Intel® Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
Installation Guide
January 2018
Order Number: 337025-001US
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
Revision Number
Description
Revision Date
001
Initial release
January 2018
Ordering Information
Contact your local Intel sales representative for ordering information.
Revision History
Intel technologies’ features and benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software or service
activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No computer system can be absolutely secure. Check with
your system manufacturer or retailer or learn more at www.intel.com/support.
Benchmark results were obtained prior to implementation of recent software patches and firmware updates intended to address
exploits referred to as "Spectre" and "Meltdown". Implementation of these updates may make these results inapplicable to your
device or system.
Software and workloads used in performance tests may have been optimized for performance only on Intel microprocessors.
Performance tests, such as SYSmark and MobileMark, are measured using specific computer systems, components, software,
operations and functions. Any change to any of those factors may cause the results to vary. You should consult other information
and performance tests to assist you in fully evaluating your contemplated purchases, including the performance of that product
when combined with other products.
All documented performance test results are obtained in compliance with JESD218 Standards; refer to individual sub-sections
within this document for specific methodologies. See www.jedec.org for detailed definitions of JESD218 Standards.
Intel does not control or audit the design or implementation of third party benchmark data or Web sites referenced in this
document. Intel encourages all of its customers to visit the referenced Web sites or others where similar performance benchmark
data are reported and confirm whether the referenced benchmark data are accurate and reflect performance of systems available
for purchase.
The products described in this document may contain design defects or errors known as errata which may cause the product to
deviate from published specifications. Current characterized errata are available on request.
Contact your local Intel sales office or your distributor to obtain the latest specifications and before placing your product order.
Intel, Intel Optane, and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
Copyright © 2018 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
Installation Guide January 2018
2 337025-001US
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
Contents
Revision History .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2
1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
2 System Requirements .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Software ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1.1 Determining Compatibility .............................................................................................................................................. 5
2.1.2 UEFI BIOS Compatibility ................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1.3 Operating System Compatibility .................................................................................................................................. 6
2.2 Hardware .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
2.2.1 Hardware Installation ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
3 UEFI Configuration and Setup ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7
3.1 Enabling the Compatibility Support ............................................................................................................................................ 7
4 Windows Install Process .................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
4.1 Windows 8* and Windows 10* ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
4.2 Windows 7* ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
4.2.1 USB 3.0 Driver Inject ....................................................................................................................................................... 10
5 Installation System Confirmation .............................................................................................................................................................. 12
Tables
Table 1: Terminology .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Table 2: References ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Table 3: Windows Compatibility ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6
January 2018 Installation Guide
337025-001US 3
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
Abbreviation Term
Definition
CSM
Compatibility Support Module
A UEFI firmware feature that enables legacy BIOS-style
booting by emulating a BIOS environment.
NVMe
Non-Volatile Memory Express
The next-generation specification used to access SSDs
through the PCI Express* bus.
PCIe
Peripheral Component
Interconnect Express
A standard connection found on most systems that
supports the high speed of the NVMe SSD.
UEFI
Unified Extensible Firmware
Interface
A specification for system firmware, meant to replace
legacy BIOS, that provides software layer between the
operating system and the system firmware.
Document
Location
NVMe Specification 1.3
http://nvmexpress.org/resources/specifications/
UEFI Specification
http://uefi.org/specifications
1 Overview
This guide describes how to install the Windows* operating system into the Intel® SSD 760p Series or Intel® SSD
Pro 7600p Series, as a bootable medium in the computing platform.
Note: Datacenter usage, workloads or environments are not supported and will invalidate the warranty for Client
Intel® SSD’s.
The information in this document is intended to assist in the setup and preparation of the Intel® Optane™ SSD as
the primary boot device, not a secondary storage device.
