So I was able to solve my problem. I first updated my bios firmware to 711 I believe (the latest) but that didn't fix my issue, then I enable CSM and that didn't work either. I then bought a m.2 to usb converter (basically turning the drive into an ...
I have the exact same issue with the same drive on my ROG Zenith II Extreme Alpha AMD motherboard. I updated the BIOS to 1701 but issue exist. Like you I thought it was a defective drive but what are the odds.
