FM2A88X Extreme6+ PCIe System boot
Printed From: ASRock.com
Category: Media&User's Review
Forum Name: AMD Motherboards
Forum Description: ASRock AMD Motherboards
URL: https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=992
Printed Date: 23 Apr 2024 at 7:07pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: FM2A88X Extreme6+ PCIe System boot
Posted By: Gem
Subject: FM2A88X Extreme6+ PCIe System boot
Date Posted: 10 Oct 2015 at 1:56pm
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Can anyone confirm if I can system boot from a PCIe M.2 card FM2A88X Extreme6+? I would like to use a Samsung SM951 512Gb SSD. The OS will be Windows 10. I am using the onboard RAID controller for data disks. If this is possible, are there any recommendations for the M.2 card and any instructions for how I set this up? I have not seen PCIe as a boot option in the UEFI. ------------- Gem |
Replies:
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 11 Oct 2015 at 12:54am
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Since the FM2A88X Extreme6+ board does not have an M.2 slot, you would need an M.2 to PCIe adapter card for any PCIe SSD. All Samsung SM951 SSDs require a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface to operate at their full speed. You would need an FM2+ processor to have PCIe 3.0 support. An adapter card connected to one of the PCIe x16 slots that can operate at PCIe 3.0 would share the PCIe 3.0 lanes with a video card, so the video card would be operating at x8. An SM951 can be used with a PCIe 2.0 x4 interface, but with a reduction in performance. There are two types of SM951 SSDs, AHCI and NVMe. Which type do you want to use? You won't see any PCIe boot options in the UEFI/BIOS. PCIe SSDs appear as another entry in the boot order, with some differences in the entry related to the configuration of the Windows installation required to allow them to be bootable. Finally, all boards that can boot from either type of SM951 require a UEFI/BIOS update that allows booting from PCIe SSDs. There is also the need for a UEFI compatible storage Option ROM that is part of the UEFI/BIOS file. I don't see any mention of PCIe SSD boot support in any UEFI/BIOS version for your board. PCIe SSDs are not simple plug and play devices. They are the latest type of SSDs currently available, and aren't supported by all mother boards. AMD boards in general may not have all the requirements to allow their use as storage devices or as bootable devices. ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Gem
Date Posted: 13 Oct 2015 at 3:14am
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Thank you for the prompt post parsec. I did some research on RamCity, Tomshardware and a number of other sites. From everything I have read, I have not seen anyone who has managed to get a M.2 system boot from any AMD based ASRock motherboard. I am guessing it's either not possible, nobody has managed to make it work or kept it to themselves. I have a 6700T CPU so it has PCIe 3.0 capability. I also have version 3.70 of the UEFI so if it was going to work, it should. However, as you have said it's not plug and play and by no means going to be straightforward. Also, on scan.co.uk that sells the SM951, they suggests that it doen't support system booting. This surprises me because I expect the ability to system boot is down to the motherboard and UEFI rather than theM.2 adapter card or the SSD. So, after some testing, I have decided to go for two 480Gb Sandisk Ultra II SCSI SSDs in RAID0. At just£200 for 960Gb, this is half the price of the M.2 option and I know it works as I have had it running well with spinners. As I'm using the hardware RAID on the motherboard, the performance is actually not too shabby, though still probably half that of the M.2 solution. ------------- Gem |
Posted By: wardog
Date Posted: 19 Oct 2015 at 4:49pm
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I don't mean to bust your bubble yet your A10-6700T is PCIe 2.0. Save your money. < id="kpm_plugin" ="application/x-KPMPlugin">
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Posted By: OvCa77
Date Posted: 14 Oct 2016 at 1:32am
| Hello, I have the same board, but I have better processor. Mine is 7850K, so it supports PCIe 3.0. I am thinking about buying NVMe SSD and insert it in PCIe slot. Will it work or not? |
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 14 Oct 2016 at 10:51am
An NVMe SSD will work in your board, but NOT as the OS/boot drive, sorry to say. All mother boards need a UEFI/BIOS that supports NVMe in order to use an NVMe SSD as the OS drive. I can't find any ASRock FM2A88X board that has a UEFI/BIOS update that adds NVMe support. PCIe SSDs will work fine with a PCIe 2.0 interface, but not at their full performance level. All current PCIe NVMe SSDs require a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface for maximum performance. AMD is a bit late in providing an NVMe Option ROM (stored in the UEFI file) compatible with their chipsets. Only this year we can find UEFI/BIOS updates for ASRock AMD 990FX chipset boards that have NVMe support. There is one ASRock 970 chipset board that has a UEFI update with NVMe support. I have no idea why the A88X chipset has been apparently left out regarding NVMe support. Normally ASRock is a leader in providing support for the latest types of SSDs and storage protocols, like NVMe. But if the chipset manufacture does not provide that capability to a mother board manufacture, there is nothing they can do. Many PC builders want to use NVMe SSDs in older chipset boards, but NVMe support is simply not available for most of those systems. BTW, the difference between an NVMe SSD and a good SATA III SSD is not much in actual use for most people. ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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OvCa77 wrote:Posted By: OvCa77
