The M90q PowerRiser is a hardware expansion solution created specifically for the Lenovo Tiny 6 platform (M90q Gen1/Gen2, P340, P350). Lenovo uses a proprietary board-edge PCIe connector that normally limits users to Lenovo-approved GPU or RAID cards. This project exposes that connector as a standard open-ended PCIe x8 slot, while also adding a M.2 NVMe slot for extra storage.

The riser is passive, routing power and PCIe signals directly without clock buffering or active components. The design includes support for 2230–2280 NVMe drives and mechanical clearance for full-length PCIe cards, assuming no interference below the card and no heatsink on the vertically mounted NVMe.

Compatibility Notes

  • Works only with:

    • ThinkCentre M90q Gen1 / Gen2 (Tiny6 – Intel 10th/11th gen)

    • ThinkStation P340 Tiny

    • ThinkStation P350 Tiny

  • Does not work with:

    • P360 Tiny and newer

    • Earlier Tiny generations (Tiny5/Tiny4/etc.)

NVMe Support

The added M.2 slot supports PCIe NVMe only, not SATA.
Because the Intel 400-series PCH behind the Tiny6 platform only provides PCIe Gen3, all NVMe drives connected through this riser will negotiate Gen3 speeds, even if the drive is Gen4-capable.

Design Features

  • Open-ended PCIe x8 slot (electrical x8)

  • M.2 NVMe slot supporting 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280

  • Revised fan header placement for chassis clearance

  • Corrected detect traces for reliable enumeration

  • Power/reset header breakout (for custom enclosures)

  • USB2 and SPI breakouts exposed from the system connector (experimental)

  • Potential for x8 → 2× x4 bifurcation (under testing)

Why This Exists

Lenovo Tiny PCs are extremely capable, but their proprietary risers limit expansion. PowerRiser provides:

  • Additional NVMe storage capacity

  • Ability to run standard PCIe cards

  • Small-form-factor RAID/NAS or compute expansions

  • A platform for experiments with PCIe bifurcation and embedded peripherals