x17 R1, PM9A1 SSD, no PCIe 4.0?

Question

Good evening, I just bought an Alienware x17 R1 with the 1TB Samsung PM9A1 SSD.

The disk is installed in Slot 0 (primary). As far as I know, this SSD should be PCIe 4.0 and reach speeds of around 5500mb/s. And, again based on my informations, this notebook should support PCIe 4.0 on both M.2 slots.

Instead, the Intel RST software says that is connected to a 4000mb/s link and in benchmarks it reaches a maximum of 3500mb/s, which is the speed a pcie 3.0 SSD.

If I set "AHCI" instead of "RAID" into the bios, Crystaldiskinfo indicates the ssd as a PCIe 3.0 SSD. Is there something I'm missing? The rest of the specs: 11800h + 32GB 3200MHz + RTX 3080. Thank you.

Karillo · Accepted Answer

Ok, I've removed the back cover and I found that I have the "KG5N3 Samsung PM9A1 1TB SSD, PCIe Gen3 NVMe 2280 MZVL21T0HCLR-00BD1". So, the speed is normal.

I've also installed a new Sabrent pci-e 4.0 ssd into the primary slot, where previously there was the samsung installed, and now I get 7000mb/s.

Now I have to find an ssd heatsink compatible, I'm in Italy, I don't know where I could find the original.

Thanks guys.

DELL-Chris M · Answer

'I just bought an Alienware x17 R1 with the 1TB Samsung PM9A1 SSD.' According to your private Service Tag, your x17 R1 shipped with =152P8 Hynix PC711 1TB SSD, PCIe Gen3 NVMe 2280 Also, the x17 R1 line shipped with two Samsung PM9A1 1TB SSD. Only one of them is PCIe Gen4. KG5N3 Samsung PM9A1 1TB SSD, PCIe Gen3 NVMe 2280 MZVL21T0HCLR-00BD12DY5T Samsung PM9A1 1TB SSD, PCIe Gen4 NVMe 2280 MZVL21T0HCLR-00BD2

Karillo · Answer

As you can see from crystaldiskinfo, the service tag is telling you something wrong. And the bios confirmed that my Alienware was shipped with the PM9A1. The service tag is simply saying something not true. Maybe, I've received the P9A1 pci 3.0.

Immagine 2022-01-27 193348.png

DELL-Chris M · Answer

I am simply stating what our tools show for your private x17 R1 Service Tag. The only certain way to know is if you remove the Base cover and check the Dell 5 digit part number on the SSD label.

Karillo · Answer

I will remove the base cover to check, but it's sure that I have the PM9A1 and the Hynix. At this point it's also sure that I have the pci-e 3.0 version of the PM9A1, that I didn't even know it existed.

VADUXA4 · Answer

@Karillo​ Hello, did you manage to figure out what's going on in the end? Is this really some rare pm9a1 on pci 3.0?

Alienware

x17 R1, PM9A1 SSD, no PCIe 4.0?

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