[SOLVED] I'm using PCPartPicker to list down all of my parts. When I added the 970 Evo, it was saying something about compatibility.

Dec 28, 2019
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I'm getting a B450 Tomahawk Max, Seagate Barracuda Compute 2TB, and a 970 Evo. After I add the 970 Evo, the compatibility note "The motherboard M.2 slot #1 shares bandwidth with SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports. When the M.2 slot is populated, two SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports are disabled" pops up. I don't quite know what it means, and I am new to this stuff. What should I do to fix it? Is it perhaps incorrect?
 
Solution
its correct and normal. the 970 (M.2 drives in general)* uses so much bandwidth that the motherboard MUST shut down 2 SATA ports and shunts that bandwidth to the M.2 slot.

this is only really an issue if you have more SATA drives, with that SSD the SATA ports will drop by 2. if board has 6, when you plug in that drive 2 will be disabled and you can only use the other 4.

its more of an FYI than a compatibility issue
the motherboard manual will tell you which ports will be disabled.

*edited for clarity

R_1

Expert
Ambassador
its correct and normal. the 970 (M.2 drives in general)* uses so much bandwidth that the motherboard MUST shut down 2 SATA ports and shunts that bandwidth to the M.2 slot.

this is only really an issue if you have more SATA drives, with that SSD the SATA ports will drop by 2. if board has 6, when you plug in that drive 2 will be disabled and you can only use the other 4.

its more of an FYI than a compatibility issue
the motherboard manual will tell you which ports will be disabled.

*edited for clarity
 
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Solution

Ferimer

Distinguished
Can you recommend me another Samsung SSD that won't make the same issue? I don't quite get it, does that mean that other M.2 SSDs don't use as much bandwidth as the 970?
It doesnt matter what one you pick the TOmahawk Max is what does it. Because M.2 SSDs' require you to plug it in directly to the MOBO to utilize max speeds it disables you from adding 2 Storage drives.

Edit: Specifically Sata port 5 and 6. Unless you plan on using 4 storage drives which im sure is not needed you do not need to worry at all about that
 
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Dec 28, 2019
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Just to clarify, the 970 Evo takes up 2 ports and the Barracuda takes up one, leaving me with three left? That means I can connect three more storage devices into my system, if I wanted to?