Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 evaluation: 4 slots of SSD magic — in the correct PC

Finest Costs As we speak: Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 NVMe adapter card

Once I first heard concerning the Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5, I had visions of the 4-slot NVMe 5.0 adapter card as an uber-affordable four-SSD RAID 0 array cranking out 50GBps of sustained throughput.

Dream on, buddy. Asus’ product web page doesn’t actually spotlight that this card depends in your system’s potential to divvy up (bifurcate) lanes within the x16 slot that the cardboard occupies: 4 lanes per SSD slot.

Not numerous techniques can handle greater than two. Our Intel take a look at mattress solely allowed three, and efficiency maxxed out at 25GBps. To be truthful to Asus, that is true for almost all low-cost PCIe RAID playing cards. They only apparently assume that you just’ll know this. I ought to have given the low price.

Regardless, the Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 is priced so low it’s a boon, even when you should use just one, two, or three of the slots. Particularly on some Intel motherboards the place adapter card PCIe 5.0 M.2 NVMe slots are inclined to carry out higher than these on the motherboard.

What are the Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5’s options?

I’ve already described many of the card’s options, however so as to add a bit extra element… The cardboard is a full-length, 11.5-inch, x16, PCIe 5.0 adapter that includes 4 M.2 NVMe slots. There are additionally loads of thermal strips (high and backside), a fan, plus a beefy heatsink (see the lead picture) that covers most of what you see within the picture under.

To verify the cardboard can deal with any NVMe SSD or mixture thereof, there’s a six-pin energy connector. Good contact, although even with 4 quick PCIe 5.0 SSDs on board, I didn’t want it. If for some purpose you do, hopefully your energy provide has a spare.

Lastly, there’s additionally a fan management header which you could connect to the motherboard in order that the Asus Fan Xper4 software program can outline the operational parameters for the cooling fan.

The endplate incorporates a fan on/off swap (possibly you want quiet?) and standing LEDs so you’ll be able to inform if the slots are stuffed and energy is equipped. Nevertheless, they received’t inform you whether or not the SSD is definitely obtainable to the system or not. For that, examine the BIOS or Home windows Disk Administration.

Caveats

My greatest subject with the Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 is that the web site product web page doesn’t prominently name out the necessity for the correct motherboard bifurcation. Or that the RAID is barely achieved by way of software program, for that matter.

Once more, to be truthful to Asus, these caveats apply to almost each low-cost PCIe NVMe RAID card I’ve seen, the Konyead PCIe 3.0 four-slot card, which I’ve not examined, excepted. Most nevertheless, saliently name out the necessity for bifurcation.

There’s a small blurb about bifurcation below the “Assist RAID” part (see under) while you scroll down, but it surely nonetheless doesn’t make the ramifications apparent and additional muddies the waters by speaking concerning the NVMe RAID operate. There is no such thing as a devoted NVMe RAID operate, simply Home windows RAID, Intel’s RST RAID, or software program (I used OWC SoftRAID).

As already acknowledged, the Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 depends utterly upon your motherboard to divvy up the 16 lanes of PCIe in your x16 slot to provide every slot with the 4 lanes it requires.

Upon question, AMD informed me that bifurcation capabilities begin with the CPU, however can even contain the chipset and BIOS. Intel had not answered my question on the time of this writing, however I believe the identical reply.

Our Asus ProArt Creator Z890 take a look at mattress doesn’t assist 4x4x4x4, solely 8×8 (two slots) and 8x4x4 (three slots). I couldn’t use all 4. Nevertheless, an Asus ProArt AMD X870E motherboard apparently does assist 4x4x4x4.

This bifurcation chart from Asus covers all its motherboards, chipsets, and main CPUs. It additionally reveals that apparently there’s an excellent purpose you would possibly wish to go for AMD in the case of low cost NVMe RAID storage. None of Intel’s mainstream CPUs/chipsets assist 4x4x4x4 (additionally notated X4+X4+X4+X4), although a few of their workstation merchandise do.

One other consideration is what number of PCIe lanes your CPU helps. However extra PCIe lanes, say 48 versus 24 doesn’t imply a 4x4x4x4 bifurcation setting; it simply signifies that you would possibly be capable to run a x16 GPU in addition to an x16 RAID card.

How a lot does the Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 price?

The Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 card prices solely $80 — merely $15 greater than I paid for the older single-slot Asus Hyper M.2 card. Even in case you can solely use one or two slots, that’s not a foul deal in any respect. And… If you happen to ever get a motherboard that helps 4x4x4x4, you’re good to go.

After all, if you need 4 guaranteed-functional PCIe 5.0 NVMe slots to your x16 slot, you’ll be able to at all times go for Highpoint’s wonderful self-bifurcating 7604A card — for $1000. Gulp. Alas, we’ve had some odd points with that card.

How does the Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 carry out?

Clearly, I hoped for a four-SSD RAID 0 array, however three needed to do: a WD SN8100, Essential 700 Premium, and a Lexar 790 Professional. All quick, all PCIe 5.0.

SSDs mounted within the card carried out a bit sooner individually than those self same SSDs in our Z890 motherboard’s onboard PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. This isn’t remarkable within the business. The distinction isn’t earth-shattering, however it’s noticeable — 1GBps sooner for the WD SN8100 outcomes proven under.

I first created the three-drive array utilizing Home windows personal Disk Administration (RAID 0, or Striped in Home windows world). That is essentially the most available and least expensive for many customers because it’s constructed into Home windows.

Home windows RAID turned in a balanced, if unspectacular mixture of learn and write efficiency — sooner than a single drive, however not by a ton. OWC’s SoftRAID was sooner studying, however slower writing, and Intel’s RST was sooner writing, however slower studying.

If you happen to determine on Home windows RAID, make certain you choose fast format. It’s not chosen by default and the lengthy format course of takes seemingly, and beats in your SSDs as in the event that they have been HDDs, chewing up write cycles because it goes.

OWC’s SoftRAID delivered 24GBps studying and 13GBps writing. Not almost the write efficiency I hoped for.

Utilizing Intel’s (RST) Speedy Storage Know-how, I bought higher write numbers and worse learn numbers than with both Home windows RAID or OWC’s SoftRAID. Go determine. It’s nonetheless not my fantasy 50GBps (or 40Gbps given solely three SSDs).

In actuality, your mileage will range in keeping with which SSDs you utilize, what number of you mix in RAID, and the software program you utilize. However it is going to be sooner than a single SSD in case you stripe them.

Notice that RAID 0 provides zero fault tolerance — if one SSD dies, the info does as nicely with out costly restoration. Whereas there’s this danger with SSDs, it’s not almost the hazard that it’s with mechanical HDDs. We haven’t actually seen an SSD flat-out fail in quite a lot of years.

On the upside, together with RAID 0’s elevated efficiency, you get a bigger quantity measurement (the scale of the smallest-capacity disk within the array occasions the variety of disks). The one in our testing was 6TB (2TB occasions three).

Ultimately, the efficiency wasn’t what I’d hoped for, which isn’t a lot a jab at Asus, however the software program and drivers concerned. Not stunning, however disappointing. I used to be most perturbed by Intel RST’s slower learn efficiency, which I assumed could be considerably sooner. As to RST…

Earlier than you determine on Intel RAID, beware that retreating from it as soon as deployed could be a wrestle. Considerably surprisingly, RST RAID 0 enabled and configured solely within the BIOS was simply as quick with out the Home windows drivers put in. I say stick to that association as uninstalling the RST drivers from Home windows rendered the OS on our testbed unbootable.

Moreover, both the BIOS RST, RST driver, or a mixture of each seemingly corrupted the GPT on one of many SSDs. This created a BIOS error about stated subject that I couldn’t get previous (after disabling RST) with out eradicating it from the Asus card and repairing it in an exterior enclosure. Enjoyable, enjoyable, enjoyable.

Do your self a favor, and picture your OS drive earlier than making an attempt Intel RST.

Caveat: With our Z890 motherboard’s 8x4x4 bifurcation setting, each the third and 4th slots on the Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 card needed to be stuffed, or the third drive wouldn’t present up.

Must you purchase the Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5?

If you happen to’ve learn this text totally, and perceive the necessities and limitations — positive. As a lot as I want I might use all 4 slots, it was nonetheless a boon having three extra quick PCIe 5.0 SSDs along with our motherboard’s solitary PCIe 5.0 sort. If the testbed didn’t already make use of the super-fast (and intensely expensive) Highpoint 7604A, I’d actually use the Asus card in testing.