Need help installing Samsung 950 PRO M.2 512GB SSD into Asus H97M-PLUS

talkenrain · Mar 23, 2016

So maybe this has already been covered. if it has i'm sorry and maybe you could point me in the right direction please...

I'm a rookie trying to upgrade my system to using a Samsung 950 Pro M.2 SSD as the boot drive. My plan was to install it and then use the samsung cloning software to copy my current boot drive. I've read a lot about this SSD as well as the manual for my motherboard (asus h97m-plus). From what I understand if I us the M.2 slot I loose the ability to use the sata 5 & 6 ports on the motherboard?

My first question is, is this true if using the 950 PRO (it's using the PCI interface)? either way, I'd still like to get it working.

After installing the 950 PRO into the m.2 slot on my H97M-PLUS, the bios screen shows the 950 PRO installed but once the system boots, I can't get it to mount.

My second question is, can someone please give me a step by step of whats needed to get the 950PRO to show up? I checked the disk manager and there is no reference to the SSD.

Again, i'm a rookie, so what am I missing?

Please help !!!

PS: I should add, I'm running windows 7, 20GB fast ram, 2-5TB hard drives, and 120GB SSD (current boot drive) & BluRay burner

geofelt · Mar 23, 2016

The key is to first download and install the Samsung NVMe drivers for your 950 pro.
That should then allow you to use the Samsung ssd migration tool to clone your windows drive to the m.2 ssd.
Remember to change the boot order to the new ssd.

talkenrain · Mar 23, 2016

I'm sorry, I forgot to say, I'd also installed the NVMe driver

geofelt · Mar 23, 2016

talkenrain :

Check to see if there is a bios update that will support NVMe.
Z97 is old and it would not have initially had such support.
The M.2 slot would have initially only supported sata.

talkenrain · Mar 23, 2016

I have the latest bios installed (Asue posted early this year)

geofelt · Mar 23, 2016

talkenrain :

Do any of the updates say NVMe support?

If not, you probably need to return the 950 PRO.
I think there are m.2 sata versions available.

FWIW, I do not think you will notice any performance difference with any Samsung 500gb ssd.
I would opt for a conventional sata 500gb 2.5" drive.
MY son wanted my 850 pro so I replaced it with the 950 pro and truth to tell, I can feel no performance difference.

talkenrain · Mar 24, 2016

Ok, so i've reset the motherboard and reinstalled the NVMe driver. now the 950 pro shows up and am running the migration software to make this my boot drive. I'm sadden'd to hear the 950 pro made little or no difference. I'm still at a loss for why i'll loose sata ports 5 & 6 if the 950 uses the pci bus. can someone tell me why? or are they still going to work?

geofelt · Mar 24, 2016

The z97 chipset has a discrete number of pcie lanes it can use.
Supporting a 4x speed is going to take 4 of them.
Not a problem to you unless you have more than 4 sata devices to attach.

talkenrain · Mar 26, 2016

I have 5 (1 SSD, 3 hard drives and a blu-ray burner). As you may have guessed, this system is being used as a media server (i've got tons of content). Is there an adapter that can convert one of the un-used USB3 motherboard connectors to SATA or any other low cost solutions you can suggest?

Right now I'm running without the Blu-Ray connected. It's fine for now but don't want to keep opening the chassis to swap out the last drive for the blu-ray...

geofelt · Mar 26, 2016

You can buy sata adapter cards that go in a pci or pcie slot.
They typically have internal attachments for 4 sata ports.
The speed is immaterial for hard drives or dvd drives.

Here is one example:
http://www.amazon.com/IO-Crest-Controller-Non-Raid-SI-PEX40064/dp/B00AZ9T3OU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1459021876&sr=8-2&keywords=4+port+internal+sata+card

muniz_ri · Mar 27, 2016

talkenrain :

If you have an available gen 3.0 pcie x4 slot or higher you can purchase a low cost pcie adapter (http://www.amazon.com/Lycom-DT-120-PCIe-Adapter-Support/dp/B00MYCQP38?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00) for the ssd. The ssd will operate at max speeds and will not cancel out any sata connectors.

ottuagenario · Apr 26, 2016

hi folks,
just keep reading manuals!

As ASUS states on H97M Plus manual* (go over 2.6.3 - PCH Storage Config in UEFI Bios), M.2 slot SHARES bandwidth with SATA5 and SATA6 slots; so I would leave the settings to AUTO in order to leave the board to decide which slot goes first; so M.2 and SATA5,6 CAN work togheter, BUT keep in mind that sharing high-end SSD drive over the M.2 bus with old-tech HDDs, it is like buying a Ferrari but drive it with a pulled handbrake.
(In effect to use M.2 AND SATA5/6 togheter you should hack the mainboard ROMs 'couse usually - for security reasons - sharing is not allowed, but if you change just a Bit in a memory location, you can do anything...)

Better to buy a PCIe/SATA card and have 2 or 4 new slots, as stated by MUNIZ_RI in previous post...
Or better yet throw away all the HDDs and buy a NAS in RAID5 to protect your data; just wonder if a 2 or 3Tb HDD crashes down...

* you can dowload this manual as pdf from ASUS site...

http://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/H97MPLUS/HelpDesk_manual/

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