Identifying issues with new MOBO and M.2 SSDs
Identifying issues with new MOBO and M.2 SSDs
The summary... I improved an old PC. Installed new MOBO, CPU, and RAM. Used existing m.2 SSD (plus other components), PSU, GPU, and chassis. At startup, BIOS kept safe mode and didn’t see the SSD. Possibly the slot was damaged. Trying another slot fixed it, but the drive still wouldn’t boot. Removed the SSD and put it in a USBc sled. When connected to my test bench, it failed to start. Swapped it with a working one to check—still no luck. Tried putting the suspect drive back into the new MOBO, but the problem stayed. No slot at the top works, another slot does. Still can’t boot. The puzzle... What’s more likely? A. I put the SSD in an anti-static bag during shipping and got static damage. Or B. The new MOBO’s top slot is broken and fried the drive? The rambling... I could test other drives to figure it out, but I’d rather not waste more parts on a bad slot. That would be worse than what we have now. But if I found out it wasn’t the drive, I’d realize I messed up by storing it wrong while moving. The solution... IDFK, maybe you have one?
My friend thinks option B is more probable. SSDs likely include some ESD protection. I should bring the MOBO back to MicroCenter for replacement and compensation for the damaged SSD. I really hope that’s true, but I’d like to check the M.2 slot first before accepting it. It wouldn’t surprise me if my carelessness caused the issue—throwing the SSD directly into the anti-static bag without thinking. Still, for practical reasons, I don’t want to assign blame because it would cost more (need a new SSD) and I’d rather not point fingers at ASUS QC without confirming the problem is with the slot.