Quick Extreme 7+ M2 SSD question
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Category: Technical Support
Forum Name: Intel Motherboards
Forum Description: Question about ASRock Intel Motherboards
URL: https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4216
Printed Date: 22 Dec 2024 at 8:33pm
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Topic: Quick Extreme 7+ M2 SSD question
Posted By: apachehavok
Subject: Quick Extreme 7+ M2 SSD question
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2017 at 12:26am
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" rel="nofollow - Hey all! Quick question. I am getting a new samsung 960 M.2 SSD. I have 5 other SSD's SATA on the system and one of them is the boot drive. I am adding the M.2 as just a game drive. If I use the lowest M.2 slot (I think its SATA_EXP2 right?) on the board and don't have anything plugged into SATA3_05 and SATA3_05 that should work right? Using the lowest M.2 slot Vs's any of the others shouldn't effect performance at all right? Thanks!! |
Replies:
Posted By: wardog
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2017 at 2:43am
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" rel="nofollow - Nope. The lowest M.2 Ultra slot is M2_3 and they count backwards from there, M2_1 being the top one. So knowing that I'll post the below for your needs. However you now need to consider that game drive.location as this changes your thoughts in your first post: From - http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z170%20Extreme7+/?cat=Specifications M2_1, SATA3_0, SATA3_1 and SATA_EXP0 share lanes. If either one of them is in use, the others will be disabled. (Top M.2) M2_2, SATA3_2, SATA3_3 and SATA_EXP1 share lanes. If either one of them is in use, the others will be disabled. (Middle M.2) M2_3, SATA3_4, SATA3_5 and SATA_EXP2 share lanes. If either one of them is in use, the others will be disabled. (Bottom M.2) Hint: Where the M.2 "slots' have Ultra M.2 on them, look directly above that, 1/4" or so, on the motherboard itself. There above each you'll see M2_1 , M2_2 , and M2_3 |
Posted By: wardog
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2017 at 2:45am
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5 drives PLUS that game drive looks impossible w/o giving up one of those 5 SSDs. And the fun, NOT, that re-jiggering them includes. |
Posted By: apachehavok
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2017 at 3:38am
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" rel="nofollow - Thank you for clarifying! Here's where I am confused about what you are saying though. I have 10 SATA ports. If I am only using these 5 for my SSD's SATA3_0 - Boot Drive SSD1 SATA3_1 - SSD2 SATA3_2 - Front Panel USB Thing SATA3_3 - Front Panel USB THing SATA3_A1 - SSD3 SATA3_A2 - SSD4 SATA3_A3 - SSD5 SATA3_A4 - empty Then SATA3_5 - empty but using bottom M2 SATA3_6 - empty but using bottom M2 Would that work? Thanks for the great input! |
Posted By: wardog
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2017 at 9:40am
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The SATA3_Ax ports are not affected by this limitation as the are provided by the ASMedia 3rd Party Controller. These ports are slower than the Intel provided ones that are affected. The SATA3_x are native controllers. You would be wise, assuming they work there, to move those USB Thingy's over to the SATA3_Ax ports to free up the native ports. Doing so would give you 2 more ports of leeway/freedom.
