[SOLVED] SSD M.2 PCIe requires other 'host card'?

[IncredibleHat]

I seem have gotten confused along the way, trying to find out which M.2 SSD I should buy.

If I get a straight "SATA" M.2 SSD, it is basically no better than a standard 2.5" SSD drive on a SATA connector, right?

However if I get a "PCIe" M.2 SSD, I also need some sort of extra controller card?

My motherboard is the MSI M5 (https://us.msi.com/Motherboard/Z170A-GAMING-M5/Specification), and it has two M.2 ports which support PCIe or SATA M.2 cards. Looked at the manual, and it said "** The Turbo U.2 Host Card is not included, please purchase separately." in regards to "Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe Mini-SAS SSD with Turbo U.2 Host Card**".

I was specifically looking to get the "XPG SX8200 Pro 2TB 3D NAND PCIe NVMe Gen3x4 M.2 2280"...

Does that require some extra 'host card' ? I can't seem to make heads or tails of this note in the manual.

 

[k1114]

The u.2 host card is for u.2 in a m.2 slot. It's an adapter for u.2. M.2 goes into m.2. There is nothing else needed. Sata m.2 is sata speeds so is no different than a sata 2.5" ssd.

 

[IncredibleHat]

So the "PCIe NVMe Gen3x4 M.2" would be the speedier solution for that slot, and not needing some oddball adapter card. I guess I got confused on the "U.2" difference from a "M.2".

So many devices, slots, cords, types...

 

[Maxxify]

Your M.2 sockets will support a SX8200 Pro.

 

[IncredibleHat]

Your M.2 sockets will support a SX8200 Pro.

Nice. I'll get one of these... been wanting to retire some platter drives. Now that SSD prices are down the human levels

Thanks.

Unsure which is the best answer They both answer the confusion in different ways!

 

[k1114]

Your m.2 socket should support any m.2 device. It's the reason why we have standards. In any port, if it plugs in, it should work. It doesn't makes sense to have something be able to plug in then you need other hardware for it to work.

 

[IncredibleHat]

I came across this video which visually describes the "Host Card" that the manual mentioned with its comment of "Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe Mini-SAS SSD with Turbo U.2 Host Card**":

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BWXmfCbBSg


Clearly that giant block they plug in at the end is not the slim card I want to get.

I had gotten confused originally because I read it as "PCIe 3x4 NVMe" as "needing a host card"... So I had misread the manual blurb they jambed in there.

So all's good.