Question SSD install

garybly

Commendable
Oct 9, 2022
1
0
1,510
I just bought an Aorus Z790 Master MB and RTX-4070 GPU. Can I install ssd in M2C_CPU or M2A_cpu slots Or should I use one of the other 3? I know not to use M2C, Not sure about M2A.
 
Or should I use one of the other 3? I know not to use M2C, Not sure about M2A.
Looking closely at the motherboard information, I can see why you're confused:

Expansion slots CPU:
1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 5.0 and running at x16 (PCIEX16)
* The PCIEX16 slot can only support a graphics card or an NVMe SSD. If only one
graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.
* The PCIEX16 slot shares bandwidth with the M2C_CPU connector. The PCIEX16
slot operates at up to x8 mode when a device is installed in the M2C_CPU connector.


The first line states PCIEX16 supports a GPU or an SSD, but it doesn't say which M.2 slot to use for a Gen.5 SSD or leave empty for a GPU in slot 1.
The second line states PCIEX16 drops back to x8 with an SSD in M2C_CPU, which seems at odds with Line 1, which says the PCIEX16 can only support a GPU and not an SSD simultanously.

Storage Interface CPU:
- 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 25110/2280 PCIe 5.0 x4/x2 SSD
support) (M2C_CPU)
- 1 x M.2 connector (Socket 3, M key, type 22110/2280 PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 SSD
support) (M2A_CPU)


Try fitting your boot drive in M2A_CPU and if Windows doesn't install, try one of the remaining 3 slots.