GA-Z97X-UD5H with Plextor PCIe M.2 SSD hanging up

[merlewagner]

Been having a problem with system hanging (non responsive to keyboard/mouse) when using the SSD as C: drive. As load increases the time to hang gets shorter.

Upgraded to F8 BIOS and then it took longer for hangups to occur. I have replaced the SSD, replaced memory with enhanced timing (1600 to 2400) and it still hangs. I do notice my HDD activity light is on constantly when the hang occurs so am assuming it has something to do with I/O. Ran Resource Monitor looking at disk activity and it doesn't really show anything.

Not quite sure where to go next. Any ideas out there?  Could not find any other forum relating to Gigabyte anywhere.

********************* update ************************
Just found a new BIOS F9F,  Just downloaded to see if there is any difference

Thanks,

Merle

[absic]

Hi there,

I am running this board with a Plextor M.2 drive 256Gb and have not encountered any issues with it. What other hardware are you using?

When I first setup my rig (check here: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=14703.0 for more details) I did encounter a problem like this but it related to another OCZ SSD I was trying to use and once I removed it I had no more issues.

[merlewagner]

I have 2 WDC 1TB HDDs, 1 Seagate 2TB HDD plus the SSD in the M.2 slot. I can clone the SSD on to one of the WDC drives and the system runs just fine. The minute I clone back to the SSD it will hang up. Takes awhile, but it hangs.....

Not sure how to address the troubleshooting angle. I suspect a driver issue but no idea how to prove it.

[absic]

Can you post back with your FULL system specs as the problem may not be with the SSD or HDD's?

As a first step, try removing the HDD's and running just the OS from the SSD. If you do this, can you browse the internet, play Youtube videos, and run other programs without an issue? If you can do this and the system doesn't hang then the problem is most likely to be elsewhere in the system.

What Firmware version is your Plextor SSD? Although mine has been running with the first release, I have just updated it to the latest version from Plextor. If the problem is with the SSD then this may be the next thing to try.

[merlewagner]

Well, I may have found my problem..... I removed my backup software (Seagate Dashboard) and system has been running non-stop for the past 2 days. That is a major step forward. I just reinstalled the software and will see what happens. I have the Seagate GoFlex Home unit on the local network as a backup.

FYI, I upgraded the firmware in the SSD to V1.04 some time ago. 

Not sure what other system specs you would need other than installed software.

[merlewagner]

It seems my hopes for success have been thrown in the toilet. The system when running the SSD as C: still hangs.

ABSIC, would you mind sharing your BIOS settings? I finally set mine to optimized default and still have the problem.

Another thought, I made all mods as recommended on the SSD review site (http://www.thessdreview.com/Forums/forum8/). These are mods to Win7 for using an SSD. Maybe one of these could be the culprit.  I am at a loss here.

You had asked for full sys specs previously, here is what I have:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H
BIOS: F9F set to optimized defaults
CPU: i7-4770K 3.9MHZ, aircooled (for now)
RAM: Gskill 2 x 8GB Trident X 2400 CL10-12-12-31 1.65V
PSU: CoolerMaster 1000W
GPU: GeForce GTX 760
Storage: Plextor M.2 PCIe SSD 128GB, 2-WDC WD10EZEX 1TB, 1Seagate ST320005 2TB, Go-Flex Home USB3 storage
OS: Win7 x64 SP1 Home Premium
wireless keyboard, mouse; Logitech Webcam

[absic]

Here is a link to the images from my current BIOS setup: https://imageshack.com/a/FqRz/1

There are several differences between our systems that I have noticed the main ones being, my RAM is running at 1600Mhz, it is Corsair Vengeance at 1.5V  9,9,9,24
I am currently using the F9 BIOS, as I have been running a few tests for someone else.
My GPU is a GTX650
The Plextor M.2 Drive is 256Gb
OS is Windows 8.1 Pro 64 bit
PSU: Corsair HX750i

I have run/tested my system using all of the available BIOS versions from F5  which my motherboard shipped with through to F9f and have had no issues with stability. Motherboard revision is 1.0

Other hardware attached to the system:
Corsair Force GS SSD 250 Gb
Sandisk SSD 256 Gb
27" Dell Monitor connected via DVI
Roland Duo Capture Audio Device - USB
M-Audio Axiom 49 Midi Keyboard Controller - USB
Microsoft Digital Media Pro Keyboard - USB
Logitech Touch Pad - Wireless
WinStars USB3 HDD Dock ( I also have a hot-swap dock built into my PC chassis which is connected via the Intel SATA controller on the motherboard)
On-board audio is running via Microsoft drivers with Logitech 5.1 speaker system
Logitech Webcam

Hope this information helps and, if I have missed anything or if you want me to test something on my system, feel free to ask.

[merlewagner]

Thanks for the info on your BIOS. Almost identical to mine. 

I finally gave in to Microsoft and upgraded to Win 8.1.  My system has been running flawlessly since, no hangups!!!!!
I have loaded it down with multiple apps to really load everything and it has been running over 24 hours straight with no hiccup.

Hopefully my issues are behind me.