NVME Storage Options for a Mobo with No M.2 Slot

[AndrewJacksonZA]

Hi

What options are available to people with motherboards like mine, an MSI B150M Mortar, that doesn't have an M.2 Slot for storage?

I'm currently running Win10 from a 500GB Samsung 750 EVO as my C:. I'm very happy with it, I'm just curious as to future upgrade paths.

Broadly:

■What PCIe NVME cards are available that don't cost the earth and can be booted off of?
■What PCIe cards can accept M.2 cards that can be booted off of?
■Should PCIe cards that accept U.2 cards also be considered?
■Other options that I'm missing.

Thank you

 

[herrwizo]

Best option would be to use a PCIe to M.2 adapter card on your second slot (PCI-e 3.0 x4).

All PCIe to M.2 adapters support booting - it has nothing to do with them, it is all about your UEFI BIOS. It must support booting from NVMe, and that's about it. Also, some drives like Samsung 950 Pro and newer support booting regardless of your motherboard BIOS (they have their own BIOS and driver contained on PCB board).

Here, this adapter will certainly do the trick and it doesn't cost the earth:

https://www.alzashop.com/akasa-m-2-ssd-to-pcie-d4513578.htm?o=2

Whether or not you need U.2 is all up to you. Personally, I could not care less

 

[herrwizo]

Oh, just as a sidenote, your NVMe drive must be partitioned as GPT (NOT MBR!) or your UEFI BIOS won't be able to find it

 

[AndrewJacksonZA]

Thank you.