The X1016 is a PCIe 3.0 to four-slot M.2 NVMe SSD shield, offering a high-capacity, high-speed storage solution for your Raspberry Pi 5. It enables seamless expansion of storage capabilities, making it ideal for demanding applications that require both performance and reliability. Its sleek and compact design allows for the easy attachment of four full-size M.2 2280 SSDs. With the ASM2806 PCIe 3.1 Packet Switch, you can achieve data transfer rates of up to 8Gbps, enabling the rapid transfer of large amounts of data.

The X1016 attaches seamlessly to the underside of the Raspberry Pi 5, eliminating the need for a GPIO passthrough and ensuring compatibility with your favorite HATs. It features a versatile wide-input power supply via a standard DC jack and incorporates high-efficiency DC/DC step-down converters. This design allows you to power both your Raspberry Pi 5 and PCIe devices simultaneously, streamlining your setup with a single power source.

The X1016 is an ideal storage solution for creating a home media center or building a network-attached storage (NAS) system. It allows you to store and stream your videos, music, and digital photos within your home or remotely across the world. Furthermore, it supports operating system booting from your SSD, resulting in faster application launches, web serving, and file copying.

Compatible With
- Raspberry Pi 5B

- Optimal storage solution designed specifically for Raspberry Pi 5 - PCIe3.1 to 4 M.2 NVMe Shield
- Supports a total of 16TB storage capacity (4TB x4) with M.2 NVMe solid-state drives
- Accommodates various M.2 NVMe SSD form factors, including 2280, 2242 and 2230

- Features an integrated high-performance PCIe3.0 packet switch
- Provides speedy data transfer with PCIe 3.0 8Gbps and super-fast boot
- LED indicators in blue display power and drive status

- Supports operating input range of 9V to 17V
- Equipped with high-efficiency DC/DC step-down converter, delivering a maximum of 12A to power your SSDs

- Supports powering via DC power jack, ensuring sufficient power supply without any worries
- Designed to be attached on bottom, allows using your favorite HATs alongside it
- Compatible with the HAT+ STANDBY power state, automatically turning off when the Pi 5 shuts down.

- Compatible with the official active cooler without affecting cooling performance 

* NVMe SSD Incompatibility list on the bottom of the page.

Test Conditions

-System board details: Raspberry Pi 5 Model B Rev 1.0 , 4G RAM

-Interface board details: X1016 v1.0 NVMe dual SSD Shield

-Operation system: Raspberry Pi OS with desktop (Debian12 (bookworm), 64bit, Release date: Jan 27, 2025)

-Storage details: Colorful CN600 120G, WD Blue SN570 500G, Netec N930E 120G, Silicon Power P34A60 120GB 

Performance Comparison: PCIe2.0 vs. PCIe3.1

Testing the SSD speed from command line with dd

1) To test the write speed, writing 1 GB of data in 10 blocks of 100 MB.

2) To test the read speed, use dd to read our entire TestingFile file generated from the last command, in 10 blocks of 100 MB each.

Testing disk drive read speed with hdparm

-  X1016 V1.1 M.2 NVMe 4 SSD shield x1