Thank you for the suggestion. I think it is definitely an option, but I'd have to figure out what hat will most fully support my SSD and there is the need to add the cooler and M.2 drive hat itself; so I'd have to consider the added cost relative to an all-in-one solution. Of course; the wifi performance is still a question to be addressed.as I don't see a suitable M.2 HAT from your list you will have to use pimoroni base (or similiar) anyhow for a 2280 sized NVMe.
Pimoroni has a dedicated case https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/nvme ... 5126663547 . I've never used/tested that so have no idea on thermal and WiFi performance.\
I've used the pimoroni base in a KKSB chassis (as well as the official M.2 HAT+) but sold that case soon because it has such a bad thermal performance (as the hot air moved by the active cooler get's blown against the side, not able to escape)
viewtopic.php?p=2233478&hilit=KKSB#p2233478\
For good WiFi performance, 2280 sized M.2 I would have opted for a Compute Module 5, as you can connect an external antenna.
1) I wonder (a bit) about the Pimoroni case, as the SD card slot is only accessible by removing the lid of the case. If I understand correctly, one initially has to load the O/S from the SD card. So; this could be an issue, if one is "experimenting" more than a a bit with the O/S.
2) The Pimoroni case does not come with an active cooler, so that needs to be added. Not a particular issue, but one that I would need to remember to get.
3) The Pimoroni NVMe Base Duo supports more cards than the single drive one, but still does not list my drive as supported. It also only supports PCIe Gen 2 and I have Gen 4, which means it would be significantly slower.
Statistics: Posted by History Hunter — Sun Jan 11, 2026 3:52 pm