Compatibility with MAXIMUS VII RANGER NVMe drives
Compatibility with MAXIMUS VII RANGER NVMe drives
Hello, forum members. I'm trying to figure out which M.2 drives fit my board. From what I understand, there are various M.2 PCI//SATA options available. I'm not focused on maximum speed, just wanting to reduce cable clutter in my case. I was thinking about a Samsung 960/70 Evo model. Could you help identify compatible models? Also, Bios Ver 2012 seems relevant—any advice there? Thanks!
You can achieve double the capacity without a significant price increase. Using the right board won’t make a big difference. I’d only invest in a faster NVMe if the adapter boosted its performance.
For top speeds on NVMe, check out this adapter:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Western-Digital...gb+sata+m2
For more options, see this PCIe adapter guide:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/EZDIY-FAB-PCIe-...%2Badapter
Sorry for bringing this up again. If you buy an adapter like the one listed, can you fit it into the PCI-Express GEN2 X16 slot and still get the same performance? Or should you use a PCIe 3.0 X16 slot instead? Also, if you install it in the PCIe 3.0 X16 slot on this motherboard (Maximus VII Ranger), will it reduce the first slot to X8 and affect GPU performance? The product says it works with GPUs in the second slot, but is that only for GPUs or also for other components?
It should work fine with your friend, just ensure you have the latest BIOS for optimal compatibility. I don’t remember the exact pinout, but you likely won’t notice much change with PCI 3.0. The SATA speed is usually around 800MB/s, though others might be able to assist further. Good luck!
In case anyone needs more details, the lockdown has led to some supply problems and higher prices. I’ve kept my Asus Ranger VII and upgraded to a new NVME card (PCIE Gen 4 1TB Corsair). After installing it in the second Gen3 PCI slot with an adapter, both the GPU and NVME are now x8 Gen3, giving solid performance. It handles 2743MB write and 2620MB read. The experience has improved greatly. Running BigSur and Windows 10 inside VMWare Fusion is smooth—boots in just about 4 seconds. It’s definitely worth it given the current situation, and I always have a backup when upgrading.