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!

 

[harkiratsinghh]

Hi, guys i am facing the same issue but on a gigabyte board my 990 pro starts randomly on pcie gen 1 or gen 4 doesn't matter if i restart or shut down. my specs are z590 aorus xtreme, i9 11900k, rx 6900 xt

 

[kolkoo]

Hi, guys i am facing the same issue but on a gigabyte board my 990 pro starts randomly on pcie gen 1 or gen 4 doesn't matter if i restart or shut down. my specs are z590 aorus xtreme, i9 11900k, rx 6900 xt

I mean even though the symptoms are the same you being on a completely different CPU platform, I think this is not the place for you brother. Unless we somehow decide it's the disks fault but we have all tried multiple brand new disks that function fine in M2_2 and not in M2_1.

 

[hardergamer7152002d0]

I have the same problem.

 

[Alan J T]

Hi, guys i am facing the same issue but on a gigabyte board my 990 pro starts randomly on pcie gen 1 or gen 4

Check with Samsung for firmware updates.
All the advice I can give as we do not deal with non-MSI Products
Please try Gigabyte for assistance

 

[XTAC]

Is this issue still in play? I would like to move my Gen 5 m2 drive up to M2.1 on my X870e Godlike so I can use one the top 40 Mbps USB-C ports for a secondary screen. Is this just on resume from Sleep? Or is it a problem on cold boots too?

 

[1160b02f1]

Is this issue still in play? I would like to move my Gen 5 m2 drive up to M2.1 on my X870e Godlike so I can use one the top 40 Mbps USB-C ports for a secondary screen. Is this just on resume from Sleep? Or is it a problem on cold boots too?

It is still a problem. Both on resume from sleep and also cold boots, though the frequency of when it happens may differ between them (that may also be a coincidence).

Also relevant: https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?...ardware-revision-to-the-x870e-godlike.414233/
It does not seem promising that they will ever address this. They seem to have moved on. We seem to have failed at making enough of a stink about this for them to act.

 

[kolkoo]

Check with Samsung for firmware updates.
All the advice I can give as we do not deal with non-MSI Products
Please try Gigabyte for assistance

You don't really deal with MSI products' problems either Judging by this thread and the DDIII thread for us poor Godlike purchasing suckers. Sorry - I had to.

 

[Alan J T]

You don't really deal with MSI products' problems either Judging by this thread and the DDIII thread for us poor Godlike purchasing suckers. Sorry - I had to.

Wow gee, nice, just pile a bit more crap on my already crappy day

It's not like I'm paid to try and assist other End users of MSI Products.

 

[kolkoo]

Wow gee, nice, just pile a bit more crap on my already crappy day

It's not like I'm paid to try and assist other End users of MSI Products.

Damn now I feel bad. Felt like MSI official forum moderators would be more than volunteers but I guess that's quite onbrand... Asus forums had actual employees respond all the time for example Raja @ Asus back in the day with technical expertise.

<rant>
Either way I'm sorry. I have no logical recourse so I lashed out at you.
I'm from an Eastern European country, so everyone saying small claims court etc. doesn't apply to me. I purchased my MB from LDLC.com as it wasn't available here at the time. Now I can send it for RMA directly to MSI and get a board that still doesn't work (like everyone else - I have yet to see somebody report a successful RMA, their boards either work so no RMA is needed or their RMAs come back scratched up and still do not work ) or just live with the issue. It's all very disheartening.

Sure M2_1 - i have worked around it I use M2_2 with USB4 disabled. DD3 issue is also super annoying - workaround so far put static picture in MSI center and wait some time until it resets for some reason (1-2 weeks), do it again, rinse, repeat.

I wanted to splurge on a motherboard since I hadn't built a PC for a long time ( I did not feel like the RTX 20,30 or 40 had enough power to justify buying over my watercooled, XOC bios and overclocked 1080 Ti). This one truly looked like the best on paper. Internet said you'd be crazy to spend that much on a MB, I disregarded, now it stings even more.
</rant>

 

[m153502d5]

might be placebo/insufficient sample size but i feel like upgrading to the latest bios from a27 has the made the problem less frequent (on 870 godlike)

 

[polden85]

Hello everyone! I have been following the topic of the M2_1 slot and BB problem for a long time, since I am also a "happy" owner of a godlike board...I contacted the official MSI technical support about 4 times for help in solving the problem and they told me to make an RMA of the board and what came out of it:

I sent the motherboard as new, but received a "dead" board. I recently received the board and found damage to it: multiple chips and scratches, a pressed-through pin holder for the large SSD radiator, a broken connector, and another bent radiator (see the photos). Unfortunately, I also can't post a photo of the mutilated M.2 XPANDER-Z SLIDER GEN5 board because there are simply no slots for additional photos.
BUT the most important thing is that the problem with the M2_1 slot was NO fixed (I attached a screenshot)!!!
The official MSI support responded as follows:
"Thank you for contacting the support service
Unfortunately, we do not regulate or monitor the work of the distributor ASC, if you have any questions or complaints about the service, we suggest you file a claim attaching all the nuances and comments in the work after the service.
With best wishes,
MSI Customer Support Service"

And what should I do now?
And now I just want to return the money for this "cursed by God" motherboard!!!

