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kamyk155 · ‎06-30-2015

Hello - at first sorry for my bad english.
I am fighting to boot samsung m.2 sm951 for two days and still no luck.

My config:

- RVE bios 1502
- 5960x (tested stock and 4GHz)
- 16GB corsair vengeance 2800 (tested 2133 and 3000 XMP2)
- 2x GTX980 EVGA SC
- 1x Samsung 840 120GB for system
- 1x Crucial MX100 512GB for games
- 4x HDDs (6TB WD Green, 2TB Samsung F4EG, 1TB Samsung F3, 320GB Samsung F4)
- 1000W PSU Leadex platinum

My problems start when I get Samsung 951 512GB AHCI - new ssd for system.
I read many posts about preparing this m.2 ssd to use as system.

First steps:
- enable M.2 in bios, CSM disable (CSM enable - I can boot too and install windows)
- disconnect all other drives and dvd
- instaling windows 8 from USB (NTFS - then try FAT32 too)
- instalation was great and mega fast
- windows start to boot normal so I start to install drivers first

First problems:
- instaling some drivers was badly slow
- turning off or restarting computer was mega badly slow (closing system.............................sometimes few minutes or more)
- windows update - not working (looking and looking and looking...................for hours and still looking)
- trying to recovery windows - not working
- last good setings - not working
- try repair from USB instalator - not working

After lots of fighting - trying other methods from internet (CSM setings, bios settings, fast/slow boot, lots of things)
About 7-10 instalations of windows - some installations died at start (waiting and waiting and waiting for lots of minutes).
One of instalations was almost great - all working , updates working but one of last updates killed my system again - nothing help (recovering, repairing)
I use lots of tips - from this forum M.2 guide, from ramcity, from others forums too. I try all and then install system - no luck.

So the main problem is - when I instal windows 8 system is starting to work slow, sometimes freezing for few seconds or after some restarts just dying and can't repair.
Instalation is not a problem - party starts just few minutes after. Really fast boot, problems in windows and slow off/restarts).
I try all older/new drivers and build in windows too. Once I install all drivers, once only driver for lan - rest from windows.
Because my windows is 8 I need to download lots of updates and only then I can upgrade to 8.1 so this is a problem too.
Most of times windows update not workimg from begining. Update fix from MS not working.
Samsung 951 looks ok - i check lots of tests and smart.
Look at photo:
http://postimg.org/image/y4s9ee11b/

I really don't know what is wrong.
Now 951 is connected as normal drive and not freezing, working good.
So problem is only as boot drive. I try to clone my samsung 840 with system to new 951 - not booting at all (BSOD and can't repair).

Really sorry for my bad english.
Can someone help me ?

_TRG__Kicker · ‎06-30-2015

going to follow this thread cause my sm951 256gig arrives today in the mail.

kamyk155 · ‎06-30-2015

I see one more problem - today I tested 951 and you can see on picture of crystaldiskinfo 92% health.
Yesterday I was testing him using older version and it was 96%.

_TRG__Kicker · ‎06-30-2015

If thats correct than you might have a bad drive... Sad day if true.

BrutalAttis · ‎06-30-2015

I may be totally off and I don’t have the same M.2 as you. But the only issue I had when I did my M.2 build was USB related. Certain old unsupported USB devices resulted in some very weird errors during M.2 boot, slowness, bad installs, random freezing during start up. You may check what you have connected during install, start with basic mouse + keyboard ... I believe even some keyboard may cause were issues with M2. For a long time I thought it was my M.2 drive. But maybe in your case it is really a bad drive.

Chino · ‎06-30-2015

Not sure why you were having so much problems installing the SM951. If you looked in the guide, all you needed to do was select the M.2 option and install in UEFI mode. Other than that, there's no need to modify CSM or any other setting.

Windows 8 practically installs most of the drivers for the motherboard. The missing ones can be downloaded from the motherboard's support page. Never had any problems with those either. In regards to Windows updates, I never install them. If you do, then maybe one of those updates is messing up your system.

kamyk155 · ‎06-30-2015

My god I think I found the problem...........now installing again windows 8 and first time I can update to 8.1 (now in background).
How I found what is wrong - just typical luck - copy diablo 3 folder to new 951 to play some and to check freezes and eventualy locks.
Play few minutes and hear loud and cracking noise from my speakers..........then I remember ONE thing.
MY GOD - I have X-Fi in pcie x8 grey slot !! This slot is connected to M.2 !!!
I just take off X-Fi from slot and start one more installation - totaly no problems.
I updated windows 8 with really fast starts and restarts. I need to to this because this is the only way to upgrade to windows 8.1.
If everything will be ok I will install all drivers to hardware and tell you guys.

kamyk155 · ‎06-30-2015

Ehhhh it's not that - system totally died after upgrading to 8.1. At the end of upgrading system starts to be slow.
Freezes + can't install totally all drivers to hardware (intel inf / mei / lan / rst). Instalation of all end - critical error.
System can't repair or recovery..........another installation fail.

Chino · ‎06-30-2015

Have you tried installing using the bare minimum? As in 1 memory module in the DIMM_A1 slot, 1 GPU and only the SM951 for the OS? If not, try it. Also run your memory at 2133MHz for the meanwhile just for testing.

Menthol · ‎06-30-2015

I use that drive without any issues, I have not had any problems so I can't really help, I also have an Intel 750 in the last pcie slot both work flawlessly at pcie 3.0 x4.

RVE + Samsung 951 = lots of problems