PCIe bug with M2_1 slot on X870E Tomahawk

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jlsmith.01712b902af

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So, the M.2_1 slot keeps reverting to PCIe 1 x 4 on a cold boot, sometimes just a reboot from within Windows. Manually setting it to Gen 4 or 5 within the BIOS will get it to run full speed until the next shut down/cold boot, then it's back to 1 x 4 again. Basically, I have to keep switching between gen 4 and 5 setting on every boot or it's stuck at 1 x 4. Auto is also broken. Samsung 990 Evo Plus 1TB.

I've seen another user on Reddit with the exact same issue. Same board, different drive. Anyone using this board, check your drive speed!
 
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Well everyone... I just had my first confusing result on the beta BIOS 2A41. After more than a week of no issues, I just woke my PC up from a sleep state and... honestly, not sure what to think. So here's some screenshots!
First up: HWiNFO showing the BIOS info...
1743117780713.png


Then we have Samsung Magician reporting 1x4 speed:
1743117825731.png

Then we have CrystalDiskInfo also confirming 1x4 speed... but then check out the the test result from CrystalDiskMark. WTH?
1743117995438.png


Not sure what to think about that.
 
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lcdexe151c02d0 said:
Well everyone... I just had my first confusing result on the beta BIOS 2A41. After more than a week of no issues, I just woke my PC up from a sleep state and... honestly, not sure what to think. So here's some screenshots!
First up: HWiNFO showing the BIOS info...
View attachment 200465

Then we have Samsung Magician reporting 1x4 speed:
View attachment 200466
Then we have CrystalDiskInfo also confirming 1x4 speed... but then check out the the test result from CrystalDiskMark. WTH?
View attachment 200467

Not sure what to think about that.
Click to expand...
it has always done that for me (I have a Godlike) Crystal disk reports what it was operating in at initial boot up, thats it. the actual speed can then change back and forth to other transfer speeds if you put it to sleep and wake it, but crystaldisk etc wont pick up thosd changes. it just keeps reporting whatever it was running at when it first powered on, not what it woke from sleep at. So you have to benchmark it to see what it is actually running at when waking from sleep instead. More concerning to me is that this means your PC was most likely in 1.0x4 mode when you intially powered it on, meaning the beta bios didnt fix it.
 
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Here's the latest since my "second opinion" post:

*Shutdown/Cold boot 1: still showing 1x4 transfer mode (Magician) with 4x4 speeds reported by CrystalDiskMark​
*Shutdown/Cold boot 2: 4x4 transfer mode (Magician) with 4x4 speeds reported by CrystalDiskMark​
*Windows Restart 1: 4x4 transfer mode (Magician), 4x4 (CrystalDiskMark)​
*Windows Restart 2: failed shutdown with "0d" (ARGH!!!!). Forced shutdown via case switch.​
*Cold boot: Now I have this:​
1743123223610.png
​
I'm gonna call it a night - wasn't a great day at work and now this is just icing on the cake. I'll mess with it again this weekend.
​
 
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lcdexe151c02d0 said:
Here's the latest since my "second opinion" post:

*Shutdown/Cold boot 1: still showing 1x4 transfer mode (Magician) with 4x4 speeds reported by CrystalDiskMark​
*Shutdown/Cold boot 2: 4x4 transfer mode (Magician) with 4x4 speeds reported by CrystalDiskMark​
*Windows Restart 1: 4x4 transfer mode (Magician), 4x4 (CrystalDiskMark)​
*Windows Restart 2: failed shutdown with "0d" (ARGH!!!!). Forced shutdown via case switch.​
*Cold boot: Now I have this:​
​
I'm gonna call it a night - wasn't a great day at work and now this is just icing on the cake. I'll mess with it again this weekend.
​
Click to expand...
Yup. mine has also always done stuff like that, too. The only time the reading of what mode it is running in is of any use is on initial boot up, on sleep/wake cycles its useless because it gets "stuck" reporting whever it initially booted up at, not what its "currently" running at. Also, when mine reports 4.0x4 mode on a fresh boot it benchmarks at 5.0x4 mode. And when it reports 3.0x4 mode on a fresh boot it benchmarks at 4.0x4 mode. Unfortunately it does not follow the same pattern when it reports 1.0 mode, it actually benchmarks at 1.0 mode when it reads 1.0. Every BIOS version released for the GODLIKE has behaved this way. I suspect the Tomahawk probably is the same? I should have done a better job of mentioning this so people benchmark instead of only checking the "reported" speed to see what speed its actually running in. You dont need to let the bencmark finish, just let it run for only a few seconds on the first test then you can cancel it. Thats enough to get a 900 vs 3600 vs 7000 vs 14000 reading in that first green box to tell if its actually in 1.0 vs 3.0 vs 4.0 vs 5.0 etc.

anyway, this sucks. this means they didnt actually fix anything.
 
