The 6x M.2 NVMe SSD Card Upgrade Card for the Minisforum MS-01 Workstation Review

The Minisforum MS-01 is celebrated for its compact design and robust performance capabilities, featuring a 13th generation Intel CPU, DDR5 memory, and dual 10G Ethernet ports. Despite these powerful specifications, users found the device’s storage capabilities limited due to its three M.2 slots with varied lane configurations (3×2, 3×4, and 4×4). In response to this feedback, MSI Forum developed a prototype upgrade card designed to significantly enhance the MS-01’s storage potential. This article delves into the intricacies of this prototype, covering its installation, lane and power distribution, buffer and clock management, performance testing, and future prospects.

Prototype Overview

The upgrade card aims to expand the MS-01’s storage by converting the three existing M.2 slots into six M.2 NVMe slots, each measuring 2280 in length.

This conversion directly addresses initial criticisms about the limited and varied lane configurations of the original M.2 slots, which hindered optimal performance, particularly for users looking to fully utilize the 10G ports.

Currently, the upgrade card is in the prototype stage, with no guarantee of it reaching the retail market. The prototype lacks integrated cooling solutions, a critical issue given the substantial heat generated by six M.2 NVMe slots and the Intel i9 CPU. Moreover, a custom BIOS update is required for the card to function correctly, involving extensive communication with MSI Forum to ensure proper configuration.

Design and Installation Challenges

The design of the upgrade card is clean and straightforward but introduces significant cooling challenges. The original cooling system of the MS-01 cannot fit in the casing with the upgrade card installed, and there is limited space for heat sinks for each SSD. This necessitates alternative cooling solutions to maintain optimal performance and prevent overheating.

The installation process involves sliding the prototype card into all three M.2 slots on the original MS-01 and securing it with screws. This process ensures the card is firmly in place and properly connected to the MS-01’s internal architecture. However, the simplicity of the installation belies the complexity of managing heat and ensuring adequate power distribution to the new slots.

Lane and Power Distribution

The lane distribution of the upgrade card is crucial for its performance. The upgrade card redistributes the lanes as follows:

• One 3×2 slot
• Four 3×1 slots (sharing a single 3×4 lane)
• One 4×4 slot

This configuration results in varied bandwidth capabilities across the slots.

The four middle slots (M.2 slots 2, 3, 4, and 5) share the bandwidth of a single 3×4 lane, effectively making them 3×1 each. This setup can impact the performance of these slots, particularly when all are in use simultaneously.

M.2 Slot	Lane Distribution
Slot 1	3×2
Slot 2	3×1 (shared 3×4)
Slot 3	3×1 (shared 3×4)
Slot 4	3×1 (shared 3×4)
Slot 5	3×1 (shared 3×4)
Slot 6	4×4

Power distribution is another critical aspect. The power distribution involves converting 12V to 3.3V where necessary, ensuring each NVMe slot receives the appropriate voltage. The provided diagrams detail the internal power management and distribution system, highlighting how power is routed from the MS-01’s M.2 slots to the upgrade card.

Buffer and Clock Management

Buffer management is essential for maintaining data flow between the M.2 slots and the connected card. A centralized buffer ensures that each NVMe slot receives the necessary data without bottlenecks.

The diagrams illustrate these management systems, showing how data is routed and buffered effectively. Clock management is equally important, ensuring synchronization across all NVMe slots. Proper clock management maintains data integrity and consistent performance across the storage system.

Performance Testing

Performance testing was conducted using Unraid, focusing on both write and read speeds. The varied lane configurations resulted in different performance capabilities for each slot. The testing yielded the following results:

• Write Speeds:
  • 3×2 slot: ~780 MB/s
  • 3×1 slots (shared 3×4): ~1.4 GB/s collectively, ~350 MB/s each
  • 4×4 slot: ~4.4 GB/s

• Read Speeds:
  • 3×2 slot: ~810-820 MB/s
  • 3×1 slots (shared 3×4): ~1.6 GB/s collectively, ~400 MB/s each
  • 4×4 slot: ~5.8-5.9 GB/s

Lane Configuration	Write Speed	Read Speed
3×2	~780 MB/s	~810-820 MB/s
3×1 (shared 3×4)	~350 MB/s each	~400 MB/s each
4×4	~4.4 GB/s	~5.8-5.9 GB/s

The test results indicate that the upgrade card can significantly enhance the storage capabilities of the MS-01. However, the shared bandwidth of the 3×1 slots (slots 2, 3, 4, and 5) suggests that performance might be limited when all these slots are in use simultaneously.

External Performance Challenges

External performance, especially with 10G connections, faced notable challenges. Single SFP 10G connections achieved full saturation, but dual 10G connections, whether using SFP or Thunderbolt to 10G adapters, encountered issues.

Testing with a 40G Ethernet card led to hardware crashes, which were attributed to the 40G card used in the test setup rather than the MS-01 or the upgrade card itself. An update on this test is expected soon, with plans to reattempt using a different test machine.

Future Prospects

The development of the prototype upgrade card showcases MSI Forum’s commitment to addressing user feedback and exploring innovative solutions. Despite the challenges, such as cooling issues and the need for custom BIOS updates, the project demonstrates a clear effort to enhance the MS-01’s functionality significantly.

Conclusion

The prototype 6x M.2 storage upgrade card for the Minisforum MS-01 represents a promising step towards meeting the storage needs of high-performance users. While still in the prototype phase, the card has shown potential in significantly expanding the MS-01’s storage capabilities. The installation process, while straightforward, poses challenges in cooling and power distribution, which need to be addressed before the card can be considered for retail. Performance testing has shown promising results, particularly in write and read speeds, though the shared lanes in the middle slots may limit performance under full load. External performance testing highlighted issues with higher bandwidth connections, specifically with the 40G Ethernet card, but these are expected to be resolved in future testing phases. This article is a work-in-progress review of the MS-01 6x M.2 Card prototype and will be updated soon with more detailed findings and future developments. Stay tuned for the next installment as we continue to explore the capabilities and potential of this innovative upgrade.

Where to Buy the Minisfoum MS-01? Minisforum MS-01 i9 Model (no RAM) $560 (AliExpress) – HERE Minisforum MS-01 i9 Model (1TB SSD + 32GB RAM) $665 (AliExpress) – HERE MInisforum (Barebones Model) $849 (Amazon) – HERE

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