M.2 drive testing/cloning

[sorcerer]

Can anyone suggest a suitable adapter so that when I get a M.2 drive in to work on, I can just hook it up directly to a SATA port on my bench machine?

My brain is spinning with seemingly unending variations of M.2 - there's NVMe; NGFF; M-Key; B-Key; M/B-Key and maybe more, I don't know. All I'm thinking is that at some point I'm going to need to connect one of these darn things to my bench machine to work on and I don't have the requisite means of doing so.

 

[SAFCasper]

We have one of these in our data recovery PC - https://www.startech.com/uk/Cards-A...ds/pcie-m2-ngff-ssd-adapter-card~PEXM2SAT32N1

Handles all the most common types both SATA and NVME based.

We also have a few M.2 to USB3 adaptors for quick access.


PS.
When I say "Data Recovery PC" it's just a Dell OptiPlex 3020 booted into Parted Magic

 

[sorcerer]

Thanks mate

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

Looks like it's about half price on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M-2-Adapter-Port-PCIe-Express/dp/B01IR05DLK

 

[sorcerer]

It's on Amazon UK and it's definitely cheaper at £39 as opposed to £55 directly from Startech so I'll bear it in mind and thanks for pointing it out.

Unfortunately it's not the ideal thing I'm looking for because I'll have to keep pulling it out of the motherboard to mount the M.2 drives. Ideally I'm looking for something with an M.2 connector at one end and SATA data and power connector at the other, so that I can just plug in my 'flying' SATA connectors.

 

[mikeroq]

It's on Amazon UK and it's definitely cheaper at £39 as opposed to £55 directly from Startech so I'll bear it in mind and thanks for pointing it out.

Unfortunately it's not the ideal thing I'm looking for because I'll have to keep pulling it out of the motherboard to mount the M.2 drives. Ideally I'm looking for something with an M.2 connector at one end and SATA data and power connector at the other, so that I can just plug in my 'flying' SATA connectors.

The only M.2 drive that will work that way would be a SATA one.
NVMe drives require PCIe.

For NVMe maybe combine something like this:

You'll have to power off when swapping still I imagine.

 

[sorcerer]

Thanks Mike, I didn't realise that. As the saying goes, every day's a school day!

Cheers

 

[Markverhyden]

Not sure about your space constraints but I'd recommend keeping a tower with covers removed or, even better, put the motherboard flat on an anti stat surface. Back when I worked at CompUSA I had a tower setup just like that. Just remember to unplug the power supply AC cord before doing anything. Using a PCIe card avoids possible issues related to running non-SATA through SATA.

 

[sapphirescales]

This converts PCI-e NVMe drives to USB 3.0:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F2S836J/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

100% tested and working with Samsung 970 EVO's, 960 Pro's, and other SSD's that I know are NOT SATA SSD's!

Please note that the adapter above does NOT work with SATA based NVMe SSD's. You need one of these for SATA NVMe SSD's:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0787MDK8V/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

If you accidentally mix this up you can DAMAGE the SSD, thereby LOSING THE DATA! PLEASE make sure you use your barcode scanner to scan the barcode on the SSD to look up the specs BEFORE you plug it in to one of these adapters. Failure to plug the SSD into the correct type of adapter may result in damage to the SSD and/or the adapter!

 

[sorcerer]

Not sure about your space constraints but I'd recommend keeping a tower with covers removed .

That's exactly what I do Mark. The motherboard in my bench test machine has six SATA ports so I have the side panel removed and three sets of SATA data and power cables ready to attach drives to as and when necessary.

 

[sorcerer]

This converts PCI-e NVMe drives to USB 3.0:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F2S836J/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

100% tested and working with Samsung 970 EVO's, 960 Pro's, and other SSD's that I know are NOT SATA SSD's!

Please note that the adapter above does NOT work with SATA based NVMe SSD's. You need one of these for SATA NVMe SSD's:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0787MDK8V/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

I appreciate the info sapphirescales but both of those adapters/enclosures are USB and I've always thought that testing through a USB interface is a no-no isn't it?

That's why I leave the side cover of my bench test machine off, so that any suspect drives can be directly connected to the SATA ports and the USB conversion doesn't interfere with anything. I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong but I'd always thought that was the way to do it.

 

[lcoughey]

For non SATA PCIe SSDs, there is no way to connect via SATA port. You can connect via PCIe card, but then you have the issue of having to reboot your system every time the SSD goes unresponsive.

I have all the adapters and like the USB over the PCIe card. But, it should be noted that I use hardware to clone them, either DDI USB or using the DeepSpar USB Stabilizer with PC3000, MRT or any windows data recovery application.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I appreciate the info sapphirescales but both of those adapters/enclosures are USB and I've always thought that testing through a USB interface is a no-no isn't it?

If you want direct control then you will need two different kinds of adapters. M.2 NGFF are SATA (Southbridge) so you ought to be able to purchase a SATA sled that can fit into a standard 2.5 inch drive bay. If you want external access then you can mount that into an eSATA external drive cage.

M.2 NVMe requires a PCI bus(Northbridge) to communicate. There are FINALLY some USB external connectors but like you said you are not directly communicating with it. To get direct communication with an NVMe card will require a PCI card and you'll have to open your case for that.

 

[mikeroq]

Yea so like my post above for NVME:

Adapter like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY9HRDB/

+
Cable:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01COOQ3MS/

+
M.2 adapter
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HR0PKJQ/

Then you can have the cable coming out the side of the case and install the drive in the 2.5" adapter instead of having to pull out a PCIe card. Of course it's not hotswap so you have to power off still.

Then get something like this for M.2 SATA and also does mSATA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N7S4H8L/

 

[brandonkick]

IMO your best bet is a motherboard with two M.2 slots.

I really like one feature about cases like the optiplex 390's had... the little "latch" handle on the side. Takes two seconds to easily pop the case off, and another two seconds to easily pop back on. Then you have full speed and direct access to the drive. IMO the only way to do it.

 

[sorcerer]

Thanks again for all your help guys.

Would these two items do the job or have I misunderstood again - seems to be a cheaper way of doing it?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KALEA-INFORMATIQUE-Controller-U-2-nvme-U2-68pin-sff-8639/dp/B06XYNKXVN

https://www.amazon.co.uk/JMT-Adapter-SATA-Bus-SFF-8639-Converter/dp/B07QKXKFCM

 

[Markverhyden]

Thanks again for all your help guys.

Would these two items do the job or have I misunderstood again - seems to be a cheaper way of doing it?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KALEA-INFORMATIQUE-Controller-U-2-nvme-U2-68pin-sff-8639/dp/B06XYNKXVN

https://www.amazon.co.uk/JMT-Adapter-SATA-Bus-SFF-8639-Converter/dp/B07QKXKFCM

Thanks for doing the research and links. Looks like that'll do the job. I might get those for myself if it's similarly priced on this side of the pond.

 

[sorcerer]

Thanks for that confirmation Mark and thanks to all of you, your help is invaluable to me.

Now ordered and on its way

 

[Markverhyden]

Thanks for that confirmation Mark and thanks to all of you, your help is invaluable to me.

Now ordered and on its way

Your welcome. Let us know how it goes. I'll let you be the guinea pig before I buy.... LOL!!!

 

[sorcerer]

Haha, I don't mind being the guinea pig Mark but it may be a while before I get an M.2 drive in to work on. I haven't had one yet but just trying to 'future-proof' myself and be ready for when it happens