Only the ability to boot into an NVMe-SSD depends on the Chipset and the BIOS.
I think, that it is possible for all UEFI BIOSes.
An Intel X58 Chipset Mainboard doesn’t have an UEFI BIOS. So it will not work.
So Fernando,
Was wondering if you can please elaborate about some of the details such as which pci-e slot did you install the 750 into? Gen 1 or 2 board? Were you able to do a fresh os install on the drive as well or is it necessary to setup windows on the z97 system first? Lastly are you sure its stable and that the bus of an older system can handle the bandwidth with out getting write errors?
Thanks.
I have already answered this question (look >here<).
Although I haven’t tried to do a fresh OS installation onto the Intel 750 PCIe SSD while being inserted into my Z68 system, I am pretty sure, that it would have worked without any problem (either a drive is accepted by the BIOS as bootable or not). A previous OS installation by using another, natively NVMe supporting system should not be necessary.
During my tests the Intel 750 SSD booted and ran fine within my Z68 system, but I haven’t yet any long-term experiences with this special combination.
I was prepared for a failed test and I would have written something along this line: given the fact that you have a 6 series chipset mainboard and one lacking even basic EFI drivers like RAID and GOP, it would seem no strange that the NVMe drivers didn’t cooperate. But with your success, I would say that 7 and 8 series should have no problems with the right drivers extracted from a corresponding board. Especially Asus users are in luck. It is amusing that you, out of all the users, have proceeded to this simple test, when you already have a compatible board. I would expect now that the news will spread beyond this forum and everyone will forget where it started and who was that first brave user.
By the way, is it just me or the forum is now using german language?
@ lordkag:
Thanks for your statement.
I just recognized it myself. The hoster of this website had just updated the software and obviously mixed the languages.
I hope, that I can correct it very soon.
@lordkag
I’m back online (was a busy weekend).
Do you still want me to test Intel RST 12.7/12.9?
Do you think the NVMe EFI modules will fix >this< issue?
If you would be willing, yes. It is time to close this question for good. Just have 12.7/12.9 EFI drivers, controller in RAID mode, UEFI boot. I’m interested if the NVMe is still bootable. If your system wasn’t in UEFI mode (CSM disabled or EFI first), there is no need to run this test, as Legacy and NVMe don’t mix together.
Maybe. Or better yet find a working EFI/ROM RAID for your system. But the NVMe EFI drivers will certainly help your NVMe SSD, as you will have a direct support and not just the "fishnet" your board is using at this moment. Just find the closest related board to your system, which should be Z97 Extreme4. DO NOT use X99 files, as those boards are on AptioV. Be warned that I haven’t yet compared the Asrock NVMe implementations and I can’t provide the same info as I did for Asus.
so, for people wondering about bootability of the intel 750 i have good news
it boots fine on asus rampage iv formula (x79 chipset)
bios version: 5001-unmodified
in-bios setting of interest: fast boot-disabled csm-disabled
os tested: windows 8.1 / windows 10 build 10158
os installed via: usb created by media creation fool for windows 8.1 / rufus from iso image (destination select efi in dropdown list) for windows 10
benchmarks:
cheers
@ jimmytim:
Welcome at Win-RAID Forum and thanks for your interesting report.
Since there are 2 different models of the 400GB Intel 750 Series SSDs available (as 2.5 inch SSD or as Add-In PCIe card), I would like to know which one you have tested.
The fact, that you were able to boot the Intel 750 SSD without any NVMe modules within your mainboard BIOS, surprises me.
Comment: Only very few Intel 6- and C600-Series Chipset mainboards offer the BIOS option to completely disable CSM.
Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)
I have the intel 750 400gb pcie hhhl card
This is NVMe support thread and I see one, two, three links with AHCI SM951. The first one seems like the appropriate place to talk about AHCI and SM951. I may have some ideas, but it requires a tester equipped with bravery and a backup method, like programmer or spare BIOS chip. Given the fact that from all the users who asked for NVMe, it was the one who needed the least that actually tested the proposed modding - Fernando, I won’t go into further details until a brave user assumes the position of tester, with all the risks and unwanted consequences.
