{"product_id":"dilinker-50cm-hd-mini-sassff-8643-to-u-2-sff-8639-nvme-ssd-cable","title":"DiLinKer MiniSAS HD (SFF-8643) to U.2 NVMe Cable, SFF-8639 68-Pin, 50cm, with SATA Power","description":"\u003cp\u003eA four-lane PCIe cable that takes the \u003cstrong\u003eSFF-8643\u003c\/strong\u003e port on your board or add-in card and turns it into a \u003cstrong\u003eU.2 (SFF-8639)\u003c\/strong\u003e drive connector, 50 cm away, with a SATA power tail to feed the drive. It carries PCIe lanes only — the physical connector is the same one SAS uses, but the wiring inside is not, and that distinction is the whole reason this page exists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat this cable actually does\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIt moves PCIe lanes, not SAS.\u003c\/strong\u003e SFF-8643 is a shell, not a protocol. On a motherboard, a riser or a PCIe switch card the four lanes behind that shell are PCIe; on an LSI RAID card or HBA they are SAS. This assembly is wired for the first case. Plug it into the second and the drive simply never appears — no error, no warning, no drive letter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe SATA tail is not optional in most builds.\u003c\/strong\u003e U.2 drives draw 3.3 V, 5 V and 12 V, and a 2.5″ U.2 SSD has no other power input. The 15-pin SATA tail on this cable is what feeds it. Chassis that supply power through a U.2 backplane do not need it, which is why the connector is there but detachable.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e50 cm is the short option.\u003c\/strong\u003e This length is for builds where the drive cage sits close to the slot: 1U and 2U chassis, M.2-to-U.2 riser cards, and tower builds with the SSD in a bay next to the board. If your routing has to travel — front cage to a rear slot, or around a full-length GPU — take the 75 cm version instead of stretching this one.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFour lanes, straight through.\u003c\/strong\u003e Lane 0 to lane 0 and so on, no split, no re-driver, nothing to configure. A Gen3 x4 link gives you roughly 3.9 GB\/s of usable bandwidth, which is the ceiling for any single U.2 drive on this cable; the drive model does not change that number.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConnector A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003eMiniSAS HD 4i, SFF-8643, 36-pin (plugs into the host port)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConnector B\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003eU.2 \/ SFF-8639, 68-pin (plugs into the SSD)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePower\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003eSATA 15-pin tail — 3.3 V \/ 5 V \/ 12 V\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLanes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003e4 (PCIe x4, straight 1:1 mapping)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLength\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003e50 cm end to end\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSignal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003ePCIe 3.0 x4 native; PCIe 4.0 where the host port and routing allow it\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProtocol\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003eNVMe over PCIe — no SAS, no SATA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSKU\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003eB07JH92TD9\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCompatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWorks with\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSFF-8643 ports on a motherboard, riser card or PCIe switch card that carry PCIe lanes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eM.2-to-U.2 add-in cards that expose an SFF-8643 output\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e2.5″ U.2 NVMe SSDs (SFF-8639), any capacity or vendor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGen3 and Gen4 platforms — the link negotiates to whatever both ends support\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes not work with\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLSI \/ Broadcom RAID controllers and HBAs.\u003c\/strong\u003e Their SFF-8643 ports carry SAS lanes. A U.2 SSD will not enumerate through this cable on those cards, and we have tested it — please do not buy this for a RAID card.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSAS or SATA drives — the 68-pin end is wired for PCIe, not for SAS signalling\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eU.2 backplanes: those present a socket, so you need a cable with two SFF-8643 plugs instead\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnything expecting a 12 Gb\/s SAS link — this is not that cable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTypical deployments\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWorkstation with an M.2 slot and no free PCIe slot.\u003c\/strong\u003e An M.2-to-U.2 riser converts the M.2 slot into an SFF-8643 output; this cable carries it the last 50 cm to a 2.5″ U.2 drive mounted in a bay.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eServer board with an onboard 8643 wired for NVMe.\u003c\/strong\u003e Some boards expose NVMe on SFF-8643 rather than on OCuLink or MCIO. Same cable, drive goes straight into the cage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBench and test rigs.\u003c\/strong\u003e Short, light and easy to re-route when you are swapping drives all day — the 50 cm length stays out of the way on an open frame.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWill this work with my LSI RAID card?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNo.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is the single most common mistake with SFF-8643 cables, so it is worth being blunt: the connector fits, the drive does not appear. LSI RAID cards and HBAs drive SAS lanes through their 8643 ports, while a U.2 SSD needs PCIe lanes with NVMe on top. We have tested this combination and it is completely incompatible. If your card is a 94xx series Tri-Mode controller, the cable you want is our LSI94xx-specific twin-U.2 assembly instead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDo I have to connect the SATA power tail?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes for a bare 2.5″ U.2 drive — it has no other power input. Leave it unplugged only when the drive is already powered by a backplane or a powered cage. The tail carries 3.3 V, 5 V and 12 V, so a standard SATA power lead from the PSU is enough.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWill it run at PCIe 4.0?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cable is built for it and 50 cm is a comfortable length for Gen4, but the link is only as fast as the slowest part of the chain: a Gen3 slot or a Gen3 drive pins you at Gen3 speeds. Nothing breaks if the link trains one generation lower — you lose bandwidth, not the drive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs 50 cm long enough for my chassis?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeasure the actual path, not the straight-line distance: from the port, around the drive cage, to where the SSD sits. If the answer is over about 40 cm of real routing, take the 75 cm version — pulling a short cable tight puts load on the 68-pin connector and that is where intermittent drives come from.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I use two of these to reach two drives?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne cable, one drive. Each U.2 SSD needs its own four lanes and its own 68-pin connector, so two drives means two cables and two host ports. If your controller only has one 8643 port, look at a PCIe switch card or a U.2 backplane rather than trying to split this cable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe drive powers up but is not detected — what now?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCheck three things in this order: the port really carries PCIe (not SAS), the drive is seated fully in the 68-pin connector, and the SATA tail is on a live rail. If all three are fine, send us the controller or board model and the SSD model before returning anything — in our experience it is the port type far more often than the cable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIn the box\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e1 × SFF-8643 to U.2 (SFF-8639) NVMe cable, 50 cm, with SATA power tail (SKU B07JH92TD9)\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery cable is continuity- and pinout-tested before it ships and carries a 24-month warranty. If a link does not train, send us the controller model and the backplane part number before returning anything — in most cases the cable is the wrong variant for the port, not faulty, and we would rather tell you that up front.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRelated\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dilinker-75cm-hd-mini-sassff-8643-to-u-2-sff-8639-nvme-ssd-cable\"\u003eSame cable in 75 cm, for longer chassis routing\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/m-2-to-u-2-nvme-ssd-adapter-sff-8639-75cm\"\u003eNeed the 8643 port in the first place? M.2 to U.2 adapter\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/u-2-nvmesff-8639\"\u003eAll U.2 \/ NVMe cables and adapters\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"DiLinKer","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47981371392296,"sku":"B07JH92TD9","price":18.66,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0866\/1460\/6120\/files\/41XabKi9mqL.jpg?v=1712028408","url":"https:\/\/diliving.com\/products\/dilinker-50cm-hd-mini-sassff-8643-to-u-2-sff-8639-nvme-ssd-cable","provider":"DiLiVing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}