Got an Asus X870E-E Strix board for the extra M.2 cooling & extra slot... issues abound.

[DaBadger84]

So I'm already in contact with Asus support to try & resolve this so I don't have to send the board back to Amazon for a refund, I'm just wondering if anyone else here has gotten this board & is having a similar problem, or if my board actually has something wrong with it.

What the issue is:
I cannot narrow down EXACTLY what causes it, but the M.2-2 slot will randomly 'disappear' - and I do mean randomly, as in sometimes it will be there, I'll reboot and it's gone. Both the M.2-2 & M.2-3 disappear when I enable the explicit "GPU+M.2 Storage" option, which SHOULD do the opposite. But the main issue is the fact that M.2-2 is unreliable at best. I have found that any time I set my RAM speed higher than 6000MHz or FCLK higher than 2000MHz, it disappears almost 100% of the time. As I'll state in the "what I've tried" section, this occurs with a slew of different drives that are KNOWN working drives, because they work just fine in other slots and were in my previous motherboard for months with zero issues.

What I've tried (I spent 1 1/2 hrs in a support chat with an Asus person so this is a long list) :
The last thing I tried was a full re-seating of the CPU, though I had serious doubts 'proper contact' was the issue, I did relay to the Asus Tech that I was going to try that just to see if it helped... it did not help with the M.2-2 slot at all, but I did apparently have a crapoli-ish mount on my CPU AIO block previously, cuz my temperatures are better now, so that's nice.
I've tried a completely separate set of drives, including a Gen3 M.2 just to see if maybe THAT would fix it... at first we thought it did, but then I fiddled with settings again & POOF gone lol
Reseated the M.2s, which they suggested, and I found rather ridiculous because I'm not an novice, but I tried it anyway
Also tried running the M.2s with no heatsink on them just to see if perhaps heatsink pressure somehow was causing an issue
Updated BIOS - this was one of the first things I did once I realized the board was on the RELEASE BIOS and Asus has since put out like... 5 updates - this did not fix anything having to do with the issue though.
Verified that the drive (4TB 990 Pro Samsung) that was in that slot originally works just fine somewhere else, I put it back in the Sabrent PCIe x4 NVMe card I have, it's been running fine with zero issues in that since I bought it last year.

But 90% of why I bought this motherboard in particular was for the extra M.2 slot AND the top 3 M.2 slots having better heatsinks/cooling - so this issue pretty much makes it 100% likely I'm going to return it if the issue isn't solved.

System Specs are in my Specs list, with the exception of the new motherboard, but I'll list them here as well:

Case: Thermaltake View 91 (I've had it for like 5 years now, it's survived 4 builds overall including 1 that was a fully-liquid-cooled bit)
CPU: 7800X3D (9950X3D soon come PLEASE AMD)
Motherboard: Asus ROG Strix X870E-E (BIOS 0606, issue also occurred with BIOS 0223)
RAM: 2x48GB G.Skill 6400MHz CL32 kit running at CL28 6200MHz 1.5v VDD (It works, but it's one of the things that causes the M2-2 drive to disappear)
GPU: Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC
Power Supply: EVGA P2 1200W Platinum PSU
Storage: 6x M.2 drives total + 1 Seagate 10TB Exo X10 Enterprise HDD - M.2s are a T-Force Z440 Cardea 2TB Gen4, 2x Samsung 990 Pro 2TB, 1 Samsung 990 Pro 4TB, 1 Samsung 980 Pro 2TB (soon to be decommissioned as a primary drive), & a new ADATA/XPG 4TB S70 Blade Gen4 - this is the drive that was disappearing at first, so I thought perhaps it was the drive being bad)

Should be noted, I'm upgrading my system to run SD/AI rendering and other rendering, in addition to being able to game on it, hence why the 9950X3D is planned, and hence why I have a 96GB kit of RAM, because 32GBs was nowhere near enough. The 1200W PSU is a relic leftover from when I was running 2 Titan Xp's in SLi, it's an excellent PSU and still has about 5 years of warranty/life left in it, at least. And all that storage... yes, I'm crazy, there's no real reason for it. lol

Anyone else have this motherboard that is or is not having this issue? Any advice is welcome, I'll let you know if I've already tried it or not, because at this point, I've tried so much I didn't list it all because I don't remember it all offhand. I got this board on October 30th, so I have plenty of time to trouble shoot before my return window runs out.

