Installing Samsung 960 Pro 1tb SSD. Recommended drivers.

[VBChevy]

I am planning to clean install a full version of Win10 Pro x64 along with the samsung 960 Pro 1tb ssd as my boot drive. The main reason is the fact that Win 10 has native drivers for NVMe. This brings up some questions:

1. Are the Samsung drivers recommended over the Windows drivers? Past history suggests you go with the vendors drivers.

2. I have a M.2 NVMe socket 3, Key M on board the motherboard Can you assume that the BIOS supports NVMe boot? I am using a HP stock Pegatron Thimphu Motherboard with a Z170 chipset, Intel Core i7-6700K 4 GHZ and I maxed out at 64GB DDR4. It has been a challenge to get the motherboard specs.

I currently run Win 7 Pro. I see issues down the road for firmware support for the SSD.

 

[Colif]

1. go with motherboard drivers instead since they match it, and its motherboard that does all the heavy lifting. I wasn't aware samsung had drivers for ssd/nvme apart from maybe firmware updates.
2. shouldn't assume anything with motherboard support but as it has the slot, you probably okay. Whether motherboard has any limits to type or speeds is another question.

 

[VBChevy]

I checked the BIOS and did not see a specific reference to NVMe in the boot list, however when I install the card I may see it. I called both HP and AMI. What a waste of time.

BTW..here is the driver link: http://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/product/consumer/960pro.html

 

[Colif]

i would open PC and make sure it has nvme slot before buying one. I don't know the bios but often nvme would be in the onboard peripherals section, maybe under storage

this is your motherboard and it only shows m.2 slots

manual seems hard to get: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/Documents-of-The-Thimphu-motherboard/td-p/5434578

 

[VBChevy]

Good point Colif. I may have to build my own PC afterall if this slot is only M.2. I will look at the connector pronto.

 

[VBChevy]

The connector has M.2_2_SSD beside it which leads me to believe Gen 2.0 PCIE.

Taken from a post by erick926 in his thread (StorageM.2 SSD PCIE 3.0x4 vs 2.0x4)

1 x M.2_SSD (NGFF) Socket 3 (M2_2), supports M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen2 x2 (10 Gb/s)

Link for good pic of my motherboard with Zoom https://www.aliexpress.com/item-img/IPM17-TP-rev-1-04-motherboard-for-HP-Envy-860-090nz-DDR4/32678635633.html?spm=2114.12010108.1000017.2.1B7NhK#

Looks like I will need to replace this motherboard or return the 960 Pro SSD to Amazon.

 

[Colif]

Probably cheaper to return nvme, as otherwise you have to make sure the new motherboard fits into the case you have now or buy a new one to fit it...

I can only attach M.2 myself I think but I have yet to look too hard as m.2 isn't any faster than ssd (I think) and I have plenty of sata connections left

 

[VBChevy]

Probably cheaper to return nvme, as otherwise you have to make sure the new motherboard fits into the case you have now or buy a new one to fit it...

I can only attach M.2 myself I think but I have yet to look too hard as m.2 isn't any faster than ssd (I think) and I have plenty of sata connections left

 

[VBChevy]

Here is a link that may interest you:
https://cdn.photographylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/NVMe-vs-SSD-vs-HDD.png

As I type I am filling out the return to Amazon for the NVMe. Lucky they are good about it. The new microATX board would have fit, Asus - STRIX Z270G Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard, but I did not feel like pulling out my processor etc...from my current board.

I think I will begin a new build and take my time about it. Thanks for you focusing me on that M.2 slot.

I see your a Win10 expert . I am going to start a new thread maybe you can help me with. Do not want to go off topic.

 

[Colif]

sure, i can look

You could use some of your parts in new PC (CPU unless you go AMD) and probably ram as 64gb wouldn't be cheap. Shame board didn't support nvme as its pretty new already.

 

[VBChevy]

Last piece of hardware I buy from HP. Emailed the board manufacturer:

Thank you for your timely response Mr. Wang. I understand. Last piece of hardware I buy from HP. I will go to Asus, your old parent company, and replace this board with one of theirs. At least I can get the manual with that manufacturer.

Best Regards,

Joe

From: William5 Wang(王聖典_Pegatron)
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2017 3:52 AM

Cc: Ian Wu(吳南慶_Pegatron); Sara Ou(歐婉如_Pegatron)
Subject: Pegatron Customer Service

Hello Joe,

Thanks for your email, however due to confidential agreement we cannot support you the information, you still have to find help through HP.
Sorry for the inconvenience.


Message：
Good Morning,

I seem to be having hard time getting a motherboard manual and specs for a board in an HP computer. HP's supplied info is minimum at best. The model is IBP-17 rev 1.04 in a HP ENVY 750-175se CTO desktop. Micro-ATX form factor.
Can you email or direct me to a website for information?

Thank you for your assistance.

Regards,

Joe



Kind regards

 

[Colif]

you might want to edit the email addresses out of post

did you ask HP originally?

 

[VBChevy]

Sure did ask HP. Their regular Tech Support is useless. I'll get in touch higher level management and find out why it's such a big secret. Starting to irritate me. My fault though. Should have built my own. Just did not have the time when I bought this one.

 

[Colif]

i ended up getting the Phoenix 860st (i think it uses the same motherboard as the 750se.) The Samsung 950 pro M.2 works really well with it as a boot drive (for Windows 10) using NVMe for sure (Windows is indicating it is using the NVMe driver for this drive.) It works great actually. The only annoying thing is the M.2 port on the board wasn't easy to reach and i needed to remove the graphics card (among many other things) to reach it. and there was no screw to attach the M.2 drive (it didn't come with any,) had to find one myself. other than that, great. I was installing Windows 10 in UEFI mode, and it was the only place the drive shows for me, it wasn't listed in the BIOS otherwise (which scared me for a little while.)

