Successfully installed NVMe SSD as boot drive in HP Desktop Envy 750se CTO....

[boidsonly]

I tried to add this post to an existing thread but it appears that thread is now closed.

I finally found the time and an inexspensive Toshiba 512gb NVMe for my desktop.  Here is what I did to get it to boot from the NVMe.  I used the free version of Macrium Reflect to accomplish this.

0-Make sure you have the latest BIOS installed from your support page.

1-installed the NVMe and formatted/activated it in Disk Manager.

2-Cloned my current 240gb SSD to the NVMe using  MR free.

3-Restarted my PC and tapped F12 until I got to the Options screen:

 - at this point, if you do not have have ACHI selected as the original boot drive method, go into the BIOS and do that. Save, Restart and tap F12 again.

-at the options screen, select boot drive options and select your NVMe as your boot drive.

4-Shut your PC down.

5-Remove your old HDD or SSD that has your original OS on it.  Keep it safe for use if the NVMe ever fails down the road.

6-Boot up your PC and it should boot up normally.

Enjoy the new quicker boot times and faster program access that using an NVMe SSD provides.

[VBChevy]

Hey boidsonly

I was following the previous thread regarding the NVMe boot/storage issue on the Envy 750se CTO. I see you were successful. I plan to do a clean install with Windows 10 Pro x 64. From your post it appears that this Thimphu motherboard can support the NVMe ssd through the M.2 socket. 

My questions are as follows:

1. Are you realizing the speed you expected? I.E. quick boot, read, write etc.

2. Did they have the screw on the motherboard to secure the drive?

3.No mention of UEFI bios?

I have updated to the latest bios for Win10. I plan to install a Samsung 960 Pro and I understand it has its own built in NVMe controller. I am running 64GB  DDR4 memory with a i-7 6700k CPU. Any advice would be appreciated.

Joe

[boidsonly]

VBChevy,

1-I have not benchmarked the NVMe drive but it def feels faster than the older SATA III SSD.  Your 960Pro is a better drive than what I installed so you should see a marked bump in speed.

2-I had to add a screw to hold the NVMe drive down.  I just happened to have several sizes on hand and one fit.  I also had to remove the GPU as the drive connection is underneath it.

3-I don't use UEFI since I do not want to lock my PC down.

Post your experience once you finish.

Best regards,

Jeff

[VBChevy]

Hey Boids,

This has been and still is a real adventure. 🙂 I sent back a Samsung 960 Pro to Amazon (unopened box) because I could never get a clear answer or find somebody that got the M.2 socket to work with an SSD in this specific machine. For some reason HP is selfish with the motherboard manual. I called support and they referred me to their smartfriends level 2 tech support that I would have to pay for. Since the option is listed on the expansion slot spec, they should offer support at no charge. Or, HP should document the installation and use of the M.2 .

I'll let you know the details after I order another SSD and install it.

Best,

Joe

P.S. Is your SSD a 2280 form factor? (i.e. 3.15" long) or metric 80mm

Update: I think I wil live with what I got and wait for the newest tech just around the corner. Check out the intel site if you have the time.

Regards, 

Joe

[boidsonly]

You'll need a new chipset and MB to take advantage of the new Intell SSD tech.

Here is the model of the NVMe I bought off ebay (used) for basically half the price of a new one.  A small investment to reap the benefits of increased speed.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/192166826743?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Just an FYI...

Jeff

[boidsonly]

For anyone interested in the speed of the Toshiba NVMe,  here are the results using CrystalDiskMark:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1 x64 (UWP) (C) 2007-2017 hiyohiyo
Crystal Dew World : http://crystalmark.info/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
* MB/s = 1,000,000 bytes/s [SATA/600 = 600,000,000 bytes/s]
* KB = 1000 bytes, KiB = 1024 bytes

Sequential Read (Q= 32,T= 1) : 1799.660 MB/s
Sequential Write (Q= 32,T= 1) : 1022.931 MB/s
Random Read 4KiB (Q= 32,T= 1) : 653.663 MB/s [159585.7 IOPS]
Random Write 4KiB (Q= 32,T= 1) : 414.080 MB/s [101093.8 IOPS]
Sequential Read (T= 1) : 1199.131 MB/s
Sequential Write (T= 1) : 846.873 MB/s
Random Read 4KiB (Q= 1,T= 1) : 42.103 MB/s [ 10279.1 IOPS]
Random Write 4KiB (Q= 1,T= 1) : 168.791 MB/s [ 41208.7 IOPS]

Test : 1024 MiB [C: 92.1% (205.3/223.0 GiB)] (x5) [Interval=5 sec]
Date : 2017/06/22 16:23:13
OS : Windows 10 Professional [10.0 Build 14393] (x64)

[boidsonly]

@VBChevy,

  I know this is an old post but here is the MoBo specs sheet page.  I had to get this from HP Tech Support....

https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/HP-ENVY-750-100-Desktop-PC-series/8499646/model/8901412/documen...

Regards,

Jeff