The ASUS Z690 motherboard struggles with Gen 4 NVMe storage devices.
The ASUS Z690 motherboard struggles with Gen 4 NVMe storage devices.
@CommanderAlex I purchased it from Best Buy. I reached out through chat, and the representative said they’re allowed to manage warranty matters, but he advised bringing the whole machine to Geek Squad for diagnosis. He didn’t mention any fees, though. I’m not keen on that, but I think it could be worth it since I already know how to consistently reproduce the problem. Still, I’m hesitant about sending it there.
I’m considering an alternative approach now. I ordered another identical motherboard from BB. I’m hoping it might have a newer BIOS version or better overall hardware, possibly avoiding early issues. I’ll run tests, but I won’t install any BIOS updates unless I encounter further stability problems.
The idea is that if another board works, I can pursue the warranty option. If it keeps failing, I’ll just replace it with something else.
In a test with three Gen3 drives, the system crashed immediately after copying a folder from one drive to the main drive. After removing the third drive and restarting, the copy worked without issues. This suggests the problem isn’t a Gen4 NVMe drive, but rather a compatibility issue with multiple Gen4 + Gen3 or more Gen3 drives at once.
Several users on Asus forums reported similar problems with Z690 boards, though none of the fixes helped. It seems any SSD brand can be affected, but most complaints came from Samsung products—possibly explaining why they’re avoided.
If I need a different board, it’s safe to say it’s not Asus. While I’ve had good experiences with MSI, their slower boot times were frustrating, though the system still powers off eventually.
Did you check for an update to Intel ME before proceeding with the BIOS upgrade? Have you explored the updated SATA drivers released in August? https://www.asus.com/motherboards-compon...US-WIFI-D4 BIOS and Firmware>scroll down to Intel ME and run the installer. Then navigate to Drivers and Tools, select your OS, choose SATA, pick the newer version and install it. This change in the BIOS update process is something many users might be overlooking.
If you bring in the computer, backups are essential because responsibility for data loss or corruption lies elsewhere. You’ll need to sign a waiver and log out of any accounts you don’t want access to. I’ve used BB Geek Squad extended warranty forms for my laptops, which guide them through repairs. A diagnostic fee will apply so they can assess the machine. You can test it with another motherboard to see if problems arise. Personally, I stick with an MSI board and recently tried Asus because this is one of two original X570 models without a chipset cooler. The X570S boards followed later and were similarly priced. This new board is quite costly, but the features like fan control and OC settings on my MSI model really impressed me.
This is really helpful guidance. It looks like this step is crucial, especially after some forum discussions about Asus. I should have done it earlier when updating the BIOS in October. Now that I’ve got the newest BIOS, I updated the ME firmware and double-checked it was up to date before attempting another BIOS update. I’m not sure if it’ll make a big difference right now, but I thought a CMOS reset might help. I remember doing that, though I can’t recall exactly when in the process. Would it be worth giving it a try?
To be clear, my system already runs the latest ME firmware, BIOS version, and the newest Intel chipset and drivers for Windows. I haven’t manually installed a SATA driver since I don’t use any SATA devices, so I didn’t consider that. I’m open to trying it. It shouldn’t cause any harm.
@CommanderAlex You’re not concerned about data loss, actually. If anyone touches my computer, I’ll reset it and install fresh Windows. I prefer keeping everything in the cloud or on a home server, so I can wipe and reinstall OS quickly—usually within a couple of hours. Yes, I’m planning to get the same board next Friday. It’s a bit of work, but I’ll swap the mobos and see how it performs before deciding further.
I had no problems with MSI boards for both Ryzen (B550) and Intel (Z690). The only downside was slower boot times—about 45 seconds to start Windows on both systems, which was longer than my old 4770K PC. That’s why I tried Asus and liked the board overall. I’ve never had success with Gigabyte or any other brands, so I’m sticking with what works.