Care to be taken to start from scratch

[AJosh7]

Dear All,

Noted the discussion from here from various posts in this forum.

My simple question to intel is:-

I want to start from the scratch meaning I will be installing the windows 10 x64bit by formatting the hard disk.

My Mother board is Asus Prime Z270K BIOS updated to most recent 0807 which says it is completely optane ready.

Details here : https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/PRIME-Z270-K/overview/ https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/PRIME-Z270-K/overview/

Having 16GB RAM with Intel 7th generation i5 CPU (7400)

HDD WD 1 TB 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb s Model WD10EZEX

Only one this above mentioned HDD connected to SATA1 on the motherboard. Also I have two Blu-ray writers one Pioneer & one Asus connected to SATA2 & SATA3 ports respectively. I have no intention of making RAID using two or more hard disks.

No other display card or any thing connected to the PC. Using all the display LAN USB etc. from the motherboard or CPU.

Currently I am running on this system Windows 10 x64bit without any issues or problems. The system is giving me fantastic performance.

My current BIOS settings in this running system are CSM is set to Auto.

not using UEFI setting from the motherboard the HDD is formatted in MBR mode using Legacy drivers.

I have purchased 32GB intel optane memory now.

My questions are:-

What suggested BIOS settings must be made BEFORE installing the Windows 10 x64 bit again. I have taken my current data backup. So no issued for me to reformat & start from the scratch.

Where should this optane memory should be installed on motherboard slot 1 or slot 2

In the BIOS setting it has been mentioned that if I installed the M2 device in slot 1 in SATA mode SATA1 from the motherboard will be disabled. And so also if I install the M2 device on slot 2 then irrespective of SATA or PCIe device SATA 5 & SATA 6 will be disabled.

Is it advisable to install the Windows first & then install the optane memory or fit the optane memory first & then start the windows installation?

I understand that in the BIOS I will need to make the CSM disabled. and set the boot mode to Windows with UEFI drivers only. Correct?

Should I also set the SATA to Intel optane ready RAID before starting the windows installation even if I do not fit the optane module at the time of windows installation?

If at the time of installation the windows format the disk to GPT partition as mentioned in the various will that be enough?

Please also advise me by step by step how to install each & everything so that I will get the error free installation & the optane memory will start working as desired by intel.

I am specifically asking these question so as to clear my these doubts which may also be a advisory steps to be taken recommended by intel for the error free installation of the optane memory.

Any other matter which in your opinion should I pay attention for.

I really want to make the error free installation of this.

Waiting for your reply.

Thanks in advance & sorry for trouble.

Regards,

optanecautionuser@

[idata]

Hello optanecautionuser,

We appreciate your precaucion, and will be more than glad to assist you.Since you're starting from scratch, things will be much simpler, given the fact that we can make sure everything is installed as it should be from the beginning.1. You're using version 0807 for your BIOS, which is Optane™ Memory ready and currently the latest for your motherboard.2. The next requirement is for your BIOS to be in UEFI mode. For ASUS* motherboards this means having the Compatibility Support Module (CSM) disabled. To check this, please boot into your BIOS settings, switch to the advanced mode (F7). Go to the BOOT tab, scroll down, and expand the CSM settings. This should be set to "disabled."Note: If your BIOS is set in UEFI mode, the Windows* installer will format and partition your drive using a GUID (GPT) partition table. If your BIOS is in legacy mode, it will use MBR instead. These two things go hand in hand.2b. (optional) While still in advanced mode, go to the advanced tab > PCH Storage configuration > Controller Mode > Intel® RST Premium with Intel® Optane™ Memory. If you skip this step, the Optane™ Memory Software will perform this change automatically.3. Without your Optane™ Memory module, proceed to perform a clean installation of Windows® 10.4. Your motherboard manual and documentation available don't specify which M.2 slot uses chipset lanes, because of this we're unable to say if you'll need to install your Optane™ Memory on M.2_1 or M.2_2. This is not a big deal as it can be simply swapped later. With your computer off, install your Optane™ Memory module into the M.2_1 slot.5. (if you skipped 2b) Boot into your BIOS. Switch to advanced mode (F7). Under the Advanced tab > PCH Storage Configuration > One Click > Enabled.6. Boot into Windows*, download and install the latest https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26865/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-?v=t Intel® Optane™ Memory software. Proceed with the installation and enable system acceleration.You mentioned before that if M.2_1 is used, your SATA 1 port will be disabled. This is correct, but only if you install a SATA SSD in that M.2 slot. Optane™ Memory uses NVMe*, not SATA, and should not affect your SATA 1 availability. If M.2_1 does not allow you to enable system acceleration, switch your memory module to M.2_2 and try again.If you do receive any error messages while enabling Optane™, let us know.Best regards,Carlos A.

[AJosh7]

Thanks Carlos A.

The installation of Windows & the later part of installing optane memory was completed successfully WITHOUT ANY ERRORS.

I did exactly as guided here and now running everything correctly at the FIRST GO.

Thanks intel and their support team.

Regards,

@

[idata]

Hello optanecautionuser,

That's fantastic news. We're very glad you were able to enable system acceleration without any problems.As far as official installation guides go, we do have the https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/memory-and-storage/intel-optane-memory/000023989.html User and Installation Guide for Intel® Optane™ Memory. However, some hardware manufacturers like to go out of their way to provide their own "simplified" versions. I guess you could say that "all roads lead to Rome."We hope that you enjoy your Intel® Optane™ Memory module, and it's advantages to the fullest. If you ever run into any problems or have questions of any kind feel free to contact us again.Best regards,Carlos A.

[AJosh7]

Will do the needful as directed by you and inform you shortly.

Thanks for the reply

Regards@

[AJosh7]

On ASUS support site I have found this too:-

The address is : https://www.asus.com/microsite/mb/intel-optane-ready/ GET READY FOR INTEL® OPTANE™ MEMORY

Also they have the PDF version which states slightly different as guided by you. Here is the link to download the PDF file: http://dlcdnmkt.asus.com/microsite/Optane-Memory-SOP.pdf http://dlcdnmkt.asus.com/microsite/Optane-Memory-SOP.pdf

May be somewhere their screenshots explaining the procedures are wrong.

Could you throw more light on correct approach as per intel.

Thanks & Regards,