ASROCK Extreme 6 Ultra M.2 socket Config Question

[10derdigits]

Firstly, first post so Hi to all who read this :-)

Right, I have recently assembled my new PC, using the Extreme 6 with a 4790K, 8GB Dual Channel Team Group, a single Sapphire R290X and a new Crucial 128GB m550 M.2 Internal SSD for Windows Installation. Now apart from having to fiddle with what Sata ports were active when I installed the M.2 to the second M.2 socket everything works very well, windows installed and works fine. I did try the M.2 drive in the ULTRA M.2 socket, but the Motherboard did not detect it. Would I be right in presuming that is because the GPU is running at X16 therefore disabling the Ultra M.2? Could I switch the GPU down to x8, leaving bandwidth for the M.2?

Thanks in advance

Chris

[richard694000]

Re: ASROCK Extreme 6 Ultra M.2 socket Config Question

Firstly, first post so Hi to all who read this :-)

Right, I have recently assembled my new PC, using the Extreme 6 with a 4790K, 8GB Dual Channel Team Group, a single Sapphire R290X and a new Crucial 128GB m550 M.2 Internal SSD for Windows Installation. Now apart from having to fiddle with what Sata ports were active when I installed the M.2 to the second M.2 socket everything works very well, windows installed and works fine. I did try the M.2 drive in the ULTRA M.2 socket, but the Motherboard did not detect it. Would I be right in presuming that is because the GPU is running at X16 therefore disabling the Ultra M.2? Could I switch the GPU down to x8, leaving bandwidth for the M.2?

Thanks in advance

Chris

ASRock Z97 Extreme6 PCIe Ultra M.2 Storage Performance Overview - ASRock Extreme6 They said in the review the ultra connects directly to the cpu.

[10derdigits]

Re: ASROCK Extreme 6 Ultra M.2 socket Config Question

Yeh I see that now. How odd though, it works fine in the second M2 but isn't even detected in bios in the 1st??

[godto]

Re: ASROCK Extreme 6 Ultra M.2 socket Config Question

I think because of the ultra is M2 x4 .... your is M2 x2 only ... i bet you can SLI no problem ... ( they said either SLI or Ultra M2 x4)

I hope next month i can get the M2 X4 ( need save up first) .. right now i use M2 x2 slot for my Crucial 240

[parsec]

Re: ASROCK Extreme 6 Ultra M.2 socket Config Question

The review in the link above describes to some degree why 10derdigit's M.2 Crucial 550 SSD does not work in the Ultra M.2 port.

There are (at least) two types of M.2 SSDs, SATA and PCIe. The M.2 550 is a SATA type M.2 SSD.

SATA type M.2 SSDs require the same SATA interface that standard 2.5" SATA SSDs do. PCIe M.2 SSDs actually have their own SATA interface included on the SSD itself, examples of that type include the Plextor M6e and Samsung XP941.

The standard M.2 slot on the Z97 Extreme 6 board is connected to the Z97 chipset via two PCIe lanes from the Z97 chipset itself. The Z97 chipset also contains the Intel SATA interface. So those PCIe lanes are then connected to the SATA interface in the Z97 chipset, and allows the M.2 550 to function.

The Ultra M.2 slot is connected to the PCIe lanes in the CPU. The CPU does not contain a SATA interface, and cannot route it to the SATA interface in the Z97 chipset. Without a SATA interface, the M.2 550 cannot function, and is not detected in the BIOS, etc.