Help - PCIE 5.0 SSD dropping to 1x transfer mode after boot

[Celestion]

My Crucial t705 4tb randomly operates in 1x mode after booting or when exiting hibernation. Sometimes its 5x, other times its 1x. Motherboard is an Asus x670e-i. I have tried the following without success:

• changing BIOS pcie config from auto to 5x
• Samsung, Micron, and Solidigm NVME storage controller drivers
• Disabling various PCIE devices within the BIOS that could compete for bandwidth (thunderbolt controller, network controller, bluetooth, etc.)
• Disabling ASPM within windows and within BIOS
• various obscure PCIE settings
• latest bios updates

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello @Celestion 

We apologize for the delayed response due to the recent local holiday.

Could you confirm if you have installed the Crucial T705 4TB in the M.2_1 slot without using any extension cables or adapters?
May I ask if you are checking the SSD modes through the BIOS or within the OS?
Please share a screenshot of the results, including the circumstances and frequency.
We recommend referring to the relevant guidelines to ensure that both the SSD drivers and firmware are updated to the latest versions.
After clearing CMOS, boot the system with default BIOS settings to check if the issue persists during cold boots and after waking from sleep.

If the issue remains, kindly help share the following:
- the image of BIOS main page
- the brand and model name of the CPU, GPU, RAM (part number and installed slots as well), SSD/HDD, and PSU currently installed
- are there any extensions or adapters used to connect any devices, such as GPU or SSD?
- the OS version and OS build
- follow these steps to provide a full video recording of the issue: 
Start recording > Check the BIOS version and SSD information on the BIOS main page > Shut down and clear CMOS > Restart and confirm the SSD operating mode > Try to reproduce the issue, such as waking from sleep and seeing if the SSD mode changes > Your current troubleshooting steps > End recording.

Thank you.

[Celestion]

The issue persists even after clearing CMOS - see the requested videos below. No extensions or adapters are used for any of the PCIE devices. The issue occurs over 50% of the time after resuming from sleep or upon restart. I am checking SSD modes through both the BIOS and the OS and validating them with a CrystalBenchMark read test. All firmware and drivers are up to date. Notably, if I change the PCIE to Gen4 in the bios, the drop to 1x gen1 on reboot will not occur.

CPU - AMD Ryzen 7 7700
Motherboard - ROG STRIX X670E-I GAMING WIFI Rev 1.xx
GPU - Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING OC 24G
RAM - G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 (F5-6000J3038F16GX2-TZ5NR)
SSD - Crucial T705 4TB (CT4000T705SSD3)
PSU - Seasonic VERTEX GX-1000
OS - Windows 11 Pro
OS version - 10.0.22631 Build 22631
BIOS - Version/Date 3040, 9/12/2024

[Celestion]

ASUS!!! This is a problem affecting many of your x670e motherboards. Many customers purchased these motherboards simply to utilize PCIE gen5. We are currently unable to do so.  Please see the message below from the Crucial engineer:

I hope this email finds you well.

We would like to inform you that we escalated your issue to our dedicated team for further investigation and they informed that the problem lies with the motherboard rather than the Crucial SSD. This behavior has been observed across various motherboards from different manufacturers, and we were able to replicate it on our in-house systems as well.

The issue seems to occur when a Gen 5 SSD is connected to a Gen 5 slot on the motherboard, which is why you are not experiencing this problem with your Gen 4 drive. If you were to connect the Crucial T705 SSD to Gen 4 speeds at all times this issue would likely to be resolved.

Unfortunately, the only fix for this issue is a BIOS Update from the motherboard manufacturer. We recommend reaching out to your motherboard's manufacturer to inquire about a potential BIOS update that addresses this specific problem. We have seen BIOS update from multiple manufacturers that help resolve this kind of issue.

Please note that the Crucial T705 SSD will perform at whatever speed the motherboard allows, and this is not a fault of the drive itself. We understand the inconvenience and will continue to support you, but at this point, it is necessary to work with the motherboard manufacturer to find for a solution.

If you have further questions, we welcome your reply. You can also visit our Contact page for other ways to reach us.

Jiaszzz_ROG - can you please escalate this issue to the BIOS team?

[Jiaszzz_ROG]

Hello @Celestion 

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the delayed response. 
I have already reported your case and am conducting further investigation and verification. 
If there are any updates or additional information needed, I will follow up in this thread. 
Please feel free to share any further details about your situation, and thank you in advance for your patience.
Meanwhile, I have DM you and kindly check the inbox at your convenience. 

Thank you.

[Celestion]

Thank you, @Jiaszzz_ROG. I replied to the DM. Please keep me updated on the investigation. Thanks again!