 3 SSD, and i have the same issue, I guess I didnt get a good enough one of that either.
But anyways, Im already pretty committed to this computer front panel hot swap project

[Kilrah]

I don't see how that's going to help if you say you give the drive to other people to put stuff on, they're not going to have that on their side.

 

I use shared folders daily to transfer large stuff BTW, never an issue.

[VisualProcessor]

Ill just give them one of these and it wont be my problem
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-SATA-USB-Cable-USB3S2SAT3CB/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=ssd+to+usb&qid=1576769240&sr=8-4

[Lady Fitzgerald]

4 hours ago, VisualProcessor said:

@Lady Fitzgerald
Its for my convince. I need a rugged and standard way to transfer large files from computer to computer consistently.
For downloaded content such as video games, and movies.
 

We dont have fast internet, so when one person in our house wants to share some large media file with another who hasnt downloaded it, I want a plug and play drive that can be copies to and read from quickly. USB 3.0 has never done the magic speeds as advertised, and usually slows down for some reason, its just not consistent (usb 3.0) is what im trying to say.
Network transfer is an option, but windows shared folders is a headache, and so it setting up p2p/ftp.

I have found that my need for a super flash drive has become quite clear over the years.

When I want something really large downloaded. I can give my friend the drive (he has fast internet) and he can plug it into his system and download it and drive the drive over to me. it'd be faster than downloading the media myself.

the point is, I cant rely on USB 3.0 for fast transfer speeds, because for some reason, it never goes the speed I need it to (yes, usb 3.0 drivers are installed, I think it might be something with the flash drives, usb 3.0 isnt slow on just my computer)

USB 3.0 is only up to 5.0Gbps. As someone else pointed out, most flash drives will not run at to speed. Even the ports often do not reach full speeds. Keep in mind that the way the standard is written, anything faster than USB 2.0 up to 5.0Gbps can be considered to be USB 3.0.

 

USB 3.1 is up to 10Gbps but, again, most devices and ports will not run that fast.

 

An NVME drive really is overkill for what you need, especially considering the bus you are going to connect to will most likly be a bottleneck. A 2.5" SATA SSD that goes into a hot swap bay that is connected to a SATA 6.0Gbps port will probably just as fast, if not faster, than what you are proposing (even if what you are proposing is a bit faster, i doubt you would notice the difference) and trayless hotswap bays that can be installed into cases with 3.5" or 5.25" bays and connected to SATA ports on the MOBO (or, if needed, an HBA card) are quite common. Most fit in 3.5" bays but 5.25" to 3.5" bay adapters are also quie common. That's what I used on my last two desktop machines and they worked quite well for that. 

[Aragorn-]

Enterprise grade servers use NVMe drives in a "normal" 2.5" format, usually called U.2 

 

This sounds like exactly what you want, and a few U.2 hot swap front mounted enclosures exist.

 

Its all very expensive stuff though, and probably overkill for what your actually wanting.