# Samsung SSD M.2 and SATA Port Problems



## Hans Adamson (Apr 28, 2016)

Hey guys,

I am tremendously enjoying building a new DAW, but have run into some problems. Maybe someone here knows the answer?

I built the computer on the ASUS Z97-E/USB3.1 motherboard. My system drive is a Samsung EVO 850 SSD M.2. 

My problem is that when the M.2 SSD is installed, the SATA 5 and 6 ports are greyed out in BIOS, and anything connected there is not showing up in My Computer. If I remove the M.2, SATA 5 and 6 are no longer greyed out in BIOS, and the drives attached to these ports are available in My Computer.

I have been chatting the whole day with support representatives for ASUS, updating BIOS, clearing CMOS, re-installing the SATA drivers, etc. etc. etc...., but nothing has made SATA 5 and 6 available. Eventually, the ASUS people told me my motherboard needed to be replaced. Now - I actually have more faith in the expertise of the members of this forum than the nice support representatives at ASUS. I don't want to go through the hassle of replacing the MB when the new computer is already built. Particularly when I am not convinced the problem will be solved with a new MB.

I need those SATA ports because I want to hook up my legacy drives so the transition to a new DAW will be as smooth as it can be...

Anyone with a similar problem, or any suggestion, let me know.

Thanks in advance,

/Hans


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## Scrianinoff (Apr 28, 2016)

I jump at the opportunity to help out the genius who gave me the magnificent Virtual Grand Piano!

The manual is very unclear with throwing around terms like bandwidth, sharing, priority and detection. There is some information on page 1-22, but it quite ambiguous. One might think that bandwidth is shared between the M.2 socket and Sata drives connected to the Sata Express port. I think a lot was lost in translation. However, they did insert a remark at the bottom of page 2-33, that I think clears it up:

"By default, the system detects the first priority device. The device detection priority is as follows: PCIe M.2 > Sata Mode M.2 > PCIe Sata Express > SATA Mode SATA Express"

So apparently with this setting you can give priority to which one of those is actually _detected_. Bandwidth of the PCH _is shared_, however never at the same time, it goes either to M.2 or Sata (Express).

You can however buy a PCIe x1 Sata card for around $20 to connect your two legacy Sata drives.

Good luck!


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## Scrianinoff (Apr 28, 2016)

Here $9.99 : http://m.newegg.com/Product/index?itemnumber=N82E16815124152


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## Hans Adamson (Apr 29, 2016)

Thanks Scrianinoff!

You are very kind. I was fearing this would be the case. So you think it is indicated that M.2 cannot be used simultaneously with anything connected to the SATA Express ports, because only one type of device can be detected?

I haven't been able to find any on-line discussion about this, when searching the Internet.

If this is so, I will follow your suggestion and get the PCIe x1 SATA card. Thanks for the link!

/Hans


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## Scrianinoff (Apr 29, 2016)

Well, I did not do an exhaustive search either I must confess, and the manual offers no definitive proof, however, what would the 'priority' settings otherwise achieve if not for 'detection' purposes, how would 'bandwidth' be 'prioritized'? 'Either M.2 or Sata', appears to be the most sane interpretation 

Apart from that, some Z97 boards of other brands seem to suffer the same fate. For example this one: https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/2iluyv/discussion_using_the_m2_slot_questions/ : "(1asteric) The SATA5 and SATA6 ports will be unavailable when installing a module in the M.2 port."


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## Hans Adamson (Apr 29, 2016)

Thanks again! Yes it certainly seems to be the case. Thanks for finding this so quickly. I guess the good news is that I don't have to tear apart the computer and replace the MB to confirm that this is an inherent limitation on these boards.

Edit: Reading further in the thread you linked definitely confirms that the SATA 5 and 6 will be unavailable when populating the M.2 slot. It is disappointing that I had to spend yesterday with various support representatives at ASUS, but no one of them was aware of this. 

Best,
/Hans


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## EvilDragon (Apr 29, 2016)

Here's the deal: there are two types of devices you can connect to M.2 port: SATA or PCIe SSDs. You have a SATA M.2 SSD. This means that when you use it on your M.2 port, it will use the bandwidth of two available SATA ports (essentially making it SATA Express in a way), that's why SATA 5 and 6 get blacked out in BIOS. You're connecting it to the SATA bus, except the connector used is not SATA but M.2 instead - that's the catch!

It's better to have a PCIe M.2 SSD (also NVMe). These use the PCIe bus instead of SATA, which means you can use it alongside your SATA 5 and 6 ports. These SSDs are usually more expensive for the same capacity, but also faster too! For example, Samsung 950 Pro M.2 drives. It's a better solution than getting a separate PCIe card, really. Sell this M.2 drive you have to someone and get a better one, PCIe based


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## chimuelo (Apr 29, 2016)

I concur with the guys above.
Suprised my threads werent found as the M.2 race started by ASRock was followed by others but few updated thier manuals.
Even aftet installing an M.2 I had to remove a 16x video card and use Intel CPU on die GPU.

Then I added the the other 4 x SSDs.
It worked so well I decided to use Intel GPU since we dont neef 16 x PCI Lanes for 2 dimensional DAW GUIs.

Let us know what you do Hans.
VGP Malmsjo lovers are eager to help.

Keep in mind the Samsung 950 Pro is NVMe and PCI-e 4x. Meaning it needs 4 lanes.
Each additional device connected uses lanes too.
Older M.2s are only PCI-e 2x,...2 lanes.
Also limited to 785MBps. Still fast enougj.

The beauty of a 4x M.2 on a Z97 is it bypasses the chipset and accesses the CPU.
It is the only such connection like that.
Others use DMI now.

Z97 for the OS is well suited.
But streams like a bat out of hell.

Windows 7 now supports NVMe.
Make sure to install drivers from Samsung if you get the 950 Pro.

Better than Micro$oft.


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## kitekrazy (Apr 29, 2016)

I discovered that in my AsRock manual the 2 Sata ports are needed for an M2.


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## EvilDragon (Apr 29, 2016)

...only for SATA M.2 devices, though. Not for PCIe M.2 devices.

http://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts...srock-z170-pro4-and-m2-socket-limitation#2710


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