Asus M.2 PCIeX16 for TrueNAS
The Hyper M.2 X16 Gen 4 card takes RAID performance to the next level
Asus Quad M.2 PCIeX16 Controller (no chip, pcie direct NVME)
support 1~4 set of 2T M.2 NVME, PCIe 4.0, x16
for those new server bios support PCIe x4+x4，or PCIe X16 Bifurcation
The ASUS Hyper M.2 x16 Gen 4 Card is compatible with the Intel® X299, Z390, Z370 and future platforms' RAID-on-CPU function, and supports PCIe 4.0 NVMe RAID on the AMD TRX40 and X570 platforms.
TrueNAS ZFS storage pool size, 2T x 4 M.2 NVMe :
8T storage in Raid 0, striping
6T storage in Raid 5, distributed parity
4T storage in Raid 1, mirroring
TrueNAS ZFS storage pool size, 4T x 4 M.2 NVMe :
16T storage in Raid 0, striping
12T storage in Raid 5, distributed parity
8T storage in Raid 1, mirroring
The Hyper M.2 X16 Gen 4 Card offers four M.2 slots, each with four lanes of PCIe 4.0 connectivity. Each slot has standoff points for M.2 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110 SSDs, and each can provide up to 14W of power, ensuring that next-generation SSDs are able to run at their full potential. As just one example of what you might do with the Hyper M.2 X16 Gen 4 Card, you could purchase four 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSDs, set up a RAID 0 configuration, and enjoy massive 8TB storage array able to communicate using up to 256 Gbps of potential bandwidth. That’s up to four times the potential bandwidth of a single PCIe 4.0 SSD and as much as eight times the bandwidth of a PCI 3.0 drive.
To ensure consistent performance from PCIe 4.0 SSDs over time, we developed a comprehensive cooling strategy for the Hyper M.2 X16 Gen 4 Card. The attractive brushed-aluminum cover doubles as a large heatsink for the SSDs underneath. Included thermal pads wick heat away from the SSDs and into the metal cover to prevent thermal throttling. A blower fan under the shroud moves air over the SSDs for extra insurance against dips in performance. If your case has adequate airflow, you can shut off the card’s fan using a dedicated switch on the rear mounting bracket to let your case fans move air over the heatsink shroud instead. Four indicator LEDs on the rear bracket allow you to see I/O activity on your RAID array at a glance.
If you’d like to fill up each and every one of its M.2 slots, we strongly recommend using the Hyper M.2 X16 Gen 4 Card with one of our TRX40 motherboards, since they offer multiple slots with 16 dedicated lanes of PCI Express 4.0 from the CPU. If you’d like to expand M.2 storage capacity on your AMD X570 motherboard instead, you can use that platform’s CPU PCIe lane bifurcation capability to direct up to eight lanes of PCIe 4.0 to the Hyper M.2 X16 Gen 4 Card—enough for up to two more PCIe 4.0 SSDs. The card maintains PCIe 3.0 backward compatibility for use with other platforms capable of CPU-managed RAID. To learn more about the Hyper M.2 X16 Gen 4 Card and its capabilities, you can visit our CES 2020 showcase at the Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort and Casino. To set up a media tour, or to learn more about pricing and availability in your region, please contact your local ASUS representative.
Compatibility of PCIE bifurcation between Asus Hyper M.2 series Cards
Maximum M.2 SSDs support will vary depending on different CPUs.
Restrictions for M.2 SSD installation on Asus Hyper M.2 series Cards
1. Update to latest BIOS before using RAID on CPU function.
2. For Z590, Z490, Z390 and Z370 series motherboard, install IRST version 16 or above to use RAID on CPU function. Only Intel SSDs can active Intel RAID on CPU function in Intel platform.
3. For X299 series motherboard, install VROC firmware to use VROC function. Only Intel SSDs can active Intel VROC function in Intel platform.
4. For ROG STRIX Z590-I GAMING WIFI, be sure to use iGPU (Integrated Graphics Processing Unit) if you are going to use Hyper M.2 series card on your motherboard.