The Intel® SSD 7 Series utilizes the PCIe* NVMe* interface. NVMe is a scalable non-volatile memory host interface
that can help increase efficiency and reduce latency, while delivering high speed access to storage media
connected through the PCIe bus, thus resulting in increased overall bandwidth. This high bandwidth bus
technology is a data transport feature that has become an industry standard for a wide range of motherboard
vendors today.
Table 1: Terminology
Table 2: References
Installation Guide January 2018
4 337025-001US
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
2 System Requirements
Software
2.1.1 Determining Compatibility
The information and instructions in this guide apply to Intel® SSD’s that utilize the PCIe* with NVMe* Interface.
Check that you have the latest instructions and compatibility information before attempting to install the Intel®
SSD.
Setting up the NVMe SSD as the boot drive is not supported on every system configuration. Specific requirements
must be met for a successful boot. To support the required UEFI NVMe driver, your system’s firmware must be
based on UEFI 2.3.1 or later. For Specific details about UEFI support and NVMe driver support in the OS, please see
Sections 2.1.2 and 2.1.3.
If your system was purchased after 2012 or shipped with Windows* 8.1 or Windows* 10 pre-installed, it most likely
supports UEFI. Check with your system vendor to verify.
2.1.2 UEFI BIOS Compatibility
Booting from an NVMe PCIe SSD is only supported on systems that support UEFI, a system firmware that
endeavors to improve upon legacy BIOS and standardize system processes, such as booting, loading drivers, and
more.
It is important that the operating system installer is booted in UEFI mode. Booting in UEFI allows the installer to
create an entry in the UEFI boot menu and create a UEFI system partition on the boot device that will contain the
bootloaders of installed operating systems. Upon start up, the boot manager will search the UEFI system partition
for a valid operating system bootloader. This bootloader is then executed to load the operating system.
Windows 7* does not support native UEFI booting without a Compatibility Support Module. As a result, system
compatibility is limited and varies by vendor.
To properly boot Windows 7 from an NVMe SSD, your system must support loading UEFI drivers when the
Compatibility Support Module is enabled. To determine if your system is supported, check the following:
Verify that the system BIOS Boot motherboard settings are configured to boot from UEFI devices. This is
often the default on most modern motherboards. For the best chance of success, disable the legacy boot
and select UEFI.
Consult your motherboard vendor’s support website to find the latest UEFI BIOS for your
particular motherboard.
For maximum optimization, it is recommended to utilize PCIe Gen 3 x4.
January 2018 Installation Guide
337025-001US 5
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
OS Support
Additional Notes
Windows 10*
Supported
Native NVMe support with Microsoft ‘in-box’ drivers
Windows 8.1*
Supported
Native NVMe support with Microsoft ‘in-box’ drivers
Windows 7*
Limited Support
Limited system compatibility and features. Requires additional drivers
2.1.3 Operating System Compatibility
Operating System compatibility is dependent on the availability of the NVMe driver. Specifically, later Windows*
operating systems contain NVMe driver support in the latest versions of the OS. Windows 10* is recommended
as it offers the most feature support.
Table 3: Windows Compatibility
Note: Linux* support depends on the Operating System, please consult your OS vendor for more
information as support may be limited.
Intel also offers additional support with NVMe drivers, available on the Intel Support site.
Hardware
NVMe hardware support is growing and becoming more of an industry standard specification, but there may still be
several motherboards on the market that are not properly configured to boot from NVMe SSDs.
Successful motherboard BIOS configurations vary widely and are heavily dependent on the motherboard
manufacturer. There is no specific set of options that will guarantee a successful boot. It is common that the BIOS
settings of a typical motherboard will need to be adjusted. See the OEM’s manual for further specific instructions
on NVMe hardware compatibility.
2.2.1 Hardware Installation
The Intel® SSD 760p Series and Intel® SSD Pro 7600p Series are available in the M.2 M-Key 2280 form factor
Consult your motherboard/system vendor’s user and installation guide for the proper connections. Carefully note
the proper PCIe NVMe connectors available.
