Z390 pci-e raid

[Fir]

I know standard nvme drives can run bootable stripes.
What about sata express drives like the 905p? (i.e. SSDPE21D960GAX1)
Is it possible?

 

[Billy Tallis]

The Intel Optane SSD 905p is not a SATA Express drive. SATA Express is dead, and you will never own a SATA Express drive. The Intel Optane SSD 905p is a standard NVMe drive. There are models of the 905p that use the PCIe half-height half-length add-in card form factor, the 2.5" 15mm form factor with a U.2 connector, and M.2 22110 form factor. All are standard NVMe drives with a PCIe 3.0 x4 link.

Last time I checked, compatibility with Intel's consumer platform bootable software RAID requires the drives to be connected to PCIe lanes from the chipset, rather than the CPU's PCIe lanes. On most motherboards, the M.2 and U.2 ports will be routed to the chipset, and if there's a PCIe x4 slot it might also be routed to the chipset.

 

[Fir]

Yes you are correct about this. Silly vendor has it labeled as SATA express.

The drives are 2.5" version and come with a cable that connects either to a PCI-E card or the motherboard U.2 port. Since the board has only a single U.2 a PCI-E expansion board would be needed and I believe this will break bootability.

Unless something like this is used which has its own boot rom:

https://www.amazon.com/High-Point-SSD7120-Dedicated-Controller/dp/B0774WLSH4

The reviews look alright but I'm not a fan of highpoint stuff TBH.

 

[Campy]

If you get the SSDPE21D960GAM3 it will include an M.2 adapter cable.