PCIe to quad nvme drive cards?

Computer Hardware & Server Infrastructure Builds
1

I’m thinking about how my lab is built and thinking about going smaller and more quiet. Has anyone used a low profile quad nvme PCIe card they can recommend? Most of the ones I’m seeing require the ability to “bifurcate” the PCIe slot into 4x4 lanes so each drive gets 4 lanes and no bridge controller is required.

Goal would be to run a small Truenas on a small thin client like device. Going to check my HP T740 to see if I can bifurcate the slot because this would be an ideal nas for this need (yes only gigabit but that’s OK). I might then populate the XCP-NG pool with either more T740 or some other small and low power devices ( I have 2 of the t740 now).

If I can’t bifurcate the slot, does anyone have any suggestions on PCIe to quad nvme that has a bridge chip that will expose all the drives to Truenas? I guess I could just run one big drive and call it good and not worry about the “raid” options since it is a lab. Maybe I’ll think about that too, the T740 has an NVME and a SATA port built in, plus a short wifi/bt port that I might be able to use for a drive too or another wired NIC.

Mostly still thinking out loud and looking for ideas, bare t740 are going for around $130 with power supply, so that’s my starting place (and as I said, I have 2 of then now).

2

I’m interested in what you learn. I’m on the fence if I should buy a Synology or build a TrueNas system. I have an R710 but it never made since to fire it up. I have several older Dell 7010’s and one 3040. All SFF which if I can get them to utilize a PCIE m.2 might make a cool NAS.

3

There are a couple neat ones for the Raspberry Pi5, but not finding much for full size PCIe slots. For full size PCIe all I’m really finding is the bifurcation type. It’s hit a back burner stage for now.