OptiPlex 9010 NVMe support

which 9010 , case size dictates which motherboard is there and more. 4 cases even AIO junk.

I have PC even back to 2005 that run W10-64bit and one 2007 runs w1064bit.  if you take care of them they last.

just like cars

the card may work and the drive m.2 ssd may work but booting to it now that be a show stoppper

the card is cheap, i keep 2 as spares here,

so only the card the m.2 gum stick is in question and if it likes your PCI-e version and BIOS.

the south first thing to look at is the (BESIDES Dells undocumented BIOS) is south bridge chip

Intel® Q77 Express Chipset with gen2 or 3 CPU.

here is intels answer to you qouted and 1st google hit btw.

Using an NVMe device to boot a computer system requires:

• System BIOS configured to enable UEFI* version 2.3.1 and support NVMe boot
• System based on an Intel® Z97 or X99 Chipset and UP newer but  yours fails this test.
• 64-bit operating system that supports UEFI; Windows 7*, 8*, 8.1* or Windows® 10
• Setting the CSM in the system BIOS (for Windows 7) (this is for new PCs with UEFI_
• Intel® NVMe drive

as 2nd drive just try it.  many times yes. (set it up in disk manager first)

some PCs older some SATA ports go dead if you install that card. x99 is common.

there is no bios nvme boot in your bios but some rare now , nvme have OProm extension on the stick that do boot but are problematic and most makers ended this practices, but I"VE see one work.

https://www.win-raid.com/t871f50-Guide-How-to-get-full-NVMe-support-for-all-Systems-with-an-AMI-UEFI-BIOS.html

It may work as 2nd drive , just try it, there are no guarantees here , installing 2019 tech on any old PC 2007.

The 9010 runs XP and does not have UEFI Class 2.3.1 bios so this is NEVER an option.

https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln312680/optiplex-9010-xp-driver-cab?lang=en

Legacy Bios does not support PCI-E UEFI GPT.

Secure boot is not compatible or allowing xp or vista.

This machine is rock solid! It is on 24x7 mostly so it likely some of the components will begin to fail. Currently running Windows Server 2016 without a hitch and I'll be moving it to 2019 shortly, hence my desire to get a faster disk. It is the Small Form Factor case with the 7 series chipset, but it does have two PCIe 3.0 slots with one being x16 and the other x4 so the latter would technically accomodate for a standard NVMe disk.

I might wait until the end of the year and upgrade to a 9th gen i9 chip and live with that for another 7+ years.  I also bought a precision laptop with this desktop and it too is still going strong - goes to show that you get what you pay for. 

Hi, my 9010 came with windows 8 pro and not XP so perhaps we are talking about different builds?

I bought this workstation in November 2012 and it does support UEFI with Secure Boot. Looking msinfo32 it reports 2.7 for SMBIOS Version, does this number represent UEFI class version number?

This system is certainly capable of secure boot with UEFI and legacy boot options. Currently I am running windows server 2016.

" 9010 came with windows 8 pro " did not come from dell.

System , bios, chipset, etc was released well before 2012.

NEWER Systems that have secure boot ARE NOT compatible with 32 bit os or XP.  The 9010 boots and runs XP.

https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/Drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=WWPH0

UEFI Secure Boot NVME PCI-E booting is NEVER an option.

Windows 8.0 was released on October 26, 2012.

This is why the 9020 is the oldest series that is supported.

Not supported does not mean not working just that only vista or win7 drivers are available.

Bios for this model is very old. Intel has decided not to provide microcode updates to plug Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities in a number of older processors.

https://newsroom.intel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2018/04/microcode-update-guidance.pdf

https://www.dell.com/support/driver/us/en/04/DriversDetails?productCode=optiplex-9010&driverId=90DD2

https://www.grc.com/inspectre.htm

https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln297954/dell-computers-tested-for-windows-10-may-2019-update-and-previous-versions-of-windows-10?lang=en#Optiplex-MAY19U

If your model is not listed below it is not tested for the latest version of windows 10.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000026416/memory-and-storage.html

PCIe* NVMe*-based SSDs require specific hardware, BIOS and driver support to be used as a boot device.  See below for some requirements for a successful installation.

Basic requirements

To use as a bootable drive, you need:

• PCIe NVMe storage-capable hardware motherboard support for the form factor of the SSD
  
  • There may be multiple connectors available, but that does not mean all of them support the NVMe standard.  Consult your motherboard vendor and user manual for the right connections
  • M.2 form factors come in 3 different key types.  The key type (M, B, B+M) is related to the notches in the M.2 card and this must be compatible with the motherboard support. 
• System BIOS that supports UEFI 2.3.1 or later with NVMe support

Click the Windows start button in the bottom-left corner
Type “msinfo32.exe”
Click msinfo32.exe
Look for “BIOS Mode”

If it says “Legacy”, then according to Microsoft your system is
not compatible with GPT PCI-E NVME booting Windows 8 or 10.

