[SOLVED] ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition + NVME SSD + Windows 10 inquiry

[dimebag11]

I have an ASUS R4BE and a Samsung SSD 840 EVO 250gb on which I have Windows 8.1 installed. One PCIE lane is taken by my GTX 780 and my processor is an i7-4930k. My main use is for photo/video editing + 3d rendering. So I have a few questions :

1)I want to upgrade my SSD and am considering an NVME SSD like the 970 EVO .Is this even compatible with the R4BE and can I get the full speed from it. Im going for a 1TB capacity to use as a non-bootable drive ie to install softwares and work on the heavy files.
Also since the NVME is twice the price I am wondering if I should buy the 860 EVO for now which is easier to install and wait for the NVME prices to drop.

2)One of the softwares I wish to install requires the windows 10 creators update or higher. Can I just partition my Samsung 840 EVO and install windows 10 on it and use it for dual boot?.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[karenjoly]

The 970 is an NVME drive as you mention. They connect through an M.2 port which your motherboard does not have.

https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/product/consumer/970evo/

The 860 EVO is a decent drive fitting regular SATA ports like the 840 does. Highly recommended.

You could install W 10 on the 840 but isn't it a little small for two OSs ? And if the 840 dies well there goes both systems.

Thing is too, have only one drive attached when you install windows. Very important. And have a back up plan for your data.

 

[dimebag11]

The 970 is an NVME drive as you mention. They connect through an M.2 port which your motherboard does not have.

https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/product/consumer/970evo/

The 860 EVO is a decent drive fitting regular SATA ports like the 840 does. Highly recommended.

You could install W 10 on the 840 but isn't it a little small for two OSs ? And if the 840 dies well there goes both systems.

Thing is too, have only one drive attached when you install windows. Very important. And have a back up plan for your data.

What about using an m.2 to PCIE adapter for the 970 EVO?. Would it run at full capacity then?.

So far I have only used about 60gb of the 232 GB in my Samsung 840 EVO. So I thought I have enough for the windows 10 installation. Are you suggesting that its better to install it on a new SSD?
Also do I have to make any mods to my R4BE to install windows 10?

 

[karenjoly]

Adapters do work but I have not got enough reports to say which adapters and which boards go together. Here is one, just be sure you can return it if she no work as sepc'ed.

Reviews are generally positive about a full connection. But will it be a boot drive ? Not many reviews say one way or the other but one does say " It boots !" Best to update your bios and pray.

This connects @ pcie 3 x 4 and that ASUS board has those expansion connectors so worth a try.


https://www.amazon.ca/KINGSHARE-M-2-NVMe-PCIe-Adapter/dp/B077VG23T7/ref=asc_df_B077VG23T7/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292992836087&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14823148602830340685&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9060812&hvtargid=pla-487019633244&psc=1

I personally would keep the OSs separate and use the new drive as the Windows 10 drive and for storage purposes. ASUS has the boot menu available at F8 during POST so you could set the 840 as the boot in UEFI and then select the new drive when you want to boot W10. I'm not sure if the Samsung driver will be helpful but you could install it just in case.

AFAIK, no board changes needed to install w10 just use UEFI settings if you use them now and have only one drive attached when you do.

 

[dimebag11]

Adapters do work but I have not got enough reports to say which adapters and which boards go together. Here is one, just be sure you can return it if she no work as sepc'ed.

Reviews are generally positive about a full connection. But will it be a boot drive ? Not many reviews say one way or the other but one does say " It boots !" Best to update your bios and pray.

This connects @ pcie 3 x 4 and that ASUS board has those expansion connectors so worth a try.


https://www.amazon.ca/KINGSHARE-M-2-NVMe-PCIe-Adapter/dp/B077VG23T7/ref=asc_df_B077VG23T7/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292992836087&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14823148602830340685&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9060812&hvtargid=pla-487019633244&psc=1

I personally would keep the OSs separate and use the new drive as the Windows 10 drive and for storage purposes. ASUS has the boot menu available at F8 during POST so you could set the 840 as the boot in UEFI and then select the new drive when you want to boot W10. I'm not sure if the Samsung driver will be helpful but you could install it just in case.