 

[Zach_01]

According to ASUS your board has 5 m.2 slots…
…???
And when m.2-2 and m.2-3 are populated the PCI-E x16 drops to x8

Is that the case?

 

[3DVCash]

Sounds like you're just being too aggressive with the RAM speed/timings tbh. Going over 6000 1:1 with a dual rank kit is asking a LOT from a 7800X3D, and unstable memory can manifest in tons of weird ways.

I remember having the same issue on an Intel system (also with an Asus mobo) that was unstable at XMP settings.

 

[_roman_]

Just return the board when it' still possible.

 

[Assimilator]

I have found that any time I set my RAM speed higher than 6000MHz or FCLK higher than 2000MHz, it disappears almost 100% of the time.

So you already know what the problem is, yet you're posting this thread. Why? Which part of the fact that the 7800X3D is officially rated to support a maximum of DDR5-5200 in the RAM configuration you're using, is unclear or confusing to you? And why would you think the motherboard is the problem when the M.2 slots you've mentioned are directly connected to the CPU?

Do you poke yourself in the eye and wonder why it hurts, too?

 

[GerKNG]

it's probably a bug or a faulty board.
RAM speeds or FCLK have nothing to do with M.2/PCIe.

return it and get a new one.

 

[Assimilator]

RAM speeds or FCLK have nothing to do with M.2/PCIe.

They have everything to do with M.2 and PCIe if you understand the absolute basics of how Zen 4 CPUs work.

 

[JustBenching]

So you already know what the problem is, yet you're posting this thread. Why? Which part of the fact that the 7800X3D is officially rated to support a maximum of DDR5-5200 in the RAM configuration you're using, is unclear or confusing to you? And why would you think the motherboard is the problem when the M.2 slots you've mentioned are directly connected to the CPU?

Do you poke yourself in the eye and wonder why it hurts, too?

I think it's mostly due to the FCLK, memory speed shouldn't affect it, 6000 means 3k UCLK which should be fine unless you are really damn unlucky

 

[Assimilator]

I think it's mostly due to the FCLK, memory speed shouldn't affect it, 6000 means 3k UCLK which should be fine unless you are really damn unlucky

I agree, but a CPU is a whole bunch of interconnects, meaning instability in one area can easily leak into another seemingly unrelated one. And X3D chips are more complex and fiddly than others, there is after all a very good reason why AMD originally prevented them from being overclocked.

At the end of the day none of this changes the simple fact that OP is overclocking their CPU and it cannot handle that overclock. The clock responsible for the instability is irrelevant, what matters is that any overclocking means all bets are off and if you wanted to overclock you (a) should not have bought AMD (b) should not have bought X3D. Wasting ASUS support's and our time by refusing to accept basic and obvious facts is not going to change those facts.

And before anyone throws out "but the QVL" - a QVL doesn't mean much, just that with that particular CPU and that particular set of RAM and that particular motherboard being tested for QVL purposes, the system was stable. You are not using the exact same components as the QVL testers, so why would you expect the exact same results? A QVL is not a guarantee, but a guideline, and should be treated as such.

 

[ir_cow]

I first I was confused why higher than 6000 MT/s memory wouldn't work. I was reading it wrong. Raising the Infinity Fabric above 2000 Mhz and also trying to keep the 1:1 ratio is the problem here. Assuming more voltage on the correct fields doesn't fix it. You have a CPU that refuses to work at high FCLK. Zen4 and Zen5 has the same IO die, which is where the Infinity Fabric is part of.

I wouldn't totally consider it a dud CPU. Mine maxes out at 2066 (stable), yet I can still run high memory speeds. Though not being able to go any higher than 6000 1:1... Is kinda a turd CPU.

Either jam more voltage in or accept that you are overclocking outside AMD defaults. That can and will cause issues (eventually) for everyone in the wrong conditions.

I have my doubts this has anything to do with the motherboard itself, besides maybe the auto voltages aren't what they should be for a overclock.

 

[DaBadger84]

I believe at this point, it's an RMA of the motherboard, which is what Asus pretty much said in their email I got just a bit ago, they said:

1) M.2_2 & M.2_3 slots share bandwidth with PCIEX16(G5). When M.2_2 & M.2_3 are occupied with SSD devices, PCIEX16(G5) will run x8 only.

