Waveshare PCIe to M.2: NVMe SSD for Raspberry Pi 5

Raspberry Pi 5 introduced PCIe, and Waveshare PCIe to M.2 adapters let you add NVMe SSD storage for 5-10x faster disk performance.

Why NVMe on Pi 5?

microSD maxes out at ~45 MB/s. NVMe SSDs deliver 400-800 MB/s on Pi 5’s PCIe 2.0 x1 bus. Boot times drop from 30+ seconds to under 10.

Adapter Variants

Waveshare offers multiple adapters for different needs:

• Basic adapter: PCIe FPC to M.2 M-key, supports 2230/2242
• Adapter (D): Supports 2280 full-size SSDs
• Adapter (E) with fan: Active cooling for sustained workloads
• PoE combo: NVMe + PoE in one HAT
• 2-channel: Dual M.2 slots for RAID or dual storage
• 4-channel: Four M.2 slots for NAS builds

Setup

1. Connect PCIe FPC cable from Pi 5 to adapter board.
2. Insert M.2 NVMe SSD into the adapter’s M-key slot.
3. Secure with the provided screw.
4. Power on — the SSD should be detected: lsblk

Boot from NVMe

# Flash OS to NVMe using Raspberry Pi Imager
# Then set boot order:
sudo raspi-config  # Advanced Options > Boot Order > NVMe/USB Boot
# Or edit EEPROM:
sudo rpi-eeprom-config --edit
# Set BOOT_ORDER=0xf461  (NVMe first, then SD, then USB)

Benchmarks

Adapter Comparison

Basic: cheapest, 2230/2242 only. D: supports 2280 (most common desktop SSDs). E: with fan for sustained write loads. PoE: combined power + storage for network deployments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which SSD size?

2230 is most compact. 2242 is common. 2280 has the most options and best value.

PCIe Gen 3 SSD on Pi 5?

Works but runs at Gen 2 speeds (Pi 5 limit). No need to buy expensive Gen 4/5 SSDs.

Can I keep microSD too?

Yes. Boot from NVMe, keep microSD as backup or extra storage.

SSD thermal throttling?

Budget SSDs can throttle under sustained writes. The adapter (E) with fan prevents this.

Conclusion

NVMe on Pi 5 is a game-changer. Waveshare’s range of adapters — from basic to PoE combo — covers every deployment scenario.

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