AFAIK, no board changes needed to install w10 just use UEFI settings if you use them now and have only one drive attached when you do.

So I guess for the time being I should just buy the 860 EVO for simplicity sake and maybe do a bit more research into the NVME drives for the R4BE. Would be a waste of money if I dont get the full speed from it.
So I dont have to update the BIOS to install windows 10?. Last I know it only offered support upto 8.1 but it would be great if I did not have to flash the BIOS.

 

[karenjoly]

Going from 8.1 to 10, bios should not matter at all.But check with tech support if you like. Can always try it now and update later if necessary.

 

[dimebag11]

Going from 8.1 to 10, bios should not matter at all.But check with tech support if you like. Can always try it now and update later if necessary.

Oh I still want to keep Windows 8.1 on the 840 EVO. I hope I can install windows 10 on the new SSD without any BIOS modding. I'm guessing I have to do something if I choose the 970 EVO. But I'm leaning more towards the 860 EVO for price and easy installation. The windows 10 installation is literally for a single software. If I really did not need that I would not consider it even.

 

[karenjoly]

OK, no problemo installing 10 like I said. But do I detect a wee bit of paranoia about w 10 ? Care to relieve your concerns here ?

 

[dimebag11]

OK, no problemo installing 10 like I said. But do I detect a wee bit of paranoia about w 10 ? Care to relieve your concerns here ?

Honestly, I've been reading that the updates to windows 10 have not been good including the latest one which I think came in October 2018. I was under the impression that I would have to update the BIOS and flash it and what not to install windows 10 and/or the NVME SSD. So I am nervous about that. Horror stories about messing about the mobo doing something like that are plenty lol..

 

[karenjoly]

Latest bios works, see here, (2015 era reports)

https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?77785-Win-10-Drivers-and-BIOS-update-R4BE-help

you have decided against the NVMe so that's not an issue and installing to the 860 has no particular issue.

The latest updates, including 1809 which was recalled twice and now is re re released, lol, are available in one installation. The media creation tool available here makes the install process a simple one.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10


Future updates may have similar issues , no guarantees about that but I have received 1809 three times now with no problems including the latest version. Some, but very few, are so annoyed by the updates they turn off update services but that is a poor solution. The updates have security improvements and new drivers so the goal should rather be to organize your systems to update , not to avoid updates. The key for all time eternal and infinite, is
have
back ups for what you want to keep. You will have the 8.1 drive so just make sure its not connected when you install on the 860. Then if problems arise with windows you have time to work on it . But windows is so much more mature than it was in 2015, when the above reports on w10 issues were made, they likely no longer apply.



W8 is a good OS so keep it if you like but 10 does work well for most. The above site's reports on installing w10 on that board--nobody dies-but sure issues may arise.

 

[dimebag11]

Latest bios works, see here, (2015 era reports)

https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?77785-Win-10-Drivers-and-BIOS-update-R4BE-help

you have decided against the NVMe so that's not an issue and installing to the 860 has no particular issue.

The latest updates, including 1809 which was recalled twice and now is re re released, lol, are available in one installation. The media creation tool available here makes the install process a simple one.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10


Future updates may have similar issues , no guarantees about that but I have received 1809 three times now with no problems including the latest version. Some, but very few, are so annoyed by the updates they turn off update services but that is a poor solution. The updates have security improvements and new drivers so the goal should rather be to organize your systems to update , not to avoid updates. The key for all time eternal and infinite, is
have
back ups for what you want to keep. You will have the 8.1 drive so just make sure its not connected when you install on the 860. Then if problems arise with windows you have time to work on it . But windows is so much more mature than it was in 2015, when the above reports on w10 issues were made, they likely no longer apply.



W8 is a good OS so keep it if you like but 10 does work well for most. The above site's reports on installing w10 on that board--nobody dies-but sure issues may arise.

I would love to add the NVME at a future time. It would be a boon to work on those huge files on that.

So your suggestion is to plug in the 860, disconnect the 840 and then install windows 10 on it. Do you have the latest version of windows 10 installed on your system? Have you had any problems?

 

[karenjoly]

time for talk is over.

 

[dimebag11]

time for talk is over.

Thank you for all your help.

 

[karenjoly]

np
let us know how she goes.