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The pin layouts on the end of M.2 SSDs are divided into so-called “keys”: Not only do the protocols between SATA and NVMe differ considerably, but the corresponding drives also have slightly different physical properties, as can be seen in the image below. M.2 drives can be either SATA or NVMe, which are access & transfer protocols. M.2 itself is just a form factor, similar to mSATA or 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch storage drives. To better understand some of the compatibility causes for M.2 SSDs not showing up in BIOS, it’s crucial to know that there are different types of M.2 drives. Let’s go through each of these step by step: Your M.2 SSD is incompatible
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If the M.2 SSD does not appear anywhere in those two areas, here are the most common causes preventing M.2 drives from showing up in BIOS: Let’s take a look: Causes for M.2 SSD Not Showing Up in BIOS & how to fixĪn M.2 SSD should show up in your BIOS, either at the top of the BIOS screen where you can set the boot priority or in the dedicated Boot / Storage Menu.Įvery BIOS looks a bit different, but here’s how this looks in an MSI BIOS – Boot Priority at the top and Storage (Boot) Menu on the left side: Motherboards these days offer several SATA connectors and M.2 slots, but setting up your drives, so they show up in your BIOS and are recognized by your OS isn’t always as straightforward as we’d like it to be.ĭid you buy the wrong SSD, is it broken, or is it something else entirely that can be fixed easily? Why Is My m.2 Drive Not Recognized in the Boot Priority List?.Motherboard Limitations and resource sharing.
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Causes for M.2 SSD Not Showing Up in BIOS & how to fix.
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