Upgrade or Buy New?

Gray2233 · 24 Apr 2025 at 19:19

Geordie1881 said:
Ok, so let's go with an adapter then. This looks to be the guy...

IcyBox PCIe Expansion Card for 1x M.2 PCIe (NVMe) SSD to PCIe 3.0 x4

Order IcyBox PCIe Expansion Card for 1x M.2 PCIe (NVMe) SSD to PCIe 3.0 x4 now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

In terms of installing this, does this just go onto the motherboard into the slot above where it says "AMD Crossfire" ?

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I guess this will need a PCIe power connection too... now that could be an issue as I don't think I have one available

The slot should deliver more than enough power, NvME's aren't power hungry.

I have something similar by Sabrent that set me back a tenner or so.

Geordie1881 · 24 Apr 2025 at 19:24

Gray2233 said:
The slot should deliver more than enough power, NvME's aren't power hungry.

Ah ok, didn't even realise that was a 'thing'. Every day is a learning day for me (well perhaps every 5 minutes is more accurate!)

Gray2233 said:
I have something similar by Sabrent that set me back a tenner or so.

Yep, think I know where you're going with this... and next day delivery would be very handy!

Tetras · 24 Apr 2025 at 20:02

Geordie1881 said:
In terms of installing this, does this just go onto the motherboard into the slot above where it says "AMD Crossfire" ?

If there's enough physical space I'd use the one under (full length, black). The silver one might knock your graphics down by 8 lanes. The manual (page 19) is a bit vague on how exactly these slots are configured, but I'm hoping that the bottom slot is chipset connected and can be used independently of the primary PCI-E where your graphics card sits.

Geordie1881 · 24 Apr 2025 at 20:14

Tetras said:
If there's enough physical space I'd use the one under (full length, black). The silver one might knock your graphics down by 8 lanes. The manual (page 19) is a bit vague on how exactly these slots are configured, but I'm hoping that the bottom slot is chipset connected and can be used independently of the primary PCI-E where your graphics card sits.

thanks @Tetras ill give that a whirl.

I think those schematics/manuals were drawn/written by masochists tbh!

tamzzy · 24 Apr 2025 at 20:25

My first thoughts are that the SSD you bought is dead on arrival. I would RMA that drive for a new one before spending any more money in the first instance.
Whilst not on the QVL, SSDs rarely have incompatibility issues.
Yes gen 4 drives will work with gen 3 lanes.

Gray2233 · 24 Apr 2025 at 20:36

tamzzy said:
My first thoughts are that the SSD you bought is dead on arrival. I would RMA that drive for a new one before spending any more money in the first instance.
Whilst not on the QVL, SSDs rarely have incompatibility issues.
Yes gen 4 drives will work with gen 3 lanes.

If that's the case with the Sabrent adapter the return process is extremely easy and costs nothing with the site in question, I'd not be too concerned.

Geordie1881 · 24 Apr 2025 at 20:51

I've ordered the adapter now, arrives tomorrow morning. so I'll try that and go from there. fully expecting a dead drive now, so won't be too disappointed

Geordie1881 · 25 Apr 2025 at 09:30

Ok, you called it. Looks like a DoA SSD. I'll arrange RMA and go again once the replacement arrives

Thanks again for all the assistance

Geordie1881 · 25 Apr 2025 at 09:42

Just a thought... I intend on cloning my current SSD onto the new M.2 SSD (once the RMA process is sorted). I understand the point about a fresh install but I'm more concerned about what I might lose rather than clearing out the rubbish (there's probably not that much rubbish in all honesty). Whilst I wait on the RMA process, is it worth upgrading from W10 to W11 on my current SSD? Or should I clone whilst on W10 and then upgrade to W11 on the new M.2 SSD

tamzzy · 25 Apr 2025 at 20:51

Geordie1881 said:
Just a thought... I intend on cloning my current SSD onto the new M.2 SSD (once the RMA process is sorted). I understand the point about a fresh install but I'm more concerned about what I might lose rather than clearing out the rubbish (there's probably not that much rubbish in all honesty). Whilst I wait on the RMA process, is it worth upgrading from W10 to W11 on my current SSD? Or should I clone whilst on W10 and then upgrade to W11 on the new M.2 SSD

back up your files now, then do an upgrade on your current ssd to win 11
then clone that over to the new drive

Geordie1881 · 26 Apr 2025 at 17:13

Ok, so interesting times... my system now appears unhappy. I can get into BIOS but if I try and let the system boot normally I get to a screen with ASRock in the middle and at the bottom it says "preparing automatic repair" and the circle of 'buffering' dots spinning above it. I'll leave it going, but it's been like that for quite some time now

btw this is still on the old SSD running W10.

Any ideas or do I just need to wait it out?

tamzzy · 26 Apr 2025 at 17:16

Geordie1881 said:
Ok, so interesting times... my system now appears unhappy. I can get into BIOS but if I try and let the system boot normally I get to a screen with ASRock in the middle and at the bottom it says "preparing automatic repair" and the circle of 'buffering' dots spinning above it. I'll leave it going, but it's been like that for quite some time now

btw this is still on the old SSD running W10.

Any ideas or do I just need to wait it out?

Enable csm in bios.

Geordie1881 · 26 Apr 2025 at 18:28

thanks. CSM was already enabled. I've disabled it and now it boots fine.

goggling about the GPU suggests it won't work properly unless in UEFI so is likely to have been the cause? (just curious)

tamzzy · 26 Apr 2025 at 18:48

Geordie1881 said:
thanks. CSM was already enabled. I've disabled it and now it boots fine.

when the ssd has an issue it's usually due to csm, and usually one or the other. if it's off, turn it on. if it's on turn it off :cry:

csm should be disabled for win 11.

Geordie1881 said:
goggling about the GPU suggests it won't work properly unless in UEFI so is likely to have been the cause? (just curious)

i'm not sure what you mean?

Geordie1881 · 26 Apr 2025 at 19:55

tamzzy said:
i'm not sure what you mean?

nor am I

I passed my level of competence about 3 pages back haha

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Anyway... CSM is currently disabled and it seems ok now in W10

Geordie1881 · 3 May 2025 at 10:53

A quick update... all good on W11 now (thanks for all your help)

Still waiting on the SSD RMA and will then clone across to that. If that goes smoothly then that'll be job done

tamzzy · 3 May 2025 at 11:11

@Geordie1881 excellent news, that RMA seems to be taking a while?

Geordie1881 · 7 May 2025 at 08:57

tamzzy said:
@Geordie1881 excellent news, that RMA seems to be taking a while?

yeah I made the mistake of raising a ticket online. after 5 days I called them and they sorted it over the phone. issue then was that the RMA ran into bank holiday weekend.

anyway... replacement SSD received and I can't see it in BIOS even with all other drives disconnected. I've tried connecting to M.2_1, M.2_2 and via PCIe caddy.

im now working on the basis that 2x DOA is unlikely so it's either me, or the drive isn't compatible. Open to ideas....

tamzzy · 7 May 2025 at 08:59

@Geordie1881 just humour me and reset your bios to defaults (I assume you have pictures saved of the overclock already)

Geordie1881 · 7 May 2025 at 09:01

tamzzy said:
@Geordie1881 just humour me and reset your bios to defaults (I assume you have pictures saved of the overclock already)

ive got photos of the OC Tweakers section, do I need anything else?