Is PCIe or SATA 3 6gb/s to M.2 adapter worth it?

[shur1ken999]

Hello guys,

I recently bought Kingston SSD KC3000 M.2 1TB, but my dumbass didn't realize, that I already have one SSD in my M.2 slot. In my motherboard (asrock h310cm-hdv/m.2) there is 1 M.2 slot and 3 SATA 3 6gb/s slots. Is it better to buy an adapter for my SSD that I bought or should I reclaim it and buy a SATA 3 one? If so, do you have any recommendations or some that I should avoid?

Thank you very much!

[Electronics Wizardy]

Can ya return that SSD, there is no way it will work well with your board?

 

Your best option is to get a pcie 1x to m.2 adapter to use that ssd.

[Average Nerd]

You can just buy a PCIe to m.2 riser card, they aren't very expensive.

[Agall]

10 minutes ago, shur1ken999 said:

Hello guys,

I recently bought Kingston SSD KC3000 M.2 1TB, but my dumbass didn't realize, that I already have one SSD in my M.2 slot. In my motherboard (asrock h310cm-hdv/m.2) there is 1 M.2 slot and 3 SATA 3 6gb/s slots. Is it better to buy an adapter for my SSD that I bought or should I reclaim it and buy a SATA 3 one? If so, do you have any recommendations or some that I should avoid?

Thank you very much!

The top PCIe 1x slot can be used with something like this Sabrent adapter to get a proper PCIe SSD. I'd go that route personally and not downgrade the drive to SATA.

 

Amazon.com: SABRENT M.2 NVMe SSD to PCIe x16 Tool-Free Add-in Card (AIC) with Aluminum Heatsink, M.2 PCIe Adapter for Gen5 SSDs PCIe 5.0, Backwards Compatible with Previous PCIe Generations (EC-TFPE) : Electronics

 

Potentially, that top slot is 1x but you should still be able to get it to work if you modify the slot to open up the back.

 

Amazon.com: GLOTRENDS PA09-X1 M.2 NVMe to PCIe X1 Adapter for 2230/2242/2260/2280 M.2 NVMe SSD, PCIe X1 Installation : Electronics

 

PCIe 3.0 1x is still 2x faster than SATA, doesn't require modifying the 1x slot to work.

[Average Nerd]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

pcie 1x to m.2 adapter

A wider interface (like x4) would be better, but if all you have is a x1 slot, that will work fine too.

[shur1ken999]

2 minutes ago, Average Nerd said:

You can just buy a PCIe to m.2 riser card, they aren't very expensive.

Oh ok, so do you think that it will be better to use this one than to buy a new one? That would be nice. Will the riser card slower it? And PCIe to M.2 is better than SATA to M.2 then? Thank you!

[shur1ken999]

5 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Can ya return that SSD, there is no way it will work well with your board?

 

Your best option is to get a pcie 1x to m.2 adapter to use that ssd.

Yes, I can. Why do you think it wouldn't work together?

[Agall]

Just now, shur1ken999 said:

Oh ok, so do you think that it will be better to use this one than to buy a new one? That would be nice. Will the riser card slower it? And PCIe to M.2 is better than SATA to M.2 then? Thank you!

PCIe 3.0 1x is 2x faster than SATA, while also not having the 'bottleneck' of a SATA controller. My first post is updated if you refresh to give a full set of recommendations.

[shur1ken999]

4 minutes ago, Agall said:

The top PCIe 1x slot can be used with something like this Sabrent adapter to get a proper PCIe SSD. I'd go that route personally and not downgrade the drive to SATA.

 

Amazon.com: SABRENT M.2 NVMe SSD to PCIe x16 Tool-Free Add-in Card (AIC) with Aluminum Heatsink, M.2 PCIe Adapter for Gen5 SSDs PCIe 5.0, Backwards Compatible with Previous PCIe Generations (EC-TFPE) : Electronics

 

Potentially, that top slot is 1x but you should still be able to get it to work if you modify the slot to open up the back.

