[SOLVED] Is it possible to boot W-10 to SATA SSD but then switch to NVMe SSD?

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Ben Shimon

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I have an ASUS A320M-K motherboard (which has a PCIe NVMe SSD connection on the board) and an AMD A10 9700 processor which cannot boot to a PCIe NVMe SSD.

Is is possible to start the computer by initially booting to a SATA SSD but then switching things over to operate/run from the PCIe NVMe SSD to take advantage of the increase in speed? Once the computer is running it has no problem seeing/accessing the PCIe NVMe SSD. I just don't know if there is any way to transition the operation over to the PCIe NVMe SSD once it is already running.
 
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USAFRet
Ben Shimon said:
I have an ASUS A320M-K motherboard (which has a PCIe NVMe SSD connection on the board) and an AMD A10 9700 processor which cannot boot to a PCIe NVMe SSD.

Is is possible to start the computer by initially booting to a SATA SSD but then switching things over to operate/run from the PCIe NVMe SSD to take advantage of the increase in speed? Once the computer is running it has no problem seeing/accessing the PCIe NVMe SSD. I just don't know if there is any way to transition the operation over to the PCIe NVMe SSD once it is already running.
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No, it does not work like that.

You can install applications on the NVMe drive, and/or use it for file storage.

But you can't just Boot from 1 and then run from 2.

And even if you could...
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USAFRet

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Ben Shimon said:
I have an ASUS A320M-K motherboard (which has a PCIe NVMe SSD connection on the board) and an AMD A10 9700 processor which cannot boot to a PCIe NVMe SSD.

Is is possible to start the computer by initially booting to a SATA SSD but then switching things over to operate/run from the PCIe NVMe SSD to take advantage of the increase in speed? Once the computer is running it has no problem seeing/accessing the PCIe NVMe SSD. I just don't know if there is any way to transition the operation over to the PCIe NVMe SSD once it is already running.
Click to expand...
No, it does not work like that.

You can install applications on the NVMe drive, and/or use it for file storage.

But you can't just Boot from 1 and then run from 2.

And even if you could, you'd see very very little difference.
 
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Karadjgne

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Boot is not a singular thing, it's a multiple step process. It starts out with the bios initiating a POST, power on self test, which loads up all the info saved into cmos by Windows shutdown or default data. That's followed by a windows load or other OS load.

So the pc will start up according to bios data and finish the boot process with windows load. Initially the storage drives aren't even a concern, only their location and specifications, it's only with windows that the drive matters. Whichever drive is the boot drive will also contain the OS and boot data.

So if you boot OS from Sata, windows will always use that as the OS drive, all other drives, logical or external or physical are considered nothing but storage.

For small files (Kb or even low Mb which is the vast majority of actual game files) there's essentially no difference between Sata and NVMe. Ram holds all the files until the cpu demands them, so it makes little to no difference how fast the info is dumped into the ram as long as it's there before the cpu demands it. It's only in the Large file transfers that NVMe shines, Gb size files like 4k photos or legal documents or massively detailed game backgrounds etc. That's when that whole massive file has to be in the ram before the cpu wants it. Sata takes longer so the cpu is left waiting longer. Not something you'd even notice without a side by side comparison.
 
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drea.drechsler

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Ben Shimon said:
I have an ASUS A320M-K motherboard (which has a PCIe NVMe SSD connection on the board) and an AMD A10 9700 processor which cannot boot to a PCIe NVMe SSD.

Is is possible to start the computer by initially booting to a SATA SSD but then switching things over to operate/run from the PCIe NVMe SSD to take advantage of the increase in speed? Once the computer is running it has no problem seeing/accessing the PCIe NVMe SSD. I just don't know if there is any way to transition the operation over to the PCIe NVMe SSD once it is already running.
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If it were my system I'd try to migrate the OS to the PCIe NVME drive. Probably the biggest benefit most users see from an NVME would be to the OS. The other benefit is sequential transfers of HUGE files which most users (Windows apps) simply don't do. Except one time it does occur is during Windows updates as the process essentially backs up the current system before building a new system. That process should benefit a lot from a fast drive, so locating the OS on the NVME only helps.

If the NVME is empty migrating the OS isn't hard to do, there are utilities that do it for you and are many times included with the drive purchase, usually as a download.
 
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USAFRet

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drea.drechsler said:
If it were my system I'd try to migrate the OS to the PCIe NVME drive. Probably the biggest benefit most users see from an NVME would be to the OS. The other benefit is sequential transfers of HUGE files which most users (Windows apps) simply don't do.

