Tested: Asus' PCIe 5.0 adapter card makes lofty promises, but I still like it

Price When Reviewed

$80

Best Prices Today: Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 NVMe adapter card

When I first heard in regards to 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 skill to divvy up (bifurcate) lanes within the x16 slot that the cardboard occupies: 4 lanes per SSD slot.

Not a variety of methods 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 practically all low-cost PCIe RAID playing cards. They simply apparently assume that you just’ll know this. I ought to have given the low value.

Regardless, the Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 is priced so low it’s a boon, even when you should utilize just one, two, or three of the slots. Especially 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 a lot of the card’s options, however so as to add a bit extra element… The card 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 (prime and backside), a fan, plus a beefy heatsink (see the lead photograph) that covers most of what you see within the picture under.

To be certain that the cardboard can deal with any NVMe SSD or mixture thereof, there’s a six-pin energy connector. Nice 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.

Finally, there’s additionally a fan management header that you would be able to 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 change (possibly you want quiet?) and standing LEDs so you possibly can inform if the slots are stuffed and energy is equipped. However, they gained’t inform you whether or not the SSD is definitely obtainable to the system or not. For that, verify the BIOS or Windows Disk Management.

Caveats

My greatest concern 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 just achieved by way of software program, for that matter.

Again, to be truthful to Asus, these caveats apply to just about 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 is a small blurb about bifurcation underneath the “Support RAID” part (see under) if you scroll down, nevertheless it nonetheless doesn’t make the ramifications apparent and additional muddies the waters by speaking in regards to the NVMe RAID operate. There isn’t any devoted NVMe RAID operate, simply Windows RAID, Intel’s RST RAID, or software program (I used OWC SoftRAID).

As already acknowledged, the Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 depends fully 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 advised 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 ProArtwork Creator Z890 take a look at mattress doesn’t help 4x4x4x4, solely 8×8 (two slots) and 8x4x4 (three slots). I couldn’t use all 4. However, an Asus ProArtwork AMD X870E motherboard apparently does help 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 may wish to go for AMD relating to low cost NVMe RAID storage. None of Intel’s mainstream CPUs/chipsets help 4x4x4x4 (additionally notated X4+X4+X4+X4), although a few of their workstation merchandise do.

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

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

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 should you can solely use one or two slots, that’s not a nasty deal in any respect. And… If you ever get a motherboard that helps 4x4x4x4, you’re good to go.

Of course, in order for you 4 guaranteed-functional PCIe 5.0 NVMe slots to your x16 slot, you possibly can all the time go for Highpoint’s excellent 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?

Obviously, I hoped for a four-SSD RAID 0 array, however three needed to do: a WD SN8100, Crucial 700 Premium, and a Lexar 790 Pro. 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 just isn’t unprecedented 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 Windows personal Disk Management (RAID 0, or Striped in Windows world). This is essentially the most available and most cost-effective for many customers because it’s constructed into Windows.

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 resolve on Windows RAID, be certain that 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 had been HDDs, chewing up write cycles because it goes.

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

Using Intel’s (RST) Rapid Storage Technology, I obtained higher write numbers and worse learn numbers than with both 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 based on which SSDs you utilize, what number of you mix in RAID, and the software program you utilize. But it is going to be sooner than a single SSD should you stripe them.

Note that RAID 0 provides zero fault tolerance — if one SSD dies, the info does as effectively with out costly restoration. While there may be this threat with SSDs, it’s not practically the hazard that it’s with mechanical HDDs. We haven’t actually seen an SSD flat-out fail in quite a few years.

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

In the top, 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 surprising, however disappointing. I used to be most perturbed by Intel RST’s slower learn efficiency, which I believed can be considerably sooner. As to RST…

Before you resolve on Intel RAID, beware that retreating from it as soon as deployed is usually a battle. Somewhat surprisingly, RST RAID 0 enabled and configured solely within the BIOS was simply as quick with out the Windows drivers put in. I say persist with that association as uninstalling the RST drivers from Windows rendered the OS on our testbed unbootable.

Additionally, 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 concern that I couldn’t get previous (after disabling RST) with out eradicating it from the Asus card and repairing it in an exterior enclosure. Fun, 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.

Should you purchase the Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5?

If you’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 kind. If the testbed didn’t already make use of the super-fast (and very dear) Highpoint 7604A, I’d definitely use the Asus card in testing.