EVGA X99 FTW-K User Manual page 18

EVGA X99 FTW – K (151-BE-E097)
M.2 SSD, PCI-e SSD, and NVMe SSD
Installation steps
M.2 is a card bus that through different connecter types can connect many types of
devices, such as Wi-Fi to SSD's, in a very small and power efficient package that is also
very fast. M.2 devices can be connected to a M.2 card slot on the motherboard or
through PCI-E on a M.2 to PCI-E adapter. There are also PCI-E native drives of this
nature, such as the Intel 750. NVMe stands for Non-Volatile Memory Express, and is a
high performance standard for M.2/PCI-E SSD's. Most NVMe drives will require their
own device drivers during the Operating System installation to be used as a boot drive,
whether in M.2 or PCI-E form.
M.2/PCI-E share resources with other components on the motherboard, which may
limit some hardware combinations. PLEASE SEE CHART ON PREVIOUS PAGE
FOR A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF SHARED RESOURCES.
M.2 Physical Installation
1. Connect the section of the card with the gold fingers into the M.2 slot. The
M.2 device will initially connect at an angle; this is normal.
2. Push the outside of the SSD down down, so that the SSD is parallel with the
motherboard.
3. Make sure the SSD is in straight and fully connected. You may use the bolt
hole at the end of the SSD to align it with the threaded hole on the
motherboard, and screw down the device.
a. If the SSD does not align correctly, remove and reseat the M.2 device;
the notch at the end of the SSD should always align with the threaded
hole on the motherboard.
4. DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN the retention screw, as it may damage the threads
on the motherboard and cause irreparable damage to the SSD.
PCI-E Physical Installation
1. Install the SSD into any available PCI-E slot with at least 4x Lanes available
(Gen3 Lanes are preferred for better speed, however Gen2 Lanes will still
outperform the top end of SATA SSD's).
a. Please refer to page 15 under PCI-E Lane Breakdown for lane specifics,
as the PCI-E Lane allotment will vary based on the installed CPU.
2. Attach the SSD's mounting bracket to the back of the case.
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