Question nvme ssd is making my graphics card post black

[llamapoo]

So my original nvme ssd (Kingston Digital SA1000M8/240G) pooped the bed, so I got a new one (WD Blue SN550 500GB NVMe). I put the new one in the nvme slot of my motherboard (GIGABYTE GA-AB350M-DS3H), but whenever I turned it on to install windows both of my monitors (1 connected via hdmi, the other connected via displayport) would post pitch black as if they weren't on. I disconnected my 1070ti and used the Ryzen 2200g onboard graphics to eventually install windows. After getting windows started I plugged my 1070ti back into the pcie x16 slot of my motherboard and it posted black again. I plugged a rx580 and get the same thing. I plugged the rx580 into the pcie x4 slot of my motherboard and it works as intended, though I dont know what plugging into an x4 slot will do performance wise. This WD nvme some how prevents my pcie x16 slot from working with my graphic cards.. any help at all? If it helps my bios version for my motherboard is F22, which is old as hell but up until now it's been "everything is working, why upgrade it"

Side note; the original Kingston nvme is literally impossible to format. While it's in the motherboard it boots and says there is no copy of windows installed, but when I installed windows on an old drive and kept the nvme in, I could go in and use all of the files on the nvme. I deleted all the files with take ownership, deleted the recylcle bin, restart and all the files are back. I can't format it using the windows installer, after clicking format it says hey there you go, its formatted, but the 'free space' number never changes. I used diskpart to format the drive and it says its doing it, but it never does. The only error I ever get is with 'create partition primary' -- it times out and says it cant do that. If it helps at all, I ran a 5 hour long chkdsk on it and it says its fine..

 

[Jayhawker32]

Have you tried getting the system to post without the NVME SSD installed and the GPU in the x16 slot? My only thought is maybe when your SSD died your x16 slot was also somehow damaged.

 

[llamapoo]

Have you tried getting the system to post without the NVME SSD installed and the GPU in the x16 slot? My only thought is maybe when your SSD died your x16 slot was also somehow damaged.

Yea, I'm currently using the machine minus the WD nvme. I installed an old crucial 120gb ssd with windows with the 1070ti in the x16 slot. I'm currently at a loss as to what the most probable issue is.. I don't have another nvme to test out, so the plan right now is to return the WD one as defective and get a different nvme more akin to the Kingston one I had prior. But, the WD nvme did actually work, just not with a graphics card in the x16 slot.. so.. I don't know..

 

[llamapoo]

as an update, I used qflash on my gigabyte motherboard to get to the most current bios update as one of the updates said it has increased m.2 compatibility.. that however did not work in fixing the issue.

 

[Jayhawker32]

What CPU do you have?

 

[mdd1963]

If it is just a weird BIOS issue with a specific NVME drive confusing the mainboard, then it might go away with another NVME drive.

Try an Intel 660P or Samsung 970...if that fixes it, you know your M.2 port works fine electrically....then you can let GIgabyte, AMD, and WD all point fingers at each other while you get on with business!

 

[llamapoo]

What CPU do you have?

I'm using a Ryzen 3 2200g.

 

[llamapoo]

If it is just a weird BIOS issue with a specific NVME drive confusing the mainboard, then it might go away with another NVME drive.

Try an Intel 660P or Samsung 970...if that fixes it, you know your M.2 port works fine electrically....then you can let GIgabyte, AMD, and WD all point fingers at each other while you get on with business!

The first thing I decided to try was another nvme, which won't be here until Tuesday. (which actually is the Samsung 970 EVO.. it seemed like the best bang for the buck kind of thing on Amazon) I'm hoping it's just something funky with the WD m.2 even though it technically should work. If the new one does the same thing I'm assuming that means I should replace my motherboard next.. but I'm not smart enough to know that for sure, which is why I'm hoping someone here can guide me down the best route

 

[llamapoo]

update 2; the new samsung 970 evo does the exact same thing, with an nvme installed my top pcie x16 slot posts black screens.. I'm guessing at this point it has to be the motherboard that needs replacing? Is there a possibility that the PSU isn't supplying enough power to the x16 slot and the nvme slot?

 

[Jayhawker32]

update 2; the new samsung 970 evo does the exact same thing, with an nvme installed my top pcie x16 slot posts black screens.. I'm guessing at this point it has to be the motherboard that needs replacing? Is there a possibility that the PSU isn't supplying enough power to the x16 slot and the nvme slot?

I'm doing some more research, but it's possible that there aren't enough PCI lanes left over after the Integrated graphics and the NVME. I'll post what I find in here.

 

[Jayhawker32]

So from what I've read your CPU and MOBO combo should have the bandwidth to support a 1x8 for the GPU and 1x4 for the NVMe drive. I doubt this is a power issue if it worked with the last NVMe drive.

I'm honestly kind of baffled as to why it isn't working. Are you having the same formatting issues with the new drive?

 

[llamapoo]

So from what I've read your CPU and MOBO combo should have the bandwidth to support a 1x8 for the GPU and 1x4 for the NVMe drive. I doubt this is a power issue if it worked with the last NVMe drive.

I'm honestly kind of baffled as to why it isn't working. Are you having the same formatting issues with the new drive?

My 2 year old Kingston NVME and the new (used) 1070ti both worked for about a week together with no problems, everything set in the correct spots. My Kingston drive died in such a horrendous way that I've never seen before, and ever since then the nvme/pcie x16 haven't been able to coexist. I got the new WD nvme but at the time I didn't know there was this pcie16 problem, so I returned the WD nvme and got the Samsung 970 but it does the same. I can freely use both the WD and Samsung nvme as long as any of my graphics cards aren't in the top slot. Tomorrow I'm going to be buying a new motherboard, I guess just the one that I'm currently using because I'm not too smart when it comes to motherboards. I'm always afraid I'm going to get something that isn't compatible, and I know the Gigabyte one I've been using works.

All in all, I don't know what happened to my original nvme that would brick it so hard and also do something to my actual motherboard.. hopefully it doesn't happen again.. Thanks for looking into things, it's been good seeing someone is trying because I've been at a loss and googling really didn't bring up anything relevant

 

[Jayhawker32]

Well sorry I couldn't be of more help. Hopefully the new motherboard solves your problem.

 

[doe111]

I have a setup with similar parts. solved it by decreasing ram frequency to 2133mhz (it runs 3200 on this board, to be said).
ryzen 2200g has infinity fabric freq tied to ram freq, and when it is high enough (>2400), pcie fails. what to do? upgrade to zen2 or replace mobo (looks like it is GA-AB350M-DS3H exclusive problem).