ASRock X79 Extreme4 and NVMe

[Mr_nUUb]

Hello!

I just wanted to ask if the X79 Extreme4 is NVMe compatible.
I already use an Intel Core i7-4930K.
I want to install an Intel SSD 750 as the boot drive in the third slot (first two are used for SLI).
Please tell me if this will work.

Thanks in advance,
mr_nuub

[parsec]

So far, there hasn't been a BIOS update for NVMe support for any of the ASRock X79 boards. Only the Z97 boards have BIOS updates with NVMe support.

Intel is not saying much about chipset compatibility when using a 750, except X99 and Z97 boards. There is an NVMe driver that must be installed, which Intel provides or is built into Win 8.1 and Win 10.

But NVMe support in the BIOS is essential, as well as configuring the 750 as GPT formatted and the system configured for UEFI booting. So far, not available for X79.

[Mr_nUUb]

I guess NVMe wupport comes in form of a EFI module (like SataDriver/RaidDriver or GopDriver).
If this is correct, it would be possible to mod the current BIOS (at least in theory).

[Mr_nUUb]

I found this thread very interesting: LINK (especially thid POST)

Since I modded my BIOS with the following modules:
- microcode updates
- Intel RST 13.5.0.2164 (OROM + EFI module)
- Intel RSTe 4.1.0.1026 (OROM + EFI module)
- ASMedia SATA AHCI 3.80 (Yes, this works. It displays nothing at the post screen, but in BIOS setup the drives are listed and hotplug works much better now in Windows.)
- Broadcom PXE 16.8.0 + UNDI 16.8.5

So according to the thread I should be ready for a NVMe PCIe.
Maybe I will try it and post the results.

[parsec]

Well, if all that is needed for NVMe support is a current IRST OROM, then it may work.

I need to check the OROM version on my ASRock Z97 board, that has a UEFI update including NVMe support. I should be able to tell if it has been updated. I'll report here when I do.

[Mr_nUUb]

Here is the listing of the ASRock Z97 Extreme6 BIOS version 1.40 (which has no NVMe support):

        Select option for update

1 Intel RST(e) OROM and EFI SataDriver
     OROM IRST RAID for SATA    - 13.0.0.2075
     EFI IRST RAID for SATA     - 13.0.0.2075
2 Intel OROM VBIOS and EFI GOP Driver
     OROM VBIOS Haswell         - 1022
     EFI GOP Driver Haswell     - 5.0.1036
3 LAN OROM PXE and EFI UNDI - Intel, Realtek, BCM, QCA
     OROM Intel Boot Agent GE   - 1.5.50
     EFI Intel PRO/1000 UNDI    - 6.1.14
     OROM Realtek Boot Agent    - 2.55
     EFI Realtek UNDI           - 2.021
4 AsMedia SATA Option ROM
     OROM Asmedia 106X          - 0.93
7 Update Intel CPU MicroCode Haswell/Broadwell
     CPU Microcode 0306C3 HSW   - 19
9 Look the Version of all UBU modules in VerDID.txt
0 Exit
Press ENTER - Re-Scanning ALL EFI modules.

Enter number:

And here is version 1.60 (which has NVMe support):

        Select option for update

1 Intel RST(e) OROM and EFI SataDriver
     OROM IRST RAID for SATA    - 13.0.0.2075
     EFI IRST RAID for SATA     - 13.0.0.2075
2 Intel OROM VBIOS and EFI GOP Driver
     OROM VBIOS Haswell         - 1022
     EFI GOP Driver Broadwell   - 5.5.1031
3 LAN OROM PXE and EFI UNDI - Intel, Realtek, BCM, QCA
     OROM Intel Boot Agent GE   - 1.5.50
     EFI Intel PRO/1000 UNDI    - 6.1.14
     OROM Realtek Boot Agent    - 2.55
     EFI Realtek UNDI           - 2.021
4 AsMedia SATA Option ROM
     OROM Asmedia 106X          - 0.93
7 Update Intel CPU MicroCode Haswell/Broadwell
     CPU Microcode 040671 BDW   - 03
     CPU Microcode 0306C3 HSW   - 19
9 Look the Version of all UBU modules in VerDID.txt
0 Exit
Press ENTER - Re-Scanning ALL EFI modules.

Enter number:

Both BIOS version are AMI Aptio 4, and the RST OROM or EFI module were not changed...
Have a look at this thread over at Fernandos win-raid forum: LINK

[parsec]

I wonder if the tool scanning for the OROMs is able to recognize NVMe OROMs. Given the headings in the tool's output, it seems to be programmed to look for specific things, not just whatever is found. The heading labeled 1 is Intel RSTe, which is different than IRST, and the listing then shows IRST OROMs? Odd IMO.

We can see that the EFI GOP Driver in UEFI 1.60 is different, the 5.5.1031 Broadwell version. But the OROM VBIOS is still the Haswell version in 1.60. Neither of these OROMs are related to NVMe, they are for the Intel integrated graphics. But that the VBIOS does not seem to be updated contradicts what the 1.60 description states, apparently.

My Z97 Extreme6 board with UEFI 1.70 still has the IRST 13.0.0.2075 OROM.

Frankly, given what I've been reading about NVMe, I don't think NVMe support will be included in an OROM meant to support SATA RAID and AHCI.

NVMe is so far beyond AHCI (AHCI features are all included in RAID) in its command queuing capability and has a new smaller instruction set, it is hard for me to see it just being just attached to the Intel Legacy or EFI RAID OROM. Perhaps it is being done that way now as a stop gap measure to provide NVMe support, or is done that way to allow simultaneous AHCI and NVMe support.

It seems to me that NVMe could be a SATA/Storage mode of its own, such as AHCI or IDE. Since we are at the birth of NVMe now, and 99.99999% of drives are AHCI compatible, how could we lock them out if NVMe was a storage mode? I'm starting to understand why it took so long for AHCI to be adopted over IDE, and the change to NVMe is an even bigger change.

If NVMe can be ported to older chipsets, fine. If it cannot be done, I would not be surprised.

[Mr_nUUb]

This tool scans for RST and RSTe OROMs and displays them in one table. As you can see, the "e" is in parentheses, so it is an optional letter.
Nothing odd here...

I just guessed, that there is NVMe support in the RST module to use NVMe drives in RAIDs. But this is very unlikely to happen.

As I collected more information, I came to the conclusion, that NVMe needs a major BIOS restructuring.
ASUS has created a poll here. They want to know, if users actually want NVMe support backported to X79/Z77/Z87.
Please vote. Thanks!

[mbwilding]

Here is the latest BIOS that I have modified to add support for NVMe booting.
Tested it on my own ASRock X79 Extreme 4 and it works perfectly.

I created an account here just to post this.
You will have to get a PCIe M.2 adapter if you want to use a Samsung 970 Evo like I did. (Or whatever SSD you want to use)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kcx36azp16..._3.70.zip?dl=1

[cozmosland]

Here is the latest BIOS that I have modified to add support for NVMe booting.
Tested it on my own ASRock X79 Extreme 4 and it works perfectly.

I created an account here just to post this.
You will have to get a PCIe M.2 adapter if you want to use a Samsung 970 Evo like I did. (Or whatever SSD you want to use)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kcx36azp16..._3.70.zip?dl=1

Hopefully you see this but any chance you can modify the x79 extreme 9 4.0 bios as well as id love to get nvme working on it.

Thanks in advance!!