2) M.2_2 & M.2_3 will be disabled when using AMD Ryzen™ 8000 Series Desktop Processors.

Please troubleshoot M.2 drives:

Clean the M.2_2 and M.2_3 slot

if persist, please take out the processor and put it back in

RMA the motherboard if it still have same issue

I already knew, and pointed out to the tech that I was fully aware that, having those slots populated lowers the GPU slot to x8... part of the issue is, the setting to ENABLE that mode IN BIOS actually makes BOTH drives disappear lol SO it's doing the exact opposite of what it SHOULD be doing.
Cleaning M.2 slots is something I've never heard suggested before, but I'll give it a go.
Already reseated the processor completely after I got out of the chat with the Tech, and I tested the different set of drives tested during the trouble shooting, still random disappearing act.

According to ASUS your board has 5 m.2 slots…
…???
And when m.2-2 and m.2-3 are populated the PCI-E x16 drops to x8

Is that the case?

I think you missed something, so I'll reiterate parts of my post:

Yes, it has 5 slots.

Yes, I know the PCIe x16 slot drops to x8 when both M.2-2 & 3 are occupied... the problem is M.2-2 is DISAPPEARING randomly, AND when I EXPLICITLY ENABLE the "GPU+M.2 Storage" option IN BIOS, which is supposed to make all 3 WORK, it actually disables BOTH M.2-2 and M.2-3 COMPLETELY instead - this is part of why I think the motherboard is definitely the problem.

Sounds like you're just being too aggressive with the RAM speed/timings tbh. Going over 6000 1:1 with a dual rank kit is asking a LOT from a 7800X3D, and unstable memory can manifest in tons of weird ways.

I remember having the same issue on an Intel system (also with an Asus mobo) that was unstable at XMP settings.

I can 100% for certain say that is not the case as far as the CPU goes, or the Memory, as I was running those exact settings on my previous motherboard (X670E AORUS Master) for well over a month with zero issues, and I did stability testing on it. I was actually able to run 2200MHz FCLK with the 2x16GB kit I had previous to the new 2x48GB kit, and I had the 2x16GB kit running CL28 6200MHz as well, with different timings and less voltage, of course, because the 2x48GB kits want more power to push that kinda stuff.
I got the settings directly from a Buildzoid video to start, then tweaked them as I went along until stability tests stopped failing, then went along my merry buisness rendering and had no issues.
Should be noted, these settings (6200MHz CL28 1.5v VDD with 2067MHz FCLK at 1.225v SOC) have already passed some stability testing and haven't given me any issues since testing them, other than the fact that, previous to now, those settings always made the M.2-2 disappear.

So you already know what the problem is, yet you're posting this thread. Why? Which part of the fact that the 7800X3D is officially rated to support a maximum of DDR5-5200 in the RAM configuration you're using, is unclear or confusing to you? And why would you think the motherboard is the problem when the M.2 slots you've mentioned are directly connected to the CPU?

Do you poke yourself in the eye and wonder why it hurts, too?

Wow, you sure know how to not be helpful eh? Thanks for the reply. Almost 100% of the time isn't all the time, and that statement was an exaggeration, the occurence of it disappearing is in fact, completely random, as I stated. The fact that you're arguing 5200 is the max supported speed (Then why does anyone run RAM above 5200? How's that feel? Same level of haha I think it's funny to demean someone for absolutely no reason), and the "Directly connected to the CPU so it has nothing to do with the motherboard" tells me all I need to know - the connection still runs through the motherboard circuitry.
Also, the RAM has worked with my CPU on another motherboard with zero issues (Yes I'm aware every motherboard is different including even the two copies of the exact same board) - and in fact is working on this board, at the same settings, with no issues, right now... again, the drive will disappear and reappear, as stated in my original post, WHEN I HAVE CHANGED NOTHING IN THE BIOS after loading Optimized Defaults. Read that again. Optimized Defaults. Meaning the ENTIRE system was STOCK out of the box settings, and it still happens. That is why I contacted Asus support.

Back to replying to people that are actually trying to be helpful...

