MSI Z97 Gaming 7 paired with MyDigitalSSD M.2 NVMe SSD
MSI Z97 Gaming 7 paired with MyDigitalSSD M.2 NVMe SSD
I own an MSI Z97 Gaming 7 motherboard with BIOS version 1.6, which has been working smoothly since 2014. Recently, I purchased a 240GB M.2 NVMe SSD from MyDigitalSSD to use as my primary operating system drive. Windows recognizes the drive, but when I check the BIOS settings for USB ports and connected SATA drives, it doesn’t detect the M.2 SSD. I’m curious if others have tried pairing these components together and if updating the BIOS would make it visible. I haven’t installed any OS yet, but I suspect that without proper detection, Windows won’t be able to boot from it—something my research before buying the SSD confirmed about PCIe M.2 support.
If M2 appears on Windows, consider copying the OS to a new drive labeled M2. Then disconnect the old OS drive and check if it boots from M2.
The discussion focuses primarily on X2 speed for Z97 from M2 slot.
Thank you for the link. I knew it would only work with two PCIe lanes instead of four, but it’s still quicker than SATA and the SSD was more affordable at the time. I plan to disconnect all other drives to test installing Windows on the M.2 slot. If that fails, I’ll update the BIOS—last time it froze at 18% but no harm occurred. The board includes a backup BIOS, so I shouldn’t risk damaging it. My current BIOS is from 2013/2014, and the newest version is 2016, which supports newer processors I might upgrade to later.
To assist others facing similar challenges, consider updating the BIOS to version 1.8 or higher to support NVMe booting: http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/msi-x99...orage.html
Hey there, I noticed you're looking into system upgrades again. I'm checking if anyone else has encountered similar decisions between 2.5" and NVME M.2 options. There seems to be some concern about PCIe compatibility—some boards might not support NVME for PCIe transfers and could fall back to SATA 3 speeds instead. Did you come across any info about whether the board would actually use PCIe x2 or remain limited to SATA? Also, what transfer rates are typical when switching from an HDD to a 2.5" SSD, then to an M.2 drive, and finally moving files between the HDD and the M.2 device? Thanks in advance for any helpful details!