Question 1

How do I install Microsoft Windows 7 on a PCIe NVMe SSD?

Answer

Both Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 systems provide native support to PCIe NVMe SSDs, with drivers included in the packages to support PCIe NVMe drives.The new Ubuntu and other Linux versions also come with drivers that support PCIe NVMe drives. The addlink PCIe NVMe SSD goes with any standard Windows (8.1 or above), Intel iRST or Linux NVMe drivers. You do not need a special driver to install the OS on the SSD. The native Windows 7, on the other hand, does not recognize or work with PCIe NVMe SSDs. Nor does it come with in-box drivers. If you wish to install the Windows 7 system on a PCIe NVMe SSD, please refer to the link below, or consult Microsoft for information. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2990941/

Question 2

Do addlink NVMe M.2 SSDs work with any M.2 slot?

Answer

There are different types of M.2 slots. A "B-Key" enables SATA or PCIe NVMe SSDs using up to 2 PCIe lanes, while an “M-Key” enables NVMe SSDs with the use of up to 4 PCIe lanes. Performance of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSDs leveraging PCIe x4 lanes is roughly twice as high as with PCIe x2 lanes, so the vast majority of mainboards today support "M-Key" slots with 4 lanes. This is the solution supported by addlink NVMe SSDs, and works in the majority of M.2 slots. Please check the type of M.2 (M or B Key) slots available on your mainboard by reading the user manual or contacting your system vendor.

Question 3

Do addlink NVMe M.2 SSDs work under Linux?

Answer

addlink NVMe SSDs are compatible with Linux.

Question 4

How should a NVMe M.2 SSD be installed on a PC?

Answer

Installation of addlink NVMe M.2 SSDs is essentially plug-and-play. Simply insert the NVMe SSD in an M.2 PCIe slot, tighten the SSD in place with the screw and spacer provided by your mainboard manufacturer, and boot up your system from an external source before proceeding with a fresh install of your operating system. Windows has an in-box driver that ensures your addlink NVMe SSD is operational from the start.

Question 5

Can I move data from an HDD or SATA SSD to a addlink NVMe M.2 SSD?

Answer

Yes. It is possible to clone a SATA HDD or SATA SSD to an NVMe SSD. addlink, however, recommends performing a "clean install" of the OS and later transferring the desired non-executable files. Because the registry information needed for NVMe SSDs is different from those of SATA HDDs or SSDs, a clean install helps to avoid unnecessary compatibility and performance issues that may arise from simply cloning a storage device.

Question 6

Can I plug a NVMe M.2 SSD in a traditional PCIe slot?

Answer

Yes. Many add-in-card adapters exist, but for optimal performance and compatibility addlink recommends using an original M.2 slot for your NVMe SSD.

Question 7

My system is a little older and I'm not sure if addlink M.2 PCIe is compatible. Is there a compatibility list?

Answer

There is no general compatibility list. As a rule of thumb, all systems or motherboards with Intel 99/100 series chipsets should support NVMe out of the box. Systems with Intel's 97 series of chipsets may also have received updates enabling NVMe support. At the time of writing (12/2017), most AMD platforms on the market are a little outdated and don't have M.2/NVMe support out of the box. Some systems or motherboards may have received updates to enable NVMe support for PCIe add-in cards. To use a M.2 PCIe as a non-bootable storage device, NVMe BIOS/UEFI support is not required. As of today, no hardware compatibility issues are known. We highly recommend checking with the system or motherboard manufacturer to verify if NVMe support is present:

Question 8

Will addlink M.2 PCIe work in any M.2 slot?

Answer

addlink M.2 PCIe will work in any M.2 slot that supports PCIe NVMe. Not compatible are systems that use M.2 with only legacy SATA or PCIe AHCI. mSATA slots, which are easily mistaken for M.2 slots, are incompatible as well. The same is true for M.2 WWAN slots which are usually compatible with wireless WAN modules only.

Question 9

Can I use addlink M.2 PCIe in a MacBook (Pro) with M.2 slot?

Answer

No, Apple utilizes proprietary slots that will not work with standard M.2 drives.

Question 10

Are addlink NVMe M.2 SSDs delivered with a screw?

Answer

addlink NMVe M.2 SSDs are not delivered with a screw. This is because mainboard manufacturers typically provide the specific screws and spacers that fit the proprietary needs of each mainboard.

