ssd

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Maiyunda M1 Alder Lake-N mini PC comes with four quick-release M.2 NVMe SSD slots, four 2.5GbE ports

Maiyunda M1 Alder Lake-N mini PC comes with four quick-release M.2 NVMe SSD slots, four 2.5GbE ports

Mini PC four M.2 NVMe SSD slots

Maiyunda M1 is an unusual Intel N100 or Core i3-N305 Alder Lake-N mini PC and soft router equipped with four M.2 NVMe SSD slots so users can replace storage devices without having to open the enclosure, as well as four 2.5GbE ports for networking applications. The mini PC also supports up to 32GB DDR5 memory,  wireless connectivity through an internal M.2 socket (that can also be used as a fifth NVMe SSD socket), dual 4K display setups through HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, and offers five USB Type-A ports for expansion. Maiyunda M1 specifications: Alder Lake-N SoC Intel Processor N100 quad-core processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics; TDP: 6W Intel Core i3-N305 octa-core processor @ up to 3.8 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 32EU Intel UHD Graphics; TDP: 15W System Memory – 16GB LPDDR5 4800 MHz upgradeable to 32GB Storage 4x M.2 M-key […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Testing Cytron MAKERDISK M.2 NVMe SSDs on Raspberry Pi 5 with GEEKWORM X1001 and Waveshare M.2 PCIe HAT+

Testing Cytron MAKERDISK M.2 NVMe SSDs on Raspberry Pi 5 with GEEKWORM X1001 and Waveshare M.2 PCIe HAT+

MAKERDISK M.2 NVMe SSD Raspberry Pi 5 review

Cytron has sent us a few of their MAKERDISK NVMe SSDs preloaded with Raspberry Pi OS so that we can test them on a Raspberry Pi 5 SBC, either with a GEEKWORM X1001 or Waveshare M.2 PCIe HAT+ add-on boards both of which were also provided by the company. Ever since the first M.2 PCIe HATs for the Raspberry Pi 5 were released, we knew Raspberry Pi Limited was working on its own model, and based on some Twitter/X “rumors” (with photos) the launch of the official M.2 HAT+ should be just around the corner. So it’s the perfect timing to test some SSDs on the Raspberry Pi 5 even though I’ve yet to get the official HAT+ Cytron “MAKERDISK” package unboxing The Malaysian company sent me a kit with everything I needed to get started, minus the Raspberry Pi 5 I already owned. This includes 128GB or 256GB NVMe […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 3 Comments on CWWK NAS mini-ITX motherboard features six SATA connectors, three 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports

CWWK NAS mini-ITX motherboard features six SATA connectors, three 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports

CWWK NAS Motherboard

In our last post, we wrote about the CWWK X86-P1 which is a fanless SBC and mini PC that goes for $101 and up, but while writing another product that got my attention was the CWWK NAS motherboard which is built around the Intel Celeron J Series SoC and features six SATA connectors and three 2.5GbE network ports, two of which are connected to Intel i226-V controllers and the other one to a Realtek RTL8125BG controller. The board also has support for dual 2280 M.2 NVMe SSDs and DDR4 memory. Other than that, it has HDMI, DisplayPort, USB 2.0, 3.0, PCIe, and audio output ports. The board follows the mini-ITX form factor, and previously, we have written about many different boards with the same form factor, such as the Sapphire Edge+ VPR-4616-MB, ASRock Industrial Boards, Kontron K3931-N, and many others. Feel free to check those out if you are interested […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 2 Comments on 52Pi NVdigi Expansion Board for Raspberry Pi 5 combines HiFiBerry Digi+ audio output with M.2 PCIe x1 slot

52Pi NVdigi Expansion Board for Raspberry Pi 5 combines HiFiBerry Digi+ audio output with M.2 PCIe x1 slot

52Pi NVDigi Extension Adapter Board

The 52Pi NVdigi is another PCIe expansion board for the Raspberry Pi 5 which integrates HiFiBerry Digi+ to provide high-quality S/PDIF output. It also features an M.2 PCIe x1 slot that supports NVMe 2242/2230 SSDs. Furthermore, it offers an optical output (TOSLink) and an RCA output for versatile audio connections. The HiFiBerry Digi+ is a high-quality S/PDIF output for the Raspberry Pi. It uses the I2S sound port that connects directly to the CPU without the need for an additional USB conversion. It supports sample rates up to 192kHz/24bit. 52Pi NVdigi Expansion Board Specification: HiFiBerry Digi+ Integration – Provides high-quality S/PDIF output for Raspberry Pi 5. Direct I2S Connection – Connects directly to the CPU via the I2S sound port for optimal audio. High-Resolution Audio – Supports sample rates up to 192kHz and 24-bit depth for immersive audio. Multiple Audio Outputs – Features both optical (TOSLink) and electrical (RCA) outputs. M.2 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments on Add two M.2 NVMe SSDs to Raspberry Pi 5 with Geekworm X1004 HAT+

