Change in upgrade plans for my son's PC for xmas, help please!

what difference did it make ?
My framerates went from low 20s to a little over 30 for average. For me at the time it was the difference between being playable and unplayable, but now that I got the Pro Duo it's averaging around 45fps and it's just CPU limited. I guess I'm impressed at how much they were able to move the load from my CPU to my GPU a bit more at first, and then tremendously so when I got a big GPU upgrade.

Can't wait to see what this beast will do with a proper processor, Zen can't come out soon enough for me!
 
<sigh>

There's always something...

</sigh>

So apparently the GA990FX-Gaming doesn't like the Intel SSD6 very much. My son insisted on windows 7, which it wouldn't allow me to install on the ssd without drivers..which I couldn't find. Loaded up 7 to an old HDD, STILL couldn't see the SSD anywhere. I can see it when I go to install windows, can partition it and format it, but it won't let me install to it.

This morning I got up early and decided to toss 10 on it, no luck. Same shit. "Windows can't be installed to this drive (see details)" and the details are the drive either isn't activated on my mobo (which I'm pretty sure it is) or I don't have the install drivers for (which I can't find ANYWHERE!!).

Help? :|

The intel SSD is a 600p series, the 256GB one. The mobo has the f2 bios from 4/6/2016. Not sure about all the UEFI vs BIOS crap either. Again, help?
 
<sigh>

There's always something...

</sigh>

So apparently the GA990FX-Gaming doesn't like the Intel SSD6 very much. My son insisted on windows 7, which it wouldn't allow me to install on the ssd without drivers..which I couldn't find. Loaded up 7 to an old HDD, STILL couldn't see the SSD anywhere. I can see it when I go to install windows, can partition it and format it, but it won't let me install to it.

This morning I got up early and decided to toss 10 on it, no luck. Same shit. "Windows can't be installed to this drive (see details)" and the details are the drive either isn't activated on my mobo (which I'm pretty sure it is) or I don't have the install drivers for (which I can't find ANYWHERE!!).

Help? :|

The intel SSD is a 600p series, the 256GB one. The mobo has the f2 bios from 4/6/2016. Not sure about all the UEFI vs BIOS crap either. Again, help?

change the SATA from AHCI to IDE on bios/uefi
 
You need to install Win10 latest version for NVME support, which is what the nonSata M.2 uses. At least thats what VM users on another forum had issues with. I hope its not a case of your MB Bios not detecting it.

I have not watched this video but it seems to be on point.

Gigabyte GA 990FX GAMING pt2 M.2 SSD NVME

Does this mobo support NVMe drives? Does it support booting from NVMe M.2 SSD's?

I answer those questions and cover my installation of a Samsung SM951 NVMe 256GB M.2 SSD.


 
Last edited:
@digitalwanderer

http://www.overclock.net/t/1551060/official-samsung-sm951-owners-club/1120#post_24873865

Making your SM951 NVMe SSD bootable on Gigabyte GA-990FX-GAMING motherboard.

Turns out, it's not that hard but if you're using Windows 7 or older, you're in a much more difficult predicament because Win7 doesn't have an NVMe driver on the installation disk / ISO / USB stick etc.

THIS method should work using Windows8 or higher.

You'll have to do a fresh install because the partitions that you have on your root drive where your current O/S is installed are probably MBR and you need to use GPT on the Samsung SM951 NVMe. At least that's as much as I understand about the whole affair.

So FIRST of all: Don't physically install the SM951 just yet. If you do and boot into Windows, Windows will automatically partition the drive using MBR or something wrong. No big deal this can be fixed during the fresh install process.

1. Get Microsoft's "MediaCreationTool"
2. Plug a USB 3.0 flash stick into a USB 3.0 port on the back of your PC. [6GB or greater will suffice.]
3. Choose "Create Installation Media for another PC" and wait for the app to finish creating your WinX installation thumb-drive.
4. Shutdown your PC, unplug it and open the case.
5. Disconnect all drives from all your SATA ports.

If you have a grounding wrist-strap, you should put that on now and attach it to the chassis.

6. If your GPU or other card is located in SLOT 1, it is highly advisable to remove it, so you'll have unhindered access to the M.2 socket.
7. Remove only the top screw from the 80mm hold-down located inline with the M.2 socket toward the rear panel.
8. Look into the M.2 socket and note how it is keyed. Look at the SM951 and note the notch in the card-edge contacts.
8. Hold the SM951 by the edges at about the middle area of the card with the IC components facing up. BE GENTLE! and slide it into the M.2 socket at a slight angle.
9. Push the rear end of the SM951 downward to the anchor point. Should require very little force.
10. Install the hold-down screw.
11. Reinstall whatever expansion cards you removed for easy access.
12. Is everything disconnected from your SATA ports? If not, make it so.