To stay a little on topic, it would seem that NVMe is a better choice at this moment, not only for being future-proof, but also easier to implement/patch. It could be the M.2 specification (or rather the SATA Express interface) that prevents the proper functionality of the devices like XP941 and SM951 in older cards, considering that AHCI should be fully supported by now.
You are absolutely right. That is why I have moved the last posts regarding the AHCI model of the Samsung SM951 and parts of your post into >this< better matching thread.
@jimmytim
your cpu?
i have asus sabertooth x79 and i7 3930k … i’m going to by intel 750 ssd.
what about pci 3.0 ?
with your read speed over 2gb/s it should use pci 3.0 …
@ imsims:
my cpu is 3930k
and yes it is pcie gen 3
EDIT by Fernando: Fully quoted text removed and replaced by a simple “@ xyz” (to save space)
@lordkag
I tried 2 different BIOS images on my ASRock X79 Extreme4:
Before: RST 13.5, RSTe 4.1, no NVME modules, microcode updates
Mod 1: untouched RST (12.7)/RSTe, no NVMe modules, only microcode updates
Mod 2: RST 13.5, RSTe 4.1, integrated NVMe modules of ASRock Z97 Extreme4, microcode updates
Results:
Before: NVMe working, RST firmware freezes if “Ultra fast boot” enabled (firmware 0.0.0.0), works if disabled
Mod 1: NVMe working, RST firmware freezes if…
Mod 2: no change in NVMe detection/performance, RST and RSTe firmware freezes if…
So apparently the ASRock UEFI developers forgot to remove the NVMe driver.
It’s really strange, that RST and RSTe firmware freezes if “Ultra fast boot” is enabled.
It gets even weirder: in UEFI setup everything is working fine, I can create and delete RAID volumes.
But if Windows 8.1 (64bit) is started up, the RST management console shows firmware 0.0.0.0 and
crashes if I want to change settings or refresh the drives list.
Since the firmware freezes during Windows boot, I can’t see any drives in Explorer or device manager.
@Fernando
I can’t upload any files using IE 11 or FF39. What’s going on here?
Uploading multiple files does not work at all, but I can see Network activity (heavy sending load).
Uploading a single file shows a progress bar, but the files are not attached.
It should work with all browsers, but you have to do it the correct way. Not all file extensions are allowed (due to restrictions done by the Web Hoster named Xobor).
Since this is an off-topic question and my answer may be interesting for other Forum members as well, I will write a short guide about how to insert pictures or attach files as soon as I have the needed time. You will find the guide within >this< Sub-Forum.
@mr_nuub
Once again, there is no NVMe driver in the original UEFI firmware. If it was anything NVMe related, you should see the SSD identified as such in the BIOS/UEFI screen. What Asrock has provided is an extended search of attached drives, especially from PCIe links. Apparently this can “catch” the NVMe device as a mass controller, but nothing more than that and it is beyond my capabilities on how NVMe protocol is supported without NVMe code, at least until OS/driver takes over. If you do plan to keep the SSD, inserting the NVMe EFI drivers is highly recommended. As for your Ultra Fast Boot freeze, this is hardly a surprise. It should work by skipping some detection/initialization routines, which conflicts with the extended scan and NVMe SSD. The way I see it, you have too much expectations when you want your NVMe SSD to be bootable in your unsupported board AND everything to work as before, if not better. Some users would be happy with just the first one. If you can’t get a fix from Asrock, you should decide which is more important to you: NVMe or Ultra Fast Boot.
NVMe support in BIOS is not required if the SSD has it’s own boot ROM. I was able to boot an Intel P3600 on Z77 and X79 boards.
@ h00bi:
Welcome at Win-RAID Forum!