I think it's mostly due to the FCLK, memory speed shouldn't affect it, 6000 means 3k UCLK which should be fine unless you are really damn unlucky

Kinda stated this above, but figured I'd reply directly as well, this CPU can run 2200MHz FCLK all day with no issues, I ran it for months on the Gigabyte X670E Master I had previously, ran every test I could think of, ran thousands of renders, no problemo. 2067MHz at 1.225v is probably more voltage than I actually need, but as the great Buildzoid states in a lot of his videos, stability testing Infinity Fabric is a crapshoot, it's one of those "It's stable until it isn't" things half the time, and the other half going at it the way of "Turn it up until its wildly unstable then turn it down 2 notches usually works" - That I haven't tried yet as I don't see any reason to push past 2200MHz FCLK.
I can say with 100% certainty that either my CPU's Memory Controller (most likely it is that) doesn't like 6400MHz. I tried it on the 2x16GB kit I had previously and nothing I did would make it pass stability testing. It would run Windows just fine, but running something as simple as OCCT Memory Stress Test would spit errors, regardless of what timings etc I threw at it. Which is unfortunate, as I'd like to be able to run 6400MHz RAM with 2133MHz FCLK, but it is what it is.

I first I was confused why higher than 6000 MT/s memory wouldn't work. I was reading it wrong. Raising the Infinity Fabric above 2000 Mhz and also trying to keep the 1:1 ratio is the problem here. Assuming more voltage on the correct fields doesn't fix it. You have a CPU that refuses to work at high FCLK. Zen4 and Zen5 has the same IO die, which is where the Infinity Fabric is part of.

I wouldn't totally consider it a dud CPU. Mine maxes out at 2066 (stable), yet I can still run high memory speeds. Though not being able to go any higher than 6000 1:1... Is kinda a turd CPU.

Either jam more voltage in or accept that you are overclocking outside AMD defaults. That can and will cause issues (eventually) for everyone in the wrong conditions.

I have my doubts this has anything to do with the motherboard itself, besides maybe the auto voltages aren't what they should be for a overclock.

I get where you're coming from, as I said to others though, I know for a fact that is not the case, this CPU has run it on another motherboard with zero issues, and in fact runs those settings on this motherboard, without issues, the M.2-2 randomly disappearing happens at completely stock everything, so it's not a problem with one setting or another 'being too high' in terms of those settings specifically BUT... you do have a point about the auto voltages possibly not being high enough. I have a lot of them set manually but not all, as I don't fully know what some of them do well enough to know what to set them to. I'll look in to that if the issue returns.



On that note, lo & behold, I decided to put a drive in that slot again (I haven't had one in it since working with the Asus tech via chat on my phone), booted up, computer is still on the 2067MHz FCLK, 6200MHz CL28 RAM setting... and the drive is magically there both in BIOS & in Windows. We'll see if that lasts, if it happens again, I'll be RMAing the board.

If I come off as snarky, it's because A: I've been working on this issue for almost a week, B: I'm not a computer novice, I've been dealing with this setup for over a year and know what the parts are and aren't capable of, outside of the new motherboard, and C: lack of sleep due to life stuff I'm not going to get in to lol Not trying to be a B to anyone ... except the one guy that thinks he's funny saying I know what the issue is but posted anyway.

 

[eidairaman1]

I believe at this point, it's an RMA of the motherboard, which is what Asus pretty much said in their email I got just a bit ago, they said:


I already knew, and pointed out to the tech that I was fully aware that, having those slots populated lowers the GPU slot to x8... part of the issue is, the setting to ENABLE that mode IN BIOS actually makes BOTH drives disappear lol SO it's doing the exact opposite of what it SHOULD be doing.
Cleaning M.2 slots is something I've never heard suggested before, but I'll give it a go.
Already reseated the processor completely after I got out of the chat with the Tech, and I tested the different set of drives tested during the trouble shooting, still random disappearing act.

I think you missed something, so I'll reiterate parts of my post:

Yes, it has 5 slots.

Yes, I know the PCIe x16 slot drops to x8 when both M.2-2 & 3 are occupied... the problem is M.2-2 is DISAPPEARING randomly, AND when I EXPLICITLY ENABLE the "GPU+M.2 Storage" option IN BIOS, which is supposed to make all 3 WORK, it actually disables BOTH M.2-2 and M.2-3 COMPLETELY instead - this is part of why I think the motherboard is definitely the problem.


