Geekworm Raspberry Pi 4 mSATA SSD Adapter X857, Raspberry Pi 4 Model B X857 V2.0 mSATA SSD Expansion Board USB3.0 Module for Raspberry Pi 4B UASP Supported ONLY

I followed the instructions to mount this board to a RPi 4B, had zero issues getting the m2 mSATA drive mounted as well. Getting the server up and running took a lot longer thanks to my lack of familiarity with Linux, bcache, and netatalk.Now this RPi operates as a Time Machine server for multiple users with the mSATA drive acting as a fast SSD cache and a larger, bus-powered spinning 2.5" hard drive storing the bulk of the data. To power the spinning drive, I used a Y-type dual USB power harness which connects the drive to the RPi but gets its power from the same Anker PS as the RPi is powered with. That lowers the load running through the RPi.

It simply works, I couldn’t ask for anything more.

I bought the X857 thinking I could build a compact computer with the Pi and have more/faster storage. The first unit I received on July 31st was defective. I worked with Geekworm to resolve the issue and was able to return the unit through Amazon. Several days later, on August 3rd, the replacement arrived. The second unit worked. I have now tested it with a Leven 256GB mSATA SSD, a Dogfish 256GB mSATA SSD, an INDMEM 256GB mSATA SSD, a Samsung PM871 256GB mSATA SSD, and a SanDisk X300 256GB mSATA SSD. All of them worked great. Much faster random read and write speeds over a micro SD card. I have been running the Leven SSD for the past 2 months with no issues.I would have given 5 stars except for the first unit being defective. Like I said Geekworm did work with me, the return through Amazon was easy, and the replacement came a few days later. I can now recommend this product if you are looking to make a small, compact Raspberry Pi 4 project. I did not want a long cable and large drive enclosure (relative to the size of the Raspberry Pi). I am thinking of purchasing another for a Raspberry Pi robotics project.

Quick, bootable on RPi 4 with USB updates and upgrades to firmware

I can confirm that the issue with 2.4ghz interference mentioned in the docs happens. While the drive works fine and after 2 days of work I got my pi booting off of SSD, it will not connect to WiFi. It also affects my wireless mouse adapter. There is no shielding whatsoever around geekworm’s little U-shaped USB 3 adapter. The same msata drive does not create interference when located in an adapter made by another company so this is not a pi issue. Geekworm needs to do a better job of engineering this product to be better shielded. I also don’t think putting the pi inside a metal case helps with the WiFi reception either. Telling me to use 5ghz is not an option either because I need to use 2.4 for range.