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0
1971
Optiplex XE2 i7-4770S Tower: NVMe SSD in PCIe x16 slot not recognised in its BIOS version A22, 02.02.2018
Hello everyone! I hope you can enjoy things a little, despite covid.
I read even more these days, lol.
So, I'd been searching here for the last 8 days, and now popped up "Can't find what you're looking for? Sign up and ask for yourself", LOL, I do that I thought.
So I've also searched the web up and down, but so far none of the solutions anywhere have helped my Dell...
I hope this doesn't disqualify me now in some way, I bought the XE2 i7-4770S with Win10 installed online as a great reseller deal in ... Germany. And to my surprise this meant, now everything is in German unfortunately. I was unaware that these days software and even BIOS(!) gets all translated. I have asked the reseller to change it all to English for me, but I have yet to hear back.
Anyway, my unsolved issue is, I downloaded the Dell Service Assist ( , is still in Professional Service for another week), but to my surprise it didn't update the BIOS (Dell Inc. A22, 02.02.2018). Based on online research incl. here, my guess was, the BIOS should first get updated to a modern UEFI, and that would then magically get the NVMe SSD installed in PCIe x16 slot to appear in the boot list and I could boot from it. But not so.
So then I changed the whole Win 10 (German for now) from MBR to GPT to be able to change from BIOS to UEFI, which was an option already thanks to the prior owner having updated the BIOS in 2018. Both was successful.
It still wouldn't boot from the NVMe SSD though. So next, I tried "the Clover Bootloader way", which looks like a daunting task and has the clear disadvantage that "Clover keeps all running in Turbo mode all the time", which isn't necessary and really unsuitable in my situation. Regardless, it still doesn't boot the NVMe SSD.
Contrary to the views online that say the install device doesn't matter, maybe the reason is that my USB SD-card reader is broken and so I tried all installs from a separate USB SSD that I have. All NTFS formatted, properly on GPT, and "burned" the same way onto it as it's being normally recommended to "burn" (lol) onto a USB stick. Physically/Technically no difference, I agree with those who say so. Either way, the ordered new USB sd-card reader will arrive tomorrow, and then I'll be able to rule out that as well.
1) Interesting is that I did manage to get the NVMe SSD in PCIe x16 slot (with adapter of course) successfully recognized in ... lo and behold... Win10! Both in File Explorer and in System summary. Even while on MBR.
2) Currently the Dell boots Win10 from a slow HD installed by the reseller. My ultimate goal is to have a dual boot with
- Ubuntu in partition 1 of the NVMe SSD,
- and Win10 in partition 2,
- and further partitions for my own stuff, with >30% of the SSD kept free for "garbage collection", or what it's called.
3) I have ISO install files for both Ubuntu and Win10 English on a different SSD, which I can even clone to USB sd-card reader when it arrives tomorrow.
>> My thinking however is, will I be able to get the NVMe SSD in PCIe x16 slot get recognised as boot device then, or shouldn't I better get the BIOS/UEFI version Dell Inc. A22, 02.02.2018 updated first today?
>> But the Dell Service Assist doesn't offer any updates, it seems. Can anyone point me to the right UEFI version and install page, that will allow to boot from my shiny Samsung Evo 970 Plus, if an update first is necessary?
Real_David
6 Posts
1
February 16th, 2021 09:00
I only want to close this thread with an update, in case going forward any more Dell customers want to use a bootable NVMe SSD:
So, as I expected, and despite some tenacious opinions to the contrary above, I got it to work now (last weekend). And clearly, the PCIe x16 slot is not "only for video", no. Makes no sense anyway, because the SSD in it was working well as storage drive already from the first minute.
Now I have two Win10 installations currently, but I will free up the earlier one on the other SSD. Because my newest Win10 install on the NVMe SSD boots and works great!
I do agree fully with the win-raid forum post though, that "Clover adds a slight delay to the boot process itself". While this was obvious always, the word "slight" is misleading: Booting the SAME Win10 install from my other (SATA) SSD is like the speed of light in comparison. This NVMe boot delay may be reducible further, when I have studied all plist file settings.
Either way I feel I can already reliably conclude: For those used to experiencing "2-sec boots" from an SSD will not be impressed by the much-said "speed increase from NVMe SSD". I indeed have been used to those felt-2-sec-boots. And now I wait much much longer.
