Welcome everyone!

My issue is a bit odd, I had the OCZ SSD 120GB OCZ PCIe x4 Revo card on this system before it died, it worked okay with the NVME mod on 4901 BIOS.

I have replaced the Revo card with Crucial CT500P5SSD8 in the PCIE adapter. (for the matter I have got 3x different adapters to make sure it is not the adapter being faulty).

NVME Drive is picked up by BIOS and showing fine, you can boot from it, Ubuntu would install and work ok, but it has issues with shutdown. When you try to shutdown, it will make a click which would suggest it went down, but fans would spin and system will hang effectively there, I have to press down power button for 5s+ to shut it down.

Windows is even worse, as soon as the PCIE card with NVME is plugged in, windows USB stick with installer wont boot, it will hang on the spinning wheel.

I have tried to trick it by removing NVME adapter, installing windows to the SSD, installing the nvme driver, then plug back it in and use it this way, no luck it will hang just like the Windows installer does.

I dont mind either way, the goal here is to install Windows and Linux on separate drives. Windows on SSD and Linux on NVME but it could be the other way round just fine too.

I have the below spec for the context:

RAMPAGE IV EXTREME mobo
i7 CPU-3930K cpu
32GB RAM DDR3 1333MHz
ME Version 8.1.51.1471

SATA drives, checked SMART for both and it is OK:
Sandisk 240GB SDSSDHII240G
Old 1TB HDD ST31000520AS

NVME drive in the PCIE adapter, checked SMART and it is OK:
Crucial CT500P5SSD8

I have tried the NVMe SSD driver for Windows OS provided by the crucial support website, but it makes no difference to the Windows boot.

BIOS I use is standard from the ASUS downloads:

Version 4901
2014/06/18 with added nvme module to stock bios via UEFItool as per guide below:

HowTo-Get-full-NVMe-support-for-all-Systems-with-an-AMI-UEFI-BIOS (from this forum)

If I missed something, or there is some further details required let me know, I will provide ASAP.

I do not mind flashing any custom BIOS, I am open to ideas / suggestions / solutions.

I appreciate any feedback or help, I hope I've posted in the right section of the forum.

Thanks!

How does the system behaves with a fresh Windows OS installation in a Standard HDD/SATA SSD 2.5?
Check the status of the Intel ME.

EDIT: Can u share a dump of ur bios mod (To check ur mod). Intel ME FW image runs along bios: Intel Management Engine
But in that case if then the system shutdowns and restarts correctly... leave the ME for now.
When a NVMe is inserted in to another system it is treated as a Standard storage device (With or without NVMe mod to bios)... no need drivers and something is not OK then with it, adaptor or drive itself.

U can share an external link or PM a link to the file. Use Intel FPT tool (FPTw64.exe -d spi.bin), part of Intel ME8 tools here on section C2: https://mega.nz/#!CF1l1LJK!K2l6_74FPsGig...Rvp8Efj8a5drZSc

@MeatWar thanks for speedy reply!

When I take the NVME drive with the PCIE adapter out, Windows installer would install fresh copy of Windows fine, Windows will run just fine till you put the NVME adapter back in, this breaks it somehow.

Regarding Intel ME, would that be installed within the Windows 10 or that is to be integrated into the BIOS file?

If you can suggest the best version to install I would appreciate it a lot!

Thanks!

@edit

I can PM you the link to the BIOS dump no problem. I cant add it to my post due to the fact that i am new on this forum and I did not write enough posts.

"How does the system behaves with a fresh Windows OS installation in a Standard HDD/SATA SSD 2.5?"

System is running absolutely fine off the SSD.

Zitat von MeatWar im Beitrag #2

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Check the status of the Intel ME.

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Zitat

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Zitat von MeatWar im Beitrag #2

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When a NVMe is inserted in to another system it is treated as a Standard storage device (With or without NVMe mod to bios)... no need drivers and something is not OK then with it, adaptor or drive itself.

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I have a spare PC with MSI B150M NIGHT ELF, Ive tested the nvme with the PCIE adapter, it boots up and boots down Linux just fine.

Which leads me to the conclusion that issue is to do with the BIOS / BIOS firmware / OProm / nvme module on the ASUS Rampage IV extreme mobo.

Dont know the tools and risks DO NOT procede.
...i didnt pointed or suggested u NO DRIVER!!!!

The 8.1.70.1590 (Urs is older 8.1.51.1471) its a Intel ME8 Firmware image NOT a DRIVER. The latest driver for ur Intel MEi is the 11.0.5.1189.
I just pointed u a tool (NOT A DRIVER) for making a SPI dump of ur current bios.

For a Windows NVMe OS installation its required PURE UEFI CSM OFF, (Not AUTO /ON), Secure boot OFF/Other (and later ON/Windows UEFI) and a file system GPT for USB Installer/NVMe Destination drive (Auto by windows)
SATA ACHI preferably (iRST can be set as RAID also)

Apologies, it was quite late when I was reading the instructions and I must have misunderstood them.

