Need a PCIe 5.0/4.0 x16 splitter or a 5.0/4.0 non-bifurcated M.2 adapter?
Need a PCIe 5.0/4.0 x16 splitter or a 5.0/4.0 non-bifurcated M.2 adapter?
I have an Intel 12600K system that I'm using for certain projects. I don't need a separate GPU and have been relying on the integrated graphics. My current case only fits mATX boards. Initially, I purchased an Asus Hyper M.2 PCIE 4.0 x16 to four NVMe Gen 4 M.2 adapter cards for faster storage in some of my work. The problem is that 12th generation CPUs and the associated Z690 motherboards only allow splitting the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot into x8x8 mode, not x8x4x4 or x4x4x4x4. I can still use two drives, but that's not ideal. I've been searching for a fix and have found only a couple of options, though locating suitable hardware has proven challenging. The cards I've seen are usually too costly, lack good online reviews, and mostly support PCIe 3.0 rather than 5.0 or 4.0. Here are my current ideas: 1. A PCIe 5.0 / 4.0 x16 splitter paired with two x8 adapters for NVMe M.2 drives. I haven't found a reliable splitter yet, and dual x8 to dual NVMe adapters without splitting also seem tough to source. 2. A single PCIe 5.0 / 4.0 x16 adapter that connects directly to four M.2 slots. I've seen some, but they're either poorly reviewed or extremely expensive. If you have any suggestions or alternatives, please let me know!
The main reason I’m staying with this setup is because several projects rely on QuickSync, making it hard to switch to a Ryzen without an Intel ARC GPU. I’m willing to look for a single x16 card that supports non-bifurcation configurations, though currently only 3.0 models are available—so far I’ve seen only 3.0 cards.
Yeah, and I doubt there ever will be any... the PCIe switch chip is already a bit of a power hungry monster, and the power consumered has a pretty linear relation to switching speed. If you need raw throughput, you may need to look at something like an HBA with NVMe support , just be ready for the sticker shock.