This SSD is Faster Than Your RAM - Apex Storage X21
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Description
Looking for a reliable mobile provider that won't break the bank? Meet Tello Mobile! With Tello, you get top-notch coverage, no contracts, and fully customizable phone plans that fit your needs. Switch to Tello now and get 50% OFF any plan above $10 until May 16th at tello.com The Apex Storage X21 is an absolutely wild AIC that allows you to connect twenty one SSDs to a single PCIe slot... and it is very fast. Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com Thanks again to Sabrent for sending us all those SSDs! Check them out at sabrent.com
Promos
Check out the Apex Storage X21 NVMe AIC: lmg.gg Buy a Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 8TB NVMe M.2 SSD: geni.us Buy a Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 AIC Adaptor: geni.us Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group. ► GET MERCH: lttstore.com ► LTX 2023 TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW: lmg.gg ► GET EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ON FLOATPLANE: lmg.gg ► SPONSORS, AFFILIATES, AND PARTNERS: lmg.gg ► EQUIPMENT WE USE TO FILM LTT: lmg.gg ► OUR WAN PODCAST GEAR: lmg.gg FOLLOW US --------------------------------------------------- Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: @LinusTech Instagram: @linustech TikTok: @linustech Twitch: twitch.tv MUSIC CREDIT --------------------------------------------------- Intro: Laszlo - Supernova Video Link: youtube.com iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com Artist Link: soundcloud.com Outro: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High Video Link: youtube.com Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi Artist Link: youtube.com Intro animation by MBarek Abdelwassaa @mbarek_abdel Monitor And Keyboard by vadimmihalkevich / CC BY 4.0 geni.us Mechanical RGB Keyboard by BigBrotherECE / CC BY 4.0 geni.us Mouse Gamer free Model By Oscar Creativo / CC BY 4.0 geni.us CHAPTERS --------------------------------------------------- 0:00 - It's cram packed full of M.2 slots! 0:49 - Tello! 1:05 - What is the X21? 4:00 - Popping the heatsink 5:48 - A Single SSD 8:35 - Hot swap? 9:27 - 21 SSDs 16:52 - Linux! 19:51 - Real use cases 21:19 - Tello! 22:27 - Outro
The video opens by setting up an extreme hardware showcase that questions how many SSDs you actually need in a computer. The hosts introduce the Apex Storage X21, a PCIe x16 carrier that can host 21 M.2 drives, each populated with high capacity Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus SSDs. They emphasize the sheer scale of the setup, noting 168 terabytes of storage and a design that promises extreme throughput. The host explains the core concept: bifurcating a single PCIe slot to feed multiple drives, a notable capability of the X21 that enables parallel access to many SSDs. They also tease the possibility of hot swapping drives on the board, a feature they decide to test despite some skepticism. The segment reviews the physical layout, power considerations, and the on-board switches that manage multiple drives, highlighting that this is not a typical consumer build but a targeted, high-density storage solution. They acknowledge the premium nature of the hardware and set expectations for both performance and cost, which foreshadow the test results and real-world use cases to come.
Topics · technology · hardware · storage · enterprise · data center
Questions answered
- What is the Apex Storage X21 and how does it expand PCIe bandwidth to multiple SSDs?
- The X21 is a PCIe gen 4 x16 carrier that bifurcates the single slot into multiple high-speed links, allowing 21 M.2 drives to operate in parallel by distributing the slot’s lanes to attached drives.
- Can the drives on the X21 be hot swapped while the system is running?
- According to the on-board controller design, hot swapping is claimed but is tested with caution; the presenters express reluctance and proceed carefully to verify behavior without normal operating practice. The safe stance is to avoid hot swapping in practice without proper procedure and testing.
- What are the practical use cases for such a high-density storage card?
- Use cases include enterprise data centers, high-performance databases, digital forensics, video editing for large 4K/8K workloads, AI data sets, and other scenarios demanding massive IOPS and bandwidth from many drives in parallel.