M.2 in Z97-Deluxe

[jvillaveces]

I'm going nuts! I am trying to install a Kingston HyperX M.2 to use as my OS drive, and I can't even get the system to post with the drive installed. Here are my components:
Asus Z-97 Deluxe
i7 4790k @4600 MHz
2x GTX980 SC ACX2.0
2x Intel 730 240MB (one is my current system drive)
2x WD Black 1TB in Raid 1
The Intel SSDs are connected to the chipset SATA ports, and the HDDs to the ASMedia.
Windows 8.1
I read the article here: http://pcdiy.asus.com/2014/07/plextor-m-2-m6e-ssd-asus-z97-motherboards-better-together/ and did everything suggested there.
If I install the M.2 drive, Intel Rapitd Storage Technology no longer sees the WD drives, but it reports the SSDs correctly. I get the UEFI splash screen as usual, and then a blinking cursor on the upper left corner. Windows doesn't start. If I try to hit Del or F2 to get into the BIOS, nothing happens. If I remove the M.2 drive, and then the system boots normally into Windows. Installing and removing the M.2 drive is not fun, because it requires removing the bottom GPU.
My first upgrade to my system was to put in the Plextor drive, which has me currently stumped. My next step was to put in another pair of 730s (480 MB each), and leave the HDDs for backup. I am wondering if this is even possible without adding more SATA ports through a PCIe card.
Any help would be much appreciated. The tradeoffs between the SATA ports on this board are mind-boggling and I don't know what to try next.

 

[shivababbli]

M.2 Socket 3 shares bandwidth with SATAExpress_1

hence if you have connected your hdd in sata express slot it may give you problems

 

[ThomasLeong]

"If I install the M.2 drive, Intel Rapitd Storage Technology no longer sees the WD drives..."

According to the Z97-Deluxe specs, the M.2 slot shares with the SATA-Express 1.
It seems like you have inadvertently plugged your hdds into the SATA-Express 1 slots - the ones located directly behind the M.2 slot. There are 2, and SE-1 is probably the upper slot. So try the SE-2 (lower) slot as this is not shared with the M.2.

In any case, why use the ASMedia slots? I usually find the ASMedia slots slower than those from the cpu (I use a different brand and motherboard though, i.e. not ASUS). If able, suggest you use the SATA slots connected to the cpu.

 

[jvillaveces]

I am aware of the conflict between the M.2 slot and the SATA Express ports, and the fact that the system doesn't see the HDDs in those ports with the M.2 drive plugged in confirms it. That's "easy" to solve by moving the HDDs to different ports (although less easy when planning for 4 SSDs, 2 HDDs and the M.2). However, it doesn't address my problem of the system refusing to boot with the M.2 drive in it.
Maybe my next experiment should be to unplug all drives except the M.2 and see if it starts that way, then gradually add back the existing (and eventually new) drives?

 

[jvillaveces]

I guess the questions I should be asking are:
- Which SATA III ports should I use in a Z97-Deluxe running an M.2 drive in the m.2 slot plus 4 individual SSDs and 2 HDDs in Raid 1?
- how should I configure the BIOS to run these drives?
Thanks!

 

[jvillaveces]

For anybody facing similar issues in the future: I solved my problem. The solution was to move the HDDs from the ASMedia ports to chipset ports. In their original location the system would not boot with the m.2 drive installed, so apparently the ports were not just disabled bybthebpresence of the m.2, but actually in conflict.
I need to experiment more to figure out if I can use any ports at all from that bank. If I can't, my planned storage configuration is not feasible with this motherboard.

 

[jvillaveces]

OK, new problems out of the same situation. Windows boots, everything appears to be working OK, but I get a weird undocumented error message on startup, about an error in the SATA controller. It appears over the Asus splash screen, then disappears as the boot proceeds all the way to successful Windows 8.1 startup. Additionally. most of the time the Qcode reads "AO" when Windows is running, at other times it reads 30 or 40 but the system is working fine nonetheless. Should I be concerned? How can I fix this? Here is a picture of my screen with the error message, which reads "error sata controller supported open protocol g efi device path protocol guid status f":

 

[jvillaveces]

Following up in this fascinating conversation between me and myself, I continue to get the same message on boot:
error sata controller supported open protocol g efi device path protocol guid status f
error sata controller supported open protocol g efi device path protocol guid status f
(yes, it appears twice)
A flash of the BIOS and a fresh reinstall of Windows 8.1 Pro on the HyperX cleared the erratic Qcodes.
I have the HyperX in the m.2 slot as my boot (C) drive, and moved all the Windows libraries (Documents, etc) to the "D" volume, a Raid 0 array of 4 Intel 730 SSDs connected to the chipset SATA ports. My ODD is connected to the first Asmedia SATA port.
Everything seems to work OK, except for one glitch, which I am sure is related to the unresolved error message mentioned above: every time Windows starts, the drive letter assignment for "D" is lost, so I have to go into Disk Management and reassign it. The assignment works until the next restart.
Do I have faulty hardware? Is there a bug in the UEFi BIOS (I am running 2205)? I would appreciate some assistance from an expert on this motherboard, as I have been unable to solve this by myself.

 

[jvillaveces]

The glitching "D" drive was fixed by breaking up the Raid in Intel Rapid Storage Technology ROM option and resetting the SATA ports to AHCI in BIOS, then letting Windows start like this, and then rebuilding the RAID in IRST. My system now runs perfectly, except for the error message on startup.
FWIW, I moved the m.2 drive to a PCIe adapter card to see if it would change anything, but nothing changed, so I put it back on the motherboard slot.
I am posting all this because perhaps someone else will run into similar issues in the future and will happen upon this thread. Cheers!