"SATA Function" of SATA-Express port, vs what other function?

[Morgon]

The manual of my ASRock Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac says the following of the SATA-Express port:

"If M2_1 is occupied by a SATA-type M.2 device, SATA3_0, SATA3_1 and the SATA function of SATA_EXP0 will be disabled."

Does this mean this/these port(s) still have some use even with an M.2 drive installed?
(Edit: Although now that I think about it, the Samsung 960 PRO isn't a "SATA-type" M.2 device, it's a PCIe device. I wonder if this means I can still use a more powerful SATA-Express drive..? So confused)

 

[acquacow]

Sata express drives don't really exist. They were going to, but then the m.2 pci-e stuff kicked it all in the nuts.

Your sata express ports are just extra sata ports now for all you need to care about.

 

[Absalom]

SATA express (effectively SATA 3.2) can support both SATA and PCI Express storage devices. It effectively combines the backwards compatability of SATA (when necessary) while favoring much faster PCI Express (NVME) devices.

The problem is that PCI Express storage devices are 1) esoteric and 2) more geared towards enterprise solutions. M.2 form factor is just so popular with the consumer market right now, that SATA Express only seems useful where M.2 isn't an option (i.e. external enclosures).

SATA express isn't nearly as esoteric as U.2. If you start looking into external closures for SSDs, you'll want to favor one that supports SATA express, simply because transfers over PCI Express are almost always going to be faster than even USB 3.1.

Does this mean this/these port(s) still have some use even with an M.2 drive installed?

One would assume based on the wording that PCI Express functionality is still viable. I've seen the wording in manuals a myriad of times over the past 18 months. I honestly don't know if that holds true.

I wonder if this means I can still use a more powerful SATA-Express drive..?

Only way to find out would be to get one of those SATA express enclosures and test it.

Probably simpler (& easier) to just email the motherboard manufacturer for confirmation.

 

[Aluminum]

The sata express port can be used to route x2 pci express lanes, not just to a storage device. The only reason I know this works for sure is there are some USB 3.1 front bay adapters that leverage this with controller chip.

I'm surprised that some new 200-series boards are still shipping with the ports, but it must be really cheap to implement or something.

Sata express is dead jim.

U.2 aka 8639 is not obscure or dead at all, just very enterprise. Every major server vendor is shipping systems with pci backplanes, if you see 2.5" cages (usually 4 or more) with nvme drives this is likely how they connect them to the motherboard or riser card.

 

[lucidrenegade]

The sata express port can be used to route x2 pci express lanes, not just to a storage device. The only reason I know this works for sure is there are some USB 3.1 front bay adapters that leverage this with controller chip.

I'm surprised that some new 200-series boards are still shipping with the ports, but it must be really cheap to implement or something.

Sata express is dead jim.

U.2 aka 8639 is not obscure or dead at all, just very enterprise. Every major server vendor is shipping systems with pci backplanes, if you see 2.5" cages (usually 4 or more) with nvme drives this is likely how they connect them to the motherboard or riser card.

I have no idea why Gigabyte is still hellbent on including SATA Express ports.

 

[Morgon]

FWIW, in case anyone else has this question - when rebuilding things after getting new fans, I plugged my ODD and SSD into SATA3_0 and SATA3_1 to test, and it worked just fine. So the operative word from the original wording is "SATA-type" M.2 device; Samsungs are 'PCIe-type' M.2 devices.

 

[Dan_D]

Sata express drives don't really exist. They were going to, but then the m.2 pci-e stuff kicked it all in the nuts.

Your sata express ports are just extra sata ports now for all you need to care about.

This is it exactly.