Add two M.2 NVMe SSDs to Raspberry Pi 5 with Geekworm X1004 HAT+

Raspberry Pi 5 Dual NVMe SSDs

We’ve seen a range of PCIe HAT(+) for the Raspberry Pi 5 taking one NVMe SSD, but Geekworm X1004 is different as it can take up to two standard M.2 2280 SSDs over the Pi 5’s PCIe connector and 40-pin GPIO header. The official Raspberry Pi 5 M.2 HAT+ is not available yet, but we already have an embarrassment of choice with products such as the PineBerry Pi HatDrive, Waveshare PCIe To M.2 HAT+, Pimoroni NVMe Base, and the Geekworm X1003. The latest X1004 adds even more options with support for two M.2 SSDs for up to 8TB storage, although this may not make that much sense on the Pi 5 as we’ll discuss further below. Geekworm X1004 specifications: Supported SBC – Raspberry Pi 5 only Chipset – ASMedia ASM1182e PCI express packet switch with 1x PCIe x1 Gen2 upstream port and 2x PCIe x 1 Gen2 downstream ports 2x […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 19 Comments on Mcuzone MPS2280 M.2 NVMe HAT for Raspberry Pi 5 takes an up to 22110 Gen3 SSD drive

Mcuzone MPS2280 M.2 NVMe HAT for Raspberry Pi 5 takes an up to 22110 Gen3 SSD drive

Raspberry Pi 5 PCIE M.2 NVME HAT with 2280 2230 2242 Gen3 SSD Support

The Mcuzone MPS2280 M.2 NVMe HAT is another PCIe to NVMe adapter board built for the Raspberry Pi 5. What sets it apart from other boards is that it supports 2280 SSDs and offers the option to Jerry-rigg a 22110 SSD with zip ties. Previously we have covered many PCIe to NVMe expansion boards such as Pimoroni NVMe Base, Geekworm X1003 PCIe to NVMe SSD adapter, and PineBerry Pi’s HatDrive, so feel free to check those out if interested.   Mcuzone MPS2280 M.2 NVMe HAT specifications: PCIe Support – Compatible with PCIe x1 interface, offering Gen2 and Gen3 modes. SSD compatibility – Supports M.2 M-key interface with 2280, 2242, and 2230 size SSDs, and offers the option to Jerry-rigg a 22110 SSD with zip ties. SSD booting – Enables booting from an NVMe SSD, with options for storage expansion. Alternatively, the system can boot from TF while using the SSD for […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on GEEKOM Mini IT12 Review – Part 3: Ubuntu 22.04 Linux on an Intel Core i7-12650H mini computer

GEEKOM Mini IT12 Review – Part 3: Ubuntu 22.04 Linux on an Intel Core i7-12650H mini computer

GEEKOM Mini IT12 mini PC Review Ubuntu 22.04 Linux

We first checked out the hardware of GEEKOM Mini IT12 with an unboxing and teardown, before testing the Intel Core i7-12650H mini PC with Windows 11 Pro in the second part of the review, and we’ve now had time to test the device with Ubuntu 22.04 to see how well (or not) it works with a Linux distribution. In the third part of the review, we will report our experience with installing Ubuntu 22.04 on the GEEKOM Mini IT12, checking all main features, and benchmarking the system to evaluate its performance. This includes some networking and storage performance tests, a stress test to check CPU temperature and cooling performance, and the measurement of the fan noise and power consumption. Ubuntu 22.04 installation on GEEKOM Mini IT12 Since we wanted to install Ubuntu 22.04 alongside Windows 11 Pro, we shrunk the Windows 11 partition by about half in the Disk Management […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 10 Comments on Geekworm X1003 PCIe to NVMe SSD adapter for Raspberry Pi 5 works with the active cooler or official case

Geekworm X1003 PCIe to NVMe SSD adapter for Raspberry Pi 5 works with the active cooler or official case

Geekworm x1003 NVMe SSD adaper Raspberry Pi 5 active cooler

The Geekworm X1003 is a well-designed PCIe to NVMe expansion board for the Raspberry Pi 5. It supports 2230 and 2242 SSDs with M.2 M-Key, does not interfere with the airflow when using the active cooler, and fits snugly within the official Pi 5 ABS case although you need to take out the fan layer from the top of the case. We previously wrote about the low-cost Waveshare PCIe to M.2 adapter, but user Rex Tang highlighted a design flaw with its 2230 screw mount affecting 2242 SSDs that have chips on both sides of the module. Then, user PANiCnz recommended the X1003 with a compact design that doesn’t have the same issue. We also covered other PCIe to NVMe expansion boards such as Pimoroni NVMe Base and PineBerry Pi’s HatDrive, so feel free to check those out if interested. Geekworm X1003 PCIe to NVMe adapter specifications: Compatible with Raspberry […]