The 5 Best M.2 PCIe Adapters in 2022

In recent years, the computing sector has undergone a transformation. Hard disk drives with terabytes of storage capacity were once the norm, but newer and more powerful storage devices, such as SSDs, have steadily taken over this space. When it comes to large storage areas, hard disks still reign supreme since high-capacity NVMe SSDs are still prohibitively expensive.

While most modern motherboards, including micro ATX models, have an integrated slot for an NVMe SSD, many customers continue to use older hardware that lacks this capability. Even if your mainboard currently has an SSD installed in the M.2 slot, you may want to add more.

Finding the best M.2 PCIe adapter is key to building the ultimate PC, whether you want it for gaming or some other purpose. On this list, we’re going to talk about the 5 best M.2 PCIe adapters that you can buy right now.

First on this list is an M.2 PCIe adapter that’s made by one of the top names in the tech parts industry, Asus. The Asus Hyper M.2 X16 PCIe Adapter might be expensive compared to others on this list, but its price is well justified as you’re getting more than what you bargained for with this adapter. The Asus Hyper M.2 X16 PCIe Adapter comes with a smooth casing and a cooling fan that’s pre-installed on the adapter. One of the reasons it’s priced higher than most adapters out there is that it has a wide selection of additional features that make it a justifiable purchase. It’s a powerhouse of a performer, but, most importantly, the Asus Hyper M.2 X16 PCIe Adapter is a device that’s built to last you for years to come. It’s a versatile add-on card that can help accommodate SSDs of various lengths. This is one of the main drawpoints of the Asus Hyper M.2 X16 PCIe Adapter. Thanks to its versatility and its native PCIe 4.0, the adapter is able to use almost all of the SSDs out there. This is great if you have compatibility issues with your current selection of SSDs right now. In terms of versatility, there’s no adapter that’s better than this one right now. Our main problem with the Asus Hyper M.2 X16 PCIe Adapter is that its powerhouse of a build can make it quite the beast when it comes to power consumption. If you aren’t careful, you might be surprised at your next electricity bill. It needs this power to support more drives, as well as the cooling fan that’s inside the casing. It’s not surprising that such a powerful adapter needs to take in as much power as it can to be able to run at max capacity. As this is an adapter made by Asus, you can expect nothing but the best from it. The Asus Hyper M.2 X16 PCIe Adapter is the best PCIe adapter right now, but that’s only if you’re willing to pay the premium price that’s on it.

Pros

• Built-in cooler
• Superb power
• Multiple NVMe support

Cons

• Strong power consumption

Specification

• Price $68.81
• PCIe Version 4.0
• SSD Interface M.2 NVMe M Key
• No. Of Drives 4
• Item Dimensions 1.04 x 1.2 x 0.2 inches
• Item Weight 1.95 Pounds

Moving on, we’ve got another adapter that’s on the cheaper end of the spectrum. However, it’s an adapter that’s just as good as an alternative. Most PCIe cards come with a bracket to keep your PC case clean, but EZDIYFABNVMePCIe cards don’t. It’s great hardware with a minimalist approach, so you can add SSDs to your PC with wide compatibility, easy SSD mounts, and simple heatsink attachments. EZDIY FAB’s NVMe PCIe Adapter features a state-of-the-art PCIe 4.0 interface and is backward compatible with older motherboards with PCIe 3.0 slots. Its heat sink is equipped with an SSD directly with the help of the heat-friendly ribbon. You also don’t need a tool to set it up. Just mount them, extract your SSD and adapter, and press the fastest slot you have on the mainboard. The adapter is compatible with NVME SSD with different lengths, but support is the card key M. It works on all available operating systems and has good read and write speeds depending on the generation of PCIe x16 bus slots to connect to. While the heatsink of the EZDIY-FAB NVMe PCIe Adapter is a good addition, don’t expect too much out of it. Some users report that it’s a problematic heatsink and doesn’t function well. It can dissipate heat to a bare minimum, but anything that overclocks is going to be problematic for the EZDIY-FAB NVMe PCIe Adapter. The good news is, thanks to its good build, it won’t suffer much damage. The EZDIY-FAB NVMe PCIe Adapter is a good adapter that’s burdened by a poor heatsink design. The good news is that this problem can be easily resolved with a good cooling system on your PC.

Pros

• Fast write and read speed
• Simple design
• Easy to install

Cons

• Poor heatsink design

Specification

• Price $12.99
• PCIe Version 4.0
• SSD Interface M.2 NVMe M Key
• No. Of Drives 1
• Item Dimensions 4.4 x 2.8 x 0.5 inches
• Item Weight 0.634 ounces

