NVMe SSDs are much faster compared to SATA SSDs.
This is the reason a faster interface was required.
A HAT+ (Hardware Attached on Top Plus) is an enhanced version of the standard HAT.
Raspberry Pi Foundation
TheRaspberry Pi M.2 HAT+can supply up to 3 amps of current to connected peripherals.
It also has the power and activity LEDs.
The FFC supplies the power to the board and also transfers the data.
Raspberry Pi Foundation
There is no need to power the board separately.
The FFC is included along with the M.2 HAT+.
it’s possible for you to plug inNVMe drives (M-key edge connector) into M.2 slot.
Raspberry Pi Foundation
How Fast Is the M.2 NVMe on a Raspberry Pi 5?
The Raspberry Pi 5 uses RP1, a new controller chip that handles I/O.
It offers more bandwidth and speeds up peripheral throughput.
The M.2 NVMe Can Perform Even Faster
Even budget NVMe drives easily do 3 GB/s.
The number of hardware lanes cannot be increased.
This is done with a setting inside the config file.
This should start your Pi 5’s PCIe in Gen 3 mode.
How much speed will the Pi 5 gain?
More than double, and it will do in excess of 800 MB/s now.
Just a word of caution: Gen 3 is not officially supported yet.
Can You Boot the Pi 5 With an M.2 NVMe SSD?
But it’s crucial that you plant the OS first.
To plant the OS on a microSD card, you will use a card reader.
To implement the OS on an NVMe drive, you need aUSB to M.2 adapter.
However, this accessory is not very popular.
you’re free to do without it, especially if you do not load the OS frequently.
The trick is to first install Raspberry Pi OS on a microSD card.
Boot from it, and then drop in the OS on the NVMe drive using aRaspberry Pi Imager.
Once done, remove the microSD card, and the Pi 5 should boot from the NVMe SSD.
NVMe Speeds on a Raspberry Pi
Standards introduced by Raspberry Pi often become industry benchmarks.
But, the delayed launch of the M.2 HAT+ has spurred third-party developments, likePimoroni’s NVMe Base.
The M.2 HAT+ is designed to be mounted over the Pi 5 using 16mm standoffs.
This design looks compact, but there is just enough space to house the official Pi 5 cooler.
Without a cooler, the Pi 5 will throttle in under a minute when the processor is maxed out.
The Pi 5 has a much-improved processor compared to the previous generation of Pis.
Go for it; at $12, it is worth every bit.