 

Amazon.com: GLOTRENDS PA09-X1 M.2 NVMe to PCIe X1 Adapter for 2230/2242/2260/2280 M.2 NVMe SSD, PCIe X1 Installation : Electronics

 

PCIe 3.0 1x is still 2x faster than SATA.

I am really sorry, but I don't understand this part: "Potentially, that top slot is 1x but you should still be able to get it to work if you modify the slot to open up the back."
But thank you for the info about PCIe and SATA! I didn't know that!

[shur1ken999]

6 minutes ago, Average Nerd said:

A wider interface (like x4) would be better, but if all you have is a x1 slot, that will work fine too.

I have 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slot and 2x PCIe 2.0 x1 Slot (no idea what that means but that's what manual says haha)

[Average Nerd]

4 minutes ago, shur1ken999 said:

Will the riser card slower it?

When the riser card has a smaller interface than the drive, yes. But it will still be a lot better than SATA.

5 minutes ago, shur1ken999 said:

And PCIe to M.2 is better than SATA to M.2 then?

Worlds better.

[shur1ken999]

5 minutes ago, Agall said:

PCIe 3.0 1x is 2x faster than SATA, while also not having the 'bottleneck' of a SATA controller. My first post is updated if you refresh to give a full set of recommendations.

Oh, thank you very much! You're a blessing!

[shur1ken999]

1 minute ago, Average Nerd said:

When the riser card has a smaller interface than the drive, yes. But it will still be a lot better than SATA.

Worlds better.

So I should buy the best riser card possible and connect it with PCIe 3.0 x16?

[Average Nerd]

9 minutes ago, shur1ken999 said:

So I should buy the best riser card possible and connect it with PCIe 3.0 x16?

No, a m.2 SSD uses a 4x interface, you can of course still use the x16 slot, but if you do that you block the only slot that can accommodate a GPU, if you don't have one already.

Just buy a Gen3 or Gen4 riser card for PCIe x4 if you don't need a GPU, or if you do want a GPU, go for a x1 riser card.

[Somerandomtechyboi]

17 minutes ago, shur1ken999 said:

I am really sorry, but I don't understand this part: "Potentially, that top slot is 1x but you should still be able to get it to work if you modify the slot to open up the back."
But thank you for the info about PCIe and SATA! I didn't know that!

Basically make the slot open ended by getting rid of the end of the slot

 

 

The orange slot is an example of an open ended slot so you can fit an 8x or 16x card whereas a normal 4x slot wont allow you to physically fit anything more than a 4x card

 

And yes i have that particular board pictured above but i cannot be arsed to go to the room beside me and take a picture of it myself =p (meh board with bugged 16x multi ram multi so doesnt go past 2800 ddr3)

[shur1ken999]

5 minutes ago, Average Nerd said:

No, a m.2 SSD uses a 4x interface, you can of course still use the x16 slot, but if you do that you block the only slot that can accommodate a GPU, if you don't have one already.

Just buy a Gen3 or Gen4 riser card for PCIe x4 if you don't need a GPU, or if you do want a GPU, go for a x1 riser card.

I alread have a good GPu and I am not planning to buy another one soon, but do you think it would be better for the future if I bought just the x1 riser card and connect it to the PCIe 2.0 x1? Because unfortunately I don't have a x4 one.

[Average Nerd]

1 minute ago, shur1ken999 said:

but do you think it would be better for the future if I bought just the x1 riser card and connect it to the PCIe 2.0 x1?

If you want a GPU in there, a x1 riser card is your only option if you don't want to modify your x1 slot.

[shur1ken999]

4 minutes ago, Somerandomtechyboi said:

Basically make the slot open ended by getting rid of the end of the slot

 

 

The orange slot is an example of an open ended slot so you can fit an 8x or 16x card whereas a normal 4x slot wont allow you to physically fit anything more than a 4x card

 

And yes i have that particular board pictured above but i cannot be arsed to go to the room beside me and take a picture of it myself =p (meh board with bugged 16x multi ram multi so doesnt go past 2800 ddr3)

Oh I guess I get it a bit now, thanks.

