MSI M.2 Xpander-Z Gen 5

The M.2 Xpander‑Z Slider Gen5 from MSI is an expansion card that lets you install two NVMe M.2 2280 drives using a single PCIe slot. It is designed for next‑generation PCIe 5.0 storage: the card connects to the system with a PCIe 5.0 x8 link and exposes two independent M.2 slots to the user.

Highlights include support for up to PCIe 5.0 x4 per M.2 slot (about 128 Gbps per lane set) and active cooling — a 70 mm double‑ball‑bearing fan provides high air pressure to keep high‑speed SSDs stable. The card has a slim profile (suitable for most cases) and ships with thermal pads and installation accessories to simplify mounting.

Specifications

• Host interface: PCIe 5.0 x8 (installed into PCIe x16/x8 slot)
• M.2 slots: 2 × M.2 Key‑M (2280)
• Per‑slot bandwidth: Each slot up to PCIe 5.0 x4 (≈128 Gbit/s)
• Supported M.2 size: 2280
• Cooling: 70 mm double‑ball‑bearing fan, air pressure up to ~19 mm H2O
• Card thickness: ≈18.57 mm
• Power: External PCIe power connector (PCIE_PWR1)
• Fan control / headers: MB_FAN1 and FAN_SW1 headers for fan control
• Included accessories: Thermal pads (0.5 mm & 1.25 mm), EZ M.2 Clip II and connection cables