Sometimes you just need to add a SSD. The Sabrent M.2 NVMe SSD to PCIe Gen5 x16 AIC is designed to do just that, add a M.2 SSD to a PCIe slot. We originally purchased this adapter for a use that it almost worked in, but it has been performing well, so it is time for a mini-review of this lower-cost $20 adapter with two really nice features that lower-cost adapters lack.
Note: If you want to check current pricing or find the unit, here is an Amazon Affiliate link to what we purchased.
Sabrent M.2 NVMe SSD to PCIe Gen5 x16 AIC Mini-Review
Looking at the unit, it is a short PCIe x16 card with a heatsink for the mounted SSD. Being PCIe x16 means that we can get a locking tab at the end of the slot. It also makes it a bit more challenging to use in smaller slots as we will show later when we install the card.

On the back, we get our mounting holes for various M.2 lengths, but ours came pre-fitted for a M.2 2280 (80mm) drive.

This is the button that unlatches the heatsink.

Here is the top.

Here is the hinge side which faces towards the chassis I/O slot.

Here is a view from the PCIe connector.

Pressing the latch button allows us to open the heatsink and we can see a good sized thermal pad there.

Here is where the M.2 SSD goes and you can see the different mounting lengths. Note, this only goes to M.2 2280, not M.2 22110.

Here we installed a Crucial T500 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD. In hindsight, we probably should have bought a Sabrent drive to put in there, but this is roughly a Rocket 4 Plus levle drive.

Here is the M.2 latching mechanism. This is tool-less. If you have ever used one of the $10 M.2 SSD adapters and had to deal with screws, this is the easy version.

Something this did not come with is a full-height or low-profile bracket. Instead, the idea seems to be that you lock it into a x16 slot.
Next, let us get to our application to see how it was very close to what we needed.
The inability to use this anywhere except an x16 slot or an open-ended smaller slot despite only needing an x4 is what makes this of little value. It eliminates the majority of home systems, although maybe most boards with PCIe 5 right now will also have an extra x16 slot even if it’s only x4 electrically. That’s still makes it unusable with older boards or any that don’t have a slot that size. In most systems with PCIe slot itself will be strong enough to hold this in place without a latch or a slot cover, especially if the card will be mounted vertically. I think that electrical doohickey at the end of the slot in the Dell is the first thing that would be blocking the card rather than the CPU latch. It would be neat if they made the tab and the additional PCIe pins able to be snapped off if you needed to fit it into a smaller slot that is blocked off past the end.
The Sabrent M.2 NVMe SSD to PCIe Gen5 x16 AIC is a great budget-friendly option for adding an M.2 SSD to a PCIe slot, especially for users who need a simple, no-frills solution. Its unique features like the heat spreader and secure mounting mechanism set it apart from other low-cost adapters. However, its limited use case and reliance on a PCIe slot may not make it ideal for all scenarios. If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to expand storage, this adapter is a solid choice.
What kind of LLM spam is that comment?
I would rather get an adapter that fits in a physical x4 slot. the vertical ones are especially handy if you dont have much room behind the pcie slot.
@evermore, i see your point but that’s why the x16 connector is notched up. It probably won’t work in all scenarios, as shown in the fine article, but should*. Supermicros with their open-ended slots should generally be no problem as well, except for physical stability.
Also in the consumer mobo space, x4 slots (say from the chipset) are often physically x16. I have Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte boards around me now with that setup, and I frequently use some cards just like these but cheaper (Maiwo) that work really well in those ~x16-not slots.