Question Slow windows 11 Boot on MSI PRO Z790-A WIFI – Over 60 Seconds Before Windows Loads

[Hardestware]

Hi everyone, I recently built a new PC, but I'm experiencing very slow boot times — around 60 to 80+ seconds before Windows even starts loading.


Specs:

• Motherboard: MSI PRO Z790-A WIFI (latest BIOS, version dated 20.05.2025)
• CPU: Intel Core i7-14700
• RAM: 32GB (2x16GB G.Skill Trident DDR5-6400, same model)
• GPU: NVIDIA RTX 2060 Super Gaming X (MSI)
• Storage: Lexar NM790 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD
• OS: Windows 11 UEFI install

What I’ve already tried:

• Disabled Memory Training on each boot
• Enabled Fast Boot
• Disabled CSM
• Set my NVMe as the first boot drive
• Disconnected all other drives
• Updated BIOS to latest version
• Disabled Full Screen Logo and set POST delay to 0
• Secure Boot is properly configured

Yet, the system still takes about 1 minute or more just to POST.


For comparison:
My old PC with an H61 motherboard, i7-3770, and SATA SSD boots to Windows in under 18 seconds from pressing the power button.


Is this a known issue with Z790 or Lexar NM790? Any ideas on what else to check?


Thanks in advance!

 

[helpstar]

was windows installed on this system freshly?
did you reset the BIOS yet?
in which port is the boot drive installed?
is the boot priority set to windows boot manager?

 

[Hardestware]

was windows installed on this system freshly?
did you reset the BIOS yet?
in which port is the boot drive installed?
is the boot priority set to windows boot manager?

Windows installed freshly and latest version of 11
no only updated not resetted
in First M2 nvme near cpu's
yes boot priority is windows boot manager but noted that UEFI: Lexar .... not windows boot manager

 

[COLGeek]

Does this slow boot time happen when only the NVME is attached? Just trying to clarify what you posted earlier.

Please set the BIOS to its fully default state. You need a stable baseline to start from,

What other storage devices does this system have?

 

[Misgar]

Have you tried temporarily disabling XMP and set the memory back to JEDEC default speed?

Storage: Lexar NM790 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD

I've had bad experiences recently using four Lexar SATA SSDs as Windows boot drives (I know yours is M.2 NVMe).

After only 4 days use they were slowing down. By 9 days they were grinding to a halt. It could take 3 to 4 minutes for the Windows desktop to finish loading.

Hard Disk Sentinel surface read test crawled through the bad areas at only 17MB/s. After running the destructive write test in HD Sentinel (akin to a low level format) did the surface read test revert to a more normal 420MB/s (for SATA).
https://www.hdsentinel.com/help/en/61_surfacetest.html

I've never had this slow boot problem with other cheap DRAM-less SATA SSDs from Patriot, Integral and Pny, or decent SATA drives from Crucial, Samsung, Intel and WD.

I suggest trying a different boot drive and see if it improves matters.

 

[Hardestware]

Does this slow boot time happen when only the NVME is attached? Just trying to clarify what you posted earlier.

Please set the BIOS to its fully default state. You need a stable baseline to start from,

What other storage devices does this system have?

Storage devices: 4 HDD and 2 SSD NVme M2, but I tried turn of all other and boot only with system M2 ssd, no changes.
The only thing I haven't done is resetting the BIOS. I updated the firmware to the latest version but didn’t reset it.

 

[Hardestware]

Does this slow boot time happen when only the NVME is attached? Just trying to clarify what you posted earlier.

Please set the BIOS to its fully default state. You need a stable baseline to start from,

What other storage devices does this system have?

reset from bios or from cmos in motherboard?

 

[COLGeek]

reset from bios or from cmos in motherboard?

Either way. Just straight default settings. No adjustments made by you.

 

[Hardestware]

Either way. Just straight default settings. No adjustments made by you.

I resetted but the same problem, nothing changed

 

[COLGeek]

If you remove the Lexar SSD, does the system perform better?

 

[Hardestware]

When shut down from windows and then power on, loads faster almos 20-22 second, if restart from windows loads more 60-80 seconds, and if shut down and power on after 1-2 hours the same long load you can see

 

[COLGeek]

When shut down from windows and then power on, loads faster almos 20-22 second, if restart from windows loads more 60-80 seconds, and if shut down and power on after 1-2 hours the same long load you can see

With the Lexar SSD installed, right?

 

[Hardestware]

With the Lexar SSD installed, right?

yes

 

[Hardestware]

yes

I used to have a Kingston NV2, but it was slow too.

 

[Hardestware]

Before the Lexar NM790, I had a Kingston NV2 500GB.

 

[Hardestware]

I even updated the firmware on the Lexar, thinking that might be the problem, but unfortunately, it wasn't.

With the Lexar SSD installed, right?

I even updated the firmware on the Lexar, thinking that might be the problem, but unfortunately, it wasn't.

 

[COLGeek]

So this system has always booted slowly?

I am starting to suspect either the CPU or motherboard.

 

[Hardestware]

So this system has always booted slowly?

I am starting to suspect either the CPU or motherboard.

The only thing left is to test with a SATA SSD, since Windows loaded the same — about 60 seconds — with two different M.2 SSDs.

 

[COLGeek]

The only thing left is to test with a SATA SSD, since Windows loaded the same — about 60 seconds — with two different M.2 SSDs.

Let us know how that goes.

 

[Hardestware]

I will try it and write later

 

[Hardestware]

I will try it and write later

Let us know how that goes.

Unfortunately, with Sata SSD the same story

 

[Hardestware]

One thing I can't understand: if I shut down the PC from Windows, it starts up quickly afterward. But if I restart it, the boot takes longer.

With any storages Sata or nvme no matters

 

[helpstar]

try: set boot priority to windws boot manager

 

[Hardestware]

try: set boot priority to windws boot manager

it's simple, already setted in boot priority to windws boot manager

 

[helpstar]

"Storage devices: 4 HDD and 2 SSD NVme M2, but I tried turn of all other and boot only with system M2 ssd, no changes."

Did you physically unplug the other drives?

Did you alter any settings in windows like sleep modes, hybrid ...?

restarting windows will take longer, cause all will be loaded freshly
shutting down and powering on will be quicker, cause some processes already loaded