{"product_id":"mcio-x8-to-2x-minisas-hd-sff-ta-1016-sff-8643-gen4-80cm","title":"MCIO x8 (SFF-TA-1016) to 2x MiniSAS-HD x4 (SFF-8643) Cable, 80 cm","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKeep your MiniSAS HD backplane, move to a Gen4 MCIO board.\u003c\/strong\u003e The DiLinKer RMC74-8690-AX1 converts one MCIO 8x host connector (SFF-TA-1016, 74-pin) into two MiniSAS HD x4 ports (SFF-8643, 36-pin), 80 cm long. It is the cable you need when the motherboard is new — a PCIe 4.0 server or workstation platform with MCIO headers — but the chassis, drive cage or U.2 adapter you already own terminates in SFF-8643. Instead of replacing the backplane, you change one cable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy this cable\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMCIO host, SFF-8643 device.\u003c\/strong\u003e Splits 8 host lanes into two independent x4 links, each on a standard 36-pin MiniSAS HD plug.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePCIe 4.0, 16 GT\/s per lane.\u003c\/strong\u003e Around 7.88 GB\/s per port — the full bandwidth of a Gen4 x4 NVMe drive, with no switch chip in the path.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eProtects existing hardware.\u003c\/strong\u003e Reuse SFF-8643 backplanes, drive cages and U.2 adapters you have already bought and qualified.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTwo links, not one.\u003c\/strong\u003e Both SFF-8643 outputs carry four lanes each, so two devices run at full x4 width simultaneously.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e80 cm for cable management.\u003c\/strong\u003e Enough length to route behind the riser and reach a rear cage without pulling the connector sideways.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePassive assembly.\u003c\/strong\u003e No retimer, no power, no configuration in BIOS or the OS.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;font-size:14px;\"\u003e\n  \u003ctbody\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHost connector\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003eMCIO 8x, SFF-TA-1016, 74-pin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDevice connector\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003e2 × MiniSAS HD, SFF-8643, 36-pin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLanes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003e8 host lanes → 2 × 4 device lanes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGeneration\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003ePCIe 4.0 (16 GT\/s per lane); backward compatible with 3.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInterface speed\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003e64 GT\/s (about 7.88 GB\/s at Gen4 x4)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCable length\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003e80 cm \/ 31.5 in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProtocol\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003eNVMe over PCIe only — the MCIO host port carries no SAS or SATA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart number\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003eRMC74-8690-AX1\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNet weight\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003e60 g\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStandards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003eSFF-TA-1016, SFF-8643\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompliance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003eRoHS\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#fafafa;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWarranty\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003e12 months\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCompatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWorks with\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eBoards with an MCIO 8x (SFF-TA-1016 74-pin) header — standard on most PCIe 4.0 server and workstation platforms from Supermicro, ASUS, ASRock Rack, Gigabyte and Tyan.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eMiniSAS HD x4 NVMe backplanes and drive cages with SFF-8643 inputs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eU.2 adapters and converters that take an SFF-8643 input and present an SFF-8639 drive connector.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003ePCIe 3.0 equipment — the link negotiates down to 8 GT\/s automatically.\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\u003ePCIe 5.0 links. SFF-8643 is a Gen4-generation interface; use the MCIO to U.2 or MCIO to SlimSAS version if you need 32 GT\/s.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSAS or SATA drives. The SFF-8643 connector can carry SAS in other designs, but your MCIO host port carries PCIe lanes only, so the device must be NVMe.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eSlimSAS (SFF-8654) or U.2 (SFF-8639) device connectors — this cable does not adapt to those directly.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eOEM systems that re-map the MCIO pinout (some Dell, HPE and Lenovo chassis). Ask us with your model number first.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eTypical deployments\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBoard refresh in an existing 2U chassis.\u003c\/strong\u003e New Gen4 platform, existing SFF-8643 NVMe backplane, no chassis replacement.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNVMe tier next to SAS storage.\u003c\/strong\u003e Add two NVMe devices to a server that already has a MiniSAS HD cage.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWorkstation scratch volume.\u003c\/strong\u003e Two Gen4 U.2 drives through SFF-8643 adapters, without using a PCIe slot.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLab and validation rigs.