13. Plug your PC back in, press the POWER button and then press DEL to enter BIOS.
14. Set all BOOT options to "UEFI ONLY" where possible. Also check to see that the motherboard is recognizing the Samsung SM951 by selecting the "Peripherals" tab and scrolling the bottom-most item and hitting ENTER.
15. Save settings and EXIT
16. After BIOS POST you should enter boot off the USB Thumb Drive and see the Language Selection screen for Windows Setup.
17. If you created the installation media using the Free Upgrade version of Windows 10, just choose to SKIP entry of the "Product Key" code. You'll be asked twice and choose SKIP both times.
18. Windows Setup will allow you to choose which drive to install on. Make sure to select the Samsung SM951.
19. If you already installed the SM951 earlier and booted into Windows, there will be existing partitions on the drive which you will need to delete. Delete all partitions until you see a single partition of "Unallocated Space". Now click on "NEW" and SETUP will create new partitions for the install.
20. Continue with setup until Windows restarts. Each time Windows restarts, you'll need to press F12 during BIOS POST and select "Windows Boot Manager" as the boot device, otherwise you'll boot into the USB flash-drive and start the SETUP all over again.

21. Remove the Installation Thumb-drive.

22. Once Windows 8/8.1/10 is fully installed, you can shut down your PC and reconnect all your SATA drives into the SATA ports but DON"T use SATA port 5 which is the one at the bottom right side.

NOTE: You CAN have SATA ports 4/5 set to "IDE" in the BIOS to support older optical disk drives and plug said drive into port 4. (at least this is working for me).

So that's it. This post probably needs improvement. I'll come back to it later.
 
tl;dr, you need to use newer versions of windows and your BIOS must be set to UEFI Only.



ABSOLUTELY NOT. That isn't the correct advice.

Why? My pc and laptop has been like that for ages. Sata drives in ahci requires driver that I don't have. With IDE, windows didn't complain at all
 
Why? My pc and laptop has been like that for ages. Sata drives in ahci requires driver that I don't have. With IDE, windows didn't complain at all

The drivers for AHCI chipsets of common MB have been built into Windows since Vista. IDE is legacy shit and is the wrong thing to use. Its not a solution.

Also from your limited posted computer device history here no one should take computer advice from you. That much should be obvious to even you.
 
Also from your limited posted computer device history here no one should take computer advice from you. That much should be obvious to even you.
Ouch.....
ps: I have a mbr o/s drive and a gpt data drive
 
Last edited:
@digitalwanderer with windows 7?

The drivers for AHCI chipsets of common MB have been built into Windows since Vista. IDE is legacy shit and is the wrong thing to use. Its not a solution.

Also from your limited posted computer device history here no one should take computer advice from you. That much should be obvious to even you.

Don't worry, I have a cat to do it
 
No, windows 10. It is umpossible to boot win 7 from his m.2 on that motherboard. He grudgingly accepted that and is using 10 bitching all the way. <sigh>
 
He's already disabled auto updates entirely, after updating. He's stopped making grumbly noises a few hours ago. He was a bit awful about the problems installing windows last night and even less pleased when I accidentally fried his keyboard trying to clean some grime off it. A Gigabyte Aivia Osmium CHERRY Red Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with Blue Back-Lit (GK-OSMIUM) that when I looked at I almost puked it was so nasty. I decided to wipe it down with a slightly damp microfiber towel just to get the worst off, but there was that awful burning smell and suddenly the PC wouldn't boot anymore and it would after I unplugged his keyboard and he just got hateful as hell towards me for killing it. :(

I can't afford to get him a new one right now, so I gave him my new mechanical brown one that I put the o-rings on and I'm on a Razer Lycosa again after cleaning up my wife's and swapping my old one with her a few months back. He also went absolutely ballistic when I came upstairs with my shirt off and the tape on as some good luck juju, (and to crack up my depressed as hell daughter, which I succeeded at admirably. :D ), and threw a shirt at me and told me to put it on and to quit embarrassing myself and take it seriously. If I hadn't spent so much time worrying the problem to death the night before and lucking out and having my friends talk me down and point me down the right path this morning, I wasn't exactly sure how much more seriously he'd like me to take it.

And it doubly annoyed him when it actually worked when I did it, priceless look on his face. ROFL! Just to annoy him I actually leaned back in the chair and rubbed the electric taped Xs on my nipples with a look of great happiness on my face and he just groaned as my daughter literally fell down laughing. :)

Sorry, been a weird couple of days and I've been insanely over focused on hardware again. It's been interesting and fun, and the end results are pretty damned amazing so I'm very pleased, I just wish my son could improve his attitude/emotional control a bit. :(
 
Yeah, I had issues with it until I was about 26 I think. That's what makes it weird, he reminds me of me a lot at that age. Just as unfocused and angry, but without all the drugs and alcoholism. I'm thinking it's some self-loathing for not doing more with his life, but I'm gonna be working on that just as soon as I make sure Maddy can function all safely on her own.

See, this is why I refuse to be a grown up. Grown upping is hard.
 
Back
Top