It is important to take the proper precautions and handling the M.2 device when installing in the motherboard, see
Proper Handling Techniques and Precautions for your M.2 Device
Installation Guide January 2018
6 337025-001US
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
Motherboard
ASUS Prime Z270-A*
Chipset
Intel® Z270 Chipset
BIOS Revision
0906 (3/24/2017)
3 UEFI Configuration and Setup
Enabling the Compatibility Support
This is an example of how to configure the BIOS for CSM support in addition to configuring the boot options to
enable UEFI.
Consult your specific motherboard vendor’s User Guide or support site for the proper settings
Example
ASUS* Prime Z270-A BIOS Configuration
Specifications
Compatibility Notes
UEFI is a requirement across all windows installations and CSM needs to be enabled for the Windows 7 operating
system.
Windows 8.1/10*
Boot options must be configured to UEFI.
Windows 7*
1. Open CSM (Compatibility Support Module) under the Boot tab
2. Verify that Launch CSM is Enabled
3. Set Boot from Storage Devices and Boot from PCI-E/PCI Expansion Devices to UEFI driverfirst
Figure 1: Required Configuration for Windows 7 Boot Support
§
January 2018 Installation Guide
337025-001US 7
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
4 Windows Install Process
Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
The Windows 8.1* and Windows 10* operating systems offer native support for Intel® SSDs that utilize the PCIe*
with NVMe* interface and have a standard installation process. Follow these steps for proper installation:
1. Ensure that your BIOS is configured to UEFI (see section 2.1.2)
2. Boot from the Windows OS installation media (DVD or USB Key)
Note: Follow the instructions from the board/system manufacturer to adjust the Boot Priority in the system
BIOS for the Installation Media as required.
3. Follow the steps to install the OS to the Intel® SSD
Note: If the Intel® SSD does not appear in the list of drives during the installation process, check your
BIOS settings:
o If Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) is enabled with remapping you will have to install
the Intel RST driver during OS installation to see the drive (see the BIOS section in 4.2.2).
o If your system does not have Intel® RST Enabled currently and you still do not see the drive
during Windows OS installation, it is suggested to contact your board/system manufacturer for
the proper BIOS settings to enable support for NVMe drives.
4. Boot the Windows operating system using the Intel® SSD.
5. At this time we recommended installing the Client NVMe Microsoft Windows Driver for Intel® SSDs
available here: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27396/Client-NVMe-Microsoft-Windows-
Drivers-for-Intel-SSDs?v=t
Windows 7
For the Windows 7 OS, support for SSDs that utilize the PCIe with NVMe interface was added at a later time, as a
Windows Update.
As a result, the Windows 7 installation media will not detect the SSD. During installation an NVMe driver must be
added in order for the OS to detect the drive properly.
First you must ensure that your BIOS is configured to CSM Enabled with UEFI (Section 3), support for Storage
devices, you will load.
After this you must determine which Intel driver with support for NVMe devices best suits your needs.
Method 1: Client NVMe* Microsoft Windows* Drivers for Intel® SSDs
Method 2: Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST)
4.2.1 Method 1: Windows 7* Installation with the Client NVMe* Microsoft
Windows* Drivers for Intel® SSDs
1. Inject the USB 3.0 drivers into the Windows 7* installation image files on the installation media as
described in Section 4.2.3
2. Download the Client NVMe* Microsoft Windows* Drivers for Intel® SSDs and place on the Windows 7*
installation media, or other USB drive.
3. Boot from the Windows 7* installation media (Making sure to have the UEFI Boot media as Priority 1 in
the System BIOS)
Note: You will not be able to see the SSD in the drive list. This is because Windows does not have the
required drivers.
Installation Guide January 2018
8 337025-001US
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
4. Click Load driver
5. Browse to the driver you copied to the separate media
6. Select the appropriate driver and click Next
The Intel® SSD 7 Series drive should now be listed as an installation target
7. Continue with the installation
4.2.2 Method 2: Windows 7* Installation with the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology
(Intel® RST) Driver
This installation requires the Intel® 6th Generation platform and newer with the PCIe* storage remapping
option.