No. Look at the 3 lines with Teal at the end above. M2_3, SATA3_4, SATA3_5 and SATA_EXP2 share lanes. If either one of them is in use, the others will be disabled. (Bottom M.2) Now, allow me to rephrase that one line above: IF, any ONE of the M2_3, SATA3_4, SATA3_5 and or SATA_EXP2 ports are used, the other/remaining ports on THIS line will become unavailable. So, it seems you're intent on using the bottom M.2 Ultra slot. Again, using the line above, to free up the M2_3 slot for that game frive you would need to not be using the SATA3_4, SATA3_5 and SATA_EXP2 ports as they share lanes. HTH  |
apachehavok wrote:Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2017 at 9:49am
The configuration you described above will let you use the M.2 SSD in the M2_3 slot. The last two Intel SATA ports you listed cannot be used when the M2_3 slot is in use. The info wardog posted is perfect. But I must add this: The SATA3_Ax ports are provided by two ASMedia SATA chipsets. Not related to the Intel SATA ports at all. You seem to have three SSDs connected to the ASMedia SATA ports. No idea what version of Windows you are using, but is it 8.1 or 10? If it is 8.1 or 10, you may be familiar with the Windows Optimize feature, available in the Tools tab of the Properties of any drive connected to the board. For SSDs, the Optimize feature is a manual TRIM function for SSDs. Have you ever used it? There is a program called trimcheck, that checks if TRIM is working correctly on your SSDs. Have you ever tried it? ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: apachehavok
Date Posted: 12 Jan 2017 at 1:34am
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" rel="nofollow - Gotcha!!! So my 2 SSD's that require speed (boot and game drive 1) will be plugged into SATA3_0 and1 The other SSD's are more for storage and I can keep them plugged into the A controller ones. How much slower is that Asmedia controller? We talking night and day difference? Terrible? Or only a little bit slower that might not even be detected? Running windows 10 so I will for sure look at that optimize thing! THanks for the info! So according this this image: https://technastro.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/img_8368.jpg If I don't plug ANYTHING into those far left SATA ports (the only ones that face upward) then I should be free to use the bottom M.2 correct? Are the M2 slots different? Like is the top M2 faster then the bottom or is it ok to use the bottom M2 as the only M2 drive. THanks all!!!! |
Posted By: apachehavok
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 12:16am
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OK so update! Got it working with the configuration above! Get read speeds of around 3100 MB/s :) YAY!! |
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 12:41am
The "SATA III" ASMedia SATA ports are significantly slower than the Intel SATA III ports. They are faster than a SATA II port, but not in the league of the Intel ports. The main reason I mentioned the ASMedia ports and SSDs is, I have noticed in the past that the Windows Optimize, manual TRIM feature failed to work with SSDs connected to the ASMedia SATA ports. The scary implication of that... seemingly no TRIM support on the ASMedia SATA ports. If true, which my testing a while ago seemed to confirm, that may be simply a driver issue. We have two choices for the AHCI driver with the ASMedia SATA ports, their own driver or the Windows storahci. I should test that again, as I've not used the ASMedia SATA ports for this reason for a long time. ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: apachehavok
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 1:05am
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Gotcha! Naw we are all good! I was able to run the trim command (optimize) command on the SSD's plugged into those ports! So they do support it. Again, my boot and main speed drive are plugged into the Intel, but my others used for just vid recording at 720p are working great on the A controller. Thanks for the help all! |
Posted By: apachehavok
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 1:06am
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** I will also see what driver is being used. Didnt touch it, so its whatever windows 10 assigns to it. ** Just looked on Toms Hardware and they had this to say about the controller:: "4. The ASMedia ASM1061 controller passes TRIM commands. 5. Both the ASMedia driver (1.3.4.0) and the Microsoft AHCI driver (6.0.6002.18005) support TRIM commands with the ASMedia ASM1061 controller." So it works! |
Posted By: wardog
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 2:45am
Glad to read that. Enjoy. |
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 3:14am
" rel="nofollow -
Great, frankly that is a relief! I am serious, I have seen the optimize fail for SSDs on the ASMedia ports. The trimcheck program also failed when I tested it, but that was a while ago. Going back several years, at one point having a certain version (11.6 or 11.7) of the Intel IRST RAID/AHCI driver installed on a board with ASMedia SATA ports and the ASMedia AHCI driver installed, the ASMedia ports could not be used at all. Sounds incredible, I know, but I can't forget that. Intel removed that IRST driver version after it had been officially released. Do you have the ASMedia AHCI driver installed? Do you happen to have the Intel IRST driver installed? I will definitely be testing this myself! ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: apachehavok
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 4:18am
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" rel="nofollow - Ill test when I get home! Interesting observations from memory though. - BIOS detects and lists every drive connected. M2's, Intel, and ASmedia ports all show up. - One SSD on the ASmedia has the trim optimize button greyed out. BUT, Im pretty sure its the SSD itself. Old ass toshiba drive. - The Asrock windows program that allows you to view your motherboard and what is plugged in does NOT show anything plugged into the ASmedia ports (driver related?) - The samsung SSD program threw up an error on my RST driver. Said it was outdated. Updated it and now that error is gone. Just some thoughts |