 

[Alan J T]

Sure M2_1 - i have worked around it I use M2_2 with USB4 disabled. DD3 issue is also super annoying

I get the M.2 Problem, and one Dicky USB, the one for Bios Flashback keeps disconnecting
The M.2 is a coin toss if PCIE1x4 or 3x4 or 4x4
I know they are trying to fix the M.2 Problem. I was asked to provide them with some details
And for Most users, not all, but Most, the DD3 should now be working correctly with the Latest Firmware updates
But it is taking a long time to get sorted out

 

[Alan J T]

Hello everyone! I have been following the topic of the M2_1 slot and BB problem for a long time, since I am also a "happy" owner of a godlike board...I contacted the official MSI technical support about 4 times for help in solving the problem and they told me to make an RMA of the board and what came out of it:

Can you PM me every photo you have, as well as the RMA number?
Just do as many messages as you need to do to fit all photos

Unfortunately, we do not regulate or monitor the work of the distributor ASC,

But there may not be a lot that can be done due to your Regional Regulations

 

[1160b02f1]

I get the M.2 Problem, and one Dicky USB, the one for Bios Flashback keeps disconnecting
The M.2 is a coin toss if PCIE1x4 or 3x4 or 4x4
I know they are trying to fix the M.2 Problem. I was asked to provide them with some details
And for Most users, not all, but Most, the DD3 should now be working correctly with the Latest Firmware updates
But it is taking a long time to get sorted out

Just want to say thank you; since you are one of (if not the only?) competent people we have been able to interact with who has some type of connection to MSI, the frustration sometimes gets directed at you. But thank you.

I also have the usb problem, same exact port. When I discovered it I had just about had enough and decided to walk away for a while and ignore it for my own sanity. We also have enough other USB ports on this thing that I decided to take the loss on that one and use a different port.

Somehow I have never had the DD3 issue, but I don't know if it is just a matter of time or if I am just lucky on that one. Personally, even if I had that issue I would not care as much. Because its just a screen that I never really cared about to begin with and we have a way to completely bypass it anyway. MSI should still fix it for those that do have problems, of course.

The m.2_1 problem has been a complete nightmare for me. Unlike the DD3 issue which is a problem once every few weeks it sounds like? the m.2_1 problem is a problem several times a day. And I cant just bypass it like people can on the DD3, I need that port to work because I need multiple m.2 slots. Being able to connect two gen 5 m.2s without sacrificing any lanes (except for USB 4) is the only reason I bought this mobo. No other brand makes an x870e with the same options for lane sharing, so I am stuck waiting for someone else to make one or for MSI to fix it. All this ranting is just to say thank you. It really seems like MSI just does not care and is not even devoting a single person's time to try to address. So whatever connections you have been able to make with them to get someone to do something about the m.2_1 problem is greatly appreciated.

 

[Alan J T]

The m.2_1 problem has been a complete nightmare for me. Unlike the DD3 issue which is a problem once every few weeks it sounds like? the m.2_1 problem is a problem several times a day. And I cant just bypass it like people can on the DD3, I need that port to work because I need multiple m.2 slots

I got 3x4 today

And yep, I pretty well use all the M.2

C is just the OS is why it is only 1TB

 

[kolkoo]

So today I finally got around to install my samsung 9100 pci e 5 4TB ssd.
I removed GPU, added a little 1mm alphacool eisschicht 11w/mk (should be fujipoli) termal pad on top of the ssd. Cleaned up oily residue on the original pads and SSD that has leaked.

And of course the new SSDs boots just fine so far. 3 restarts and 2 shutdowns it boots fine.

I'll post more results. When my Crucial T705 was in the M2_1 it would literally break every 2nd restart or shutdown.
I have not updated bios either so I dont know.
Open to ideas how to troubleshoot further - ofc I'll check everyday.

 

[1160b02f1]

So today I finally got around to install my samsung 9100 pci e 5 4TB ssd.
I removed GPU, added a little 1mm alphacool eisschicht 11w/mk (should be fujipoli) termal pad on top of the ssd. Cleaned up oily residue on the original pads and SSD that has leaked.

And of course the new SSDs boots just fine so far. 3 restarts and 2 shutdowns it boots fine.

I'll post more results. When my Crucial T705 was in the M2_1 it would literally break every 2nd restart or shutdown.
I have not updated bios either so I dont know.
Open to ideas how to troubleshoot further - ofc I'll check everyday.

View attachment 205059

This is well documented in the forums. It IS STILL broken with the Samsung 9100. However, it happens significantly less frequently. So many of us have changed over to to reduce (not solve) the problem. Using any other slot, (or any other brand motherboard...) and the problem 100% goes away so the fault is still with the motherboard and not the nvme.

 

[C0K01_]

For B850 edge ti after 2nd RMA the issue was still not fixed unfortunately, shop where I bought it suggested to send it 3rd time..
Rebooted the PC with a script about a 100 times, pcie1 is in about 20% of cases now, pcie3 in 5% or so.

So for total of 2 months in service - unfortunately, no result
Barely used my new PC because of that issue.
Maybe 3rd time they will fix it, or at least return the money.

If not, I'll need to ask MSI support for assistance I guess.

 

[Linkman44159602e3]

I’ve had my Godlike for less than a week and it’s been constant issues with the m.2_1. I can never get a consistent or stable speed with it.
I reached out to MSI and was told to RMA it. Because that’s what you should have to do with a brand new board.

After reading the horror stories on here about getting a different board back and then being broken it doenst sound like a great idea.
If they have put out “fixes” for the other boards then what’s the hold up on this one?

 

[Alan J T]

I’ve had my Godlike for less than a week and it’s been constant issues with the m.2_1. I can never get a consistent or stable speed with it.
I reached out to MSI and was told to RMA it. Because that’s what you should have to do with a brand new board.

Return to retailer. Tell them it is a DOA and MSI advised for it to be replaced