[shur1ken999]

1 minute ago, Average Nerd said:

If you want a GPU in there, a x1 riser card is your only option if you don't want to modify your x1 slot.

I don't think I need 2 GPUs, right? At least I heard so. So if I don't need GPU there - what would you go for? (Sorry if I'm asking stupid haha, my PC knowledge is clearly kinda limited ahaha)

[Average Nerd]

1 minute ago, shur1ken999 said:

I don't think I need 2 GPUs, right? At least I heard so. So if I don't need GPU there - what would you go for? (Sorry if I'm asking stupid haha, my PC knowledge is clearly kinda limited ahaha)

Well the x16 slot is already in use, so where would you even put a second GPU?

And you say you need more m.2 slots - so I'd get a x1 m.2 riser card.

[shur1ken999]

8 minutes ago, Average Nerd said:

Well the x16 slot is already in use, so where would you even put a second GPU?

And you say you need more m.2 slots - so I'd get a x1 m.2 riser card.

Oh, I am so sorry, I'm such a dumbass. I hadn't realized that. Thank you. What parameters should I look for so the result and speed will be the best? Or does that even matter?

[Average Nerd]

6 minutes ago, shur1ken999 said:

What parameters should I look for so the result and speed will be the best?

Most new risers are rated for Gen 3 or Gen 4, which one you go for doesn't really matter, but if you can, go for a Gen 4 card, just because your drive is Gen4, and you can then just reuse the riser if you get a new mobo with PCIe Gen 4 slots.

Other than that, the slot width is important. In your case, you need to go for a x1 riser, otherwise it won't fit into the slot without modifications.

[shur1ken999]

3 minutes ago, Average Nerd said:

Most new risers are rated for Gen 3 or Gen 4, which one you go for doesn't really matter, but if you can, go for a Gen 4 card, just because your drive is Gen4, and you can then just reuse the riser if you get a new mobo with PCIe Gen 4 slots.

Other than that, the slot width is important. In your case, you need to go for a x1 riser, otherwise it won't fit into the slot without modifications.

These are the only ones I found in my country. Are they any good? I think that the simple one is better, right? But on the other hand the one with 4 slots is more multifunctional and I could use it afterwards with another SSD. But wouldn't it be much slower?

https://www.amazon.de/AXAGON-PCEM2-S-PCI-Express-Anschluss-SSD-Festplatte/dp/B07VG98259?language=en_GB&currency=EUR
https://www.amazon.de/AXAGON-PCES-SA4M2-Controller-Internal-B-Key/dp/B0BVKXMTMB

[Average Nerd]

3 minutes ago, shur1ken999 said:

These are the only ones I found in my country. Are they any good? I think that the simple one is better, right? But on the other hand the one with 4 slots is more multifunctional and I could use it afterwards with another SSD. But wouldn't it be much slower?

https://www.amazon.de/AXAGON-PCEM2-S-PCI-Express-Anschluss-SSD-Festplatte/dp/B07VG98259?language=en_GB&currency=EUR
https://www.amazon.de/AXAGON-PCES-SA4M2-Controller-Internal-B-Key/dp/B0BVKXMTMB

I hate to break it to you, but neither will fit into your board. The first one is a PCIe x16 card, the second one a PCIe x4 card.

May I ask in which country you live?

[shur1ken999]

Just now, Average Nerd said:

I hate to break it to you, but neither will fit into your board. The first one is a PCIe x16 card, the second one a PCIe x4 card.

May I ask in which country you live?

The Czech Republic, Amazon doesn't ship here, so I have to rely on local e-shops. It's weird because these 2 were the only ones that said that they are compatible with PCIe x1.