PCI-E SSD Cards help

xy16644

xy16644

xy16644

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Currently I run the following:

  • Asus P8Z77-V DELUXE Z77 MoBo
  • Samsung 256GB 830 Pro SSD
  • Windows 8.1 64bit


In the next few weeks I would like to rebuild my machine either with Windows 8.1 again or wait for Windows 10.

But...

Rather than reinstall my machine on my Samsung 256GB 830 Pro SSD drive, I've been thinking about getting a PCI-e SSD card.

I've only just started reading up about these cards/drives so can someone recommend a drive like this that will work with my system/requirements:

  • Must work with my current/existing mobo
  • Must be able to boot with Windows 8.1/10 installed on it
  • Must be faster than my current SSD ;)


I use my machine for running many VMs so speed is important.

Any ideas please? 256GB is enough for me but I am flexible here.

My systems almost 3yrs old so just wanna make sure I select the right (fast!) drive!

Thanks!
 
From what I have read, officially only x99 and z97 support nvme so the latest intel super fast offerings aren't "officially" compatible with Z77

I've been considering the same, when i upgrade to win10 the pcie ssd will be a lot easier to install/configure. Your mobo has 2 pcie 3.0 slots, are either of them currently populated? If you have a vga card in the first slot then this would drop from pcie x16 to pcie x8 bandwidth, not that it makes a huge difference in fps atm though but worth noting.

The Kingston HyperX Predator M2 PCIe SSD 240GB looks the fastest alternative at Read 1400MB/s, Write 600MB/s, 160k/119k IOPS but I would get some more professional advice of others first.
 
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I wouldn't worry too much about it, just get a fast SATA drive.

Pcie drives are faster but they're expensive and I'm not convinced most people would see a significant difference. Maybe loading VMs would be quicker but I'd check some real world experiences before dropping the cash.
 
The Intel 750 and the Samsung 951 are the fastest. I have both and have tested them with VM's. They are fast but unless you are running servers or some other file IO limited software you will not notice much difference from a normal SSD.
 
I've got the Samsung 951 in mine as the OS drive. I only got it because it's quick and I have an X99 mobo, so I have the M2 slot on the motherboard.
If I had to put it in a PCI-E slot then I wouldn't have bothered and just got a normal SATA SSD.
 
Thank for all the replies!

I don't have any video cards (or anything else for that matter) plugged into my PCI Express ports on the motherboard (I use the onboard video).

I can't seem to make up my mind between:

  • Reusing my existing Samsung Pro 830 256GB SSD
  • Buying another SSD...probably the Samsung Pro 850 256GB SSD
  • Buy the Kingston HyperX Predator M2 PCIe SSD 240GB

I can almost buy two of the Samsung Pro 850 256GB SSDs compared to the Kingston HyperX Predator M2 PCIe SSD 240GB.

I'm wondering if its too early to buy a PCIe SSD at this stage? I think NVMe is the way to go ultimately but I think my motherboard is too "old"? I won't even consider upgrading for another two years.

Although I love the speed of the new PCIe SSDs, current SSDs are still stupidly fast! I consider myself a power user and use the VMs for testing many things (since I work in IT) and have yet to think to myself: This SSD drive is slow!

So what to do? :confused:
 
I doubt there's much in it between the 830 and 850 Pro. So is stick with the 830 if you don't need more space. If you need more space the 850 Evo is cheap and very fast.
 
xy16644 said:
So what to do? :confused:
Click to expand...

Not the answer you want (and I should take my own advice here too) but if you don't need to replace your current ssd you could wait and buy a nvme drive when you upgrade your mobo in 2yrs time, the 1.2Tb Intel drive would be affordable by then too :D
 
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A Samsung SM951 256GB M.2 PCI-e + Lycom DT-120 4x PCIe adapter card would be cheaper and faster than the Kingston HyperX Predator M2 PCIe SSD 240GB. Would be < £160 total.
 
FredFlint said:
A Samsung SM951 256GB M.2 PCI-e + Lycom DT-120 4x PCIe adapter card would be cheaper and faster than the Kingston HyperX Predator M2 PCIe SSD 240GB. Would be < £160 total.
Click to expand...

Wow, I hadn't even considered this option! The speed looks ridiculously good.

The Samsung SM951 256GB M.2 PCI-e Gen3 8Gbps x 4 Solid State Drive (MZHPV256HDGL-00000) on OCUK is £109ex VAT and the Lycom DT-120 4x PCIe adapter card is about £20 giving a total of £130.

I need to read up on this drive but, considering my mobo, can I boot from the above setup with 8.1 or 10 Windows?
 
xy16644 said:
Wow, I hadn't even considered this option! The speed looks ridiculously good.

The Samsung SM951 256GB M.2 PCI-e Gen3 8Gbps x 4 Solid State Drive (MZHPV256HDGL-00000) on OCUK is £109ex VAT and the Lycom DT-120 4x PCIe adapter card is about £20 giving a total of £130.

I need to read up on this drive but, considering my mobo, can I boot from the above setup with 8.1 or 10 Windows?
Click to expand...
I don’t know if it will work as a boot drive but someone has tested an Intel 750 as a boot drive and it looks like it was ok so the Samsung might also. :http://forum.overclock3d.net/showthread.php?p=843411
 
FredFlint said:
I don’t know if it will work as a boot drive but someone has tested an Intel 750 as a boot drive and it looks like it was ok so the Samsung might also. :http://forum.overclock3d.net/showthread.php?p=843411
Click to expand...

Hmmm, this is what I'm worried about: Not being able to use such a modern drive as a bootable system drive on a 3yr old mobo.

I'm very interested to hear if the Samsung drive and PCIe card would work with my mobo as a bootable drive...
 
xy16644 said:
Hmmm, this is what I'm worried about: Not being able to use such a modern drive as a bootable system drive on a 3yr old mobo.

I'm very interested to hear if the Samsung drive and PCIe card would work with my mobo as a bootable drive...
Click to expand...
If you are running VM's then it might be better to use a normal SSD for the host OS and a fast PCIE SSD for the VM's. Also if you are using software that has a lot of multithreaded IO, the Intel 750 is the best for that type of work.
 
FredFlint said:
If you are running VM's then it might be better to use a normal SSD for the host OS and a fast PCIE SSD for the VM's. Also if you are using software that has a lot of multithreaded IO, the Intel 750 is the best for that type of work.
Click to expand...

I'd prefer to use the PCIe SSD for my boot device as then I get the benefits of running my OS and programs on it AND my VMs. I can still run some VMs on the older SSD drives I have.

I'm still unsure if the Samsung option is bootable though?

I have briefly looked at the Intel 750 but I don't think I can boot off of it with my mobo.
 
A Samsung SM951 256GB M.2 PCI-e + Lycom DT-120 4x PCIe adapter card would be cheaper and faster than the Kingston HyperX Predator M2 PCIe SSD 240GB. Would be < £160 total.
Click to expand...

After doing some research I still can't find anything online to see if the above combo will enable me to install and boot Windows 8.1/10 using my Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe motherboard.

Can anyone help please? I am running the latest BIOS but it only came out towards the end of 2013.

Does the Lycom card allow older motherboards (like mine) to boot off the Samsung SM951 256GB M.2 PCI-e?
 
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