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2016 at 4:06am
| Yes, but it is one: http://asrock.com/mb/AMD/A88M-G3.1/" rel="nofollow - http://asrock.com/mb/AMD/A88M-G3.1/ , prove is bios update: http://asrock.com/mb/AMD/A88M-G3.1/%3ccat=Download&os=BIOS" rel="nofollow - http://asrock.com/mb/AMD/A88M-G3.1/?cat=Download&os=BIOS |
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2016 at 11:34am
Found one, good! A bit tedious for me checking 15 boards, and that is only the A88X boards. I have no idea why some AMD boards have NVMe support added, and others don't. NVMe support is more common in boards with an M.2 slot, and in high end boards. The problem with the FM2A88X Pro+ R2.0 board is it only has one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot. The other slot is PCIe 2.0 x16 physically, but x4 electrically. You would need to decide what gets priority, the video card or PCIe SSD. Try contacting ASRock support and ask for a UEFI/BIOS that adds NVMe support: http://event.asrock.com/tsd.asp" rel="nofollow - http://event.asrock.com/tsd.asp ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: OvCa77
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2016 at 3:35pm
| I dont have pro+, I have Extreme6+ |
Posted By: OvCa77
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2016 at 8:53pm
| Hello, I've contacted Asrock Support and they gave me NVMe bios for Extreme6+. Thank you for advising me. Link to update https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aj5teyURhjZxg-4uvDaAklJPIWq3Fw" rel="nofollow - https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aj5teyURhjZxg-4uvDaAklJPIWq3Fw |
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2016 at 10:49pm
Great, ASRock will usually accommodate requests like this. Are you familiar with installing an OS on an NVMe SSD? It's not done the same way as SATA drives. What OS or version of Windows will you be using? ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: OvCa77
Date Posted: 18 Oct 2016 at 11:46pm
| " rel="nofollow - I know that Windows 7 requires drivers on install, Windows 10 is normal install, is that true? |
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2016 at 9:54pm
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Windows 10 has an inbox NVMe driver, so no need to install an NVMe driver during the installation. But the Windows installation is not quite the same as using a SATA SSD. You must select the Win 10 installation media in the boot order with the prefix, "UEFI:". For example, if you are using a USB flash drive, the entry in the boot order will be, "UEFI: <flash drive name>", where <flash drive name> is whatever the flash drive you are using. ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Schland
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2017 at 9:23pm
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" rel="nofollow - Hi All, I updated to the named BIOS but do not get to see the NVMe SSD in the UEFI BIOS. Can anyone post screenshots of their UEFI settings and show me where the SSD has to show up? Thank you! |
Posted By: Schland
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2017 at 9:26pm
So far I have been able to use the NVMe SSD as a secondary drive, if I boot up from the original SATA SSD with Win10. |
Posted By: Schland
Date Posted: 03 Apr 2017 at 9:32pm
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Maybe it would also be helpful to know if this BIOS does really work, at all. |
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2017 at 11:00am
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Reality check time. Your A88X chipset was designed by AMD before the new NVMe protocol existed. That ASRock was even able to get NVMe support to work with it at all is quite an accomplishment. I guess you have not read all of the posts in this thread. The only thing the Beta UEFI/BIOS includes for NVMe support is the NVMe Option ROM so an NVMe SSD can be used as a boot/OS device. No new screens or new UEFI display options were added, or can be added, for SSDs in adapter boards used in PCIe slots. I don't know what you expected to find in this special UEFI version, or why. NVMe is unrelated to SATA and uses its own storage controller and NVMe driver. Your unknown NVMe SSD is in an M.2 to PCIe slot adapter card, connected to the PCIe lanes in the CPU. The SATA drives are connected to the A88X chipset, and that is where the UEFI/BIOS gets its information for the Storage Configuration screen. Your board was not designed to read the PCIe lanes to check for storage devices, and include them in the Storage Configuration screen. In the UEFI/BIOS, if you check the Tools screen, System Browser feature, and move the mouse pointer over the PCIe slot with the M.2 adapter card in it, you should see the text "Mass Storage Device" for your NVMe SSD. Only the latest Intel 100 and 200 series chipset boards, and the new Ryzen chipset boards, are capable of including listings of NVMe SSDs in the UEFI/BIOS Storage Configuration screen, since they were designed after NVMe SSD were available. All earlier boards that have had as much NVMe support as possible added, only show NVMe devices in the System Browser screen. Intel X99 boards may have an NVMe Configuration screen in their latest UEFI updates, that simply list NVMe SSDs, because that feature was able to be added. Have you tried to install Windows 10 on your NVMe SSD yet? It's a bit different than installing Windows on a SATA drive. ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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