Wiring and power consumption are blocking issues of course, but additionally M.2 only supplies 3.3V, while the SATA power connector provides 12V and 5V, which most devices with those connectors are going to need.
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I'm having a hard time selecting the right cable. So most of the adapters look like this :
(disregard wrong Molex pinout, it's usually SATA power connector there)
Ideally I'd get something like this, but for a single U.2 obviously:
I've also found this, but it looks like 3.3V is made by this tiny onboard regulator and it doesn't look very reliable:
In my case I only have a single Molex power connector available on the motherboard and I'd like to avoid using Molex -> SATA if I can; for example with the latest adapter I can just cut off this SATA connector and crimp a Molex there.
Another problem is that I won't have much space in the case (ca. 5 cm) around the U.2 connector, so I'd like to avoid bending the cable too much. Adapters provide a way to just plug Mini SAS HD SFF-8043, and those are easily bent (and there angled ones) comparing to U.2 one.
Do you have any suggestions?
(disregard wrong Molex pinout, it's usually SATA power connector there)
Ideally I'd get something like this, but for a single U.2 obviously:
I've also found this, but it looks like 3.3V is made by this tiny onboard regulator and it doesn't look very reliable:
In my case I only have a single Molex power connector available on the motherboard and I'd like to avoid using Molex -> SATA if I can; for example with the latest adapter I can just cut off this SATA connector and crimp a Molex there.
Another problem is that I won't have much space in the case (ca. 5 cm) around the U.2 connector, so I'd like to avoid bending the cable too much. Adapters provide a way to just plug Mini SAS HD SFF-8043, and those are easily bent (and there angled ones) comparing to U.2 one.
Do you have any suggestions?
A U.2-NVMe device (which is how this Viking cutie is expecting to be treated) only requires 12v. (All 3.3v etc. needed internally, and supplied externally [4x M.2], will be derived from that.)
Your real focus should be assuring decent airflow (top and bottom), so a vertical placement might be preferred.
Thanks, that is good to know. I'm planning to put Viking in the 3.5" slot (essentially acting as a rectangular pipe) and cool it with 2x20mm fans on full speed; I think it should work. Currently I'm waiting for all parts to arrive but I'll post it here once I assemble it all together.
Okay, check this out. 2.5" to 3.5" Goobay adapter, couple of M3 standoffs and two MOSFET heatsinks I had lying around (cut from old PSU board) which happen to be exactly 20mm in size, so fans fit very tightly. I will swap fans for Noctuas but you can get a general idea. And yes, apart from the bolt height (need to take shorter standoffs or use another bolt heads), this fits in 3.5" RDX drive slot perfectly. I also plan to put heatsinks on the drives for the ultimate cooling experience 
It may not be obvious from the pictures, but standoffs are screwed directly in the Viking, as it has both horizontal and vertical mounting holes on its corners. I've also tried M2 standoffs because there are threads for them, but it didn't provide a stable mount; M3 worked perfectly.
It may not be obvious from the pictures, but standoffs are screwed directly in the Viking, as it has both horizontal and vertical mounting holes on its corners. I've also tried M2 standoffs because there are threads for them, but it didn't provide a stable mount; M3 worked perfectly.
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That seemed wrong to me so I checked the drives I dont have installed. All intel (so maybe specific to them) but both my Optane U.2 and intel DC U.2 specify 12v AND 3.3v on the label. However the 3.3 is in the 10mA or less, so a small 3.3v regulator *should* be fine. Going the other way, 3.3v from a m.2 slot to 12v (even from 5V honestly) would be fairly bad however
Finally Noctua fans are here. I've had a revelation that if I drill holes in a a side of these brackets, I could just mount them to an adapter, and so I did. I've also applied duct tape to make it smooth, and added heatsinks for the SSDs.
Mounting in the case is not perfect (I'm off by 1mm lol), and for that I'd had to make a cut in both brackets so they can slide onto the adapter and go underneath it (currently they sit on top)... but I think it's good enough. Most importantly, it fits inside of an empty RDX drive slot of my Fujitsu Primergy 1320 M4
I will also add a temp sensor since I have a spare fan controller I can use. I'm very curious to get the temps under load.
Mounting in the case is not perfect (I'm off by 1mm lol), and for that I'd had to make a cut in both brackets so they can slide onto the adapter and go underneath it (currently they sit on top)... but I think it's good enough. Most importantly, it fits inside of an empty RDX drive slot of my Fujitsu Primergy 1320 M4
I will also add a temp sensor since I have a spare fan controller I can use. I'm very curious to get the temps under load.