\u003c\/strong\u003e Swap drives and backplanes between MCIO and SFF-8643 hardware with one cable.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhich MCIO breakout cable do you need?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;font-size:14px;\"\u003e\n  \u003cthead\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#f2f2ef;text-align:left;\"\u003eDevice side\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#f2f2ef;text-align:left;\"\u003eBest for\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;background:#f2f2ef;text-align:left;\"\u003eGeneration\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003c\/thead\u003e\n  \u003ctbody\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003e2 × MiniSAS HD (SFF-8643)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThis product\u003c\/strong\u003e — reuse an existing SFF-8643 backplane or U.2 adapter\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003ePCIe 4.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003e2 × U.2 (SFF-8639)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003eDirect-attach U.2 drives, highest bandwidth (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/diliving.com\/products\/mcio-x8-to-2x-u-2-nvme-adapter-sff-ta-1016-gen5-80cm\"\u003eMCIO to 2× U.2\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003ePCIe 5.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003e1 × SlimSAS 8x (SFF-8654)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003eSlimSAS backplane, 8 lanes in one connector (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/diliving.com\/collections\/slimsassff-8654\"\u003eSlimSAS cables\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:8px 10px;\"\u003ePCIe 5.0\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDoes this cable support PCIe 5.0?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. SFF-8643 is a 4-lane interface defined around the Gen4 generation, and this assembly is specified to 16 GT\/s per lane. If your drives and board are Gen5, use the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/diliving.com\/products\/mcio-x8-to-2x-u-2-nvme-adapter-sff-ta-1016-gen5-80cm\"\u003eMCIO to 2× U.2 version\u003c\/a\u003e, which is rated for 32 GT\/s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy use SFF-8643 at all instead of going straight to U.2?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause the hardware you already own decides it. A Gen4 x4 NVMe link delivers the same 7.88 GB\/s whether it passes through a U.2 connector or an SFF-8643 connector — the connector is not the bottleneck. If your backplane or drive cage is SFF-8643, this cable is the cheaper answer than replacing the cage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDo I need to enable PCIe bifurcation?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly if your board wires the MCIO 8x header as a single x8 root port. Many server boards ship that header already split as 2 × x4, or drive it from a PCIe switch, in which case no setting is needed. Check the board manual for that specific header.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I connect SAS drives to the SFF-8643 ends?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. The connector type alone does not decide the protocol — the host port does, and MCIO carries PCIe lanes only. Put a SAS drive behind this cable and it will not be detected. For SAS, use a SlimSAS to SAS cable with an HBA that speaks SAS.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBoth ports at full speed, or do they share bandwidth?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth are full x4 links. The eight host lanes are physically split 4 + 4, so each port has its own four lanes. There is no bridge chip and no shared uplink.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWill it work with a U.2 adapter that has an SFF-8643 input?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes — that is one of the main uses. The adapter converts the 4-lane link to an SFF-8639 drive connector; the cable only has to deliver four clean PCIe lanes to it, which it does at Gen4 rates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIs 80 cm safe at Gen4 speed?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, Gen4 (16 GT\/s) tolerates this length on a well-built passive assembly. Keep the run as direct as possible, avoid sharp folds, and do not coil excess cable tightly against power rails.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eIn the box\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e1 × MCIO 8x to 2 × MiniSAS HD cable, 80 cm (RMC74-8690-AX1)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBacked by a 12-month warranty. If a link trains at reduced width or does not appear in the OS, send us your board and backplane models — width and pinout issues are usually identifiable from those two facts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eRelated\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/diliving.com\/collections\/mini-cooledge-iomcio\"\u003eAll MCIO \/ Mini Cool Edge IO cables\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/diliving.com\/collections\/minisas-hdsff-8643\"\u003eMiniSAS HD (SFF-8643) cables and adapters\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/diliving.com\/products\/mcio-x8-to-2x-u-2-nvme-adapter-sff-ta-1016-gen5-80cm\"\u003eMCIO x8 to 2× U.2 NVMe, PCIe Gen5, 80 cm\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n","brand":"DiLinKer","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51617440170280,"sku":"RMC74-8690-AX1","price":43.88,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0866\/1460\/6120\/files\/main-1.jpg?v=1775192768","url":"https:\/\/diliving.com\/products\/mcio-x8-to-2x-minisas-hd-sff-ta-1016-sff-8643-gen4-80cm","provider":"DiLiVing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}