I can 100% for certain say that is not the case as far as the CPU goes, or the Memory, as I was running those exact settings on my previous motherboard (X670E AORUS Master) for well over a month with zero issues, and I did stability testing on it. I was actually able to run 2200MHz FCLK with the 2x16GB kit I had previous to the new 2x48GB kit, and I had the 2x16GB kit running CL28 6200MHz as well, with different timings and less voltage, of course, because the 2x48GB kits want more power to push that kinda stuff.
I got the settings directly from a Buildzoid video to start, then tweaked them as I went along until stability tests stopped failing, then went along my merry buisness rendering and had no issues.
Should be noted, these settings (6200MHz CL28 1.5v VDD with 2067MHz FCLK at 1.225v SOC) have already passed some stability testing and haven't given me any issues since testing them, other than the fact that, previous to now, those settings always made the M.2-2 disappear.



Wow, you sure know how to not be helpful eh? Thanks for the reply. Almost 100% of the time isn't all the time, and that statement was an exaggeration, the occurence of it disappearing is in fact, completely random, as I stated. The fact that you're arguing 5200 is the max supported speed (Then why does anyone run RAM above 5200? How's that feel? Same level of haha I think it's funny to demean someone for absolutely no reason), and the "Directly connected to the CPU so it has nothing to do with the motherboard" tells me all I need to know - the connection still runs through the motherboard circuitry.
Also, the RAM has worked with my CPU on another motherboard with zero issues (Yes I'm aware every motherboard is different including even the two copies of the exact same board) - and in fact is working on this board, at the same settings, with no issues, right now... again, the drive will disappear and reappear, as stated in my original post, WHEN I HAVE CHANGED NOTHING IN THE BIOS after loading Optimized Defaults. Read that again. Optimized Defaults. Meaning the ENTIRE system was STOCK out of the box settings, and it still happens. That is why I contacted Asus support.

Back to replying to people that are actually trying to be helpful...


Kinda stated this above, but figured I'd reply directly as well, this CPU can run 2200MHz FCLK all day with no issues, I ran it for months on the Gigabyte X670E Master I had previously, ran every test I could think of, ran thousands of renders, no problemo. 2067MHz at 1.225v is probably more voltage than I actually need, but as the great Buildzoid states in a lot of his videos, stability testing Infinity Fabric is a crapshoot, it's one of those "It's stable until it isn't" things half the time, and the other half going at it the way of "Turn it up until its wildly unstable then turn it down 2 notches usually works" - That I haven't tried yet as I don't see any reason to push past 2200MHz FCLK.
I can say with 100% certainty that either my CPU's Memory Controller (most likely it is that) doesn't like 6400MHz. I tried it on the 2x16GB kit I had previously and nothing I did would make it pass stability testing. It would run Windows just fine, but running something as simple as OCCT Memory Stress Test would spit errors, regardless of what timings etc I threw at it. Which is unfortunate, as I'd like to be able to run 6400MHz RAM with 2133MHz FCLK, but it is what it is.


I get where you're coming from, as I said to others though, I know for a fact that is not the case, this CPU has run it on another motherboard with zero issues, and in fact runs those settings on this motherboard, without issues, the M.2-2 randomly disappearing happens at completely stock everything, so it's not a problem with one setting or another 'being too high' in terms of those settings specifically BUT... you do have a point about the auto voltages possibly not being high enough. I have a lot of them set manually but not all, as I don't fully know what some of them do well enough to know what to set them to. I'll look in to that if the issue returns.



On that note, lo & behold, I decided to put a drive in that slot again (I haven't had one in it since working with the Asus tech via chat on my phone), booted up, computer is still on the 2067MHz FCLK, 6200MHz CL28 RAM setting... and the drive is magically there both in BIOS & in Windows. We'll see if that lasts, if it happens again, I'll be RMAing the board.

If I come off as snarky, it's because A: I've been working on this issue for almost a week, B: I'm not a computer novice, I've been dealing with this setup for over a year and know what the parts are and aren't capable of, outside of the new motherboard, and C: lack of sleep due to life stuff I'm not going to get in to lol Not trying to be a B to anyone ... except the one guy that thinks he's funny saying I know what the issue is but posted anyway.

