HP xw6600 and an SSD (AHCI, NOT NVMe)

[brandonbeckmo]

Hey SDH

I've read some other posts by  you related to this, but they seem outdated now compared to the new SSDs that are out. 

I'd like to utilize the PCIe slot to gain speed over SATA II...I tried using an M.2 to PCIe adapter with a Sabrent 1 TB Rocket SSD...but no go.  Windows recognized it but BIOS wouldn't, so I couldn't boot from it.  Turns out it's NVMe, which of course doesn't work in the 6600.  I need to find a NON-NVMe SSD, but I'm having a heckuva time.  It seems my options are either the larger (non M.2) SATA drives or the NVMe drives. 

I found this adapter on Amazon (I gave the other setup to my son, who has a newer machine that can make use of the NVMe standard), now I just need to find an AHCI SSD.  Even when I type that into various search boxes (Google or a store's search) i get NVMe drives in the results.  Can you help point me to a specific drive that will work that isn't SATA? 

Thanks! 

[savvy2]

why must it be m.2

and not a fast 2.5" sata SSD , for speeds near 395mB.s (one in my xw4600 and z600) plenty fast  it is.

the m.2 adapters will not run fast on the very old PCI-e version south bridge. 

using this slot you did not say./ see that x4 limit there.?

2 PCIe (x8 mechanically, x4 electrically) 1x speed,  2.5gb/s max  , 250MB/s raw.  is not fast. so only 4 lane cards may go fast.

to boot M;2 the BIOS must allow  that. or the M.2 card has rombot there and both happy, not easy to do.

your X4 lane card is good, but the M2. card you pick is what matters, here, and if BIOS will like it.

lots of m2. cards were made long ago that worked but near zero buyers for legacy m2,  then stopped making them.

some 5400 wired like this , not saying how HP wired any mobo,  but shows the lanes. and south bridge too limits for PCI-e