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Installing SSD on PCI-E x16 at Optiplex 390
Hello colleagues! I have Optiplex 390 SFF with two slots PCI-E 1x and 16x and going to buy SSD. Now I can choose Transcend SSD with mSATA interface or M.2 interface. https://transcend-info.com/product/ssd Please advise is it one of these interfaces compatible with PCI-E 1x (or 16x) ?
No offence ... but if you are asking these questions ... it might be easier for you to install only a 2.5inch SATA-SSD and call it a day. It will be much faster than spinning HDD (especially if full SATA-3/600 is available).
Yes, you can install PCIe SSD. In might even work-out if you can get it to boot as C: :Smile:
If going this way, I suggest going "all the way". Get a true PCIe-SSD card or a PCIe -card with a slot for a (now-days common) M.2-2280 PCIe/NVMe SSD.
Ballpark read Speeds:
Spinning HDD: 100
2.5inch SATA-3/600 SSD: 500
M.2/PCIe/NVMe SSD: 3000Dell Rockstar
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Posted March 22nd, 2018 17:00
Technically you could do what you said. But whether or not the BIOS will boot off the PCI-E is another story. Using a 2.5 inch SSD might just be a better idea.
- The bios will see the pci-e x1 card if this is a bootable card. Make sure your bios is updated to a11.
I bought a conceptronics 6 Gbs card from ebay just 10 bucks with a Kingston ssd 250Gb with already a image from the hd.
Uefi boot in the bios set: pci The 390 DOES NOT HAVE Class 2.3.1 or higher UEFI bios. It has Class 1 conventional bios.
That said you CAN BOOT from X1 PCI-E with an apricorn velocity solo x1
You cannot use an X16 PCI-E ssd like the Seagate Nytro 5910 7.7TB XP7680-LE80002 PCI-Express-x16-v3.0 3D cMLC FHHL
Nor do I think you would be willing to pay $30,000 for it.
https://www.amazon.com/Apricorn-Velocity-Performance-Upgrade-VEL-SOLO-X1/dp/B0090IA3AU
This will be faster than the onboard INTEL ICH 7 SATA 2 controller.
This SSD would work but again I doubt you are willing to pay for it.
https://serverpartdeals.com/seagate-xs15360se70113-15-35tb-sas-12gb-s-2-5-solid-state-drives/
Two days ago I bought NVMe SSD Transcend MTE850 series and passive PCIe x4 to M.2 adapter. Windows automatially detected this SSD and installed Microsoft driver issued in 2006 year. I formatted it as MBR disk. CrystalDiskMark 5.5.0 x64 gave Read speed --1054.874 MB/s and Write speed -- 582.234 MB/s. So I was sutisfied.
After that I tried to install OS Windows 64 bit to SSD. I turned off Hard Disk and used CD Installation disk. I configured BIOS ver. A11 as UEFI boot. As Setup program required GPT disk using Contol panel/System and Security/Administration I formatted SSD as GPT disk. After that Setup program installed Windows files to SSD. But after first reboot BIOS didn`t see SSD disk as bootable disk.
It seems BIOS ver. A11 with UEFI mode doesn`t support Windows 64-bit. Link to Wiki
So my question: Can I find BIOS firmware with support Windows 64-bit UEFI boot for Optiplex 390?
@Yuron_uawrote:
Two days ago I bought NVMe SSD Transcend MTE850 series and passive PCIe x4 to M.2 adapter. Windows automatially detected this SSD and installed Microsoft driver issued in 2006 year. I formatted it as MBR disk. CrystalDiskMark 5.5.0 x64 gave Read speed --1054.874 MB/s and Write speed -- 582.234 MB/s. So I was sutisfied.
After that I tried to install OS Windows 64 bit to SSD. I turned off Hard Disk and used CD Installation disk. I configured BIOS ver. A11 as UEFI boot. As Setup program required GPT disk using Contol panel/System and Security/Administration I formatted SSD as GPT disk. After that Setup program installed Windows files to SSD. But after first reboot BIOS didn`t see SSD disk as bootable disk.
It seems BIOS ver. A11 with UEFI mode doesn`t support Windows 64-bit. Link to Wiki
So my question: Can I find BIOS firmware with support Windows 64-bit UEFI boot for Optiplex 390?
The answer is NO not Ever.
There are NO UEFI bios updates.
If your goal is to boot from SATA 3 then the Velocity Solo X1 is your only option.
https://www.amazon.com/Apricorn-Velocity-Performance-Upgrade-VEL-SOLO-X1/dp/B0090IA3AU
You will also need conversion of PCI-E SSD back to SATA SSD.
https://www.amazon.com/Ableconn-IU2-M2132-M-2-U-2-Adapter/dp/B01HR0PKJQ
And an interposer to convert sas back to Sata.
https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Dell-UF070-Interposer-SFF-8482/dp/B00E0OFHM8/
And a Sata Cable and place to mount the beast.
Finally I choosed another SSD with SATA interface Transcend 128G SSD230S. Without any problem I installed Windows 10, User files I placed on HDD and many programs placed on SSD MTE850 with PCIe interface which has a high I/O speed.
Crystal Disk Mark 6.0 test:
SSD MTE850 PCIe x4 -- Read 1054 Mb/sec, Write 579 Mb/sec
SSD SSD230S SATA -- Read 239 Mb/sec, Write 232 Mb/sec
HDD WD250AAKX -- Read 125 Mb/sec, Write 124 Mb/sec
Test Mode: Seq Q32T1.
DELL-Chris M
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Posted March 19th, 2018 09:00
The 2011 Optiplex 390 does not have M.2 slots. Mechanically, you will need either a "M.2 SSD to PCIe adapter" or a "mSATA SSD to SATA adapter", depending on which one you purchase. Will the 2011 Optiplex 390 BIOS and operating system work with M.2 SSD or mSATA SSD? Unknown, we never tested it.
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