Yeah don't waste time on a defective board make sure to record the serial number down on it so you can keep track of what boards Asus is sending you.

 

[R0H1T]

Do you poke yourself in the eye and wonder why it hurts, too?

That's actually a nice exercise routine; you should try it with glasses on

If you're getting another board just for the extra M.2 slot, I'd rather go with the PCIe adapters, although they're also pricy these days!

 

[DaBadger84]

So I've rebooted a few times, saved bios settings, but haven't modified everything, and the drive is still there. I'm going to mess with it more today & if it disappears again I'll be getting with Amazon to RMA it.
I did get a reply on Asus rog forums that someone else is having the exact same issue where the drives in m2-2 & m2-3 randomly disappear, and that person only has 2 of 3 total m2 drives, so it sounds like it's not an uncommon issue, unfortunately.

Yeah don't waste time on a defective board make sure to record the serial number down on it so you can keep track of what boards Asus is sending you.

Oh I won't be RMAing it with Asus, it'll be going back to Amazon for exchange - I don't trust Asus warranty as far as I can throw it with all the negative press they've had in the past 2+ years. Lol also the Amazon process is much faster since I've only had it under 2 weeks.

If you're getting another board just for the extra M.2 slot, I'd rather go with the PCIe adapters, although they're also pricy these days!

It's not just for the extra slot, and as I said in the original post, I'm already using a pcie x4 adapter card, now it's for a 6th drive, previously it was for the 5th one. Extra m.2 slots, better cooling on said m.2 slots, better RAM support, getting out of the Gigabyte Eco system, and wanting a better board for the impending 9950X3D upgrade, all played a role in the sideways upgrade to this board.

 

[Redwoodz]

Could it be possible the new AGEASA layout is creating issues? I have found they have multiple places in bios for the same or similar settings and enabling some disables others, and it is not always obvious.

 

[rv8000]

Do you have more than 3 drives? Yes I know it should support 5 in total, and they should all work properly, but if you dont have more than 3 drives there is no reason to use slots 2_2 and 2_3 unless you exclusively use the igpu and dont have a dedicated gpu.

FCLK instability can cause all sorts of issues, including dropouts of devices.

 

[Launcestonian]

Think I don't like about Asus X870(E) boards is they just don't say anywhere on their site for each board, how many PCB layers any given board has... unlike Gigabyte & MSI- they are clear about this. PCB layers has significant impact on OC potential & thus stability, hence why very high end board have 8+ layers of PCB.

 

[ir_cow]

PCB layers has significant impact on OC potential & thus stability, hence why very high end board have 8+ layers of PCB.

It doesn't really have a impact past 8.

 

[eidairaman1]

So I've rebooted a few times, saved bios settings, but haven't modified everything, and the drive is still there. I'm going to mess with it more today & if it disappears again I'll be getting with Amazon to RMA it.
I did get a reply on Asus rog forums that someone else is having the exact same issue where the drives in m2-2 & m2-3 randomly disappear, and that person only has 2 of 3 total m2 drives, so it sounds like it's not an uncommon issue, unfortunately.

Oh I won't be RMAing it with Asus, it'll be going back to Amazon for exchange - I don't trust Asus warranty as far as I can throw it with all the negative press they've had in the past 2+ years. Lol also the Amazon process is much faster since I've only had it under 2 weeks.

It's not just for the extra slot, and as I said in the original post, I'm already using a pcie x4 adapter card, now it's for a 6th drive, previously it was for the 5th one. Extra m.2 slots, better cooling on said m.2 slots, better RAM support, getting out of the Gigabyte Eco system, and wanting a better board for the impending 9950X3D upgrade, all played a role in the sideways upgrade to this board.

Shit i wouldn't trust amazon either, Id still would be recording serial numbers down

Think I don't like about Asus X870(E) boards is they just don't say anywhere on their site for each board, how many PCB layers any given board has... unlike Gigabyte & MSI- they are clear about this. PCB layers has significant impact on OC potential & thus stability, hence why very high end board have 8+ layers of PCB.

