PCIe bug with M2_1 slot on X870E Tomahawk

[jlsmith.01712b902af]

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!

 

[MVRKOFFCL]

Well someone I've been talking to on Reddit finally got a response from MSI confirming this issue with a temporary "work-around" until a new BIOS update fixes it:

 

[igo154102da]

So, I didn't have that before, but after I played with enabling/disabling/enabling momentum cache yesterday, today I noticed this:

Even though it reports PCIe 1x4, I get quite higher speeds, maybe thanks to Momentum Cache? I don't know

 

[MVRKOFFCL]

So, I didn't have that before, but after I played with enabling/disabling/enabling momentum cache yesterday, today I noticed this:
View attachment 202187
Even though it reports PCIe 1x4, I get quite higher speeds, maybe thanks to Momentum Cache? I don't know

This happens to me randomly as well. It will report my drive is in PCIE1x4 but will be giving me PCIE3x2 or PCIE4x4 speeds. It's completely random though...

Here's a picture showing it's in PCIE4x4 but giving me PCIE5x4 speeds...

 

[MVRKOFFCL]

Now I just got an email response from MSI tech support insisting there is no fix coming for the Godlike X870E and to send mine in for RMA... Although another support agent told someone I've been talking to on Reddit about the same issue to wait for a BIOS fix soon and gave him a temporary workaround...

 

[C0K01_]

Now I just got an email response from MSI tech support insisting there is no fix coming for the Godlike X870E and to send mine in for RMA... Although another support agent told someone I've been talking to on Reddit about the same issue to wait for a BIOS fix soon and gave him a temporary workaround...

Got a similar reply as well for the B850 Edge Ti case, I will have to start the RMA process with the shop

 

[MVRKOFFCL]

Got a similar reply as well for the B850 Edge Ti case, I will have to start the RMA process with the shop

You're experiencing the same issue with the M.2_1 slot dropping speeds that the Tomahawk X870E and Godlike X870E users are reporting?

 

[C0K01_]

You're experiencing the same issue with the M.2_1 slot dropping speeds?

Yeah, I mentioned it in the thread earlier.
In my case its randomly (about 50% chance) going to pcie1 mode after boot. Only in M2_1. Speeds decrease to ~950mb because of that from 7GB+ (990 pro)

 

[1160b02f1]

Now I just got an email response from MSI tech support insisting there is no fix coming for the Godlike X870E and to send mine in for RMA... Although another support agent told someone I've been talking to on Reddit about the same issue to wait for a BIOS fix soon and gave him a temporary workaround...

Will they send you a new board first? or is this the kind of thing where they want us to ship it in and not have a functional PC for 2 months?

 

[C0K01_]

Will they send you a new board first? or is this the kind of thing where they want us to ship it in and not have a functional PC for 2 months?

I actually suggested sending it myself, even internationally since for me personally it's not a big deal to not to have this new PC for a month. However they unfortunately ignored this suggestion, maybe its not feasible or simpler through local distributor, idk.

 

[crai151502d0]

Will they send you a new board first? or is this the kind of thing where they want us to ship it in and not have a functional PC for 2 months?

They will not cross ship. I asked for this option and was denied.

 

[crai151502d0]

Good information on the single nvme. It's easy to get lost in all the conversations here on who it effects.

An interesting thing, after reading one of the previous posts about how they had their bios setup (not having the issue), I poked around in it a bit myself and changed a few settings. Not to be exact with what he did though.
What I changed:
HD Audio Controller to Disabled
Integrated Graphics to Disabled
Legacy USB Support to Auto
Onboard Wi-Fi/BT to BT only

Since doing this I have had 100% Shutdown/Reboots (about 15) without the speed issue. I'm going to keep monitoring and not call a victory yet as it could just be coincidence. However, I have never had this many good restarts since having the board. Perhaps one of these could be a contributing factor.

Update on this. After a solid week of I guess getting lucky, it's back to random speed boots again.
Additionally, it would be great if we could get a consistent answer from MSI regarding this. My agent says an RMA is needed, while another agent indicates work arounds and a bios fix in the future. Which one is it MSI? After requesting a supervisor to call me, "Supposedly", one sent me an email confirming an RMA was needed. Not sure why the conflicting answers.

 

[MVRKOFFCL]

Yeah, I mentioned it in the thread earlier.
In my case its randomly (about 50% chance) going to pcie1 mode after boot. Only in M2_1. Speeds decrease to ~950mb because of that from 7GB+ (990 pro)

Ahhh ok same exact issue here! 100% of the time after a cold boot my Godlike X870E M.2_1 will be in PCIE1X4 reading around 950MB as well. If I immediately warm boot (restart) it will get me to either PCIE3x4, PCIE4X4, or PCIE5X4 but it's completely random and sometimes I have to cold boot again then warm boot.

VERY aggravating.

 

[MVRKOFFCL]

Update on this. After a solid week of I guess getting lucky, it's back to random speed boots again.
Additionally, it would be great if we could get a consistent answer from MSI regarding this. My agent says an RMA is needed, while another agent indicates work arounds and a bios fix in the future. Which one is it MSI? After requesting a supervisor to call me, "Supposedly", one sent me an email confirming an RMA was needed. Not sure why the conflicting answers.