Question 11

BIOS/UEFI Configuration for Optimizing M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs

Answer

When installing a new M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD, you may see some messaging around configuring to increase speeds of NVMe SSDs, or enabling and disabling shared bandwidth of SATA and NVMe ports. We are not able to assist with this in detail due to variations between applicable systems, but it is not a malfunction. Understanding the concepts behind this and where to seek detailed information will allow you to configure your hardware for optimal performance and avoid actual malfunctions, such as SSDs and hard drives not being detected in a system. Your system may have a PCIe x4 mode which is optimal for NVMe SSD performance. In many systems, M.2 ports can be configured in the BIOS or UEFI to toggle this, speeding up connected NVMe drives by removing bandwidth from other ports (typically disabling them in the process), or limiting their performance to maximize available ports if preferred. While this could be an automated function, it can also be described in a message appearing when an NVMe-compatible slot is populated, or may be mentioned specifically in your system or motherboard manual so you can familiarize yourself with the feature prior to installing hardware. To manually make these adjustments, refer to support for your system or motherboard for detailed assistance, or any help or tooltips available in your system's BIOS/UEFI itself.

Question 12

Can I use a NVMe M.2 SSD at the same time as s SATA SSD or HDD?

Answer

Yes. There are no technical limitations in using an NVMe M.2 SSD concurrently with a SATA SSD or HDD. Please make sure your mainboard has a sufficient number of interfaces to accommodate multiple storage devices.

Question 13

Can NVMe M.2 SSDs be RAIDed?

Answer

Yes. the NVMe M.2 SSDs can be grouped into a RAID formation. Please ensure that your mainboard has a sufficient number of NVMe M.2 slots and that sufficient PCIe lanes are available for maximal performance.

Question 14

I'm unable to boot from my M.2 PCIe. What can I do?

Answer

This can have multiple reasons. Please ensure that your system or motherboard supports NVMe. If it doesn't, you will be able to use M.2 PCIe as a storage device only, not as a boot device. If you have made sure that your system or motherboard supports NVMe and you're unable to boot from an OS installed on M.2 PCIe, please review the following points: Is the drive recognized in the BIOS/UEFI? Is M.2 PCIe on top of the boot priority list? Is your system's or motherboard's BIOS/UEFI up to date? If you use an onboard M.2 slot, could this slot's bandwidth be shared with any other media in use? Your system/motherboard manual contains information on media bandwidth sharing If you use M.2 PCIe in a PCIe slot, could this slot's bandwidth be shared with any other media in use? Your system/motherboard manual contains information on media bandwidth sharing.

Question 15

How do I install a M.2 PCIe as a boot drive?

Answer

To install your M.2 PCIe as a boot drive, please make sure the following criteria are met: - Your motherboard or system has a free PCIe or M.2 slot - Your motherboard or system supports NVMe (please see the manufacturer's manual) - The slot you chose to install M.2 PCIe in does not share resources with another device that could render said slot unusable (Example: M.2 slot disabled if certain SATA ports are used, refer to manufacturer's manual) - Ensure that the install media you wish to use contains the latest version of the OS you are about to install. Windows 8.1 and later have integrated NVMe drivers and don't require additional drivers to complete the setup. Windows 7 did not support NVMe when it was released. With the requirements met, please install M.2 PCIe in the desired slot and insert the OS install media. The following process should be similar to installing the OS to a SATA drive: 1. Boot from the OS install media 2. Choose the desired drive to install the system on 3. Complete the installation 4. Reboot and enter BIOS 5. Adjust the boot priority list to move M.2 PCIe to the top of the list (alternatively, the "Windows Boot Manager" on M.2 PCIe in case of an UEFI install)

Question 16

Platform won't wake up from Sleep Mode after Windows Update？

Answer

There may be a compatibility issue between your SSD and the platform. Please follow the steps below to troubleshoot (listed in order of likelihood): 1. Please also make sure your platform BIOS is up-to-date. 2. For Windows OS, we suggest any version later than 1709. (Check your OS version in Settings -> System -> About) 3. Download and install the latest driver for all devices (e.g. chipset, power management, display card, etc.) used on the platform from their official websites.

Question 17

My M.2 PCIe doesn't work as expected! How do I fix this?

Answer

First of all, it is critical to understand what exactly doesn't work. Please see the reference points below: 1. BIOS/UEFI doesn't recognize the drive, and the OS installer doesn't see the drive as well. 2. Does your system or motherboard support NVMe? Please verify with the manufacturer of your system:

Question 18

What is the sector size of the addlink S70 M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen3x4 2280 SSD?

