Z97X-UD3H-BK new build and having trouble with M.2

[verism]

Hi all,

I've just put together a new machine with the above MB and I'm trying to use a Samsung SM951 M.2 as my primary drive.
I'm not great in BIOS at the best of times, but I'm really struggling with trying to even find the device, let alone enable it.

Can someone link/provide me with some instructions how to at least start?

Thanks.

[absic]

Hi,

if your motherboard is anything like my Z97X-UD5H then you probably won't see the M.2 card in BIOS. My card only shows up during the POST phase, (like a splash screen) when I first start the PC from a complete shutdown/power off.

If you are trying to install the OS then I would suggest removing any SATA devices you have attached and using a Bootable USB Pendrive to run the install process.

Before installation of the OS, go into BIOS (press the F2 key to go to the advanced settings screen) and set the SATA Controller to AHCI Mode (unless you want to add a RAID Array, in which case set the SATA Controller to RAID Mode). This setting will be found under the Peripherals tab SATA Controller.

Once you have altered this setting save and exit BIOS  then shutdown the PC.

Plug your Bootable USB pendrive with the OS media into one of the USB ports on the back of the motherboard.
Restart the PC and it should automatically start loading the OS files from the Pendrive.

Once the OS has been installed you can shutdown the PC and start reattaching any other SATA drives/devices to the appropriate headers on the motherboard. Personally I would do these one at a time, restarting the PC and checking that they have been detected properly, then shutting down and adding the next drive/device and so on.

You might want to check through this thread: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=14703.0 which I have posted with regard to putting together and using the GA-Z97X-UD5 as some of the items in it might help guide you a bit more.

[verism]

THANK YOU!

I've been posting all day, searching for answers - this is by far the most helpful yet.
Looks like it's going to be more of a process than I was anticipating, but this is very reassuring indeed.

Annoyingly I'll have to wait a couple of days until I can get my hands on a USB drive.
But thank you once more.

[absic]

Which Operating System are you going to install?

If it is Windows 8 or 10 then you will also want to change a few other settings in BIOS before running the install to make sure things run as smoothly as possible.

Another thing that you may want to do, before starting with installing the OS, is update to the latest BIOS version for your motherboard which is F8. I would do this using the QFlash utility. Check here: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=2441.0 if you are not sure how to do this. Once you have updated BIOS you will need to go through the setup steps outlined in my previous reply with regard to BIOS Settings.

If you have any questions or if  you run into any problemns let us know and I'm sure that someone on the forum will be able to help you.

[verism]

Yep - either Windows 8 or 10. Some pre-emptive troubleshooting would be very welcome indeed.
I noticed there's some settings specifically for Windows 8 within BIOS. Was it these you're referring to?

And I was planning on updating the BIOS as well - I'm on F5 and there's an F8 out, so I'm well behind.

[absic]

I noticed there's some settings specifically for Windows 8 within BIOS. Was it these you're referring to?

Yes, these are the kind of settings that I am referring to.

I would recommend taking the following steps:
1: Update BIOS
2: Set SATA Controller(s) to AHCI Mode (unless you are planning on using a RAID Array in which case set them to the RAID Option.
3: Set Windows 8 Options (if you are installing Windows 8 or 10)
4: Check that CPU and RAM are running at correct speeds.
5: Any other BIOS settings that you wish to change*
6: Save and exit BIOS
7: Install OS

*I would strongly advise against setting the Fast/Ultra Fast Boot option at this time. You can set it later, once the system is up and running properly. A quick note, if you find that you are struggling to get into BIOS once you have Windows installed then use the Windows Recovery Option to enter the UEFI BIOS. There are a few steps to using this procedure and if you find that you need guidance, ask and I will take some screenshots and post more details for you.

You shouldn't need to add any AHCI drivers during the install so don't get hung up on this aspect unless it comes up.

Once you have Windows installed I would also recommend that you avoid using any of the Gigabyte Apps that come on the installation DVD. They are not really necessary and can cause more problems than they solve. Once you have had the system up and running for a while and you are more comfortable with how the PC is running, then you can play around with them, if you feel the need to do so. I don't use them at all.

As I stated earlier, it is easier if you do not attach any other SATA devices during the OS Install especially if you start running into problems. These can be added once Windows is up and running.