Z690-I and NVMe M.2 - Incompatible? It seems many are having similar issues?

[Dunkelstar]

I am also having the same (or very similar) errors as everyone else trying to get an NVMe 4.0 drive to work with a Z690-I ROG MB. After trying every suggestion I could find scouring this forum, reddit, and GIS; nothing works (you name it, I tried it; dozens of BIOS settings, firmware updates of all hardware, reseating drives, etc. the list goes on). The latest MB and NMVe drive firmware updates do not help. I even tried two Z690-I MBs (same errors on both) and two separate NVMe 4.0 drives (WD Black and Samsung Pro); again same errors. It also seems that this isn't limited to ASUS, pretty much all Z690 chipset MB forums I found have very similar errors. It would strongly seem that the Z690 chipset has severe problems with NVMe M.2 drives, especially newer 4.0 and large format 2TB ones - perhaps compatibility, firmware, or driver issue? I'm currently using this "high-end" Z690-I MB with a six-year-old legacy SATA M.2 drive to just get anything to work; severely limiting system performance without having a functional NVMe 4.0 drive.

Intel, ASUS, and other manufactures have to know this is an ongoing issue, the forums are flooded with threads highlighting this. The 12th generation Intel chips and Z690 chipset technology were both released Q4 2021 (soon coming up on a year at this point); having this problem still exist without Intel or various MB manufactures acknowledge the problem is beyond ridiculous.

Intel and MB manufacturers should take ownership of the issue, and make an effort to correct the problem.

[Braegnok]

Hello Dunkelstar,
I currently have three Asus Z690 motherboards running large format NVMe M.2 primary drives,.. haven't had any issues installing Windows.

Seems like others I have also had a few issues with the new Z690 platform, but not to go off topic,.. I can offer some advice.

Perhaps try loading default BIOS settings,.. and only have your primary drive installed. You can add in all your secondary drives after Windows is installed on primary drive.

Are you using new OEM Windows CD and USB CD drive,.. or an IOS image, or copied OS,.. could be corrupt files or missing files, faulty install media.

My systems all boot to the USB CD drive, new OEM Windows 11 Pro disk,.. Windows formats drive and done.

Z690-I and 4TB NVMe M.2 primary drive.




Good luck.

[Dunkelstar]

Appreciate the response.

MB and NVMe M.2 have been flashed to latest firmware.
I've tried the latest Intel RST driver set as well as the driver supplied by ASUS on their support page. The native Win11 NVMe driver only works when the M.2 is a slave drive and I've booted from a fresh Win11 SATA HDD install.
I've tried every BIOS setting that I found on this forum, reddit, and other Z690 forums, and combinations of each setting together.
All in UEFI mode, CSM is disabled. All formats GPT.

I cannot boot from the NMVe on M.2_1 or M.2_2, ever.

I've tried two different Z690-I MBs and two NVMe drives from different manufacturers (Samsung 980pro and WD SN850 black, 2TB), in case there was a bad MB or drive.

The NMVe drive is recognized in by the BIOS (when driven by the Z690, the CPU or also when tethered to the RST), fresh Win11 install will recognize drive sporadically when installing, fails to format most times, when it does get recognized the install hangs shortly after. I can install win11 on a SATA HDD and a SATA M.2 in M.2_2. I can have the NVMe in M.2_1 recognized by windows when I am running from the SATA HDD, however it drops sporadically. I cannot get the NVMe to get recognized when booting from the M.2_2 SATA, i.e. cannot occupy both the M.2_1 and M.2_2 at the same time. I've tried both the native Win11 NVMe driver and the RST drivers to run the NVMe.
I have even tried to clone the SATA HDD to the M.2 NVMe multiple times, hangs at boot . . . bluescreens every time.

I've spent two weeks doing this, dozens of hours and it honestly at this point is a joke and a waste of my time. I've never had a fresh build be so problematic, ever. I've built many M.2, SATA, and PATA builds on previous chipsets in the past (ASUS and other MBs) and this one might just be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Something is wrong with the Z690 chipset and NVMe drive compatibility, perhaps particular NVMe drives aren't compatible? A quick search of other Z690 forums yields numerous recent threads on this topic, it is a known problem for months at this point. I was searching other Z690 MB forums with the thought of replacing the ASUS with another manufacturer, but it seems this issue is across Z690 builds. One would think this issue would warrant a priority ASUS BIOS or Intel driver update, but apparently not.

