Interface card Axagon PCEM2-DC Internal M.2 SATA

The Axagon PCEM2-DC internal adapter enables installation of up to two M.2 SSDs in a desktop PC that lacks native M.2 slots. It supports both SATA (AHCI) and NVMe (PCIe) M.2 drives in one-sided and double-sided designs, with card lengths up to 110 mm. The adapter connects to a PCI‑Express slot (PCIe 3.0 x4 compatible with x4/x8/x16) and draws power directly from the PCIe bus; no external power supply is required. The card includes active and passive cooling elements — a metal cover with a fan, a passive fin cooler and thermal pads — plus copper-plated vents to improve heat dissipation and maintain SSD performance. Two blue LEDs indicate power and data activity, and a low-profile bracket is included for compact cases.

Advantages

The adapter provides support for both NVMe and SATA M.2 standards, allowing simultaneous operation of two drives without limiting capacity. PCIe 3.0 x4 bandwidth enables transfer speeds up to 8 GB/s (bidirectional) for NVMe devices. Integrated cooling (metal cover with fan, passive cooler and thermal pads) and copper-plated vents reduce SSD temperatures by up to 35 °C under load. Full plug-and-play operation requires no drivers, and the card supports booting from connected SSDs. A low-profile bracket and clear LED indicators simplify installation and monitoring.

Suitable for

• Upgrading desktops without M.2 slots to add one or two M.2 SSDs
• Building systems that require both SATA and NVMe M.2 support
• Compact or low-profile PC cases using the supplied bracket
• Applications needing sustained SSD performance with active/passive cooling

Key specifications

• Host interface: PCI‑Express 3.0 x4 (compatible with PCIe 1.x / 2.x / 3.0; fits x4/x8/x16 slots)
• Bandwidth: up to 8 GB/s (bidirectional) on 4-lane PCIe 3.0
• M.2 slots: one M-key (NVMe/PCIe) and one B-key (SATA/AHCI), NGFF 75-pin
• Supported M.2 sizes: 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, 22110 (single- and double-sided)
• Power: supplied from PCIe bus; dual/redundant power lines on card
• Cooling: metal cover with fan, passive fin cooler and thermal pads, copper-plated vents
• LED indicators: dual blue LEDs for power and data activity
• Dimensions: 140 x 68 x 17 mm; weight: 111 g
• Supported OS: Windows 7/8/8.1/10, Windows Server 2008 R2 / 2012 / 2016; Linux kernel 2.6.31+

How to use

Install the PCEM2-DC into an available PCIe slot (x4/x8/x16) on the motherboard. Mount M.2 SSDs into the appropriate slots: insert NVMe (PCIe) drives into the M-key slot and SATA (AHCI) drives into the B-key slot, securing them with the supplied hardware and thermal pads. Connect a SATA cable to the motherboard if a SATA M.2 SSD is installed to ensure correct operation. Attach the metal cover with the fan and the passive cooler as instructed in the manual. Use the included low-profile bracket if installing the card into a small form-factor case.

Usage recommendations

Verify M.2 drive keying and interface type before installation (B/B+M-key for SATA vs M-key for NVMe). For best SATA performance use a SATA 6 Gbit/s controller on the motherboard. When using Windows 7 with NVMe drives, check drive manufacturer support. Ensure adequate case ventilation to complement the card’s cooling system.