Installation of Gen3 SSD in a Gen4 slot is not recommended due to compatibility issues.
Installation of Gen3 SSD in a Gen4 slot is not recommended due to compatibility issues.
Your CPU is an i5 10400 and the motherboard supports Gen4 NVMe slots, but your CPU only works with Gen3 SSDs. You should not be able to use a Gen3 SSD in that slot.
Schnoz notes that all PCIe and NVMe versions support each other in both directions. However, the SSD will be restricted to Gen 3 performance. The answer has been revised—see also the mention of the m2_1 slot, which is incompatible with a 10th generation CPU and requires an 11th generation GPU. For NVMe drives, only the m2_2 slot is suitable unless your CPU is upgraded.
Yes, you can utilize it. As mentioned before, NVMe devices and ports support backward compatibility. However, you'll be restricted to the slowest component. A Gen 1 NVMe drive placed in a Gen 4 NVMe slot can only achieve up to Gen 1 performance. Similarly, a Gen 4 NVMe drive in a Gen 2 slot will cap at Gen 2 speeds. Also, keep in mind that "up to" doesn't guarantee actual speed. There exist Gen 3 NVMe drives that outperform Gen 4 models. To be clear, this board features two M.2 slots. The slot marked M2_1 functions universally, regardless of CPU model. This is the slot positioned beneath the "M.2 armor." The one in the lower right (M2_2) won't work with your configuration. Edit: I mistakenly mixed up the slots. The correct one is M2_2, which will operate with your setup.
The information provided directly from the mobo website confirms specific compatibility details. Model M2_1 designed for Gen 4 will only function with a 11th generation processor. The physical layout lacks lanes on the 10th generation. M2_2 supports SATA, meaning it relies on a chipset connection and should work consistently. Please verify if any aspect was overlooked to ensure accuracy.
For broader context: 10th gen CPUs offer 16 PCIe lanes, whereas the 11th generation expands this to 20 lanes, with additional lanes allocated to the M.2 slot connected by the CPU.