Sales pitch

 

[Launcestonian]

Sales pitch

Yeah, its all marketing..blah blah blah. Cynicism aside, then why do Z890 motherboards have 8 layers for their high end offerings? could it be because very high speed DDR5 signalling relies on it for integrity & performance? The high end MSI Z890 from carbon up all use 8 layer for uber DDR5 speeds with stability... Gigabyte X870E Aorus Master also have 8 layer.. but yeah your right, its all just marketing mumbo jumbo & you know better.

It doesn't really have a impact past 8.

In military & space applications, 10 layer is there but that's a niche arena.

 

[eidairaman1]

Yeah, its all marketing..blah blah blah. Cynicism aside, then why do Z890 motherboards have 8 layers for their high end offerings? could it be because very high speed DDR5 signalling relies on it for integrity & performance? The high end MSI Z890 from carbon up all use 8 layer for uber DDR5 speeds with stability... Gigabyte X870E Aorus Master also have 8 layer.. but yeah your right, its all just marketing mumbo jumbo & you know better.

In military & space applications, 10 layer is there but that's a niche arena.

Not necearry to be condenscending there bucko

 

[ir_cow]

In military & space applications, 10 layer is there but that's a niche arena.

I was referring to Consumer Motherboards.

 

[DaBadger84]

Shit i wouldn't trust amazon either, Id still would be recording serial numbers down

Indeed, I have the Serial of the board I have now because it's already registered with Asus etc.
The drive has yet to disappear again, I'll be messing with it more here shortly to see if I can get it to happen again.

I've had 2 more people on the Asus/ROG side of things posting they've had similar issues, interestingly one was with a X870E Hero - but that person said THAT board specifically says in certain situations M.2-3 is disabled on the board... They also said the X870E-E says that somewhere, but I know that's not the case I think he's just misinterpreting a particular part of the manual's tech-speak:

I'm still very... very confused as to why the option to explicitly enable "GPU+M.2 Storage" in BIOS does the opposite...

The second person that posted about having issues with the X870E-E Strix on there said that they also had M.2-2 disappear randomly, and for them it started specifically when they updated to BIOS 0606 - and they said they don't remember it happening with their previous BIOS. I'm waiting to hear back from them on what BIOS they were running previous, as I've only ran the 'stock/shipped with' BIOS 0223, and the 0606 one.

I'm hoping that Asus releases a BIOS update soon and it somehow fixes this, but given that the Asus Level 2 Tech Support specifically said to RMA the board if their suggested fixes didn't help, that they don't think it's a BIOS issue... but they also haven't sold a lot of these boards, so what the hell do they know, right?

Do you have more than 3 drives? Yes I know it should support 5 in total, and they should all work properly, but if you dont have more than 3 drives there is no reason to use slots 2_2 and 2_3 unless you exclusively use the igpu and dont have a dedicated gpu.

FCLK instability can cause all sorts of issues, including dropouts of devices.

As the original post & some of my replies states, I actually have 6. 5 in the board & 1 in a Sabrent M.2 PCIe X4 4.0 card... one of those is new that I bought specifically when I was getting this board because I was looking forward to having more/bigger storage (got an ADATA 4TB S70 Blade for a good price) - initially I thought perhaps that was a drive issue, then during the troubleshooting with the Asus Tech chat person, determined it was definitely not any drive issue as I did 3 different drives in it, and the only drive that DID NOT disappear was a Gen3 1TB Seagate drive from a previous build. Everything else was completely random, when it disappears, which one or if both disappear, etc.

 

[_roman_]

I'm still very... very confused as to why the option to explicitly enable "GPU+M.2 Storage" in BIOS does the opposite...

MY ASUS X670 Prime P Mainboard also has that option.

I think that option is only for the ASUS graphic card which had on the asus graphic card a m2 nvme slot.

Yes - asus uefi is bad, very bad. Yes asus does not really document well the uefi options. MY asus mainboard has also more than one issues since i own it. My opinion - accept it or return the mainboard to the seller if possible and get the money back.

 

[kapone32]

I don't have the the X870E but I do have the X670E E Strix. The board has an issue. I have every single M2 slot on my board populated and even all of the PCIe slots. M2 can be wonky on AM5 in terms of BIOS. I do not see any of my NVME drives in the BIOS but they are all in Windows. If I do a reinstall all of my drives are available to me. I would return it and get another one or something else. Why not try X670E?