But on the positive: I can again use my other SSD for other things than Windows. Speaking of it: Did you (readers here) know that a Crucial SSD can have superior quality? Mine is already 8ys old, but going strong like new. Yeah, I checked it of course too.
speedstep
9 Legend
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47K Posts
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February 8th, 2021 04:00
x16 slot is only for video cards
https://i.dell.com/sites/csdocuments/Shared-Content_data-Sheets_Documents/en/us/dell-optiplex-xe2-spec-sheet.pdf
https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/75007/intel-q87-chipset.html
nvme pci-e booting requires uefi class 2.3.1 bios and pci-e bus version 3.0 f6 drivers are not optional. Q87 CHIP-SET is PCI-E 2.0
NVMe* Microsoft Windows* Drivers for Intel® SSDs" href="https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29983/Client-NVMe-Microsoft-Windows-Drivers-for-Intel-SSDs?wapkw=nvme" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer">Download Client NVMe* Microsoft Windows* Drivers for Intel® SSDs
Samsung has its own drivers
There is no universal driver for all vendors and its not native to windows
boot Requirements:
A standard connection found on most systems that supports the high speed of the m keyed only NVMe SSD.
b + m is sata
Real_David
6 Posts
0
February 9th, 2021 14:00
And this was weird now, I had nicely linked the sources as docu/proof, but each time I tried with even only one link, it said "no blog spot" (in one word, again it would't post, lol!) or so.
Ducking it (safer than googling, guys), gives only some weirdo explanations, so I still don't know what Dell considers "blog spot", since everyone else does link to Dell-external sites (in case that is the "issue"?).
Whatever, no harm done. Just weaker/unsubstantiated docu then...
Real_David
6 Posts
0
February 9th, 2021 14:00
Not video card, no. SSD is in pcie x16 with its dedicated adapter, I wrote. Works for everyone there. Besides, I can't see where the 2 linked pages would mention any of that?
I read that a lot too that nvme ssd boot would require uefi class 2.3.1 (which actually isn't true per se).
But like I wrote, Dell support service didn't offer any bios upgrade. Well, NOW yday it did, and I accepted all 4 updates. One of which raised BIOS A22 to A26.
However it still looks and feels like standard BIOS, not UEFI, and clearly it isn't UEFI 2.3.1, since the Dell still doesn't boot from the ssd, nor offers it anywhere in the bios to select it for booting. And yet even in BIOS Settings General Systems Information, it clearly does recognize it:
PCI Information.... Slot 1 = Mass Storage (my other 3 are empty).
I've read that many folks with much older computers flashed some BIOS changes to get it work, but I hesitate going down learning (and risking) that route if it can be avoided - like most online reports make clear, it can.
Does anyone here have a link to the right UEFI version, since it looks like Dell's system update service did not actually serve any UEFI, just "A26" ??
My new sd-card reader indeed arrived today! It actually DID help to move on several steps with the Win10 installation, despite that online the consensus is that using an external ssd "is just like using a usb stick" if properly formatted too.
Here's how far I got now: the Win10 ISO on the sd-card reader nicely installs everytime!
"Everytime"? Well yeah, because I've installed it now countless times, since every time where it gets to the end ("Now Windows needs to reboot the system", or so), it reboots to the SAME usb slot, for yet another Windows install.
Reason is clear: In the "Dell A26" BIOS, with selected "Boot List Option" = UEFI, there's still absolutely NO entry in the "Boot Sequence" section. Only when I go back to Legacy option.
Much explained here, and everything(??) tried found online, I am still, now with the stick results all the more, convinced that the only thing missing for success is, to get the right BIOS/UEFI(!) onto the Dell Optiplex XE2 i7-4770S.
In addition to a link to that, hopefully, does someone here know how a pcie nvme ssd would become visible as bootable device on the Dell?
speedstep
9 Legend
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47K Posts
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February 10th, 2021 13:00
PCI-E BOOTING REQUIRES UEFI CLASS 2.3.1 OR HIGHER bios and PCI-E 3.X
X16 slots on dell are VIDEO CARD ONLY
https://www.intel.com/content/dam/doc/guide/pci-express3-phy-implementation-considerations-idf2009-presentation.pdf
speedstep
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9 Legend
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47K Posts
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February 10th, 2021 13:00
X16 slots are VIDEO only
UEFI Class 2.3.1 or higher as well as PCI-E 3.0 is required.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/device-experiences/oem-uefi
This is known since 2009
https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000132410/
https://www.intel.com/content/dam/doc/guide/pci-express3-phy-implementation-considerations-idf2009-presentation.pdf
Update to add native driver support in NVM Express in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
bradthetechnut
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8.2K Posts
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February 16th, 2021 09:00
I'm not sure if I'll see a 2 sec. boot, but SATA SSD in my previous 755 gave me 17 sec. boot. Tomorrow, I'll finally be getting around to putting an SSD in my 7010. I have seen 2 sec. or so boots on YouTube.
Real_David
6 Posts
1
February 16th, 2021 09:00
My next task now is to get the Multi-boot installed and working: I need to have Win10 and Ubuntu and macOS as multi-boot, and one Virtualbox run extra.
And yeah, no doubt, I will get that solved as well.
PS: I love the reliabilty of Dell desktops. Quality as if made in Germany. LOL
They don't get hot or anything. They just WORK. I am sold.