Connect via PCIe NVMe SSD on X79 device
Connect via PCIe NVMe SSD on X79 device
I recently acquired an old x79 M.S.I. board (X79A-GD65 8D) for my new setup, and used the remaining budget on a Samsung 970 EVO and an M.2 PCIe adapter. I successfully cloned my boot drive, but discovered the X79 doesn’t boot via PCIe. When searching for SATA options, I found alternatives that seem too expensive for my needs, so I’m hesitant to replace the SSD just yet. Currently, I’m exploring ways to adapt a SATA port into an M.2 slot, as it appears the 6 GBps bandwidth isn’t limiting my SSD performance. Have you encountered any solutions for this issue?
When using SATA it will reduce performance to SATA 6Gb. You might have to think about swapping in a M.2 drive with a SATA SSD instead.
6Gb/s corresponds approximately to 600MB/s. The 970 Evo offers significantly higher performance.
X79 is almost certain to boot from PCIe, but there are important conditions—specifically, the drive must support older AHCI mode. While some users have successfully booted NVMe drives like the Samsung 960/970, others report needing significant modifications for the 970 model. Research suggests it’s doable, though it may involve technical workarounds. I found several discussions where people managed to get their drives running on older systems, but it often required effort, especially with higher-end models. For example, a Samsung 950 Pro NVMe drive connected via an adapter can work on X58 if the system supports the right settings. Make sure you use compatible hardware and follow the appropriate boot configuration.
Directly install and configure after switching to AHCI (and removing old drives). The 960 and 970 Evo/Pro models lack AHCI support. Only the 950 Pro among Samsung variants supports it. I’m unsure about other brands. I didn’t create a clone, just installed a fresh Windows setup from a USB drive.
You're planning to swap in inexpensive SATA SSDs and set up a RAID configuration that your motherboard can start up from.