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bogda12230298 said:
Under RAID1 with disks in M2_1 and M2_2 with PCIE switch for M2_2 in full x4 for PCIe (USB4 disabled), i am seeing in BIOS both NVMe's in negotiated speeds of x4. Regardless on which PCIe gen i chose the x4 shoes the same on A41(beta) version of BIOS.
I also did several tests and under PCIe Gen2 for M2_1 only and leaving the auto for M2_2 the speed is double versus any other mods selected, but still not as fast when once in awhile kicked in the PCIe Gen4 on both. In other words, in Windows if it shows Gen3 for M2_1 and Gen4 for M2_2 the speed is way slower than manually setting the PCIe Gen2 in M2_2. Also that weird setting set, it survives reboots.
Here is what i mean:
View attachment 200294

To compare my results under RAID1 with all on Auto, look for my prior posts and you'll see the the speeds are half. At least, while they'll fix it, you can go with M2_1 @Gen2 and double your speeds meanwhile rather than being stuck at Gen1. Heck, i tried to use Gen1 manually, that didn't worked, so something is getting this thing stuck in Gen1 continuously, with iffy unknown behaviors going in Gen4. I'll get a Gen5 NVMe, next week. Let's see what drama from other nvme's will show from that move.
Click to expand...

The issue can't be duplicated so far.
Can you tell the exact nvme brand and models you are using?



Test configuration:
MB: X870E TOMAHAWK WIFI
BIOS: 7E59v2A41
CPU: 7900X
M.2: MSI M450 1TB x2 (RAID 1)
BIOS settings: M2_1 Gen Mode [Auto], USB4/M.2_2 Switch [M.2_2X4]

Rebooted the system for 100 times and RAID 1 always runs at Gen4x4. (in CrystalDiskInfo & RAIDXpert2)
Read/Write speed are normal in CrystalDiskMark:
image013.png
 
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crai151502d0 said:
MSI has stopped answering my inquiries about the status for the Godlike fix. This is piss poor customer service and even worse QC. This is not a small issue, and the boards should have never been sold like this.
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Agreed. This is inexcusable that such fundamental functionality like this is broken for so many people. I'm getting very close to selling this board for half price and going with the product I was originally intending to buy from another company.
 
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crai151502d0 said:
MSI has stopped answering my inquiries about the status for the Godlike fix. This is piss poor customer service and even worse QC. This is not a small issue, and the boards should have never been sold like this.
Click to expand...
The support person on my ticket about this problem has been useless. When i say it needs a BIOS fix and explain they just point me to the latest BIOS posted for download like they ignored everything I said except for the word "BIOS".

I actually had a different support ticket for something unrelated: about redeeming a Steam code under one of their promotions. THAT support person fixed my Steam code issue instantly, so i figured id ask him about the m.2 problem too and he was infinitely more useful. He talked to the appropriate people and gave me an actual response, even though they dont have a fix yet. But that one guy on a completely unreleated ticket was the only one who seemed to actually read what i was telling him and he legitimately tried to help.

It seems like you might get "lucky" and occasionally get a good person who are good just because they are actually good people, but MSI itself is doing a horrible job at making "do your job" a requirement of the actual job. So most support people just don't, unless you get lucky.
 
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Question: What PCI E slot does everyone put their boot drive on? Trying to figure out where to put a PCI E5 boot drive and not suffer from this issue.
 
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ww15a102e7 said:
Question: What PCI E slot does everyone put their boot drive on? Trying to figure out where to put a PCI E5 boot drive and not suffer from this issue.
Click to expand...
Usually i mount it on M2_1 slot, as usually that slot have by default the highest speed. Not necessary tho, some MB might have different specs.
This time ive mount it as usually (m2_1 slot) and im waiting for the official BIOS update, im not bottering to move it on the secondary slot (M2_2), yet. If they wont get a proper update then i will move it on that slot and at some point i will buy a different motherboard and ill ask for full refund.
Cheers!
 
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ww15a102e7 said:
Question: What PCI E slot does everyone put their boot drive on? Trying to figure out where to put a PCI E5 boot drive and not suffer from this issue.
Click to expand...
Nobody is using a PCIE slot unless they are using the expansion card. The drive locations are already listed here multiple times. M2_1 and M2_2, with M2_1 dropping speeds randomly on power cycles.

I'll also expand on that as I think the Godlike is the only board with the expansion card...and I'm not even sure if any of us have got so far as to try that out to see what if any problems it has.
 
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I'm using M2_2 now, as I have a Gen 5 drive. I moved it from M2_1 to stop the link speed issue
@beberob15d402ef - I'm not getting a refund for the board, I paid for a specialist builder to build the PC and other than the drive issue it's fine.
@crai151502d0 - according to the Godlike manual the expansion card is 'data disk only' so not a bootable device for Windows.
 
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crai151502d0 said:
My statement was more along the lines if it was going to suffer from the same speed fluctuations as the M2_1. In my case it's a moot point though since I can't fit it in my case due to my GPU orientation.
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I doubt it would have the same problem as it plugs into the x8 slot on the board, which of course means the gpu slot will only run at x8.
 
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