Axagon PCEM2-S PCIe x16 - M.2 NVMe M-key slot adapter, w. passive alu heatsink

The Axagon PCEM2-S internal adapter lets you install an M.2 NVMe (PCI‑Express) SSD into a desktop PC via a PCI‑Express slot. It is a compact, low‑profile card with passive aluminum cooling, designed for systems that lack a native M.2 slot and supporting single‑ and double‑sided M.2 SSDs up to size 22x80 mm (2280).

Advantages

The adapter supports PCI‑Express 3.0 x4 bandwidth (up to 8 GB/s two‑way), plug‑and‑play operation and booting from the installed NVMe drive without additional drivers. Its aluminum cover, plated vents and supplied thermally conductive pads improve heat dissipation for stable SSD performance. No external power supply is required — the card is powered directly from the PCIe slot.

Suitable for

• Upgrading a desktop PC that has no M.2 slot
• Adding high‑speed NVMe storage to older motherboards with PCIe slots
• Compact or low‑profile builds where space is limited

Key specifications

• Host interface: PCI‑Express 3.0 (backward compatible with PCIe 1.0a/1.1/2.0/2.1), 4 lanes (x4)
• Maximum bandwidth: up to 8 GB/s (two‑way) on PCIe 3.0 x4
• Output: NGFF 75‑pin M‑key slot for NVMe (PCI‑Express) M.2 SSDs
• Supported M.2 sizes: 2230 / 2242 / 2260 / 2280 (single‑ and double‑sided)
• Supported keys: M‑key and B+M‑key NVMe drives (no capacity limit)
• Cooling: aluminum cover, plated vents and 3 thermally conductive pads
• Dimensions: 102 x 43 x 8 mm; Weight: 43 g
• Power: powered from PCIe slot; no external power needed
• Operating systems: Windows 7/8/8.1/10, Windows Server 2012/2016, Linux kernel 2.6.31+

How to use

Install the Axagon PCEM2-S into an available PCIe x16 slot (the adapter uses four PCIe lanes) on the motherboard. Mount an M.2 NVMe SSD (size up to 2280) into the M‑key slot, secure it with the supplied mounting hardware and attach the aluminum cover with the thermal pads for improved cooling. After installation the system should detect the drive automatically; no driver installation is required for supported operating systems. For Windows 7, verify M.2 SSD compatibility with the SSD manufacturer.

Recommendations

Use the included thermally conductive pads and ensure good airflow inside the case to maximize heat dissipation. Confirm that the chosen PCIe slot provides at least x4 lanes for optimal NVMe performance. When using older operating systems such as Windows 7, check SSD vendor support before deployment.