Gigabyte X99 Ultra Gaming - BIOS does not see M.2 SSD

[Suporex]

Hello guys,

Gigabyte X99 Ultra gaming
Intel i7 6800k processor
and I am trying to use Samsung 500GB 850 EVO M.2 SSD drive with it
but I can't see the drive in BIOS, the BIOS is very bad for this motherboard and it is hard to guess where I should see it or do any setting s to make it work. What I did so far using amazon question thing:

1. Confirmed that this drive will work with this mobo
2. Someone mention that he had a conflict with one of SATA drives on other gigabyte mobo so I disconnected all other drives.
3. went through user manual for mobo and drive but they only show how to physicly connect drive.
4. Updated BIOS to F5 version (there is F6a version available too but this is beta BIOS)
5. searched web for this mobo + this drive and couldn't find anything
6. bought M.2 to USB adapter and check the M.2 drive. Works fine and Samsung Migration sees it fine as well and recognize it correctly as EVO 950 M.2 and can clone to it
7. opened ticked with gigabyte support but all those resets of CMOS did nothing

It seems M.2 slot on motherboard is faulty but I am wiling to try anything else you can recommend as sending back motherboard will stop PC operation for long time.

Thanks.

PS. I am trying to find out how to RMA as well if anyone can shine some light on that please anser in this topic --> http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php?topic=17912.0

[shadowsports]

I don't see the Samsung 850 on the QVL for this board rev 1.0/1.1?  I must be missing something?

[Suporex]

I have no idea how to check revision.
as to QVL I have no idea what is that. But I got confirmation from Colin in here https://www.amazon.co.uk/forum/-/TxYQ3O9ZYCDAJ6/ref=ask_dp_dpmw_al_hza?asin=B01FXMN7B8
that it works fine for him.

[Suporex]

I don't see the Samsung 850 on the QVL for this board rev 1.0/1.1?  I must be missing something?

Asked support and got this: "Gigabyte X99 Chipset motherboard does support Samsung 850 EVO M.2 drive."

[dmdilks]

You know that the drive isn't on there list, but they told you it support it.

Did you look in here for it in the bios screen?

Hard Drive/CD/DVD ROM Drive/Floppy Drive/Network Device BBS Priorities

If it is there make sure it is the first one in the list. Plus when you install windows just have that drive that you want to install it on. Leave the other drive disconnected till you are finish.

But there other thing is that we have seen this a lot on the Z170 boards. That at first you don't seen the drive till you install the driver for the drive before you install windows.

[Suporex]

It does not show in BIOS at all. If I could not see it in windows I would probably figure it out. Issue is it is not visible in bios at all. Now support wants me to update to F6a bios (currently on F5) but I doubt it will solve anything + F6a bios is beta bios

[shadowsports]

It does not show in BIOS at all. If I could not see it in windows I would probably figure it out. Issue is it is not visible in bios at all. Now support wants me to update to F6a bios (currently on F5) but I doubt it will solve anything + F6a bios is beta bios

I don't feel you should have to update to a beta bios for x2 support.

-You've tested the drive. good

I'd power off the system.  Disconnect power to the board.  Pull the battery.  Remove, then reseat the drive in its slot.  Wait 5 min.  Reconnect power.  Power on, enter BIOS.  Perform a BIOS reset, F10 to save and restart.  Enter BIOS again.  Leave everything set to defaults and start looking for the drive according to dmdilks suggestion.  Defaults enable all controllers/ports and sets the operate mode to AHCI. 

Don't see it...

Boot from your windows install media, Set up, select UEFI Prefix for install media...  Supply AHCI controller driver (F6)*** option when windows asks for a destination storage device.  If it doesn't appear after that, the slot is probably bad.   

*** driver should be placed extracted in the root of a FAT32 formatted USB stick.  if its an .exe, use the /A switch to extract and copy to the root.  I scoured your manual..  nothing more than installation info there, plus, I didn't see any fine print regarding M.2 or SATA ports not being available when they are used together.  Did see some processor limitations but they don't apply.  I believe you have done your due diligence.

[Suporex]

Jeezus Christ, gigabyte support is so bad. That reply that the drive is supported cause so many issues. I don't have PC for a month now. Motherboard is stuck somewhere in USA now, in some warehouse. I was really thinking about buying other mobo like Asus X99 A-II, because a lot of people has this asus mobo I could learn more and at the end I found proper review of Gigabyte x99 Ultra gaming and guess what?

"The M.2 SSD slot (the lowermost M.2 connector) is fed by up to four PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU, thus giving it a 32Gbps bandwidth potential. Drives up to 110mm in length are supported. M.2 SATA SSDs are not supported."

And that's what Samsung 850 EVO M.2 drive exactly is a M.2 SATA drive.
I am so mad now

http://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/luke-hill/gigabyte-x99-ultra-gaming-motherboard-review/3/