Problem installing NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD on EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF

[LewLasher]

I recently purchased a refurbished EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF running Windows 10 (64-bit).

I attempted to install a NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD, using an M.2 NVMe SSD PCIe x4 adapter, in the PCIe x16 slot.

Problem: the SSD is not recognized.  For example, the utility program HwInfo64 reports that the PCIe x16 slot is empty.

The specific SSD is: "Inland Premium 512GB 3D NAND M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive".
The specific adapter is: "Vantec M.2 NVMe/M.2 SATA SSD PCIe x4 Adapter".

I upgraded the BIOS from 2.71 to 2.75.

I could not find any BIOS settings for enabling M.2.

Thanks for any clues or hints.

[Grizzlys2k]

Sorry to say but your chipset does not have native NVME support...so now you are using the adapter...I took a look at the adapter specs...so i am asking...did you installed the NVME drive to the 2nd slot labeled NGFF 1??

if you installed it in the 1st slot it wont work.

My oppinion is that even if you get it to work...you wont be able to boot from it...as you dont have BIOS Uefi support for it...but you can still use it as a storage drive..

Hope it helps!

[LewLasher]

Thank you for your quick response.

I was not planning on using the SSD to boot from.  I would be happy if I could use it for storage.

I did not understand your comment about a slot labelled NGFF 1.  I did not see a slot labelled NGFF 1.  The adapter only has one slot, and the drive is plugged into that one slot.  The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF has 4 PCIe slots, labelled as in the picture on page 4 in the "Illustrated Parts & Service Map" ( http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03812595 ).  In this picture, I used the 4th slot (counting from left to right), the long black slot.  After reading your comment, I tried moving the adapter instead to the 1st slot, the long white slot.  But, in either case, the drive did not appear to be recognized by the computer.

[Grizzlys2k]

I was watching this https://www.amazon.com/Vantec-NVMe-SATA-Adapter-UGT-M2PC200/dp/B0751CJ139 and I thought your adapter has 2 slots...thats why i instructed what slot to use....

Be sure that your adapter is a NVME one...and not a SATA one...that can be the main reason for not seeing it..

is the empty adapter as you say..."SEEN" in the device manager? did you installed the driver for it?

Have you tried to use the white slot on your motherboard? I see that more appropiate...as the black slot is for video cards...mostly

[LewLasher]

Thank you again for your follow-up.

The adapter definitely says NVMe.

The advantage of the black slot is that it is PCIe version 3, whereas all the other slots are PCIe version 2 (which should also work, but be a little slower).  I was actually a little surprised that all the slots were empty.

Nothing is showing up in Device Manager.

The idea of installing a driver seems to be a generally very sensible idea.  Do you know how I could find a driver?

Thanks again.

[LewLasher]

Following up on my own question, I found the product page at vantecusa.com for the adapter (UGT-M2PC100).  And, despite the fact that the paper documentation for the adapter made no mention of a driver, the Web page had a download for a driver.  However, there was a note in the Zip file that said that the driver was needed only on Windows 7.  And, in fact, when I tried to install the driver, there was an error saying that it was not applicable  for my PC.

[Grizzlys2k]

So this card is supposed to be plug&play...no drivers needed...

Have you checked if PCIEx is enabled in your BIOS? they may be disabled specially if those slots were empty in your computer.

You dont need to be surprised for beeing empty...you are using onboard video and when you bought the computer you did not get a discreete video card...

[LewLasher]

I went to the press-key-quickly-during-boot menus, and there was a page titled something like Slot Security.  It listed all 4 of rthe PCI Express slots, and, next to each one, it said "Enabled".  So, as best as I can determine, I think the slots are enabled.

[LewLasher]

I'm ready to give up.  I'm going to try to return the SSD and adapter to the store.

[Grizzlys2k]

yes...well I would do the same...it seems a compatibility problem...sorry but I am out of ideeas!