Except one time it does occur is during Windows updates as the process essentially backs up the current system before building a new system. That process should benefit a lot from a fast drive, so locating the OS on the NVME only helps.

If the NVME is empty migrating the OS isn't hard to do, there are utilities that do it for you and are many times included with the drive purchase, usually as a download.
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That CPU can't utilize an NVMe drive for the OS.

If there were a Ryzen in there, yes.
 
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drea.drechsler

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USAFRet said:
With that A-series proc, the M.2 port is SATA only.

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/SocketAM4/PRIME_A320M-K/E15417_PRIME_A320M-K_UM_V3_WEB.pdf
pg. vii


Different capabilities between Ryzen and Athlon, on the same motherboard, is typical.
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OK...it can't support SATA NVME in the primary motherboard M.2 socket, that I can understand. But even so, being SATA shouldn't prevent installation of the OS.

I think I see...not clear in the OP, he must have an NVME installed via an add-in card (or everyone's assuming so?). In which case I'd agree running an OS off it is near on impossible in modern EFI systems. Maybe not impossible, but convoluted to the point of being so. And maybe it is impossible since MS wants us to run in safe boot with TPM enabled now.

EDIT: corrected dyslexic typo
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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drea.drechsler said:
OK...it can't support SATA in the primary motherboard M.2 socket, that I can understand. But even so, being SATA shouldn't prevent installation of the OS.

I think I see...not clear in the OP, he must have an NVME installed via an add-in card (or everyone's assuming so?). In which case I'd agree running an OS off it is near on impossible in modern EFI systems. Maybe not impossible, but convoluted to the point of being so. And maybe it is impossible since MS wants us to run in safe boot with TPM enabled now.
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"OK...it can't support SATA in the primary motherboard M.2"

No, it (apparently) can't support NVMe in that port.


@Ben Shimon - Where is this NVMe drive connected, and what make.model is it?
 
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USAFRet

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SkyNetRising said:
Not true.

You can have a bootloader on Drive 1 and windows installed on Drive 2.
That's not a problem.
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Other problems arise, though.

  1. Apparently that M.2 port is not NVMe capable, with that CPU
  2. Getting the OS installed on a drive in that port, even if it were NVMe capable.

Moving/creating the boot partition on a viable drive is one thing. ALl the rest of it....problem.

And then, the simple fact that not a whole lot of difference would be seen.
Effort and complexity for no real gain.
 
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Ben Shimon

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I did not even know you people had been so kind as to answer my question until I came back to ask another question.
I had serious doubts that it could be done but was curious if there might be something that I didn't know about.
It is a 256GB Kingspec NVMe - they are common and innexpensive here where I live in S.E. Asia.
https://www.kingspec.com/product/nvme-pcie-ssd-ne-2280mm.html
I have learned (from you) that this will only be seen as a SATA drive because of the A10 9700 APU capabilities.
So the new question that I was going to ask is how to get the BIOS to see this NVMe. I have the latest BIOS installed and have tried a number of different settings in the BIOS without any success. I have an adapter:
https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/i1631120861-s7000062443.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1
that allows me to use it plugged in as a USB drive, but would like to use the connector on the motherboard or a PCIe adapter card to have it mounted internally.
I know this is possible because I built another computer just like this one and have an NVMe mounted to an expansion card in it and it is working just fine. My brother in law has it and I am not able to access it to check what settings I changed to cause it to work properly - Yes it too has the A10 9700 APU and same motherboard.
 
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SkyNetRising

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Ben Shimon said:
I have learned (from you) that this will only be seen as a SATA drive because of the A10 9700 APU capabilities.
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No. Wrong. That is NVME drive. It can not be seen as sata.
It can not be used in onboard M.2 slot with your current cpu. You can use it with M.2 PCIE adapter only.
Ben Shimon said:
So the new question that I was going to ask is how to get the BIOS to see this NVMe. I have the latest BIOS installed and have tried a number of different settings in the BIOS without any success. I have an adapter:
https://www.lazada.com.ph/products/i1631120861-s7000062443.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1
Click to expand...
That is USB adapter. For using nvme drive as external USB device. You can not install windows on external device.
You need M.2 PCIE adapter instead.

Note. If you use this adapter, PCIE x16 slot on motherboard becomes unavailable. You can not use discrete graphics card anymore.
(since you're using A10 9700 with integrated graphics, I'm assuming you don't need discrete graphics option)

HYPER_M.2_X4_MINI_CARD-1__86563.1470723782.1280.1280.jpg
 
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