I have managed to use the Intel FPT tool (FPTw64.exe -d spi.bin).

I will provide you with the file.

https://www.mediafire.com/file/1x6cduhk1...i_dump.zip/file

Not know this NVMe DXE module...GUID and sizes... where did u get this module...

Here is my NVMe mod bios file, fully updated , ill share this variant as we can use another if any problems found.
Intel ME FW can be updated later on separate operation to 8.1.70.1590, guidance in the previous mentioned links.

Asus RAMPAGE IV EXTREME 4901 NVMe mod and full update modules/mcode

ONLY for Asus USB BFB function, NOT OS/EZ operation.


@madkaz
Its up

Hi @MeatWar,

I appreciate your continuous support, thanks for the CAP file, flashed it via Bios FlashBack and tested it further.

The windows I have installed on the SSD wont boot, it is still stuck on the spinny wheel.

The windows installer would freeze in similar fashion.

What would be the best way to verify if this was flashed correctly?

Bios information 4901 x64
BIOS version 05/14/2014
irog-1 ver. 99
Irog-2 ver 47
ME version 8.1.51.1471
South bridge stepping CO stepping

CPU signature 206d7
Microcode patch 71a

Does this look correct to you? Shall I dump it again via Intel FPT tool (FPTw64.exe -d spi.bin) and submit the results?

EDIT I have flashed the official 4804 x64 BIOS, then flashed yours to verify again.

It did flash OK. I am on 4901 x64 BIOS.

EDIT2 Did some further testing:

Windows which is running of the SSD, now freeze with blue screen and Stop code is MACHINE CHECK EXCEPTION

Linux occasionally boots down correctly without a freeze.

The file i provided is the latest bios with iRST RAID, LAN, mCODES, GOP all modules to latest updates.
Not having latest ME FW is not a issue here...
It seems more that u have HW level issues in the motherboard or RAM.
As u already noticed u still have the same inconsistent problems in original and older bioses.

The dump u provided before seems ok, besides my disagreement with the nvme dxe module,
nothing more so i dont believe its a bios issue and ur bios flashes went ok.

My next step would be further test with a single RAM module, one by one,
if the SSD is healthy, single drive, PCIe GPU ok (if used), no add-on cards and all RAM modules ok...them mobo issue.
I think from this side... i cant help u more, good luck.

Hi @MeatWar,

Thank you for taking your time to create the latest BIOS for me, I really appreciate your help and advise given.

It was a good learning experience but it seems that we are facing some kind of incompatibility with the new generation of NVME drives with the old X79 range motherboards.

I am leaning towards selling the nvme and the adapter and getting standard SSD instead.

I did stress test to try to find the faulty components and the PC is stable as a rock.

NVMe and the adapter works stable on the spare computer, tested for extensive amount of time to determine the fault.

Thanks again for trying your best to resolve my rather odd issue.

Not a issue, the current new or old gen of NVMe drives... rare cases its incompatibility between the drive itself and the adaptor.
But i cannot say that ur RAMPAGE likes ur nvme/adpator combo... it may not like it.
Ive used a lot of different mvme and adaptors in several x79 boards and in one of my Asus X79, never had any issues.
U tested the drive/adaptor in another pc... did u test ur memory modules also as i suggested?
Indeed a very odd issue u have...

EDIT: No as mentioned before, u only need the mod and correct UEFI OS installation, no drivers or fw.
Whats the source or ur USB ISO... another USB drive maybe... ur almost there m8... u now have a working (the same) NVMe drive with an OS.

I have another update for this rather strange case.

I have installed alternative Linux operating system on his Rampage IV Extreme motherboard.

With your BIOS, system is booting up and shuts down just fine. I've made about 5+ attempts now, no problem whatsoever.

Trying to boot the Windows USB installer or the already installed OS on the SSD, would result in the blue screen I have previously mentioned - Stop code is MACHINE CHECK EXCEPTION.

So at least this is leaving me with workable solution for the time being.

It is rather peculiar, because I had a modified bios at some point which would allow me to boot windows, I remember it vividly, because I would go to disk manager on windows to see if the NVME drive is detected. This is why I was trying to find some Windows drivers or firmware, as it seemed to be the way to go forward with this.

It is not the end of the world for me, I am happy with Linux working on the NVME, but it is a shame that I cannot make it into a dual boot system.

With Windows 10 being EOL in 4 years from now and taking into consideration the age of the hardware, Linux may be simply the best environment for this machine.

@MeatWar

Is there any chance that you could re-upload the latest Asus RAMPAGE IV EXTREME 4901 NVMe mod and full update modules/mcode again please?

I have somehow lost it.

Thank you!