NUC7i5BNH Does not detect Optane 16GB M.2

[KBagw]

Hi Guys,

I hope someone can point me in the right direction, my current setup:

​Intel NUC 7I5BNH (Bios 0076,latest Intel drivers)

16GB Crucial 2400mhz so-dimm

120gb Samsung EVO SSD

Windows 10 Pro 64 bit

No matter what I try I cannot get Windows to detect the Optane module and I am greeted with "no compatible disks" when I attempt to setup through the Optane application. I have disabled legacy support in the bios and installed windows via GPT. During the windows setup I chose load driver and attempted to install the F6 driver but still no Optane module is visible during the setup and in windows under disk drives and drive management. But here's the weird thing in the bios under sata configurations, when RST for Optane acceleration is selected then the M.2 slot state is listed as not populated. If I choose AHCI then the bios detects the module but again windows does not. When RST for Optane acceleration is selected, the Intel Rapid Storage Technology menu in the bios only detects the Samsung EVO and not the Optane module. Lastly the NUC is currently running windows with RST for Optane acceleration selected in the bios, if I remove the module or change mode to AHCI then windows stops functioning, I have my doubts that the module could be faulty and that this issue might be bios\driver related. I have spent a lot of time on this and cannot find a viable solution.

Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.

[LeonWaksman]

Hello @KBagw​ 

1. I understand that in drive bay on the bottom cover you have SATA 120gb Samsung EVO SSD drive and in the M.2 slot 16GB Optane memory module. Your intention is to accelerate The SATA SSD with the Optane module. In the beginning of my post I would like to emphasize that the Optane memory was designed to accelerate SATA HDD drives (rather than SSD). Even that the pairing of the Optane memory with your SATA drive is possible, you will not get major performance improvements. I would recommend to install NVMe SSD in M.2 slot, instead the configuration you plan to use.
2. If you decide to stay with the current configuration, please follow the instructions in the next paragraphs.
3. Enter into BIOS settings Advanced > Devices > Add-in Config and pressed on Configure near Intel Rapid Storage Technology field. Optane Volume Info page has been displayed.
4. On the Optane Volume Info page, please depress on Disable and later on, confirm disabling Optane Memory. If on Optane Volume Info page you will see two "Non-Raid Physical Disks": the 120GB SSD and 16GB Optane Memory module, click on Optane Memory line and Physical Disk Info page was displayed.  On this page choose the option "Reset to Non-Optane" and confirmed to reset the Optane module.
5. In BIOS Advanced > Devices > SATA change the SATA mode back to AHCI. Press F10 (confirmed by "Y") to save settings and exit bIOS.
6. Prepare Windows installation USB using Microsoft Media Creation Tool https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209
7. With the installation media inserted into slot, power ON your NUC and press F10 to get Boot Menu.
8. In this menu, choose UEFI option of you Installation media.
9. Follow this tutorial to continue with installation https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1950-clean-install-windows-10-a.html
10. In para. 7 you may enter Product Key from the Microsoft Distribution you bought.
11. Skip on para. 12 and continue in para. 13. Important, do not format drive where you want to install Windows, rather delete all existing partitions from this drive, till you see one unallocated space. You should install Windows on your 120GB SSD, rather that on Optane Memory. Leave the Optane memory Module untouched. You may even remove it from NUC during Windows installation.
12. Press Next and continue with the installation.
13. Once installation finishes and you have boot into Windows, install all the Intel Drivers https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/95067/Intel-NUC-Kit-NUC7i5BNH and as the last Optane Memory software https://downloadcenter.intel.com/downloads/eula/28400/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-User-...
14. Run the Optane Software and follow instructions to enable Optane acceleration on your SSD.

Leon

[KBagw]

​Hi LWAKSMAN,

Thank you for your response, please see comments:

1. I understand that in drive bay on the bottom cover you have SATA 120gb Samsung EVO SSD drive and in the M.2 slot 16GB Optane memory module. Your intention is to accelerate The SATA SSD with the Optane module. In the beginning of my post I would like to emphasize that the Optane memory was designed to accelerate SATA HDD drives (rather than SSD). Even that the pairing of the Optane memory with your SATA drive is possible, you will not get major performance improvements. I would recommend to install NVMe SSD in M.2 slot, instead the configuration you plan to use.

