Lekuo PCIe x16 to 4x M.2 NVMe Adapter | PCIe Switch | No Bifurcation Required

Product Specifications

Product Description

Driver Download

Document Download

Q&A

Brand

Lekuo

Product Name

PCIe 4.0 ×8 to 4× M.2 NVMe Expansion Card (Requires ×16 Slot)

Model

PX24M41

Host Interface

PCI Express 4.0 ×16 (electrical: ×8)

Device Interfaces

4 × M.2 M-Key (NVMe PCIe only)

Supported M.2 Lengths

2280 (compatible with 2260, 2242,2230)

Supported Protocol

NVMe 1.3 / 1.4

Bandwidth Allocation

Dynamically shared, up to ~16 GB/s total (PCIe 4.0 ×8)

Operating Temperature

0°C to 70°C

Supported Operating Systems

Windows, Linux, macOS

Dimensions

203.7 mm × 110.8 mm

Weight

Net: 360 g / Gross: 500 g

Package Contents

1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 to 4x M.2 NVMe Adapter Card, 1 x User Manual, 1 x Screwdriver, 4 x Mounting Pins, 4 x Thermal Silicone Pads / Thermal Pads, 10 x Mounting Screws

Lekuo PX24M41:PCIe 4.0 x16 to 4x M.2 NVMe Adapter (PCIe Switch, No Bifurcation Required)

Universal Compatibility - Works with ANY Motherboard

The Lekuo PX24M41 PCIe 4.0 x16 to 4x M.2 NVMe Adapter eliminates the need for motherboard bifurcation support. Featuring an integrated PCIe Switch chipset, this expansion card provides four fully independent M.2 NVMe slots that are automatically recognized by the operating system - no BIOS configuration required.

High-Performance PCIe 4.0 Connectivity

Utilizes PCIe 4.0 x8 electrical interface (requires x16 physical slot) to deliver up to 16 GB/s aggregate bandwidth across four M.2 NVMe SSDs. Each SSD operates independently with concurrent read/write access, making it ideal for high-throughput applications such as video editing, large database operations, and virtualization workloads.

Flexible M.2 Form Factor Support

Accommodates M.2 NVMe SSDs in 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 lengths. Adjustable mounting positions with included screws and thermal pads ensure secure installation and optimal heat dissipation for drives of any length.

Advanced Thermal Management

Equipped with a precision-machined aluminum heatsink and four self-adhesive thermal pads to effectively dissipate heat generated during sustained high-speed data transfers. Maintains stable performance even under continuous heavy loads.

Plug-and-Play Installation

Fully compatible with Windows 10/11, Linux (Kernel 4.6.4+), and macOS. No drivers required - simply insert the card into an available PCIe x16 slot, mount your M.2 SSDs, and start using them immediately.

Complete Package Contents

1 x Lekuo PX24M41 Adapter Card
1 x User Manual
1 x Screwdriver
4 x Mounting Pins
4 x Self-Adhesive Thermal Pads
10 x Mounting Screws

Ideal Use Cases

Server Storage Expansion - Add four NVMe drives for high-speed storage arrays
Workstation Performance Boost - Accelerate video editing, 3D rendering, and data analysis
NAS/Home Server - Expand storage capacity with multiple NVMe SSDs
Software RAID - Configure RAID 0/1/5/10 for redundancy or performance
Virtualization Environments - Dedicated storage for multiple VMs
Content Creation Studios - Fast scratch disks for 4K/8K video workflows

Built for Reliability

72-Hour Continuous Stress Testing before shipment
1-Year Limited Warranty with responsive technical support
Operating Temperature: 0 degrees C to 70 degrees C
Dimensions: 203.7 mm x 110.8 mm

Technical Specifications

Host Interface: PCIe 4.0 x16 physical slot (x8 electrical)
Device Interfaces: 4 x M.2 M-Key (NVMe PCIe only, SATA M.2 NOT supported)
Supported Protocols: NVMe 1.3 / 1.4
Bandwidth: Up to 16 GB/s total (dynamically shared)
Backward Compatibility: PCIe 4.0 / 3.1 / 3.0 / 2.0 motherboards
Form Factors: 2230 / 2242 / 2260 / 2280
OS Support: Windows, Linux, macOS
Power: Powered via PCIe slot (no external power required)

Important Notes

Requires a PCIe x16 physical slot (most modern motherboards have at least one)
Total bandwidth is dynamically shared among all four SSDs
Does NOT support SATA M.2 drives - NVMe protocol only
Some motherboards may require disabling onboard M.2 slots to avoid resource conflicts

Related Downloads

1. Datasheet_PX24M41

Download

Q What is the physical interface and actual bandwidth of the PX24M41?