Legacy uses the MBR partition specification.

There is a Driver Cab Set for Windows 10 on this model.

It is not and will not be updated however.

https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/how13371/optiplex-9010-windows-10-driver-pack?lang=en

Hi nich0las, or for anyone else who sees this and has a similar question,

I'm using a PCIe NVMe M.2 adapter in an OptiPlex 9010, with a (slow) OEM Samsung PM951 128GB disk. I am only using it as a secondary drive and it works fine in that function.

Sorry, you are incorrect. As I stated this machine came with Windows 8 Pro and it came from Dell and I even have a Windows 8 Pro sticker on the back of the machine. I bought this Workstation whilst living in the UK directly from Dell, so there is no dobut in my mind that it is an offical configuration. Also, when I enter in the Asset Tag it brings up all the details of this machine which include the operating system. I'm not going to dispute the boot from nVMe though, but as I suspected it could support the drives via the PCIe slot. Thanks for your help.

Thanks for letting us know. I ended up upgrading my PC and now running a Dell Precision i9900 so this should hopefully last another 6 years. I must say that the build quality of this new Precision 3431 is no where near as good as my old OptiPlex 9010. The Precision was made in China where my OptiPlex 9010 was made in Poland. Difference when ordering from Dell Australia vs Dell UK.

Hey thanks for sharing, I might look for one of these drives. I ended up upgrading to a Dell Precision 3431 i9900 which natively supports this faster disk. I still have my 9010 so I might consider upgrading this too.Do you have any more information about this BOOT ROM?

OptiPlex 9010 did not come with windows 8 pro.

None of the 3010 7010 9010 models did.

Thats nonsense.

Machines that can boot and run 32 bit XP are NOT NVME PCI-E bootable ever.  Secure boot and GPT UEFI are not an option ever.

Hello @speedstep , @nich0las has already stated that they bought the machine direct from Dell while they were living in the UK, that the machine has the Windows 8 sticker on it, and that the configuration shown when looking up the asset tag shows that as well. You arguing with them and saying their assertions are "nonsense" is just another way of calling them a liar, which seems quite aggressive, completely inappropriate, and reflects poorly on you and on this support forum.

Besides, your absolute statement "OptiPlex 9010 did not come with windows 8 pro. None of the 3010 7010 9010 models did." certainly appears to be wrong, as evidenced for example by the following Dell information:

The support page "How to Downgrade from Windows 8 Pro to Windows 7 Professional" states "These instructions are specifically provided for customers who purchased systems pre-installed with Windows 8 Pro..." and "Table 1 - List of Dell computer models that ship with Windows 8 Pro" includes the OptiPlex 9010, 7010, and 3010.
(www.dell.com/support/article/en-us/sln116104/how-to-downgrade-from-windows-8-pro-to-windows-7-professional?lang=en)

Also, the OptiPlex 9010/7010 Owner's Manual (for various form factors) has instructions for how to turn off the computer when using Windows 8. (www.dell.com/support/manuals/us/en/19/optiplex-9010/opti7010_mt_servicemanual/turning-off-your-computer?guid=guid-52c8386f-7013-4a8e-912d-2df589ca6ca4&lang=en-us)

Further, the OptiPlex 9010 AiO is mentioned in a Dell blog about Windows 8 (https://blog.dell.com/en-us/windows-8-will-shake-up-more-than-just-the-desktop/) and is mentioned in various reviews that it comes with Windows 8.

Good day to you.

Windows 8 Class 2.3.1 UEFI bios requires specific hardware that 9010 does not have.  There are ZERO bios updates for 9010 in regards to WIN8 or 10 UEFI and SLP 3.0 bios key.

UEFI Class 2.3.1 machines are not allowed to Boot XP or any 32 bit OS.

Evidence that 3010 9010 7010 machines do just that is

https://www.dell.com/support/article/en-us/sln312680/optiplex-9010-xp-driver-cab?lang=en

3020 7020 9020 models came with WIN8

3010 7010 9010 models did not and cannot have OEM WIN8 and UEFI Class 2.3.1 bios. Operating system physical memory is defined according to the ACPI 3.0 specification does not apply nor is the bios ACPI 2.0 compliant.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/device-experiences/oem-uefi

Intel 750 pcie ssd, Plextor M8pe(mlc) pcie ssd and Plextor M8se(tlc) pcie ssd will do the same thing as Samsung 950 pro pcie ssd. These ssds are very useful for older computers!

this link should tell you what you need to allow you to boot from a NVME

https://tachytelic.net/2021/12/dell-optiplex-7020-nvme-ssd/