ApexStorage combines a total of 21 M.2 SSDs into a huge and fast mass storage device with up to 168 TB and internal 100 GB/s. This is the Apex Storage X21 adapter card for the PCIe x16 slot, which is also reminiscent of a graphics card when it comes to the power supply.
Most M.2 adapter cards accommodate four and some even eight SSDs. The Kickstarter project Storage Scaler has already doubled this to 16 M.2 SSDs. But this was apparently not enough for the two initiators Mike Spicer and Henry Hill. Now they are back with their own company “Apex Storage” and a new project.
Apex Storage X21
The new adapter takes it to the extreme, because instead of 16, now Up to 21 M.2 SSDs are supported, hence the product name Apex Storage X21. If the storage scaler managed with one circuit board populated on both sides, the maximum version now has two.
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Apex Storage X21 (Image: Apex Storage)
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Apex Storage X21 (image: Apex Storage)
In the 21 M.2 slots should each accommodate an M.2 SSD with up to 8 TB, so that the maximum configuration means a whopping 168 TB of storage space. With future 16 TB SSDs, 336 TB per sandwich card would also be conceivable, according to the website.
With PCIe 4.0 x16 as the adapter card interface, a maximum of around 32 GB/s (gross) is possible. The interface could therefore be almost exhausted with a quartet of fast PCIe 4.0 SSDs in a RAID 0 array.
The adapter itself should, however, with the built-in PCIe switch have over 100 PCIe lanes and, in the version with two boards, achieve 107 GB/s and 20 million IOPS within the data carrier. If the variant with only one board is used, the maximum is 30.5 GB/s and 7.5 million IOPS.
Power supply
A single one is enough to supply up to 21 M.2 SSDs with power PCIe slot not. Therefore, the adapter also has two 6-pin sockets for PCIe connectors, as known from graphics cards. That would theoretically increase the maximum power consumption to 225 watts.
While the PCIe switch has a heat sink, the SSDs themselves are bare. The manufacturer therefore recommends a certain air flow in the housing.
Areas of application
For the The adapter is not intended for normal consumers. Rather, commercial use, for example in the area of machine learning, should be given an alternative to classic flash arrays that require more space.
According to the manufacturer, all Linux variants as well as Windows 10 and Windows 11 supported.