A The card uses a standard PCIe x16 full‑length slot physical form factor, but the electrical interface is PCIe 4.0 x8, providing 128Gbps (approx. 15.7GB/s) of bidirectional theoretical bandwidth. The x16 gold‑finger design is purely for mechanical compatibility and ease of insertion.

Q What is the core function of the onboard IX8024 Switch chip?

A The IX8024 is a low‑power PCIe 4.0 switch chip that dynamically allocates 8 PCIe 4.0 lanes to 4 downstream x4 ports. Most importantly, it does not require motherboard BIOS support for Bifurcation – it is plug‑and‑play with all PCIe 4.0‑capable motherboards. This completely solves the problem of consumer motherboards that do not support x8‑to‑4x4 splitting, allowing older boards to easily expand with 4 NVMe SSDs.

Q What NVMe SSD form factors are supported? Is it compatible with PCIe 3.0 SSDs?

A It supports 4 M.2 NVMe SSDs (Key M interface), compatible with 2230/2242/2260/2280 lengths. It is backward compatible with PCIe 3.0 x4 SSDs, with speeds automatically negotiating down to PCIe 3.0 x4 (approx. 3.9GB/s). SATA SSDs and U.2/U.3 devices are not supported.

Q What is the single‑drive and multi‑drive concurrent performance like?

A Single‑drive sequential reads can reach 7000MB/s+ (depending on SSD model). With 4 drives concurrent, the aggregate bandwidth stabilises at 12‑13GB/s, approaching the theoretical PCIe 4.0 x8 limit. The IX8024's intelligent arbitration ensures latency jitter under 5% during multi‑drive contention, outperforming software RAID or HBA solutions.

Q What is the purpose of the large aluminium heatsink?

A The heatsink is CNC‑machined from a solid block of aluminium, covering both the IX8024 chip and the 4 SSD positions. High‑conductivity thermal pads rapidly transfer heat from the chip and SSDs to the heatsink, significantly improving passive cooling efficiency – even with the fan stopped, safe temperatures can be maintained for short periods.

Q How does the thermal design affect SSD lifespan?

A The excellent cooling keeps SSD operating temperatures safely below the 70°C threshold, preventing accelerated NAND aging and controller throttling caused by high temperatures. It also reduces thermal expansion/contraction stress, lowering the risk of solder joint fatigue.

Q Why is this card only compatible with 4U full‑height chassis and not 2U?

A The card uses a standard full‑height bracket (approx. 120mm), and the combined thickness of the heatsink and fan module exceeds the low‑profile bracket limit, making it unsuitable for the tight space of 2U rackmount servers. 4U and larger chassis, tower workstations, and full‑height desktops are all compatible. For 2U users, please consider our low‑profile version or U.2 adapter solutions.

Q What are the specific PCIe slot requirements for this card?

A The motherboard must have at least one PCIe 4.0 x8 or x16 physical slot (electrical x8 is sufficient). No motherboard Bifurcation support is needed – the IX8024 handles lane allocation independently. PCIe 3.0 x8/x16 slots can also be used, but speeds will drop to PCIe 3.0 x8 (64Gbps), halving the aggregate 4‑drive bandwidth.

Q Does it require additional power input?

A No external SATA/Molex power is needed. The PCIe x16 slot can deliver up to 75W – far more than the card's maximum power draw. However, we recommend using a power supply rated at ≥550W to avoid insufficient power when multiple cards and high‑end GPUs are used simultaneously.

Q Does it support RAID functionality?

A Hardware RAID is not provided, but it is fully compatible with software RAID solutions including Windows Storage Spaces, Linux mdadm/ZFS, and macOS Disk Utility. We recommend ZFS RAIDZ1/RAIDZ2 or Windows mirrored volumes, leveraging the IX8024's low latency for high‑performance software RAID with far greater flexibility than hardware RAID controllers.

Q Can it be used with virtualization platforms like ESXi or PVE?

A Fully supported. VMware ESXi 7.0+ and Proxmox VE can directly recognise the 4 independent NVMe SSDs, supporting passthrough to VMs or building vSAN/Ceph distributed storage. The IX8024 has excellent IOMMU compatibility, and latency after passthrough is virtually identical to bare‑metal, making it ideal for All‑in‑One virtualised storage nodes.

Q Who is this product best suited for?

A ① Legacy motherboard upgraders: No Bifurcation required – older Z370/X470 boards can add 4 PCIe 4.0 SSDs. ② Video editing workstations: 4‑drive concurrent 13GB/s for stutter‑free 8K RAW playback. ③ NAS/storage servers: Dense NVMe cache pool in 4U chassis with quiet fans. ④ AI training/deep learning: Parallel model loading with PCIe 4.0 x8 bandwidth to feed GPU data demands. ⑤ IT operations/test platforms: Quickly build multi‑drive test environments with Bifurcation‑free compatibility across various spare motherboards.