Start from PCEI x1? Follow the setup guide for your specific model.
Start from PCEI x1? Follow the setup guide for your specific model.
I bought a gaming PC that requires major upgrades. It uses an MSI B360m Bazooka board and currently has one M.2 drive for games. My 2.5" SSD is the boot drive with my OS, but it only holds 120GB. I’m considering an Intel Optane 1TB NVMe drive for $100 plus an adapter for $15, which would be faster than a regular SSD. Can I boot from PCIe on this motherboard, or should I buy a larger 2.5" drive instead?
Are you seeing the actual optical drive or just a lower resolution version?
You've already got your M.2 drive set up with a 2 TB NVMe stick—1 TB is a solid choice and performs better than a 2.5" SSD in a PCIe x1 slot.
I think you're looking to purchase an adapter from M.2 to a PCIe slot, specifically one that fits a x1 connector. If that's your goal, verify the adapter physically connects to an x1 slot—it won't fit anything else unless it has a real x1 port. Based on this, it should work to boot the NVMe drive through the adapter. Alternatively, you could install the 660p in your motherboard's M.2 slot and transfer the existing drive into the adapter.
that's not an Optane, it's a standard QLC M.2 storage. it's a solid choice, offering good value for around 1TB. you might have thought Optane was more expensive, but the SSD he found is priced normally. if it were real Optane at $100, it would be a huge discount. the PCIe slot runs at 3.0Gb/s, which is faster than standard SATA. i checked the listing and it matches what you need. if you need flexibility, consider Intel's 660p or Crucial's P1 options—whichever fits your budget best.
I enjoy having the game drive in its current position. It's interesting to know if it's possible to boot from the PCIE slot.