PCIe 4.0 Card Hosts 21 M.2 SSD: Up to 168TB, 31GB/s
Apex Storage (opens in new tab)A newcomer to the storage sport has launched the X21, an AIC (add-in card) housing as much as 21 PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSDs. With the X21, customers can use the perfect SSDs to create configurations with capacities of as much as 168GB and expertise speeds of as much as 31GB/s.
Apex Storage is headquartered in Utah and focuses on AIC merchandise. Mike Spicer and Henry Hill appear to be the group behind Apex Storage. You might have heard of Spicer that launched Storage Scaler. (opens in new tab) Growth board with as much as 16 M.2 SATA drives in 2021. The one product listed on Apex Storage’s web site, the X21 seems to be an upgraded model of the unique Storage Scaler. However unusually, Apex Storage selected PCIe 4.0 on the X21 as a result of PCIe 5.0 SSDs are already accessible within the retail market.
The X21 sticks to a double-width full-height full-length (FHFL) kind issue with a single-slot PCI design. The 274.2mm lengthy AIC communicates by way of an ordinary PCIe 4.0 x16 growth slot. It’s backwards suitable with PCIe 3.0, however efficiency will take a big hit. With the X21, Apex Storage mainly mixed two PCBs into one sandwich, so the AIC can deal with as much as 21 M.2 SSDs, which put competing choices just like the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus Destroyer 2 to disgrace. The idea undoubtedly takes us on a visit down reminiscence lane. If you happen to’re sufficiently old, it is the identical idea Nvidia used for the prehistoric GeForce 7900 GX2.
The X21’s inside has 10 PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots and an enormous heatsink overlaying the unspecified controller. We suspect there is a PCIe change beneath the heatsink and it is most likely working the X21. The remaining 11 PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots are positioned on the surface of the PCBs.
Given the big variety of SSDs the X21 can assist, the AIC cannot get all the facility from its single growth slot. That is why Apex Storage has applied two common 6-pin PCIe energy connectors to offer auxiliary energy. This configuration permits as much as 225W. Though the X21 has a passive cooling design, the producer recommends a minimal airflow of 400 LFM for optimum operation.
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X21 images present AIC with Samsung 990 Professional SSD and card solely helps M.2 2280 drives. Just like the H20, it additionally accepts Intel’s Optane M.2 SSDs; Now that Intel has discontinued the Optane enterprise, it is not like there aren’t many Optane drivers floating round anymore. Apex Storage doesn’t reveal the interior particulars of the X21. Nonetheless, the producer confirmed that the X21 provides 100 PCIe lanes, suggesting the existence of a PCIe change.
In a single card configuration, the X21 provides sequential learn and write speeds of as much as 30.5GBps and 28.5GBps respectively. Random efficiency in AIC consists of seven.5 million IOPS reads and 6.2 million IOPS writes. The X21 shines much more in multi-card setup. In line with Apex Storage, customers can get pleasure from as much as 107GB/s sequential reads and as much as 80GB/s sequential writes. Random efficiency additionally will get a big enhance. The X21 displays greater than 20 million IOPS reads and 10 million IOPS writes in multi-card association. AIC has a median learn and write entry latency of 79ms and 52ms respectively.
With 8TB SSDs just like the Corsair MP400 or Sabrent Rocket Q, the X21 can present as much as 168TB of information on a single card. It additionally helps larger capability drives. When future 16TB M.2 SSDs change into accessible, customers can rise up to 336TB of storage on the X21. Relating to its characteristic set, X21 helps RAID configurations in Home windows and Linux environments. Nonetheless, Apex Storage didn’t point out the kind of RAID arrays. The X21 additionally options “enterprise-grade reliability”, NVMe 2.0 assist, superior EEC, information safety and error restoration.
Apex Storage has not disclosed the worth or availability of the X21.
#PCIe #Card #Hosts #SSD #168TB #31GBs
