Hello everyone,
I’m planning to convert my SER 5 Pro into a NAS. My idea is to use the M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 slot by installing an expansion card—an example of which you can see here: https://www.amazon.com.be/-/en/Bewinner-SATA3-0-Expansion-Controller-Compatible/dp/B0B6RQHY4F
This adapter converts the M.2 slot into six SATA ports, and I intend to connect six Samsung 870 QVO 8TB SATA III 2.5″ SSDs.
I have a few questions:
Bandwidth and Performance: Can all six SSDs run at the full 6 Gbps speed, or will the shared PCIe lanes (typically up to four lanes on an M.2 slot) create a bottleneck when multiple drives are active?
Power Considerations: Are there any power constraints or other issues (like thermal concerns) that I should be aware of when using such an expansion card for a NAS build?
General Drawbacks: What potential drawbacks or limitations have others experienced with this kind of setup?
For context, while SATA III interfaces are rated for up to 6 Gbps per port, the overall performance will depend on how the expansion card’s controller (often based on chips like the ASM1166) manages the available PCIe bandwidth. Additionally, although SSDs are relatively low power, ensuring stable power delivery through the M.2 slot is essential for a reliable NAS build.
Any insights or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!