Apologies as this is quite frustrating and limping along with an legacy SATA M.2 drive at the moment is not optimal while having a brand new NVME 4.0 drive sitting next to in unable to run. Having a new build go sideways is never fun, but I've never run into so many problems with a new build as I have with this MB.

Appreciate any input or suggestions to get the NVMe drive booting on this MB, perhaps I'm missing something or there is a combination of BIOS settings others have tried that work. Again, any input in appreciated.

[mini-itx]

Braegnok wrote:
Hello Dunkelstar,
I currently have three Asus Z690 motherboards running large format NVMe M.2 primary drives,.. haven't had any issues installing Windows.

Seems like others I have also had a few issues with the new Z690 platform, but not to go off topic,.. I can offer some advice.

Perhaps try loading default BIOS settings,.. and only have your primary drive installed. You can add in all your secondary drives after Windows is installed on primary drive.

Are you using new OEM Windows CD and USB CD drive,.. or an IOS image, or copied OS,.. could be corrupt files or missing files, faulty install media.

My systems all boot to the USB CD drive, new OEM Windows 11 Pro disk,.. Windows formats drive and done.

Z690-I and 4TB NVMe M.2 primary drive.




Good luck.

When attaching the 1st
daughter board (M.2_1) to the mother board it is necessary to apply excessive pressure
to the top of the PCB in order to seat it onto the main board.

[mini-itx]

When attaching the 1st
daughter board (M.2_1) to the mother board it is necessary to apply excessive pressure
to the top of the PCB in order to seat it onto the main board.

[Braegnok]

mini-itx wrote:
When attaching the 1st
daughter board (M.2_1) to the mother board it is necessary to apply excessive pressure
to the top of the PCB in order to seat it onto the main board.

Hello mini-itx,
No, absolutely never apply excessive pressure to the top of the PCB in order to seat it onto the main board.

You want to carefully align the top FPC connector with the BTOB socket and gently push. Similar pressure as plugging in the front panel SATA card.

When properly aligned a gentle push is all that is needed, I think lot's of folks damaged there daughter boards due to excessive force, misalignment issues.

[STARRAIN_ROG]

Hi Dunkelstar,
Are NVMe drives not recognized when installing windows and in windows on bios 1505 with bios all default settings?
Have you tried with another PSU and PSU cable?
Thank you.

[mini-itx]

STARRAIN@ROG wrote:
Hi Dunkelstar,
Are NVMe drives not recognized when installing windows and in windows on bios 1505 with bios all default settings?
Have you tried with another PSU and PSU cable?
Thank you.

NVME Drives do not have cable to PSU!

[STARRAIN_ROG]

Hi mini-itx,
We have got a similar feedback form another customer. After he removed his old cable kit from the PSU and used the originals, the NVME drives were more stable.
That's why we would suggest try with another PSU and PSU cable for the pc as well.
Thank you.

[Dunkelstar]

Wanted to give an update on the NVMe and Z690 issue.

I was able to finally get this system up and running with the 2TB WD SN850 NVMe M.2, however I discovered a fault with the Z690-I MB that should be addressed.

Whenever I build a new PC I always run the default MB settings first with the minimum hardware components installed, in this case I used the integrated Intel graphics (i7-12700K) and did not install a video card. I got to thinking about this as I looked at the Z690 Block Diagram , and wondered if the integrated graphics was interfering with the NVMe PCIe bus. I previously had tried the NVMe M.2 on M_1 and M_2 and the BIOS recognized it in both spaces and even when tethered to the RST, however it was unstable when installing Windows in any instance . I could install the OS when I have a SATA M.2. on M_2, or when using a SATA HDD. On the recommendation above, I also tested each pinout of the PSU with a multimeter and it tested fine.

So with a last effort, I decided to install the video card I was planning to use. Viola, the M_1 NVMe M.2 was recognized by the BIOS and Win11 installed with no problem; the way it should work.

So, the issue here is that you MUST have a dedicated video card installed; the NVMe M.2 drive will not be properly recognized if you are using the integrated Intel graphics. I'm assuming there is some conflict with the NVMe PCIe bus, which probably could be fixed with a BIOS or Intel Z690 chipset update.