Searching for methods to check a faulty SSD.
Searching for methods to check a faulty SSD.
I shared my situation last week when seeking assistance due to unexpected reboots in my new PC setup. Here are the components I own:
- AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 4.7 GHz 6-Core Processor
- Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler
- Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX ATX AM5 Motherboard
- Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-5600 CL36 Memory
- Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME SSD
- Zotac GAMING Twin Edge OC GeForce RTX 3060 12GB 12 GB Video Card
- CORSAIR RMx Series RM850x 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
- LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
So far, I’ve swapped the power supply, removed the graphics card to run directly from the motherboard, changed cables, reinstalled the latest BIOS and Windows. In Windows 11 Pro I verified drivers and ran RAM tests; chkdsk showed no issues. The system maintains a stable temperature around 37-43°C.
I planned to test individual RAM modules one by one, but doubted it would reveal problems since tests indicated normal operation. Now I’m focusing on the motherboard or the M.2 drive. Using a spare 2.5" SSD from my old system seems like the safest option to preserve data before proceeding.
My concern is whether installing Windows 11 Pro on that old SSD would work without losing data, and if so, whether physically removing the M.2 drive is necessary to confirm. If it still reboots, I suspect the issue lies with the motherboard itself.
Any information stored on that device should definitely be transferred elsewhere prior to beginning an operating system installation. For such an installation, the specific drive must remain connected exclusively.
I consider copying all the data from the 2.5 SSD. It seems to be around 500gb, so I should have a backup drive ready to use. Then I could clone the M.2 drive onto the SSD using software like Easeus. That way everything "should" match. After that, I can remove the M.2 and set the BIOS to boot from the new drive. I’m hoping the issue lies with the M.2 itself. I don’t want to replace my motherboard, but I also don’t want a $1300 computer that keeps rebooting on its own.
If anyone has similar experiences, which component is most likely to fail—the motherboard, the CPU, or the M.2 SSD? I’ve noticed my SSD uses a PCIe 3.0 interface while the board slot supports PCIe 4.0 or 5.0. Today I plan to test a Samsung 980 PRO 1TB Internal Gaming SSD PCIe Gen 4 x4 NVMe on my way home. It seems like the SSD is the easiest part to check first. I’ll even replace it cold and perform a fresh Windows 11 installation from scratch. How probable is it that the faulty part will be the motherboard or the CPU?