PC owners now have a new option for adding fast storage as Sabrent has quietly launched the updated version of its 4-drive PCIe adapter card. As the prices for PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives continue to drop PC users wanting large amounts of storage can still sometimes be left with limited options so adapter cards like this, which some motherboard manufacturers also provide, can be a clean and easy solution. Sabrent previously launched a version of this card in January which supported PCIe 3.0 but it has now been updated to PCIe 4.0 x16 along with active cooling.
The EC-P4BF is backward compatible with PCIe 3.0/2.0 but does require bifurcation support in order to install more than one drive and take advantage of all 16 lanes. RAID is also supported via Intel VROC and AMD Ryzen RAID with drives being capable of being operated via software and UEFI, including Windows Storage Devices. The active cooling solution is a combination of an aluminum casing with fins, a switch-operated fan, and thermal pads for all four SSDs for heat dispersion. Rear-mounted LEDS indicate drive(s) status. The Sabrent EC-P4BF is available via the Sabrent store or Amazon for $99.99 and comes with a 1-year warranty without registration or 2 years with.
EC-P4BF Details
- Add up to four high-performance NVMe SSDs to a system with a single adapter in a physical x16 PCIe slot.
- The system requires the PCIe bifurcation (lane splitting) function to add more than one SSD with the full 16 lanes required for 3 or 4 drives.
- Supports even the fastest PCIe 4.0 SSDs but also works with older and newer generation SSDs at up to 4.0 speeds.
- Works in older 3.0/2.0 systems that have PCIe bifurcation support. Compatible with NVMe SSDs in the M.2 2230/2242/2260/2280 form factors for your convenience.
- Designed with quality aluminum for physical stability and top-notch cooling. Thermal padding is included to ensure the best cooling interface for your SSDs.
- Optional active cooling (fan) via a rear-positioned switch for high-performance environments. Your drives won’t throttle in here.
- The card is plug-and-play with no drivers required. Supports Intel® VROC and AMD Ryzen™ NVMe RAID with their respective limitations.
Specifications
- System Requirements: A motherboard and BIOS-compatible with PCIe Bifurcation (also called PCIe Splitting) is required. For instance: Intel VROCK / AMD Ryzen NVMe RAID.
- Dimensions: 7.1 (Length) x 5.4 (Width) x 0.65 (Height) inches. Weight is 17 oz.
- Box Contents: 4-DRIVE NVMe SSD to PCIe 4.0 x16 card with active cooling, all necessary screws, quick user guide.
Discussion (5 replies)
Join Discussion →Something like this seems way better than the flat-on-the-motherboard approach.
A few of my Asus boards came with this same approach. I haven't tried it yet since I don't usually need a ton of storage, but it is a nice alternative.
Pretty sure I've seen some posts from @Grimlakin or @Dan_D talking about similar things as well.
I know Sabrent has a mixed reputation but I really like the look of this. My only complaint, and I wasn't able to confirm this in any the of info I read, is that the fan is only controlled by a switch. I'd prefer a software/motherboard option for that but maybe I'm wrong and it is passing something through the PCI that allows control.
I always drool when I see one of these - till I upgrade I have only 2 nvme slots on board - before I even have time to go for a Kleenex to dry the spittle from my face I remember I would have to move my GPU to an x4 slot to even use this product or throttle all the drives though x4 which I also dont see as a good thing either - I've used raid 0 many times with no problems for install folders and non-critical | redundant data, only without a full x16 what's the point?
Just think 4x 4|8tb (though it would take me over a year's worth of quarterly bonuses to get 4x 8tb drives) in raid zero. Ya like I need anything that fast and its not like my entire steam library would fill it. Oh well. Nice to think about I suppose.
Not like I have any storage/space issues as it is:
(D: is an external optical which may be over a year since I have turned it on, h: is a spinner, x: is my Laptop 2x 2tb gen 4x4 in Raid 0)
I am thinking in the expac card is more for Threadripper/Epyc systems? Or maybe people who manage with onboard video?!?
What is the use case for this product?
Any thoughts?
For me it is adding nvme in mass to an older xeon server that I have running Truenas. Due to compatibility I had to drop down to two two drive cards, but in theory, one x16 slot can take 4 drives that you can run as a pool for your apps/vms. So I've got a 6ish tb 4 drive array running for it now.
Asus has both a gen 3 and gen 4 card like this on the market and brought a gen 5 prototype to computex