Question Gigabyte AORUS Gaming K3 - M.2. NVMe SSD?

[quadrax]

Hello all,

I am planning to upgrade my storage, so i am looking for M.2 NVMe SSD, but i am not sure how it exactly works and if on my motherboard i can fully use (PCIe x4) mode for it. I am confused...

My rig specs below :

i5 8600k, 4.5GHz @ 1.2v, delided.
Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Gaming K3
Seasonic M12II-620 EVO.
MSI GTX 1660 Ti, Gaming X
2x 8GB RAM, DDR4 , 3000MHz, Corsair Vengeance, XMP (1.35v)

Confusing part for me is - On website of Gigabyte (specifications) there is written this -

1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4)
* The PCIEX4 slot shares bandwidth with the PCIEX1_2, 3, 4 slots. The PCIEX4 slot operates at up to x1 mode when the PCIEX1_2, 3, or 4 slot is populated.

But i am not using any of PCIe (except the first PCIe - fully x16 for GPU), but as i saw in AIDA, probably ASMedia ASM2142 USB 3.1 controller using one of PCIe shared PCIe lines. In conclusion, should i be worried about choosing NVMe SSD, perhaps of shared lines and it will work only under PCIe x1, so it will be like (my actual SSD SATA ... in terms of speed) ?

Screenshot from aida :

https://imgur.com/ye8VIcF

View: https://i.imgur.com/ye8VIcF.png


I am actually using 3 SATA drives (one i can throw away, it's that SSD - only 128GB and more than 4 years old - Crucial MX550). Other two HDDs are classic 7200rpm 1TB drives. The reason why i would like to buy M.2 NVMe SSD are - futureproof, speed and obvioulsy more capacity i would use. 128GB is actually not enough for my needs.

If new NVMe SSD would work only at PCIe x1 speed, than should i choose classis Sata SSD ? I tried to found any information about this combination (with my Motherboard) or even how this exactly work, but i am not sure.. I never used before any M.2 SSD thats why i am asking about this, and trying to get some information.

Thanks for reply.

 

[faalin]

You wont have any issues using a NVMe drive.

Your top PCIe x16 slot runs at 16x for your graphics card.

The lower PCIe x16 runs at 4x and also shares its lanes with the smaller PCIe x1 slots. If anything gets plugged into the smaller slots the larger PCIe x16 will drop from 4x to 1x speed.


The top M.2 slot right under your cpu socket will run a NVMe and SATA drives. If you install a SATA M.2 drive you loose SATA port 0. If you install a NVMe drive it will run at 4x or 2x, you can set this in the bios.

The lower M.2 slot only supports NVMe drives and will run at 4x or 2x, you can set this in the bios or just leave it on auto and it will figure it out. This slot does not disable anything on your board if populated.

 

[quadrax]

Yeah, this is what i was talking about. Top M.2 slot is preferably for M.2 SSD without NVMe, the bottom one is for PCIe SSD (M.2 with NVMe protocol). Question is, if i use the bottom one (which shares then 2nd one PCIE slot), do i get full speed from the NVMe SSD if this slot is populated (the bottom one, which is referring to manual of motherboard designed for NVMe SSD) ? Because when i look at AIDA (screenshot provided) there is sharing PCIe lane, thats part which is confusing for me. The sharing from ASMedia AS2142 USB 3.1 interface which is from Southbridge.

So - Would be this problem (ASMedia 2142 USB 3.1 controller, which sharing PCIe lanes - from probably the other PCIEx slot) for an NVMe SSD, i meant, if its affected by sharing the PCIe lanes, then i didn't get the full speed for NVMe SSD (if i am not wrong). The point is - If i would like to use NVMe SSD, i would like to use it at max, that means, no limitations so far.

Thanks for reply, once more time.

I have still need more insight to this to being sure.

 

[faalin]

Nether of your M.2 slots share lanes with your PCIe slots, ive gone through the manual twice now.

Your top M.2 slot can run ether NVMe or SATA. NVMe will run at 2x or 4x. If a SATA drive is installed then your SATA3 port 0 will be disabled.

Your bottom M.2 slot can only run NVMe and will run at 2x or 4x.


The only time the lower PCIe x16 slot (long red slot) will drop bellow 4x is if something is plugged into the smaller PCIex1 (small black slots) this has no affect on your M.2 slots

 

[quadrax]

Thanks for next explanation. So if i use NVMe SSD in lower PCIe (that one which is more far from CPU) - It will run then with PCIe x4 speed, right? What about that USB 3.1 Asmedia controller which using PCIe (from southbridge). Does not interfere to these lanes, if AIDA saying it using x2 speed from PCIe lane (if i am not mistaken, or AIDA reads wrong..?). This part is most confusing. Sorry about these questions, i am just lost. Because it this would be a true, then SSD (NVMe) would be forced to use PCIe x1 only.

Maybe i am just lost in this and this does not affect at all (that ASMedia USB 3.1 Controller ...), but i would like to be sure.

Thanks you, for if possible the final reply. For next time i'll be wiser so it not confuse me anymore.

 

[quadrax]

Could anyone confirm if it's work fully even if programs saying that - ASMedia USB 3.1 controller using PCIe lane??