ASUS X99 and Z97 Motherboards Now Support NVM Express Devices
ASUS' motherboards support the new NVM Express (NVMe) storage devices via an UEFI BIOS update and optional ASUS Hyper Kit expansion card. The free UEFI BIOS update enable all ASUS X99 and Z97 motherboards to be compatible with the latest NVMe storage devices, including those with PCI Express (PCIe) and M.2 (PCIe) interfaces. All ASUS X99 motherboards are also compatible with the latest 2.5-inch NVMe SFF-8639 solid-state drives (SSDs), via the ASUS Hyper Kit expansion card - for a data-transfer bandwidth up to 32Gbit/s.
NVM Express is a new storage architecture that upgrades the popular Advanced Host Controller Interface (ACHI) standard. The new technology eliminates the bottlenecks that constrain the performance of the newest SSD storage devices and improves power-efficiency, driving performance to new extremes and reducing running costs.
All ASUS X99 and Z97 motherboards offer support for the latest-generation NVMe devices via a fast and simple UEFI BIOS update, applied using the ASUS-exclusive USB BIOS Flashback. This utility downloads the latest UEFI BIOS to a USB flash drive, enabling users to update the ASUS UEFI BIOS easily. The motherboard does not even need to have a processor or memory modules in place: users simply connect the power supply, plug in their USB drive, press the USB BIOS Flashback or Reset button and then sit back and wait.
UEFI BIOS updates for all ASUS X99 and Z97 motherboards are available now.
ASUS motherboards with NVM Express support
Chipset |
Model |
PCI Express |
SFF-8639 |
BIOS Version |
X99 |
Rampage V Extreme/U3.1 |
Yes |
Yes |
1401 |
X99-Deluxe/U3.1 |
Yes |
Yes |
1702 |
|
X99-Pro/USB 3.1 |
Yes |
Yes |
1702 |
|
X99-A/USB 3.1(Transfer Express) |
Yes |
Yes |
1702 |
|
X99-A/USB 3.1 |
Yes |
Yes |
1702 |
|
Rampage V Extreme |
Yes |
Yes |
1401 |
|
X99-Deluxe |
Yes |
Yes |
1702 |
|
X99-Pro |
Yes |
Yes |
1702 |
|
X99-S |
Yes |
Yes |
1702 |
|
X99-A |
Yes |
Yes |
1702 |
|
Sabertooth X99 |
Yes |
Yes |
0216 |
|
Z97 |
Z97-Deluxe/USB 3.1(NFC & WLC) |
Yes |
N/A |
0401 |
Z97-Deluxe/USB 3.1 |
Yes |
N/A |
0401 |
|
Z97-Pro(Wi-Fi ac)/USB 3.1 |
Yes |
N/A |
0501 |
|
Z97-A/USB 3.1 |
Yes |
N/A |
0501 |
|
Z97-E/USB 3.1 |
Yes |
N/A |
0403 |
|
Z97-K/USB 3.1 |
Yes |
N/A |
0402 |
|
Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1/USB 3.1 |
Yes |
N/A |
0401 |
|
Sabertooth Z97 Mark 2/USB 3.1 |
Yes |
N/A |
0203 |
|
Maximus VII Formula |
Yes |
N/A |
2601 |
|
Maximus VII Hero |
Yes |
N/A |
2601 |
|
Maximus VII Ranger |
Yes |
N/A |
2601 |
|
Maximus VII Gene |
Yes |
N/A |
2601 |
|
Maximus VII Impact |
Yes |
N/A |
2601 |
|
Z97-Deluxe(NFC & WLC) |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Z97-Deluxe |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Z97-Pro(Wi-Fi ac) |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Z97-Pro |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Z97-A |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Z97-AR |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1 |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Sabertooth Z97 Mark 2 |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Sabertooth Z97 Mark S |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Gryphon Z97 Armor Edition |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Gryphon Z97 |
Yes |
N/A |
2205 |
|
Z97-Pro Gamer |
Yes |
N/A |
2103 |
|
Z97-C |
Yes |
N/A |
2404 |
|
Z97-E |
Yes |
N/A |
0702 |
|
Z97-K |
Yes |
N/A |
2603 |
|
Z97-K R2.0 |
Yes |
N/A |
0802 |
|
Z97-P |
Yes |
N/A |
2801 |
|
Z97M-Plus |
Yes |
N/A |
2801 |
|
Z97I-Plus |
Yes |
N/A |
2604 |
|
H97 |
H97-Pro Gamer |
Yes |
N/A |
2405 |
H97-Pro |
Yes |
N/A |
2801 |
|
H97-Plus |
Yes |
N/A |
2502 |
|
H97M-Plus |
Yes |
N/A |
2501 |
|
H97M-E |
Yes |
N/A |
2402 |
|
H97I-Plus |
Yes |
N/A |
2603 |
