Anyone used an M.2 to SATA adapter?

[deekster_caddy]

I am slowly buying components for a new system build. I'm planning to use the Samsung 950Pro M.2 SSD when it's all done. Unfortunately, my current computer's hard drive has been acting up recently so I'm going to need to replace that before my new system is ready. I figured it didn't make sense to buy a new SSD other than the one I want to use in my new system, but my old system doesn't have an M.2 slot, only SATA (and 3GB sata at that!). So, that said - does anybody have experience using an adapter like this gem?
http://www.startech.com/HDD/Adapters/M-2-NGFF-SSD-to-2-5in-SATA-Adapter~SAT32M225
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817998229

It looks like it will let me use the new M.2 SSD in my old system, just wondering if anybody's tried one or something like it and has good/bad/other experiences with it, or a different one they would recommend. I realize I won't see the full potential of the M.2 of course, until I have my new system ready, but I'd rather buy components at a time as I set aside the money than credit the whole system.

Update - as I look closer at these, it looks like the Samsung 950PRO is M-keyed and the adapter is B-keyed. So this may not work at all for what I'm thinking of. Are they physically interchangeable?

 

[Deleted member 217926]

You can't just use an NVMe drive on an old motherboard with an adaptor. You have to have a board and BIOS that support it. If you have a SATA 2 ( 3Gb/s ) only motherboard you won't even see the full potential of a performance SATA based drive like an 850 Evo much less the insane speeds of a 950 Pro.

 

[Supermuncher85]

M.2 boot support is not universal. At best you'd be able to use it as a data drive but not to boot from.

 

[deekster_caddy]

You can't just use an NVMe drive on an old motherboard with an adaptor. You have to have a board and BIOS that support it. If you have a SATA 2 ( 3Gb/s ) only motherboard you won't even see the full potential of a performance SATA based drive like an 850 Evo much less the insane speeds of a 950 Pro.

Thanks. I realize I wouldn't get the full speeds of the 950 pro. I just didn't want to spend the money replacing my hard drive in my old system when I'm planning to get one of these to complete my new system a few months down the road. It would be a temporary solution, I just want to know if it will work. I doubt there is BIOS support on my old system for an M.2, I figured it would present itself as a SATA HDD to the BIOS.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

It won't work. It doesn't see the drive as SATA at all because it's not. My Z170X - UD5 sees my 950 Pro but not all supported motherboards even see an M2 drive in BIOS even though they will work with one.

 

[deekster_caddy]

It won't work. It doesn't see the drive as SATA at all because it's not. My Z170X - UD5 sees my 950 Pro but not all supported motherboards even see an M2 drive in BIOS even though they will work with one.

Thanks. I'll find a cheap drive to get me by in the meantime.

 

[deekster_caddy]

M.2 boot support is not universal. At best you'd be able to use it as a data drive but not to boot from.

Thanks. My system is probably too old to boot from it, I'll pass on it and pick up a cheap drive to get me by until my new system is closer to being done.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Get the 950 Pro when you get the chance though. Here's my 512GB 950 Pro vs my 500GB 840 Evo.

 

[deekster_caddy]

Get the 950 Pro when you get the chance though. Here's my 512GB 950 Pro vs my 500GB 840 Evo.

hell yeah, I can't wait. The new stuff is amazing even compared to just 5-6 years ago which is still pretty quick! I'm really looking forward to this hardware refresh!

 

[Supermuncher85]

Yeah the M.2 is basically doing to ssd's what ssd's did to the old mechanical drives. The read/writes are astounding.