Question PC Won’t Post with M.2 Installed, Boot Loop!

[MrSix18]

hey guys, so as i stated this configuration worked FINEEEE for over a year now, no issues whatsoever! if i install an M.2 whatsoever in my motherboard, it WILL NOT even post, stuck in boot cycle, DRAM LED lights up, everything (fans, RGB, AIO, etc) turns on, but no motherboard lights, and it shuts off after a minute or so, and tries again until i force shut down, no display, no anything!

i thought after diagnosing EVERYTHING i could that it was my motherboard going bad, so i ordered the exact board as a replacement, nope nothing with new board either.. so i kept the new mobo and sold the old one.. it’s an Aorus Z390 Pro Wifi, has M2A+M2M m.2 ports and neither will work.. but if i put the m.2 drives in my Asus hyper m.2 x16 4 slot pcie to m.2 adapter, the drives show up fine, no problems! but obviously i would rather return the pcie to m.2 adapter back to my threadripper build and use the on board m.2 ports!

i’ve updated bios, cleared cmos, checked settings, everything i know how to do.. if the m.2 slots are populated at any time, it will NOT even post. dram light comes on, stuck in boot loop until i force it to shut down.

let me add that i’ve used BOTH of these m.2 ports in my motherboard for over an entire year now with no issues, went to turn it on a few days ago, and nothing, just boot loop, no display or anything whatsoever!

i even formatted the disks, nothing is on them, and booted to a 500gb 860 evo m.2 with my OS on it and the nvme’s were wiped clean and freshly formatted!

again at first i thought motherboard failed, and due to the horrible shortage in my area i was stuck settling for a ROG Strix gaming-F which they worked fine in but the motherboard didn’t meet my needs and planned on using it until my local shop got my z390 pro wifi aorus board in the mail, which they did and i returned the strix board!

put the m.2 drives in my threadripper build and they work flawlessly as usual, if i put them in my asus Hyper m.2 x16 4 bay pcie m.2 adapter...they work flawlessly, but god forbid if i populate the m.2 ports on my z390 pro wifi mobo, it won’t even post.. posts fine without them though, and posts fine with them in the pcie/m.2 adapter

sorry for being repetitive just didn’t want to spend 3-4 posts answering questions as some people do when they aren’t informative with the question their seeking help on!

system specs are
Aorus Z390 Pro wifi mobo bios F11
9900k at 5.1
32gb of corsair PRO RGB C15 3000mhz ram
850 watt EVGA G3 psu
512gb 970 pro —(one of the m.2 drives)
1 tb ADATA -8200 nvme (the other nvme)
2-860 evo 2.5” drives
EVGA XC Ultra 2080 Super
Corsair H115i AIO

let me know if you can help as this problem is driving me off the freakin WALL!!! been diagnosing for at least 4-5 days now and about to chuck this thing through the front window!

thanks 🙏

 

[MrSix18]

UPDATE— the 970 Pro drive will work/post/boot in the top 22110 length slot, the ADATA 8200 pro will not, i have to use a PCIe to M.2 adapter in the bottom pcie x4 slot to get the ADATA 8200 Pro to work. i wonder if the Gigabyte customer service rep lied and the board doesn’t support it

 

[SanaPotter322]

UPDATE— the 970 Pro drive will work/post/boot in the top 22110 length slot, the ADATA 8200 pro will not, i have to use a PCIe to M.2 adapter in the bottom pcie x4 slot to get the ADATA 8200 Pro to work. i wonder if the Gigabyte customer service rep lied and the board doesn’t support it

im having the exact same issue holy. I also have z390 aorus elite and I bought a sx8200 at first and I got a replacement of the same model and same issues persist. I guess now we konw the problem, although it did say in the manual that the mobo support the nvme model so this is really weird

 

[m1sterd]

This sounds like the issue I am facing, brand new Gigabyte Aorus z390 WiFi Pro, new ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro (note I have the one with the original SM2262G chipset), putting this in either M.2 slot prevents the PC from posting, multiple rebooting and CMOS clearing occasionally lets me into the BIOS, I can then sometimes get it to boot into the OS (Windows 10), but it doesn’t recognise the RAM correctly or it’s XMP settings. I read on the Gigabyte forum that it is an issues it seems with the SM2262G chipset used in the older SX8200 Pros, the later ones have the SM2262EN chipset and that apparently works according to a couple of users. I currently have support tickets with both Gigabyte and ADATA to see what to do next. There is a Gigabyte firmware F12j for this motherboard, however being a j it’s a beta bios and also I saw someone mention that the patches in this have a potential performance impact, anyone know of that’s true?.

 

[MobileChicane]

This sounds like the issue I am facing, brand new Gigabyte Aorus z390 WiFi Pro, new ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro (note I have the one with the original SM2262G chipset), putting this in either M.2 slot prevents the PC from posting, multiple rebooting and CMOS clearing occasionally lets me into the BIOS, I can then sometimes get it to boot into the OS (Windows 10), but it doesn’t recognise the RAM correctly or it’s XMP settings. I read on the Gigabyte forum that it is an issues it seems with the SM2262G chipset used in the older SX8200 Pros, the later ones have the SM2262EN chipset and that apparently works according to a couple of users. I currently have support tickets with both Gigabyte and ADATA to see what to do next. There is a Gigabyte firmware F12j for this motherboard, however being a j it’s a beta bios and also I saw someone mention that the patches in this have a potential performance impact, anyone know of that’s true?.

This is exactly word for word what's happening with me. PC posts on very random occasions with the M.2 drive in, using the same mobo and ssd. I just can't figure out what's happening and what to do next. Gigabyte are telling me to query it with Adata, Adata just sent a stock RMA request which I doubt will change the issue.

Did you find out a fix?

 

[m1sterd]

This is exactly word for word what's happening with me. PC posts on very random occasions with the M.2 drive in, using the same mobo and ssd. I just can't figure out what's happening and what to do next. Gigabyte are telling me to query it with Adata, Adata just sent a stock RMA request which I doubt will change the issue.

Did you find out a fix?

I am not sure there is a fix unless Gigabyte have a known BIOS that fixes the issue or ADATA release a firmware that addresses it, ADATA replied quickly but said no firmware and that I would have to go back to the supplier to exchange as they couldn’t guarantee what version would be supplied, Gigabyte take 2 to 4 days to reply to any massages but so far said try BUIS F12j, but like I say above, unless they can confirm 100% that this beta BIOS fixes the issue I am not sure I want to risk taking the performance hit that BIOS may bring. I did see someone mention that putting it in a separate NVMe PCIe card worked, however my thoughts are the Samsung 970 Evo Plus is only £30 or so more, has better performance, Samsung’s backing and so far I couldn’t find anyone saying it didn’t work with the Gigabyte z390’s, so I think I am going for a refund and not take the risk and get the 970 instead. What it has taught me is I am not going for ADATA or Gigabyte again when I feel they haven’t provided me any options or real support. Let me know how you go, out of interest what BIOS are you running? If ADATA are sending you a new drive you might be lucky and get the newer EN version, if you get the G version I am guessing you may still
have the issue, the funny thing is, I am sure someone posted the whole issue of ADATA changing the chipset part way through the products lifecycle and not adjusting the product part number, makes for a very confusing product even more so if one version has compatibility issues.