A little oddity spotted online with a PCIe adapter that integrates two M.2 slots. This thing is called Platypus, a name you’ll easily agree is a bit of a mouthful. However, this “thing” is of interest in the case of compact configurations mounted with a low-profile graphics card that doesn’t exploit all the PCIe lines in its slot, like a low-profile RTX 4060/5060 for example.
Platypus: add M.2 slots to your configuration!
A very situational adapter all the same!
As you can see, this adapter is positioned between the graphics card and the motherboard. It features two M.2 slots for mounting two SSDs up to 22110, all in PCIe x4. To operate, this adapter exploits PCIe bifurcation, a feature not present on all motherboards. This restricts its field of use to mid-range/high-end configurations.
In addition, this adapter is primarily intended for low-profile graphics cards with half-height PCBs. When in use, the whole unit, together with the graphics card, displays a standard height.
Add storage to an ITX configuration!
In absolute terms, we’re dealing with a very situational product that’s geared towards compact ITX-type configurations. This set enables the use of two additional SSDs, one on each side. This can be interesting if you want to mount a home NAS in a small enclosure that doesn’t necessarily have many storage slots.
The other advantage of this type of solution is that costs are affordable. The Platypus costs $24. However, this is not the only adapter on offer in this segment. On Amazon France, we have a RIITOP model based on the same principle. The only drawback: the bill soars to €49.76.
