Motherboard and SSD compatibility issues

Hey there!

I'm currently running an ASUS GA-M720-US3 motherboard
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...px?pid=3006#sp

Everything on my PC works perfectly fine without any issues whatsoever

But I recently picked up an Intel 520 series SSD for this build (I actually use the exact same SSD in my laptop and it’s been a total game changer)

The problem is, once I plug the SSD into my desktop, the whole thing stops working... it just won't boot.

First, I tried connecting it by itself without any other hard drives attached, but it just hangs at the motherboard splash screen (the BIOS prompt area) and nothing happens. Or, if I try to boot from a Windows installation disc to install it onto the SSD, it gets to the first stage and then throws a hardware error message.

If I connect it along with my other existing hard drives, sometimes it boots and sometimes it doesn't... and even when it does manage to boot, Windows won't recognize the SSD at all.

The BIOS sees it clearly in the connected devices list, though. I've already toggled the AHCI settings and checked for BIOS updates, but I'm already on the latest version available

Just to be clear, the SSD is definitely functional—I tested it on another computer and it works 100% perfectly

If anyone has any ideas on what might be causing this, I'd really appreciate the help. Otherwise, it looks like I might have to hunt down a new motherboard... but finding anything new for AM2+ processors is getting pretty tough these days😢 and I'd really rather not replace everything else...

Thanks everyone for the help😉

I suppose you should make sure that AHCI is definitely enabled in your BIOS to get the most out of that SSD. Have you perhaps tried plugging the drive into a different SATA port on the motherboard, or maybe swapping out the SATA cable entirely?

AHCI isn't really a huge deal; it just enables a few minor features that don't change much...
But honestly, I've tested it both ways—with it turned on and with it turned off—and even tried switching out different connectors, but nothing changes

The only thing I haven't done is swap out the cable itself, though that same cable works perfectly fine on another PC

Is AHCI irrelevant for an SSD? I guess I have to wonder where you heard that or read it, because whoever told you that was completely mistaken. Using AHCI actually provides the best performance for an SSD, and it’s pretty much essential if you want to tap into its full potential... As for the issue you're facing, I'm honestly not sure what's going on; if the SSD works fine on another computer or motherboard but fails on yours, then it's very likely that your board is malfunctioning 🤷

Don't go insulting Gigabyte! They are one of the top manufacturers out there regarding quality.
I will give you some pointers. If you still can't manage it, then find a professional.
Though normally, you shouldn't have to.

Just to be safe,
First, simply plug the SSD into SATA 0.
No other HDDs or CD drives... nothing.

Perform a proper CMOS Clear using the jumper while the power is off. Check your manual.
The CMOS remembers far more than just what you see in the BIOS.
Put the jumper back in its original position.

Apply power, boot up, and go straight into the BIOS. Just to be certain, select Load default setup.
Press F10 to save and exit, then enter the BIOS again. Follow those steps exactly.
This isn't a toy. You have to sync the hardware and the software (BIOS)... step by step.

The BIOS offers many options. Since I don't have an SSD myself, I can't tell you exactly how to configure the rest... but there are a hundred different ways to set the boot sequence and such.

Look for Hard disk boot priority. Your SSD should be there. It might not show up immediately because you may need to enable AHCI mode first. You might have to adjust that, save, and come back to this menu.

There is also a second boot device option, but that's only after you reconnect your HDDs and CD/DVD drives.
...

Make sure SATA AHCI Mode is enabled!

Is SATA 0 Native enabled or disabled?
I am not sure; try both.

It has to work. If RAID works, the SSD will work.
An old HDD would cause issues long before an SSD would.

You also have the Onboard SATA/IDE setting. I wouldn't choose IDE; you'd only use that for an HDD. But again, I don't have an SSD on hand to be certain.
What I do know is that Gigabyte doesn't pull stunts like that.

There is absolutely no reason to switch to a different motherboard. It shouldn't be necessary.

Good luck.

What OS are you trying to install?
That board doesn't have native AHCI support for Windows 7 or anything newer. It won't even recognize the AMD driver you try to inject during the Windows installation process... It’s built for Windows XP and Windows Vista; anything beyond that is going to be a total headache...
One workaround that supposedly works is to use something like gParted to create an NTFS partition on the SSD first. Then, just set the SSD to SATA 0 and kick off the Windows installation onto the already formatted drive...