MSI MPG 870e Carbon - PCI_E2 not booting certain drives from NVMe adapter

[acazalena]

Hello,

Bought this board in January and was having no issues. I did not flash bios before issues began. I'm using a NVMe to PCIe adapter to run Windows, because I have lots of storage and can't afford a proper OWC gen 4 adapter with its own controller to house 4 gen 4 NVMe's. Bifurcation is also out of the question because of all my drives and what I need; regardless, I just want my board to work correctly. Details below:

-980 pro 1tb and SN850x do not boot in nvme adapter in PCI_E2 only
-Older sn730 1tb boots properly in PCI_E2, via multiple NVMe adapters (I have two)
-However, 980 pro and SN850 boot in PCI_E1 and PCI_E2, and also directly in all M.2 slots without adapter
-980 pro and SN850 also boot in PCI_E3, the slot that's connected to chipset. So it's weird they work there and on PCI_E1, but not PCI_E2. However, upon first cold boot in PCI_E3 (chipset slot), there is a bootscreen with message 0x7b
-All bootrecs are in check, this isn't a BCD build issue, I have fixed this before via command prompt easily. The 850x and sn730 are clones of the 980, but just to be sure I rebuilt the 980 boot files. I didn't touch the older SN730 and it still works flawlessly.
-Tried updating bios to several newest ones, didn't solve the issue. Flashed backwards, didn't solve it (I'm aware this doesn't flash everything). Regardless, I didn't update the bios before this problem began.

Specs:

9950x3d2
96gb Gzkill Trident Neo 6000mhz

What could this be? It's very strange this stopped working out of no where, and specific to just the 980pro and sn850x. But the sn730 WD works perfect in the PCI_E2, and the 980 pro and 850x work in the PCI_E1 and PCI_E3.

The only other thing I should note is that I'm pretty sure my power strip was corrupting my drives, every restart I had to fix/scan. Replaced it and it went away. Regardless, all drives work perfect on m.2 slots, crystal disk info, and when accessing drives via a NMVe to USB A or C adapter.

I'm currently working from a Samsung 850pro 1tb, that I also cloned to the older sn730 1tb, both working normally

Thanks!

 

[citay]

Bought this board in January and was having no issues.

In other words, all SSDs booted everywhere? Or did you only add the adapters recently?

The only other thing I should note is that I'm pretty sure my power strip was corrupting my drives, every restart I had to fix/scan.

I would surely call this an issue though. And I don't see how a power strip (I assume you mean, where you plug in the mains cable of your PC) could be corrupting files on your PC like this, unless your PSU was unable to cope with whatever loose connection it resulted in. What's your PSU model?

Older sn730 1tb boots properly in PCI_E2, via multiple NVMe adapters (I have two)

On the surface, the main difference is that it's PCIe 3.0 x4, not 4.0 x4 like the other two. But that shouldn't make a difference in "bootability"...

However, 980 pro and SN850 boot in PCI_E1 and PCI_E2, and also directly in all M.2 slots without adapter

I guess the line should read "However, 980 pro and SN850 boot in PCI_E1 and PCI_E3"?

What are the models of the M.2 PCIe NVMe adapters?

 

[acazalena]

In other words, all SSDs booted everywhere? Or did you only add the adapters recently?



I would surely call this an issue though. And I don't see how a power strip (I assume you mean, where you plug in the mains cable of your PC) could be corrupting files on your PC like this, unless your PSU was unable to cope with whatever loose connection it resulted in. What's your PSU model?



On the surface, the main difference is that it's PCIe 3.0 x4, not 4.0 x4 like the other two. But that shouldn't make a difference in "bootability"...



I guess the line should read "However, 980 pro and SN850 boot in PCI_E1 and PCI_E3"?

What are the models of the M.2 PCIe NVMe adapters?

Yes all bootable and healthy drives. 980 and sn840 gen 4's don't boot in PCI_E2 but on all m.2's and in PCI_E3 with same nvme adapters. Gen 3 SN730 boots on all m.2's, and in ALL PCIe slots. I even tried a usb stick with clover bootloader on it for fun to see if the 2 drives still dont work in PCI_E2, same result.

PSU is beQuiet! Pure Power 1000w
Power Strip is Anker
NVMe Adapters:

https://a.co/d/0cL7Apva
https://a.co/d/03Z2exEf
Current power strip

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09SG2Q23M?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

 

[citay]

That should be the Pure Power 12M 1000W then? Hmm, a very good PSU model, so there goes that theory a bit... What exactly was wrong with the original power strip, and how did you identify it as the cause? I find it difficult to understand how a power strip can lead to corrupt files on your drives.

 

[acazalena]

It was just faulty and old I'm assuming, even my speakers would not work properly. I'm assuming because the power strip was faulty it was just unmounting drives at random times or during restart which sometimes leads to errors

 

[citay]

Still, I don't quite understand the mechanism. Normally, the PC should've acted up in other ways as well. More or less the only thing a mostly passive power strip can do is to cause a loose connection, where the mains power to the PC basically switches on and off very rapidly. The PSU's capacitors can buffer some of that, and when they can't anymore, its protection circuits should detect the voltage drop and shut off the PC completely.

The old power strip, was it the same before as it is now (well, why would you get the same one again if there was such a nasty defect on the first one, but who knows)? Did it do anything fancy except provide multiple outlets?

 

[acazalena]

Just a simple strip with no options, no idea, maybe it was just a fluke. I updated the bios at that time, and everything still worked including the NVMe's. I was still having speaker and monitor issues and changed power strips then it was fixed, my bro needed his strip back so I bought the anker which should be even better. Btw my PC is directly plugged into the wall and the strip is in the socket below, so the PC is technically not plugged into the strip, everything else is.

Could just be a faulty motherboard who knows. I'm currently back on 7E48v1A8 bio version (not that it matters, backwards flash isn't 100% and they all work the same anyway), with a working sn730 in PCI_E2, and a backup 850pro sata clone incase this suddenly stops working.

 

[ericj159802e9]

Just thinking a bit further upstream. May be there is a loose connection in the wall outlet. Could you check? Or check the PC on a wall outlet in another room. Is the mains voltage in your country stable or known to vary?

 

[acazalena]

I doubt that, all cables, sockets and power is fine here. Still wouldn't explain why sn730 still works fine.

 

[acazalena]

this seems like the most plausable explaination so far, but still doesn't explain why it was working fine for months with no updates!