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Aurora-R7, implementation of M.2 NVMe on motherboard
I currently have a Alienware Aurora R7 paired with a 16 GB Optane /1 TB platter drive.
I want to pull the Optane out and utilize the M.2 slot to install the following drive below.
SAMSUNG 970 PRO M.2 2280 1TB PCIe Gen3. X4, NVMe 1.3 64L V-NAND 2-bit MLC Internal Solid-State Drive (SSD) MZ-V7P1T0BW
Will the M.2 slot on this motherboard allow me to reach the potential theoretical read speeds of 3200MB/s?
Is there any limiting factor in the way the M.2 NVMe is implementated on the Aurora R7 motherboard?
I cannot seem to determine if the specs for the PCIe implementation on the Aurora R7 is PCIe 2.0 or PCIe 3.0?
From what I understanding knowing the PCIe version is important to maximize the capabilities of the Samsung 970 Pro NVMe SSD respecting read/write speeds.
Please note for reference the .png screen-print from my Aurora 7 configuration of the NVMe controller type as shown on the IRST.
WHAT I THINK I KNOW.
I’ve determined from this link:
http://www.velocitymicro.com/blog/nvme-vs-m-2-vs-sata-whats-the-difference/
Below is specific information from the link above which relates to my question.
Are all M.2 drives NVMe?
No. Remember, M.2 is just the form factor. M.2 drives can come in SATA versions (like the Crucial MX300 M.2 for example) and NVMe versions (like the Samsung 960 Pro), which describes the bus they use to electrically communicate with the other PC components. SATA M.2 SSD drives and 2.5” SATA SSDs actually operate at virtually identical spec. NVMe M.2’s on the other hand, definitely do not, as we’re about to discuss.
How does NVMe speed compare to SATA?
Modern motherboards use SATA III which maxes out at a throughput of 600MB/s (or 300MB/s for SATA II, in which case, it’s time to upgrade). Via that connection, most SSDs will provide Read/Write speeds in the neighborhood of 530/500 MB/s. For comparison, a 7200 RPM SATA drive manages around 100MB/s depending on age, condition, and level of fragmentation. NVMe drives, on the other hand, provide read speeds as high as 3500MB/s. That’s 7x over SATA SSDs!
Excuse the verbose write up, my use of laymen terminology would likely muddy the waters of arriving at the answer I need. So, best to let the experts describe the technological details.
Thanks in advance for the information....
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
8 Wizard
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17K Posts
3
August 3rd, 2018 16:00
1. Yes, that NVMe SSD will work.
2. I think the easiest thing to do is first Deactivate and then remove the Optane Module. Otherwise, you have to go down this road:
https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-Desktops/Looking-to-upgrade-the-hard-drive-in-my-R7/m-p/6127817#M4712
3. I think some of that max speed is due to controller-tricks and/or new caching tech on this new SSD. Yes, the Pro version is nice.
4. I know my Samsung PM-961 512gb SSD (M.2 PCIe NVMe) in my Aurora-R6 can do this ... it's very fast.
https://dell.com/community/Alienware-General/Aurora-R6-Hard-Lockup-and-crash-while-gaming-SOLVED/m-p/5504121/highlight/true#M6097
5. It's PCIe v3.0, but the question is how many lanes are dedicated to the slot. But the fact is ... it's so fast already (and the IOPS are off-the-chart) that you won't really notice a big difference between 1600/3500 writes.
bnperrault
6 Posts
0
August 3rd, 2018 16:00
Thanks Tesla1856, I appreciate your quick response. Now to get that drive ordered! Thanks again!
Clevor
68 Posts
1
August 14th, 2018 03:00
I have a Dell XPS 13 with SATA SSD (550/500 R/W speeds), a Lenovo Yoga 920 with NVME SSD (3000/1600 R/W), an MSI Aegis 3 Plus with NVME SSD (3000/1550 R/W), and an Alienware Aurora R7 with a 3.5" SATA HDD (120/120 R/W). I also briefly owned an HP Omen gaming laptop with a relatively slow NVME SSD (1115/1115 R/W). Here are the boot times with Windows 10 version 1803:
1. Dell: 6-7 sec
2. Lenovo: 4-5 sec
3. MSI: 7-8 sec
4. HP: 6-7 sec
5. Aurora R7: 30-45 sec (on a good day)
You can see there isn't much of a difference between the Dell with 550/500 R/W, the HP with 1115/1115 R/W, and the MSI with 3000/1550 R/W speeds. The reason the Lenovo boots up so fast is it bypasses any BIOS logon. You go right into Windows. To enter the BIOS, you press a button on the side of the laptop. Still, it and the Dell boot up within a few seconds. Desktops take longer to boot up because it has to initialize a lot more hardware embedded on the MB.
Also if you check the Amazon reviews of guys who bought the 970 EVO Pro, while they flaunt CrystalMark screenies, they all said they can't notice any seat-of-the-pants difference compared to their old SSDs.
If you're wondering why I ordered the R7 with such a clunky HDD, it's because I wanted to put in an NVME SSD of my choice. I am waiting for 1-2 TB drives to come down in price. Eventually I imagine installing a Samsung 990 EVO Pro or whatever when it comes out. It will mainly be for bragging rights. I am forecasting 3800/2700 R/W speeds by then :-) Even then, I know for sure the Lenovo laptop will still boot faster.
wilcreatives
7 Posts
3
November 12th, 2018 05:00
Will the M.2 slot on this motherboard allow me to reach the potential theoretical read speeds of 3200MB/s?
Yes
Is there any limiting factor in the way the M.2 NVMe is implementated on the Aurora R7 motherboard?
There aren't any limits
I cannot seem to determine if the specs for the PCIe implementation on the Aurora R7 is PCIe 2.0 or PCIe 3.0?
Its PCIe 3.0
I recently purchased the Samsung Evo 970 M.2 NVME and did a step by step installation and setup. There are articles all over but couldn't find a video to support. Hit the link and hope it helps.
https://youtu.be/qoOIBJYYvGE
GayGuy
10 Posts
0
July 15th, 2020 09:00
I am doing the same thing and too am not sure where I'm placing the SSD M.2. I think I've read too much and made it too complicated. I'm confident at getting inside but I'm so confused about the slots I can use. I only want to install mine for gaming so can skip the OS install but I'm told if I don't put it in the correct spot it will do nothing for speed. I don't want to remove the one where the OS is installed and that's where the confusion comes in. Anyone that can help clarify I would so appreciate it.
GayGuy
10 Posts
0
July 15th, 2020 09:00
This helped so much at being able to get to where I want to go however I'm not using it to replace my OS which puts me in a quandary.
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
8 Wizard
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17K Posts
0
July 15th, 2020 12:00
Anyone that can help clarify I would so appreciate it.
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Why not start here:
What machine do you have ?
What drives do you currently have installed? Exact models of SSD and HDD should reveal to us their sizes and whether they are M.2/NVMe or 2.5inch/SATA .
r72019
6 Professor
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5.3K Posts
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July 15th, 2020 21:00
Perhaps a photo will help? Two additional M2 NVME's installed in the PCiE slots, below the GPU: