Asus Builds SATA-Express Enclosure; Houses mSATA Drives
Asus' new gadget is a nifty way to use SATA-Express.
With the new 9-series motherboards coming from Intel, it is expected that a number of other manufacturers will come out with various SATA-Express devices. While the most commonly used interface for SATA-Express is likely to be the M.2 format, a handful of motherboards will come with SATA-Express connectors.
M.2 SSDs, of course, do not fit in these connectors. While the first SSDs come out with the SATA-Express connector, consumers won't have a lot of choice, and the SSDs are likely to be rather expensive. Asus has come up with an alternative though, which has been revealed on LegitReviews.com.
The neat little device Asus has come up with is called the Hyper Express, a SATA-Express external enclosure. That name doesn't exactly tell you what it is though, as it is not external, nor do you put a SATA-Express SSD inside it. Instead, it connects to a SATA-Express interface, and inside users will find a RAID controller and slots for two mSATA SSDs. These SSDs will be placed in a RAID 0 configuration, and much higher read and write speeds will be reachable.
In essence, by using the Asus Hyper Express along with two identical mSATA SSDs, you'll have created a 2.5" SATA-Express SSD.
It remains unknown what the device will cost, though it is expected to hit shelves sometime around the end of June or the beginning of July.
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Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.
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Amdlova Iam looking for the asrock z87-itx have the sata xpress and m2 at back board. will be fun with this config. small cage with tons of speed!Reply -
PEJUman M.2 makes sense, although limited on desktop since the tiny volume used for 7 mm 2.5" is really not that big of a deal to begin with & faster half height PCI-E solution exist for similiar price with a lot more speed.Reply
this sata express however, makes very little sense to me, how this is any different than the dual SATA to mSATA 2.5" adapters you can buy for ~$30 now? Additionally, RAID controllers on PCI-E 2X that could beat intel's onboard is quite hard to find under $50. In my mind you're better off using the said adapter above, and run the raid off intel's sata ports.