Question Adding NVMe SN850X to X99X Killer MOBO

[fpriolo]

So, I am new to the scene of M.2 drives, and was trying to get an SN850X installed on my system and no matter what I do it will not show up anywhere. I've tried DISKPART, disk management, and made changes to several BIOS settings. I've even tried getting a PCIe 3.0 x4 card in case the M.2 slot was bad. I have read a ton of posts but nothing seems to be working. This shouldn't be this complicated. I have test the drive in my PS5 and it is recognizable. I know this motherboard SSATA3_2 connector is shared with Ultra M.2, and ensured that was empty when testing the M.2 slot. PLEASE HELP! Below are my specs:

Motherboard: ASRock X99X Killer Fatality
CPU: I7 5820K
GPU: GTX 1080 TI
RAM: 16 GB DDR4-2400
OS: Win 10

 

[Cyberat_88]

Your chosen NVME states PCIE 4.0 x4, doesn't say backwards compatible, though I can't imagine WD built a singular speed NVME, stranger things have happened.
Your MB and Card you tested on are both PCIE 3.0 x4. Cheapest route - Get a PCIE 4.0 card.

 

[fpriolo]

I thought all nvme gen 4 were backwards compatible?

This one specifically says it at the bottom

https://documents.westerndigital.com/content/dam/doc-library/en_us/assets/public/western-digital/product/internal-drives/wd-black-ssd/data-sheet-wd-black-sn850x-nvme-ssd.pdf

 

[Cyberat_88]

Well, then the answer is RMA the NVME as DOA.

 

[fpriolo]

Well like I said originally, I can format it on my PS5. So, that isn't the answer.

 

[SorryBella]

no matter what I do it will not show up anywhere.

What is the storage mode youre on? You need AHCI for Nvme.

 

[fpriolo]

The only option I have available is AHCI, which I have both SATA and SSATA set to. M.2 is not set to anything, because it doesn't give me any options to. However, I've heard that the device won't show up in the bios until you format it. The problem is that it isn't being recognized to be formatted even if I rescan or refresh devices.

 

[SorryBella]

The only option I have available is AHCI, which I have both SATA and SSATA set to. M.2 is not set to anything, because it doesn't give me any options to. However, I've heard that the device won't show up in the bios until you format it. The problem is that it isn't being recognized to be formatted even if I rescan or refresh devices.

Noted. This era of system could have that as an issue, hence why I asked. Nvme support sucks all the way up till Zen/Kaby Lake so yeah, its hard to know whats the issue here. If you want to spend a bit, we could try m.2 nvme to Pcie adapter. This is common at the time to work around the issue. Something like this, although mind you this is not an endorsement nor recommendation of this product. This is just an example.

Amazon.com

 

[fpriolo]

I did that, and I still can't see it. I bought a pcie 3.0 x4 card and put it in the x8 slot (I know that doesn't do anything, but did it because of setup in the box). I ensured that the nvme is seated properly, and the pcie card is as well. I'm wondering if I should just buy an older wd that has been used by others. I just don't see how that should matter though. NVMe device choice shouldn't matter, and gen 4 is backwards compatible. Also, I even tried using the WD device app, and that can't find it either.

 

[fpriolo]

Are there any specific other settings I need to make in the BIOS in order to get the pcie slot adapter to work? I don't feel like there should be any.