HP Samsung PM1643 SAS interface - with PCIe card + PHOTOS inside the SSDs

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c steff

Member
Apr 18, 2019
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Hi

Anyone tried to use this SSD (SAS interface) with a PCIe adapter?

I used below adapters successfully with Intel & HGST drives (NVMe/ SAS interface)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01D8F9JAK/ & https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01J3MYD8K/ for HGST drive
OR https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-com-U-2-PCIe-Adapter-SFF-8639/dp/B072JK2XLC/ for Intel drive

I had some issue with the HGST drives but sorted it out with some format command (my thread https://forums.servethehome.com/ind...-sn200-sas-nvme-7-68tb-husmr7676bdp3y1.24249/ )

I tested the PM1643 SSD with both these adapters but no sign of the nvme drive in windows and linux so I can't even try format commands etc like I did with the HGST drives

The PM1643 has a 4 pin socket next to the SAS socket and another socket on the opposite side (not sure what's that), I was wondering if it requires extra power other than what is provided with the SATA power cable in this adapter https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01J3MYD8K/ or by PCIe slot with the other adapter

The drive I am testing is 15.36TB but spec is the same for all sizes I see

The seller tested it with HPE P222 (server not pcie card in a pc) and has offered to sell me the HPE P840 but I have on order the Megaraid 9440-8i (no idea if it will work with this card).

Thank you for your help!
 

Skud

Active Member
Jan 3, 2012
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It’s a SAS Drive. So it will require a SAS controller. The HPE P222 is a SAS controller so that's why it worked.

The only way you can convert PCI-e to SAS is through a SAS HBA or RAID controller. You cannot use those nvme adapters. That’s for a PCI-e Drive with a u.2 interface. It shares the connector but the interface is completely different.

This is because there are tri-mode controllers that support all three (SATA/SAS/PCI-e).

Riley
 
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c steff

Member
Apr 18, 2019
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It’s a SAS Drive. So it will require a SAS controller. The HPE P222 is a SAS controller so that's why it worked.

The only way you can convert PCI-e to SAS is through a SAS HBA or RAID controller. You cannot use those nvme adapters. That’s for a PCI-e Drive with a u.2 interface. It shares the connector but the interface is completely different.

This is because there are tri-mode controllers that support all three (SATA/SAS/PCI-e).

Riley
I thought it is nvme not sas
Thanks
I do have an old perc card which should work in this case
 

c steff

Member
Apr 18, 2019
49
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All works fine with perc h310 :)
waiting now for the hpe p840 for better speeds

Any idea for HPE P840 what cables I need? If I only need it for 2 SSDs, do I plug one SSD in each physical port or both need to be in same port with a cable splitter? For the Perc card I have one cable splitter for both SSDs. I am looking for cables and I cannot find any for u.2 interface 12gb/s or are all cables even if it says 6gb/s compatible with 12 gb/s? Thank you

*edit: will this work? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cablecc-Internal-SFF-8087-SFF-8482-Target/dp/B01787L6N2
Do I get better/max speed from these SSDs if I use one ssd per physical port of the P840 or both on one of these cables will be the same?
 
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c steff

Member
Apr 18, 2019
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Did I make a mistake with the P840 card? I see the cable is called mini-sas double wide but I can't find anywhere from this to u.2 ssd's interface. I don't want to add extra parts as using it in a small itx server (backplane?!)
Is there a cable I can buy or should I now try to resell the card and buy another one with standard cables?
 

c steff

Member
Apr 18, 2019
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I am returning the P840 card as there are no cables to work direct with u.2 drives, needs a cage or a hp server

I got a lsi 9341-8i card and waiting for the cable so I can test the ssds and raid

*edit: cable received and both 15tb ssds work perfect with 9341 in raid 1 what I want
 
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c steff

Member
Apr 18, 2019
49
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just thought I disassembly one of the SSDs, as I am building a small fanless server and want to fix the SSDs to the case which acts as a giant aluminium cooling heatsink so wanted to see which side the chips are but looks like I will have to mod something for both sides, see below photos in case anyone was wondering what's inside etc

IMG_20190504_1558339_resize.jpg IMG_20190504_1558397_resize.jpg IMG_20190504_1558459_resize.jpg IMG_20190504_1558556_resize.jpg
 

arglebargle

H̸̖̅ȩ̸̐l̷̦͋l̴̰̈ỏ̶̱ ̸̢͋W̵͖̌ò̴͚r̴͇̀l̵̼͗d̷͕̈
Jul 15, 2018
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I am returning the P840 card as there are no cables to work direct with u.2 drives, needs a cage or a hp server
I got a lsi 9341-8i card and waiting for the cable so I can test the ssds and raid
I'm super curious about NVMe over SAS3 real-world results, please post when you get things running.
 

c steff

Member
Apr 18, 2019
49
7
8
I'm super curious about NVMe over SAS3 real-world results, please post when you get things running.
Samsung PM1643 is SAS only not NVMe

I do have HGST 7TB NVMe as per my other thread but no raid/controller card to test with but I have pcie and m.2 nvme adapters that work fine with these SSDs
 

arglebargle

H̸̖̅ȩ̸̐l̷̦͋l̴̰̈ỏ̶̱ ̸̢͋W̵͖̌ò̴͚r̴͇̀l̵̼͗d̷͕̈
Jul 15, 2018
657
244
43
just thought I disassembly one of the SSDs, as I am building a small fanless server and want to fix the SSDs to the case which acts as a giant aluminium cooling heatsink so wanted to see which side the chips are but looks like I will have to mod something for both sides, see below photos in case anyone was wondering what's inside etc

View attachment 11136 View attachment 11137 View attachment 11138 View attachment 11139
What about retaining one side of the drive and using the case as a heatsink for the other?

Samsung PM1643 is SAS only not NVMe

I do have HGST 7TB NVMe as per my other thread but no raid/controller card to test with but I have pcie and m.2 nvme adapters that work fine with these SSDs
Oh, my bad, NVMe over SAS is a thing with tri-mode adapters now, the LSI I've been eyeing offers a SAS3 to NVMe cable for two U.2 drives per 4x SAS3 port. It looks like a great way to consolidate drive interfaces and continue to use existing SAS bandwidth while transitioning to NVMe exclusively. The crap thing is that the 2x U.2 to SAS cable is like $100-150 by itself.

So yeah, with a new enough LSI tri-mode adapter you could run all of those drives on one interface, but you're going to spend out the nose for the NVMe to SAS cable.
 
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