Hi All,
I’ve gone way down the rabbit hole on this, and I’m hoping someone can either point me in the right direction — or tell me to stop
My current setup has been running reliably, but I’m considering a lower-power, smaller system as the first part of an upgrade.
I am looking at getting an HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini system, which, on paper, appears to be a notable improvement in performance and efficiency, but as the EliteDesk Mini doesn't have a PCIe slot, I need a different option to install my SAS HBA.
After researching, I think I have two possible ways to make this work, but I’m unsure whether either is sensible — especially for a long-term, always-on setup.
I’d really like to hear from anyone who has actually run something similar in production or homelab use.
Current Setup
Dell Optiplex 3020
Intel i5-4570
16 GB DDR3
SAS HBA connected to an external disk array (JBOD)
Proposed Setup
HP EliteDesk 800 G4
i7-8700T
32 GB DDR4
Questions
Has anyone successfully run a SAS HBA via M.2 (Oculink or riser) in a mini PC like this?
Is this realistically stable for 24/7 operation, or is it a science project that will cause headaches?
Are there bandwidth, power, or BIOS limitations I should be worried about?
At what point does this become “too hacky” compared to just using a system with native PCIe?
I’m very open to being told this is a bad idea if that’s the consensus — just trying to learn from people with real-world experience before spending money.
Links below are possible options \ solutions that I have found whilst browsing AliExpress.
Option 1 – Oculink via M.2 / NVMe
Use an M.2 (NVMe) → Oculink adapter, then Oculink → PCIe x16, with external power supplied to the PCIe adapter, to run the SAS HBA.
M.2 → Oculink
Oculink Cable
Oculink → PCIe x16
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010297732885.html (ADT-F9G)
Combined Oculink Solution
Option 2 – NVMe → PCIe riser
Use a NVMe to PCIe adapter / riser to directly attach the SAS HBA externally.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006014022943.html
Thanks in advance for any advice or sanity checks!
t0ny84
TL;DR
I want to replace my Dell Optiplex (with a PCIe SAS HBA) with an HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini, which has no PCIe slots.
I’m considering using M.2 → Oculink → PCIe (or an NVMe → PCIe riser) to run my existing SAS HBA externally.
Has anyone done this reliably for 24/7 use?
Is it stable long-term, or too hacky compared to sticking with a system that has native PCIe?
I’ve gone way down the rabbit hole on this, and I’m hoping someone can either point me in the right direction — or tell me to stop
My current setup has been running reliably, but I’m considering a lower-power, smaller system as the first part of an upgrade.
I am looking at getting an HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini system, which, on paper, appears to be a notable improvement in performance and efficiency, but as the EliteDesk Mini doesn't have a PCIe slot, I need a different option to install my SAS HBA.
After researching, I think I have two possible ways to make this work, but I’m unsure whether either is sensible — especially for a long-term, always-on setup.
I’d really like to hear from anyone who has actually run something similar in production or homelab use.
Current Setup
Dell Optiplex 3020
Intel i5-4570
16 GB DDR3
SAS HBA connected to an external disk array (JBOD)
Proposed Setup
HP EliteDesk 800 G4
i7-8700T
32 GB DDR4
Questions
Has anyone successfully run a SAS HBA via M.2 (Oculink or riser) in a mini PC like this?
Is this realistically stable for 24/7 operation, or is it a science project that will cause headaches?
Are there bandwidth, power, or BIOS limitations I should be worried about?
At what point does this become “too hacky” compared to just using a system with native PCIe?
I’m very open to being told this is a bad idea if that’s the consensus — just trying to learn from people with real-world experience before spending money.
Links below are possible options \ solutions that I have found whilst browsing AliExpress.
Option 1 – Oculink via M.2 / NVMe
Use an M.2 (NVMe) → Oculink adapter, then Oculink → PCIe x16, with external power supplied to the PCIe adapter, to run the SAS HBA.
M.2 → Oculink
Oculink Cable
Oculink → PCIe x16
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010297732885.html (ADT-F9G)
Combined Oculink Solution
Option 2 – NVMe → PCIe riser
Use a NVMe to PCIe adapter / riser to directly attach the SAS HBA externally.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006014022943.html
Thanks in advance for any advice or sanity checks!
t0ny84
TL;DR
I want to replace my Dell Optiplex (with a PCIe SAS HBA) with an HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini, which has no PCIe slots.
I’m considering using M.2 → Oculink → PCIe (or an NVMe → PCIe riser) to run my existing SAS HBA externally.
Has anyone done this reliably for 24/7 use?
Is it stable long-term, or too hacky compared to sticking with a system that has native PCIe?
