booting nvme disk via pcie adapter on older machines

3rd gen intel processor lga1155 motherboard from a decade ago.

Offers: Already modded special BIOSes - Win-Raid Forum


Using the gigabyte f16 bios that adds nvme boot support to ga-b75m-d3h motherboard.
b75m-d3h-f16-bios.zip

I used the gigabyte Qflash to update to the above bios. it was very easy.

The nvme disk shows up in bios like any other disk.
Force-Series-MP510




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Pcie x4 adapter .

Multibao M.2 NVMe SSD NGFF to PCI-E 3.0 X4 X8 X16 Adapter M Key Interface Card Support PCI Express Full Speed: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

glotrends PCIe M.2 Adapter with 0.12 Inch Thick Heatsink for M.2 SSD, NVMe PCIe 4.0 | 3.0 M.2 Adapter Card, PCIe GEN4 Full Speed, Supports PCIe x4 x8 x16 Slot, Desktop PC Installation (PA09-HS) : Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories





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Pcie x1 adapter if you only have an x1 slot available.

GLOTRENDS M.2 PCIe X1 Adapter with M.2 Screw for M.2 PCIe 4.0/3.0 SSD (NVMe/AHCI Key M), PCIe X1/X4/X8/X16 Lane Installation, but Only PCIe X1 Bandwidth (PA09-X1): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Testing speed of x1 adapter :






Even this x1 is pretty good especially the random speeds.

Faster than a sata ssd and this particular model nvme has massive endurance rating.

It is worth considering if you can find an nvme disk at good price. You could find that an nvme disk plus a pcie to nvme adapter is no more expensive than a sata ssd.

For people with machines that did not initially support nvme boot and didn't come with m2 nvme connection:

The motherboard in the first post didn't come with nvme boot support.

The gigabyte bios f16 added nvme support much later. There is no nvme m2 slot on the board so a cheap pcie adapter can be used.

It works very well.
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People with recent equipment that came with nvme boot support and an m2 nvme slot could add an extra nvme disk by using a pcie adapter.

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x4 adapter in pcie 2.0 slot





x1 adapter in pcie 2.0 slot

Can do this on some older oem machines such as the dell optiplexes.

Install and boot from an NVMe SSD on a Dell OptiPlex 3010, 7010 or 9010

Install and boot from an NVMe SSD on a Dell OptiPlex 9020, 7020 or 3020

Modify the BIOS of a Lenovo M92 to enable native NVMe support