Yeah similar experience for me with the tech support agent I've been talking to. The first response they told me to update to newest BIOS but if I already did that then I have to RMA. It took me over a week to get this MOBO to fit and work in my case then another day or 2 to cable manage, I'm not going to take it out just for them to tell me there's nothing wrong with it. I think I'm just going to move my Crucial T705 4TB from M.2_1 to M.2_2 and lose 2x back panel USB-C for now until they finally do get their sh*t together and send out a new BIOS with a fix. My WD_BLACK SN850X 8TB that's in M.2_3 consistently runs at PCIE4.0 x4 speeds so it's only M.2_1 that seems to have this issue.

 

[kolkoo]

There is a dude on reddit /u/MuscleNurse whose posts date 3 months ago when this issue was discovered and has changed 3 Godlike boards and ended up with the same issue the last one manufactured 12/24.
And then we have the Tomahawk bios fix for literally the same issue, and tech articles about this happening to X670E from Crucial.
And then a reboot sometimes fixes it without any physical interference or touching anything that can affect it (which an RMA would fix).

And then they feed us this bullshit answer that an RMA is required when we have first hand reports of people doing RMAs and not getting it fixed.

Literally the last time I buy anything MSI (was first time too except for an old MSI GTX 1070).

If they say an RMA is warranted then I expect a oneshot fix, guaranteed!

 

[MVRKOFFCL]

There is a dude on reddit /u/MuscleNurse whose posts date 3 months ago when this issue was discovered and has changed 3 Godlike boards and ended up with the same issue the last one manufactured 12/24.
And then we have the Tomahawk bios fix for literally the same issue, and tech articles about this happening to X670E from Crucial.
And then a reboot sometimes fixes it without any physical interference or touching anything that can affect it (which an RMA would fix).

And then they feed us this bullshit answer that an RMA is required when we have first hand reports of people doing RMAs and not getting it fixed.

Literally the last time I buy anything MSI (was first time too except for an old MSI GTX 1070).

If they say an RMA is warranted then I expect a oneshot fix, guaranteed!

Exactly, that's why I'm not going to RMA and just wait for a BIOS fix like they did with the Tomahawk.

Absolutely unacceptable this is even an issue with the most expensive X870E MOBO out there. I won't be buying any MSI products in the foreseeable future either.

 

[msi.squid59157402d7]

I know this thread is about M2_1 (and maybe _2) but I am having the "same" issue on PCIE_1!

I've an RX9070xt in the slot and I noticed that it links at 2.5GT/s (Gen2 x16).
When I force the slot to Gen5, it does sometimes link at 32GT/s

Also, I have M2_1 unpopulated (dont have any Gen5 NVME yet) but I have _2, _3, and _4 populated at Gen4 x4 (disabled USB4)


I have started trying to understand when it will change and so far it's not conclusive because it even seems to be dynamic during runtime!
eg. It was linked at 32GT/s so I tested going into sleep and waking the PC up and saw that it dropped down to 2.5GT
then I rebooted and it was still at 2.5GT, so I shut down and it came up and was 32GT in one app and Gen2 in another!
so I left the PC running and checked a few more times and found it fluctuated!.

I was using CPU-Z to see link speed, and Adrenalin (HW info Bus Settings) to see the PCIe Gen being used.

This is my 2nd Tomahawk. currently running BIOS A52 so might give A6 a try....

Also, I saw someone said this is an MSI only issue?
if the PCIe and M.2 issue is the same, then some Asus users have been complaining too.

Strix X870E-E and RTX 5080 PCIe Lanes and Speed problem

Hello, I have an Asus Strix X870E-E Gaming Wifi motherboard and recently purchased a Gainward RTX 5080 Phantom. Everything seems working fine except for 1 problem: On cold boot, my RTX is running only at PCIe X8 and 4.0 Gen. and restarting the computer it gets back to normal. It seems to hapen...

rog-forum.asus.com

 

[hms]

I know this thread is about M2_1 (and maybe _2) but I am having the "same" issue on PCIE_1!

 

[MVRKOFFCL]

Anddddddd more my Dynamic Dashboard stopped working on my Godlike X870E....
Guess I have to RMA now

For the most expensive X870E MOBO on the market the experience has been a nightmare.

 

[1160b02f1]

Anddddddd more my Dynamic Dashboard stopped working on my Godlike X870E....
Guess I have to RMA now

For the most expensive X870E MOBO on the market the experience has been a nightmare.

They were letting some folks RMA only the dynamic dashboard so you dont have to send the whole mobo in. though it would probably be worth doing the whole thing in one go because of the m.2..... please keep us updated on the RMA process! I fear they will get your board, tell us "cant replicate", and send back a broken one. or say they fixed it, and send back a broken one. whatever they do, I don't have confidence in them actually fixing anything lol. So please report out how it goes!

 

[MVRKOFFCL]

They were letting some folks RMA only the dynamic dashboard so you dont have to send the whole mobo in. though it would probably be worth doing the whole thing in one go because of the m.2..... please keep us updated on the RMA process! I fear they will get your board, tell us "cant replicate", and send back a broken one. or say they fixed it, and send back a broken one. whatever they do, I don't have confidence in them actually fixing anything lol. So please report out how it goes!

Yeah that's exactly what I'm terrified of, I'm hoping it either gets fixed, or they send me a new MOBO manufactured from this year (mine is from December 2024 batch).

I'm not done self troubleshooting yet, but nothing has worked yet so I'm not very optimistic