CFexpress (CFe), announced in 2016, is based on PCI Express and NVM Express (NVMe) technologies.
It is possible to convert M.2 2230 NVMe SSDs into CFe Type B cards using adapters.
The rationale behind this conversion is that the price per gigabyte will likely be much lower than that of “proper” CFe cards.
I first encountered this concept on a Reddit post that directed me to Amazon.
Typically, these products are manufactured in China, prompting me to explore Taobao. Within minutes, I located the same product I had seen on Amazon, but at a lower price.
Despite this, I deemed it still relatively expensive at around CNY150. Further searching led me to another option priced at approximately CNY35. Then, I purchased a Western Digital SN740 through Carousell.
Unfortunately, the combination did not yield favourable results. Either the SSD was too thick, or the adapter had manufacturing tolerances that caused a slight bulge at the centre, making it challenging to fit the card into readers and extract it smoothly.
I then pondered whether removing the label beforehand would have been beneficial, only to realize that the adapter is designed for one-time use, and any attempt to disassemble it would result in damage.
Returning to Taobao, I focused on adapters that utilized screws for installation, allowing for multiple uses. While one option was priced at around CNY80, I still considered the markup too hefty, I eventually found a more reasonably priced one for about CNY40.
This particular adapter felt sturdier from the outset, featuring an all-metal case and a pre-installed phase-change thermal pad, unlike the previous one that only had a piece of sticker. Its installation was straightforward.
I purchased two of these adapters, noting minor variances between them, but both fit seamlessly.
Upon sharing this discovery with a friend, he cautioned that using DRAM-less SSDs like the SN740 could potentially cause issues in the future. In light of this, I conducted a search for relevant information but have yet to find conclusive results. Consequently, I created three Reddit posts (here, here and here) to gather more insights.