MSI using its AERO graphics card coolers for PCIe Gen5 M.2 SSD adapters

The company presents a new expansion card for the fastest SSDs.

The M.2 XPANDER-AERO SLIDER is a new product showcased at Computex. The card may look like a graphics card, and even uses a cooler similar to MSI’s entry-level graphics under the AERO brand, but this PCIe card is not for graphics.

Instead, the card is an expansion card with support for M.2 PCIe Gen5 SSDs. It can hold up to two SSDs in the 22100 form factor, and what’s interesting is that it supports hot-swapping. This means users can remove either SSD at any time if necessary.

M.2 XPANDER AERO SLIDER GEN5, Source: 3DNews/WindowsCentral

The AERO fan design provides optimal cooling for NVMe SSDs. It supports two options: either stopping the fans manually if using SSDs that may not require active cooling, or an automatic mode when M.2 SSDs are removed.

MSI also mentions that it supports 4x M.2 easy access LEDs, although it is unclear what MSI means by that. It sounds like a status LED that will inform users of correct installation. Interestingly, it features one 6-pin power connector, although technically speaking, the PCIe slot is more than enough to support two SSDs, even of Gen5 technology.

M.2 XPANDER AERO SLIDER GEN5, Source: 3DNews/WindowsCentral

MSI AERO Graphics Cards (RTX4060, RX6400, RTX3060),Source: MSI

The product should not be confused with the M.2 XPANDER-Z GEN5, which is an adapter supplied with MSI MEG AMD X670E boards. That product also expands support by adding two additional M.2 interfaces at the cost of one PCIe Gen5 interface. However, the XPANDER-Z GEN5 features a single-slot design.

M.2 XPANDER-Z GEN5 Dual,Source: MSI

MSI is said to be launching the new card in a few months. One might wonder if this means it will be added as an accessory for AMD X870E and Intel Z890 motherboards.

Source: MSI via Hardware&Co