Using M.2 NVME with older z77 motherboards
After seeing https://www.win-raid.com/t871f50-Gui...UEFI-BIOS.html
I wanted to see if I could get this working with my ASUS p8z77 So bought a DT-120 Lycom M.2 SSD to PCIe 3.0 x4 Adapter Card and Samsung 970 EVO 250GB M.2.
Used the necessary files from Asus z97 motherboard and after adding them to the p8z77 bios I was able to install Windows 10 without any issues.
Boot time from power on before the upgrade with OS on a a SATA SSD - 45sec
Boot time from power on after the upgrade with OS on M.2 = 18-20 sec and app start-up and everting else is lot faster as well, given extra life to my motherboad/pc - :)
Happy to provide details related to bios mod if anyone wants.
Re: Using M.2 NVME with older z77 motherboards
That's interesting. I considered something similar for my Z9PE-D8 motherboard but I decided against it in the end and decided I could live with not being able to boot from the M.2 in the PCIe 3.0 x4 adapter card.
Would you consider it an easy thing to do? Was there a BIOS version that someone else had already altered that you downloaded and used?
Re: Using M.2 NVME with older z77 motherboards
I've created my own using latest available BIOSs.
Modifying the BIOS is bit involved but I wont call it hard. With ASUS, once the BIOS is modified normal BIOS flash wont accept it so you need to use the easy BIOS option by plugging it to the correct USB port and pressing the flash option. My first modified BIOS didn't flash correctly so I tried again using other method and it worked immediately, so in total I spent around 2-3 hours reading and doing the work.
So worth checking if your MB has the easy/failsafe BIOS flash option if you think of doing it (Based on what I read its possible for all z77 based MBs, just that ASUS use .cap format of BIOS which is signed and MB rejects modified ones).
Re: Using M.2 NVME with older z77 motherboards
I used that sight and some info when I installed an Intel 750 nvme drive in my Asus X79 motherboard and wanted to use it as my boot drive. Didn't need to install a modified bios iirc but could do so if desired and needed to show the bootable pci ssd.
Re: Using M.2 NVME with older z77 motherboards
On z77 Windows can see the M.2 but it didn't accept it as a boot device. After the Bios mod, Windows accepted the M.2 as a OS install disk and at the next reboot 'Windows on NMVE drive...." appeared as a option within the BIOS boot order.
Re: Using M.2 NVME with older z77 motherboards
Quote:
Originally Posted by
876HX
ASUS use .cap format of BIOS which is signed and MB rejects modified ones).
That was the bit that finally put me off cause it seemed like too much of a risk on a £400 mobo that you cant get anymore.