S70 default sector size is 512Bytes.

Question 19

Why does my M.2 NVMe SSD not achieve its prformance specs in benchmark tests?

Answer

Benchmark test results may differ depending upon the system environment, host software and hardware configuration.

Question 20

Why does the performance of my NVMe drive decrease as the workload increases?

Answer

High-performance NVMe SSDs require adequate airflow for maximum bandwidth and performance. During heavy workloads or extensive benchmarking, the drive will heat up and the controller firmware may implement thermal throttling in order to maintain the proper operating temperature and ensure drive integrity. If performance degradation is observed within these circumstances, confirm that the SSD is receiving adequate cooling and/or increase the system’s fan speed to reduce drive temperatures.　 Note: Thermal throttling will engage when the temperature reaches 70°C

Question 21

Why are my benchmarking scores lower than expected for my NVMe drive?

Answer

Our NVMe SSDs rely on native Linux and Microsoft NVMe drivers. Microsoft’s native NVMe driver issues Forced Unit Access (FUA) IO writes and Flush commands to NVMe devices that have a volatile write cache. This, in effect, undermines the write caching on the target SSD by bypassing the DRAM cache often and writing directly to NAND. As a result of this behaviour, the NVMe SSD’s performance is reduced. To obtain maximum performance, you must disable write cache buffer flushing on the target drive within Windows.　 Steps to disable the write-cache buffer flush 1. Open Device Manager 2. Select Disk Drives and expand, then select target drive. 3. Right-click and select Properties 4. Select “Turn off Windows write-cache buffer flushing on the device” Note: By disabling write-cache buffer flushing on the device, you run the risk of losing data in transit and/or data corruption in the event of a power failure. Only disable this feature if you are aware of the risks associated with it.

Question 22

How can I enhance SSD performance if my operating system does not support TRIM?

Answer

For operating systems that do not support TRIM command, the SSDs utilize an intelligent garbage collection algorithm to help manage data and maintain peak performance.

Question 23

What is the physical size of a addlink M.2 NVMe SSD? Will it fit my PC?

Answer

addlink NVMe SSDs use the M.2 (2280) form factor. M.2 is an industry standard, and M.2 SSDs typically measure 22mm in width. Various standardized lengths range between 30mm and 110mm, with the 80mm solution used by addlink being the most common. This means that addlink NVMe SSDs are 22mm wide and 80mm long, and should physically fit in the majority of M.2 slots on mainboards.

Question 24

What is an "M-key"? What is a "B-Key"?

Answer

"M" and "B" are different connector types for M.2 slots. A"B-Key" enables SATA or PCIe NVMe SSDs using up to 2 PCIe lanes, and an"M-Key"enables using up to 4 PCIe lanes. Please note that addlink NVMe SSDs use the"M-Key" (to leverage PCIe x4 for maximum performance) and cannot be plugged into an M.2 slot with a "B-Key".

Question 25

What is M.2?

Answer

M.2 is a form factor that enables expansion, contraction, and a higher integration of functions onto a single form factor module solution. M.2 SSD includes a smaller form factor with larger capacity than that of mSATA and Half-slim.

Question 26

What is PCIe Gen4, and how is it different than PCIe Gen1/2/3?

PCIe Gen4 is a new standardized data transfer bus that will double the data transfer rate per lane of the prior Gen3 revision from 8.0 GT/s (gigatransfers/second) to 16.0 GT/s. This means that a single PCIe Gen4 interconnection will allow data rate transfers of up to 2GB/s (gigabytes/second), and a full 16 slot PCIe Gen4 interconnection for graphics cards and high-end solid state drives will allow data transfer rates of up to 32GB/s.

This increased data transfer rate will facilitate the demanding data transfer rates of new servers and data farms as cloud storage, services, and software become more and more prevalent. It will also allow mobile devices to transfer information super quickly, thus reducing power consumption during downloads or data synchronization activities.

PCIe 4.0 SSD delivers incredible storage performance, delivering up to 10 times the sequential read and sequential write speeds of some SATA SSDs and up to 50 times the speed of some traditional HDDs and is also fully backwards compatible with current PCIe 3.0 platforms.

*Please use PCIe 4.0 motherboard for the best performance, performance may vary based on system hardware and configuration.

*Please make sure that your computer has a M.2 slot. Backwards compatible with PCIe 3.0 platforms.