The 750se motherboard/bios probably doesn't support PCIe 3.0 SSDs that use NVMe. However, the motherboard might support PCIe 3.0 SSDs that use AHCI (and these will be almost as fast, and in some instances faster, than their NVMe cousin).

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/Envy-750se-capable-of-M-2-NVMe-use/td-p/5367894/page/3

your board may support nvme after all (hides) but I never did say it didn't, i just wasn't sure. Its not clear if it lets you make it boot drive or not. its not even clear which ones it supports. Asus at least tell you what drives you can use, on their web site in the support page.

 

[VBChevy]

Any help is appreciated Colif. Directing me to that HP forum has allowed some progress in this Journey...lol. There have been 3 BIOS updates, however WIN 10 only.!! This one caught my eye.

HP Consumer Desktop PC BIOS Update (ROM Family SSID 2B4B)

By downloading, you agree to HP's terms and conditions. HP Software License Agreement.
Type:

BIOS
Version:

A0.14 Rev.A
Operating systems:

Windows 10 (64-bit)

...
Release date:

Jul 17, 2016
File name:
SP76767.exe

(18.1 MB)

Description:

This package provides an update to HP Consumer Desktop PC BIOS (ROM Family SSID 2B4B) for supported models running a supported operating system.
Fix and enhancements:
- Fixes issue where the BIOS could be corrupted if the system is idle for more than 14 hours.
- Fixes issue where the system could be in recovery mode after updating BIOS.
- Fixes issue where no "CPU fan not detected" message pops up when system has fast boot enabled without the CPU fan.
- Adds support for the Micron DDR4 B-die memory.
- Adds support for the BIOS recovery from NVME storage device.!!!!!
- Updates the HP Basic Diagnostics to v1.16.
- Updates the new HP & OMEN series logo.

** After this BIOS update has been installed, previous BIOS versions cannot be reinstalled.
See full details

I am running Windows 7. There has been no BIOS updates at all. Sheesh..

I will clean install Windows 10, update the latest BIOS for Win 10 and check it out. However that little label next to the M.2 socket 3 slot (M.2_2_SSD) leads me to believe that I can't realize the full speed of the new NVMe ssd's. However, I will initiate a new thread on the HP site regarding that.

Long story short, it appears NVMe support in the BIOS only for Windows 10

 

[Colif]

BIOS recovery from nvme, that sounds strange. Like it allows you to backup a copy of bios firmware to nvme? I guess it could be helpful, some let you make backups on USB so NVME is about the same process.

It shows it can use them but as you said, doesn't tell you what type. You need to know ones it supports but the Samsung might be okay after all. GL on a response.

pretty sure NVME didn't exist when win 7 was released so that might be why there is no win 7 support on the bios

 

[VBChevy]

I posted on the HP forum from the link you sent me. No one was clear on my model machine if boot from nvme worked. I appreciate the you posting it. I will install 10 pro and go from there. Was hoping to clean install and boot from the samsung, but not in the cards.

You would think a bios update would have been easy for Windows 7.

 

[Colif]

you could try to clean install win 10 pro onto nvme only as there is doubt if it works, might as well try it. Nothing to loose since its blank now anyway. It will at least tell you if installer sees it.

 

[VBChevy]

I sent the SSD back to Amazon w/o opening the box. Too expensive for me to experiment. I'll live with my SATE 3 ssd snail for the time being. That 1tb would have cost me $600. I had no trouble paying it to take advantage of the real world speeds it is capable of, but not to use it halved.

 

[Colif]

i used HDD for 20 years before getting an ssd. So its funny to me that you call ssd slow. I realise it is compared to nvme but I don't feel slow and never have had to wait for anything off my ssd or even off my 2tb hdd for that matter. Fact rest of PC is faster than my last PC might be part of that too.

Win 10 might make the ssd seem faster anyway as it has a few tricks up its sleeve. For instance, as you have 64gb of ram, it will almost never use the ssd for its page file unless you use all of that on a daily basis. When you close a program on Win 10, instead of dumping all the data onto the ssd right away, it compresses it in ram so that if you load it again, it won't be slow at all to reopen. It only uses the page file IF your PC needs the ram for something else.

 

[VBChevy]

I was irritated from dealing with HP. My computer is fast enough.

I have a HP Spectre 360 laptop for my wife and it boots up in 5 seconds. Of course there are fewer programs to start up. . I installed Win 10 last night into the early AM. I am going to update the BIOS from HP. May speed up the boot a bit I tend to forget actually how much data, programs etc.. are on my machine.

.I remember DOS and the Harvard Graphics Days. Wish me luck on this BIOS flash.

 

[Colif]

booting to ssd should only take 30 odd seconds, the login process slows that down. This PC on win 7 used to boot to desktop in 15 seconds, never been that fast on win 10.

if its slow, check you have the latest motherboard drivers from HP

My 1st computer had no hdd, everything was solid state. used cassette to save programs, had 16 colours, 16kb of ram. Started instantly though, we slowly getting back to instant again with nvme but its taken 40 years. Instant boot was the only area it is better than now,

 

[VBChevy]

My machine boots in about 13 seconds now. Good enuff as they say. Who's they Just my luck, the HP Driver dwnload site is down. Well, back to re-installing programs

 

[Colif]

13 seconds isn't slow, slow is turn on PC and go make a coffee while you wait for the desktop to appear... it used to take last PC a minute to start up, so once again, its all relative.

you may not need hp driver, win 10 may have already grabbed it as it tries to install drivers that match hardware. HP may have given Microsoft drivers for your model already.

 

[VBChevy]

I updated my BIOS after I installed Win 10. Win7 did not have a BIOS update from HP.