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Installing Samsung 960 Evo NVMe to R730
I'm trying to install Samsung 960 Evo NVMe SSD to PowerEdge R730 Rack Server, but I'm confused how to do so.
Should I use an adapter and insert it into a 2.5'' disk bay in front of the server? But then, can I use the NVMe disk at full speed without directly connecting to PCIe?
Or should I open server case and plug inside? (But where?)
I'm not a professional sysadmin. So even if this is a very trivial question, please be gentle : )
Thanks in advance.
DELL-Daniel My
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November 22nd, 2017 08:00
Hello
The R730 does not have an M.2 slot, and none of the products listed on that brochure are supported on the R730. You will need to use some kind of adapter, and functionality will be trial and error.
Thanks
theflash1932
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November 22nd, 2017 09:00
You can get a disk bay adapter, but it will not run at the same speed as if you got a PCIe adapter for the drive.
The EVO is an entry-level consumer drive and is not a great choice for a server, so there is a chance it will not work as expected.
If you are serious about adding NVMe, look at Intel drives:
https://www.intel.com/content/***/support/us/en/documents/memory-and-storage/data-center-ssds/Slot_Matrix_Phase1a.pdf
tuncerf
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November 23rd, 2017 01:00
Thanks for the answer.
I found this blog post which benchmarks a 960 EVO installed to R720 via M.2 <=> PCIe adapter. So this made me think that it's going to work on R730 too. What are your thoughts?
Also, I think Lycom DT-120 should be suitable as an adapter, am I right?
theflash1932
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November 24th, 2017 07:00
Maybe. I'm sure you can get it working, but buying third-party hardware makes it a guessing game which will/won't work. I'm not sure what the part number would be for the controller in R730's that ship with NVMe storage.
tuncerf
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November 24th, 2017 09:00
I don't want to risk another purchase. I would be grateful if you could direct me to a compatible adapter. If for this, you need any additional information about my hardware (CPU etc.), please ask.
Thanks in advance.
theflash1932
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November 24th, 2017 15:00
Have to wait for the Dell guys to shed a little light on the subject. I don't know if the NVMe option on the R730 is an adapter for adding your own or an all-in-one PCIe drive, or if it is even an after-market option (if integrated). Otherwise, you'll be on your own to try or find one that someone has had success with.