A technician is installing solid-state drives on a motherboard that features two dedicated M.2 slots. According to the motherboard manual, Slot 1 is an M-keyed connector routed to PCIe 4.0 x4 lanes, whereas Slot 2 is a B-keyed connector connected exclusively to the SATA controller. Which of the following statements correctly describe the drive compatibility and operational characteristics of this motherboard configuration? (Select TWO.)
- An M.2 solid-state drive featuring an M-key edge connector will physically fit into Slot 1 and operate using the NVMe protocol.Answer
- Installing a PCIe NVMe-only M.2 drive into Slot 2 will result in the drive failing to be recognized by the motherboard host controller.Answer
- CA SATA M.2 SSD installed in Slot 2 will automatically transfer data using PCIe 4.0 x4 bus throughput speeds once operating system drivers are loaded.
- DConfiguring the system storage mode to AHCI in the UEFI setup utility enables PCIe NVMe protocol communication on Slot 2.
Answer
An M.2 solid-state drive featuring an M-key edge connector will physically fit into Slot 1 and operate using the NVMe protocol, and installing a PCIe NVMe-only M.2 drive into Slot 2 will result in the drive failing to be recognized by the motherboard host controller.
The M-keyed Slot 1 provides four PCIe lanes required for NVMe solid-state drives. Conversely, Slot 2 is wired directly to the SATA bus; inserting a PCIe-only NVMe drive into a SATA-only slot prevents communication between the drive and host controller, leaving the drive undetected.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
M.2 Form Factor Keying and Interface Protocol Compatibility