Thanks for this interesting find and report.
Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)
Hi guys!
I have a problem with my setup. I cant detect any NVMe drive and im not sure if its BIOS or related to hardware.
I bought the MSI Turbo U.2 Host card and connected an Intel DC P3500 with an amphenol cable. Nothing shows up in either BIOS or Windows 8.1 install. (BIOS version 1.9 rel 2015/07/22 and Intel NVMe drivers loaded in windows installer). I had the ROM setup in BIOS for UEFI only, not legacy. Could it be that the PCIe retimer/reclocking on the MSI devices hides the drive from BIOS somehow?
Have you got any idea?
The MSI U.2 i got is this:
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/msi-turbo…sds-to-motherbo
My motherboard is this:
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/X99M Extreme4/
Intel drive: 2.5" … Not HHHL
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/s…500-series.html
Amphenol cable:
http://www.amphenol-datacenter.com/IAC-SFF-8639-68P-Straight- PWR-36P-HD-MiniSAS.htm
Pci devices shown in efi shell:
Seg Bus Dev Func
— — — ----
00 00 00 00 ==> Bridge Device - Host/PCI bridge
Vendor 8086 Device 2F00 Prog Interface 0
00 00 01 00 ==> Bridge Device - PCI/PCI bridge
Vendor 8086 Device 2F02 Prog Interface 0
00 00 03 00 ==> Bridge Device - PCI/PCI bridge
Vendor 8086 Device 2F08 Prog Interface 0
00 00 05 00 ==> Base System Peripherals - Other system peripheral
Vendor 8086 Device 2F28 Prog Interface 0
00 00 05 01 ==> Base System Peripherals - Other system peripheral
Vendor 8086 Device 2F29 Prog Interface 0
00 00 05 02 ==> Base System Peripherals - Other system peripheral
Vendor 8086 Device 2F2A Prog Interface 0
00 00 05 04 ==> Base System Peripherals - PIC
Vendor 8086 Device 2F2C Prog Interface 20
00 00 11 00 ==> Device does not fit in any defined classes -
Vendor 8086 Device 8D7C Prog Interface 0
00 00 14 00 ==> Serial Bus Controllers - USB
Vendor 8086 Device 8D31 Prog Interface 30
00 00 16 00 ==> Simple Communications Controllers - Other communicati
Vendor 8086 Device 8D3A Prog Interface 0
00 00 19 00 ==> Network Controller - Ethernet controller
Vendor 8086 Device 15A1 Prog Interface 0
00 00 1A 00 ==> Serial Bus Controllers - USB
Vendor 8086 Device 8D2D Prog Interface 20
00 00 1B 00 ==> Multimedia Device - UNDEFINED
Vendor 8086 Device 8D20 Prog Interface 0
00 00 1C 00 ==> Bridge Device - PCI/PCI bridge
Vendor 8086 Device 8D10 Prog Interface 0
00 00 1C 03 ==> Bridge Device - PCI/PCI bridge
Vendor 8086 Device 8D16 Prog Interface 0
00 00 1D 00 ==> Serial Bus Controllers - USB
Vendor 8086 Device 8D26 Prog Interface 20
00 00 1F 00 ==> Bridge Device - PCI/ISA bridge
Vendor 8086 Device 8D47 Prog Interface 0
00 00 1F 03 ==> Serial Bus Controllers - System Management Bus
Vendor 8086 Device 8D22 Prog Interface 0
00 02 00 00 ==> Display Controller - VGA/8514 controller
Vendor 10DE Device 1401 Prog Interface 0
00 02 00 01 ==> Multimedia Device - UNDEFINED
Vendor 10DE Device 0FBA Prog Interface 0
00 04 00 00 ==> Network Controller - Ethernet controller
Vendor 1969 Device 10A1 Prog Interface 0
BR
Martin
EDIT by Fernando: Put the PCI device list into a spoiler (to save place and clarity