            I fully understand the performance with HDD compared to SSD but thought Id try and see what benefit I will gain considering its quite an outdated SSD (EVO 750)

        2.Enter into BIOS settings Advanced > Devices > Add-in Config and pressed on Configure near Intel Rapid Storage Technology field. Optane Volume Info page has been displayed.

            I selected the  Intel Rapid Storage Technology configure option, I see Non-Raid Physical Disks and only Samsung EVO is displayed, there isn't Optane memory detected nor is there an Optane option. As posted if I choose AHCI mode, the bios detects the M.2 slot as populated but I cant see the Optane  module  as physical storage in windows, the F6 driver was loaded during windows setup but again under Disk Drive and Disk Management there is no Optane detected. Windows detects the module as Intel Chipset Sata\PCIe RST Premium Controller and installs the driver successfully but that's as far as it goes.

[LeonWaksman]

Hi @KBagw​ 

1. What you see on Add-in Config page, while SATA is in Intel RST Premium With Intel Optane mode?
2. Is there Rapid Storage Technology field?
3. If yes, after clicking on Configure do you enter into Optane Volume Info page?
4. If on the Optane Volume Info page you can see only Samsung EVO, what you see after depressing on Samsung EVO line?
5. What do you mean F6 driver was loaded ? What is the F6 driver?
6. Did you installed Windows on Samsung SSD, using media created with Microsoft Media Creation Tool? See my instruction above. In order to avoid mistakes, you may remove the M.2 drive during installation.

Leon

[KBagw]

​Hi Leon,

1. What you see on Add-in Config page, while SATA is in Intel RST Premium With Intel Optane mode?

           Please see attached image, the bios is currently configured with RST Premium with Intel Optane

1. Is there Rapid Storage Technology field?

           Yes there is.

1. If yes, after clicking on Configure do you enter into Optane Volume Info page?

           I only see one physical Non-Raid disk which is the Samsung EVO 120gb, there is not Optane 16gb memory module.

1. If on the Optane Volume Info page you can see only Samsung EVO, what you see after depressing on Samsung EVO line?

          That is correct, only the Samsung EVO 120gb is listed.

1. What do you mean F6 driver was loaded ? What is the F6 driver?

           I even tried loading the F6 Optain driver manually from the Intel site, I did this during the windows setup to see if windows detects the module as physical storage but it doesn't.

[LeonWaksman]

1. O.K. If you click on Samsung Evo 120Gb on the Optane Volume Info page, what you can see then?
2. You don't need any F6 Optane driver. You need after Windows is installed on Samsung Evo 120Gb (and you verified that this drive is not Enabled with Optane - see para.1), only install drivers as detailed in paragraphs 13 and 14 of my post above.

Leon

[KBagw]

​Hi Leon,

I checked last night, if I select "configure" Intel Rapid Storage Technology, all I see is Non-raid disks which I cant select and under that is the Samsung EVO and if I select that, I just see the drive information. I have no option to change anything. Further more I got a colleague to test the module on a X299 motherboard and without changing anything in the bios, windows detects the module  in the device manager under disk drives as "INTEL MEMPEK1W016GA" and "Intel Chipset SATA/PCIe RST Premium Controller" under Storage Controllers. This is what the NUC is supposed to detect but it doesn't. It only detects the Storage Controller.

[LeonWaksman]

Hi @KBagw​ ,

I can't help you more. I'm attaching images of Device Manager and Disk Manager with Optane enabled and Optane disable. Those images taken from NUC7i7DNHE.

Leon

[KBagw]

​What bios firmware version are you running on the NUC?

[LeonWaksman]

This images where taken on NUC7i7DNHE, with latest Bios ver 0062. It was the same with previous versions of Bios. I'm updating my Bios using recovery method.

Please check in your Bios Advanced>Devices>Pci that the M.2 slot is enabled. I would start from settings Bios to default settings (F9, F10). Next from fresh Windows installation on Samsung Evo drive.

Leon​

[David_V_Intel]

Hello KBagw, Were you able to check LWAKSMAN's post? Let me know if you need more assistance. Regards, David V Intel Customer Support Technician Under Contract to Intel Corporation

[David_V_Intel]

Hello KBagw, I hope you found the information provided helpful. Let us know if you need more assistance. Regards, David V Intel Customer Support Technician Under Contract to Intel Corporation