Optimize your Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H motherboard for peak performance.
Optimize your Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H motherboard for peak performance.
I planned to upgrade my worn-out 2.5" Intel Series 730 240GB SSD to a bigger one so I could run more games and take advantage of faster loading. Because my motherboard includes an M.2 port, I chose an NVMe stick since it supports NVMe booting. I wasn’t entirely familiar with all the specifications, but because the board supports PCIe v3.0, I went with the Samsung EVO 970 Plus 512GB M.2 drive. It fits the single M.2 slot, booted up, and I was able to install the Samsung NVMe driver without issues. I also created a clone of my old SSD without any problems. After testing, the benchmark showed a speed of 875MB/s. This is decent compared to my previous 400MB+ SSD, though not outstanding for a PCIe v3.0 x4 stick. I opened Crystal Disk Info to verify the stick was functioning properly – it reported PCIe v2.0 x2, which was disappointing. The manual didn’t mention the operating mode of the single M.2 slot, so I realized it wasn’t clear what configuration it was using. Eventually, I searched for alternatives and found this product: https://axagon.eu/en/produkty/pcem2-dc. It offers two M.2 slots, active cooling, and supports PCIe v3.0 x4. I transferred my EVO drive into the board’s only PCIe x4 slot and achieved a speed of 1657MB/s – impressive! Crystal Disk Info confirmed the stick was running in PCIe v2.0 x4 mode, which is the highest I could get from this board unless I used a different slot. In short, I’m happy with the outcome. Both performance and capacity improved significantly. Upgrading my aging GTX 970 would have been better, but I’m content with what I have now.
This graphics card problem is really affecting everyone and it's going to last a while... Staying calm will help.