PCIe 4.0 SSDs fitting in the second M.2 slot on the Asrock B550?
PCIe 4.0 SSDs fitting in the second M.2 slot on the Asrock B550?
Wasn't clear about where to categorize this—Motherboards, Storage or Troubleshooting. In short, anyone managing to run a PCIe 4.0 SSD in the M.2 slot on an Asrock B550 board? If yes, what model are you using? My situation: I have a B550 Phantom Gaming-ITX/ax board, paired with two PCIe 3.0 SSDs (two Toshiba XG6 1TB drives). I’m running a Sliger SM580 case with a 280mm AIO cooler, and accessing the rear M.2 slot is quite a challenge. At that time, I was using a Ryzen 3700X; though the situation suggests the CPU shouldn’t be an issue. I don’t recall the exact BIOS version—I likely started with 1.80 or 2.00, and 2.10 might have been available. I probably considered updating the BIOS as a troubleshooting step. When the ADATA S50 Lite (PCIe 4.0) was released last year, I installed it and got a 2TB version. It wasn’t fast enough to surpass PCIe 3.0 performance, but it was a solid, affordable option. I placed it in the rear M.2 slot (connected to the chipset and running at PCIe 3.0), intending to swap it for a larger drive later when costs dropped or better options appeared. Unfortunately, after removing and reinstalling the S50 Lite in the rear slot, booting up didn’t recognize it in Windows, Disk Management, CLI (diskpart), or HWINFO. I checked the BIOS/UEFI, but it wasn’t listed there either. Since I’d already tried it in an external M.2 USB case, I knew it worked. The enclosure only supported PCIe 3.0, so backward compatibility seemed unlikely—though I’m aware a 4.0 drive might not fit in a 3.0 slot. Eventually, I rebuilt the system, swapped the S50 Lite to the front M.2 slot (PCIe 4.0 directly on the CPU), and moved the XG6 to the rear slot. Now both drives are detected and functioning. Over the past year this setup has been reliable, but I’m planning to upgrade to a larger drive. Right now, PCIe 3.0 speeds seem sufficient, so I’m comfortable using a 3.0 slot for the new SSD. However, market trends suggest more 4.0 drives are becoming common, even in budget options. I’m concerned that purchasing another PCIe 4.0 drive might limit its use in the rear slot. Any experience with this setup? Have you encountered issues where it didn’t work like this? Do you have a drive that actually functioned? Thanks!
It seems ADATA released a firmware update for this drive in December 2021. I'm navigating their somewhat complicated update procedure now. I fetched the newest SSD Toolbox from the S50 Lite site, but when I ran it, it reported an outdated version and downloaded the latest installer from an unknown source, asking me to remove the current one and install the newer version. I opened Utilities and looked for a firmware update, but instead of the Toolbox updating automatically, it downloaded another zip file and asked me to install it myself. The included PDF guided me through the steps, making the process straightforward, though it didn't mention any changelog or details about what the update addresses. I'm worried my problem might still exist, and I don't want to risk dismantling the system or swapping drives just to try again.
The benefit of a tear down is considering some changes. Since the M.2 slot is in the back, you could remove that section as an access point in the board tray. Then, just take off the back panel to reach the drive. This approach will save you time and effort later on! GL otherwise!
The problem with the Sliger SM580 isn't the motherboard tray. It's actually already cut out nicely. However, because it's a sandwich-style ITX case, the GPU is placed behind the motherboard and a PCIe x16 riser cable runs around the back, blocking access. I haven't thought about doing that before... and it seems simpler that way.
I finally finished dismantling the setup last night. The pump in my AIO appears to be failing early. I have a claim with NZXT, but that’s another matter. To return the item for replacement, I needed to send it back via RMA, and I had a few ITX coolers ready to swap in while I worked. One reason I opened this thread now was to decide whether to purchase a new SSD or not, given the possibility that 4.0 drives might not play well with Asrock B550 boards. Turns out, whether it was the firmware update, a BIOS change, or both, the ADATA GAMMAX S50 Lite is now functioning in the rear M.2 port. This lets me relocate the S50 Lite to the front slot, making it easier to upgrade to a faster, bigger SSD whenever I’m ready.