With that, we’d like to introduce the GLOTRENDS PA09-HS NVMe PCIe Adapter. This adapter is one of the cheapest, but it’s far from being the worst-performing. The GLOTRENDS PA09-HS NVMe PCIe Adapter’s greatest asset is that it’s a slim and compact all-around adapter that can fit with even the most compact cases. Thanks to this, more and more people are buying the GLOTRENDS PA09-HS NVMe PCIe Adapter as it’s an easy fit for their PC build. It’s easy to install, and it comes with various ports that will allow your SSDs to run at their full capacity as well. This is one of the things we love about the GLOTRENDS PA09-HS NVMe PCIe Adapter. This add-on card shares the same native PCIe 4.0 interface and draws all power from the connected PCIe slot. The read and write speed from GLOTRENDS PCIe to SSD card is very fast, and the adapter provides 64 GBps bandwidth while transferring data in the version 4.0 slot. When it comes to writing and reading speeds, this card can’t be beaten, which is very impressive considering its cheap price of less than $20. Additionally, the GLOTRENDS PA09-HS NVMe PCIe Adapter comes with a removable heatsink. This is helpful as you might have heatsinks of your own to install. The pre-installed heatsink itself isn’t a bad one too as it’s more than capable of helping dissipate heat when the GLOTRENDS PA09-HS NVMe PCIe Adapter is in use. You can remove it and have it replaced with another one if it doesn’t fit your current PC build. While the cheapest, the GLOTRENDS PA09-HS NVMe PCIe Adapter is definitely not the least. It’s an excellent adapter that comes with amazing features as well.

Pros

• Fast write and read speed
• Sturdy design for its price

Cons

• Heatsink design's rather problematic

Specification

• Price $12.55
• PCIe Version 4.0
• SSD Interface M.2 NVMe M Key or B + M Key
• No. Of Drives 1
• Item Dimensions 5.55 x 5.2 x 0.94 inches
• Item Weight 0.18 Pounds

The one thing you want to look for when it comes to adapters is versatility. When it comes to versatility, the AMPCOM M.2 NVMe PCIe Adapter is easily one of the top choices. It’s a cheap card to get too! The AMPCOM M.2 NVMe PCIe Adapter comes with native PCIe version 4.0 support. This seems to be the trend with most add-on cards right now. One of the main assets of this card is that it comes with a steel matte-colored bracket. This isn’t just for design either. It provides the AMPCOM M.2 NVMe PCIe Adapter with stability that allows it to perform and run at its best for extended periods of time. It also helps with the durability of the device as well. Unlike most other adapters that come with an aluminum heatsink, the AMPCOM M.2 NVMe PCIe Adapter instead comes with a pure copper heatsink. This is important to note as copper is a highly desired material in the PC world. That’s because copper is beloved for its capacity to conduct heat more efficiently than other types of metal. The AMPCOM M.2 NVMe PCIe Adapter also comes with a 64 GBps bandwidth. This allows for a more consistent data transfer speed. It also uses a multi-layered PCBA, which is great as it helps protect the entire piece from over and under voltage or current. Overall, the AMPCOM M.2 NVMe PCIe Adapter is a device that’s built to last. While cheap, you can expect this adapter to last you a significant amount of time. The AMPCOM M.2 NVMe PCIe Adapter are well built with gold-plated connectors to ensure longevity and an over-the-top copper heatsink that conducts heat more efficiently than aluminum. With different protections and multi-layer manufacturing processes, this adapter can provide stable performance across different PCIe slots.

Pros

• Good heatsink design
• High compatibility
• Good build

Cons

• Bulky steel bracket

Specification

• Price $13.49
• PCIe Version 4.0
• SSD Interface M.2 NVMe M Key
• No. Of Drives 1
• Item Dimensions 8.5 x 2.91 x 0.94 inches
• Item Weight 1.76 ounces

Last but definitely not the least on this list is the Sabrent NVMe M.2 SSD to PCIe Adapter. It’s a highly regarded adapter that’s loved for its amazing features. It’s cheaper than most but despite this, it’s quite the adapter to get. One of the main draw points of the Sabrent NVMe M.2 SSD to PCIe Adapter is that it has a consistent read and write speed. Adding to that, it has a full-sized heatsink that is able to maintain low heat levels inside the PC. However, it is compatible with only M Key SSDs. When it comes to cards, it has limited compatibility only being able to support 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 sized cards. This limited compatibility might just be one of the low points of this adapter. On the other hand, the card comes with a native PCIe 3.0 interface. This is the only adapter on this list that comes with that. It’s compatible with various operating systems, but, on the other hand, native PCIe 3.0 means that the data transfer speeds are going to be minimal. Still, the compatibility is great news for those who are using outdated operating systems rather than newer ones for their PC. The underrated feature of the Sabrent NVMe M.2 SSD to PCIe Adapter is its heatsink. On this list, it’s the adapter with the best heatsink right now. Thanks to this, the Sabrent NVMe M.2 SSD to PCIe Adapter is one of the best performers when it comes to consistency and stability. We’ve found that no other card is able to provide stable performance for long periods of time better than the Sabrent NVMe M.2 SSD to PCIe Adapter right now. It might have a few short comings when it comes to compatibility, but where it can be used, the Sabrent NVMe M.2 SSD to PCIe Adapter is able to shine as one of the best performers right now.

Pros

• Good heatsink design
• Great wire bracket design

Cons

• Limited card compatibility

Specification

• Price $17.98
• PCIe Version 3.0
• SSD Interface M.2 NVMe M Key
• No. Of Drives 1
• Item Dimensions ‎4 x 2 x 0.5 inches
• Item Weight ‎2.85 ounces