Gen 4 NVMe New windows install advice please

Reedweaver · 20 Nov 2022 at 20:23

I dont have an 11th gen CPU yet (M.2 Slot 1 disabled) , what happens when I install Windows 10 using M.2 Slot_2 and then when I get the 11th gen cpu, move the gen4 SSD to M.2_Slot_1?

I have a Asus Z590-P Wifi motherboard that I am building a system with.

(Ignore signature below for this question)

mrk · 21 Nov 2022 at 00:23

Slot 1 is PCIE 4.0 in x4 mode whilst the others are gen 3 in x4 - So the only difference will be that when you swap the drive to the gen 4 slot, you will gain the extra bandwidth of gen 4. The UEFI will detect the Windows Boot manager on the drive and boot from it regardless of what slot it is plugged into in a typical situation.

Murphy · 21 Nov 2022 at 08:18

^^That^^ plus i thought it didn't matter if you plugged a gen 3 drive into a gen 4 slot as it's backward compatible.

Reedweaver · 21 Nov 2022 at 08:44

Murphy said:
^^That^^ plus i thought it didn't matter if you plugged a gen 3 drive into a gen 4 slot as it's backward compatible.

My motherboard doesnt recognise the SSD in the M.2_slot_1. Looking at the motherboard manual it says:

"Intel® 11th Gen Processors M.2_1 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280/22110 - Only Intel® 11th Gen processors support PCIe 4.0 x4 mode, this slot will be disabled for other CPUs"

Murphy · 21 Nov 2022 at 08:57

Oh, it actively disables it, that's odd as like i said i thought PCIe was backward compatible.

TIL.

Mcnumpty2323 · 21 Nov 2022 at 13:30

Murphy said:
Oh, it actively disables it, that's odd as like i said i thought PCIe was backward compatible.

TIL.

Disabled because 10th gen doesn't support pcie 4
11th gen does
Though only through cpu pcie lanes
So that probably means limited to 1 x pcie 4 slot