Note: If your platform does not meet all requirements for this method, use the Client NVMe* Microsoft Windows*
drivers for Intel® SSDs as described in Section 4.2.1.
4.2.2.1 Requirements for the Intel® RST Driver Installation
Windows* 7 SP1 x64.iso
Use the current Windows 7 ISO downloaded image or install files from original installation DVD.
Attain a tool to zip and unzip files.
7-Zip* tool link located at http://www.7-zip.org
Intel® RST F6 Drivers for your platform downloaded and placed on USB media for use during OS installation
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/55005/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-
USB Drivers
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/65855/Intel-USB-3-0-eXtensible- Host- Controller-Driver
4.2.2.2 BIOS Setup
Intel® RST requires the PCIe storage remapping option. It is limited to the Intel 6th Generation platform and newer,
so be sure to check with your motherboard vendor or user manual before applying this method. Changing ports
with RST PCIe storage remapping option will allow NVMe to be properly utilized. You will get boot ability after the
ports are properly remapped.
Figure 2 shows the UEFI BIOS advanced settings’ additional options that are specific to the Intel RST platform. By
toggling the RAID support controls, it diverts control of the connected device over to RST.
Figure 2: Intel® RST BIOS: Advanced Example
January 2018 Installation Guide
337025-001US 9
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
In Figure 3, the Intel boot settings are selected to have UEFI driver first. This is important for booting the Intel SSD
as your primary bootable device.
Figure 3: Intel® RST BIOS: UEFI Boot
4.2.2.3 Installation
1. Inject the USB Driver in the Windows 7 ISO image. For more
information, see USB 3.0 Driver Inject.
2. To boot to the Windows installer, use the Windows ISO via either of these methods:
USB install key and copy Windows DVD installer files, or
The DVD installer media.
After the Windows installer boots, you will be prompted to locate additional drivers.
3. Browse to your USB flash drive or optical drive with Intel RST F6 drivers on it.
After the driver is installed, the SSD should show as a drive option to install Windows.
4. Install Windows as normal and update all drivers with motherboard disk, or download from vendor’s site.
4.2.3 USB 3.0 Driver Inject
Note: USB 3.0 drivers are backward compatible with USB 2.0.
Intel recommends using the DISM commands within the Command Prompt
For the GUI method, you can use applications such as Intel’s Windows 7* USB 3.0 Creator Utility:
(https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25476/Windows-7-USB-3-0-Creator-Utility?product=89190)
Using the DISM commands, the provided USB drivers must be injected into the windows 7 ISO image. The following
steps are vital in order to see the NVMe driver directories on the USB install key.
1. Create a temporary working directory, such as C:\Win7USB
2. In your working directory, create two sub-directories called “USBDriver” and “Mount”
3. Extract your USB driver files into your “USBDriver” subdirectory
4. From your Windows 7 install key , copy the ”install.wim” and “boot.wim” files from the “sources” directory on
your install key to the working directory C:\Win7USB.
5. Open a command prompt as administrator, and change to your working directory.
For Example: cd C:\Win7USB
Installation Guide January 2018
10 337025-001US
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
6. Based on the version of Windows 7 you have available, determine which index number to modify.
Choose the index that matches the Windows 7 version you have. To determine the index, run the following
command:
dism /get-wiminfo /wimfile:install.wim
To modify “boot.wim” after modifying “install.wim” run the following command and follow subsequent
steps:
dism /get-wiminfo /wimfile:boot.wim
Using index 3 for this example:
7. Modify the “install.wim” file by running these commands:
dism /mount-wim /wimfile:install.wim /index:3 /mountdir:mount
dism /image:mount /add-package: [Path of the USBDriver files] i.e C:\Win7USB\USBDriver
dism /get-packages /image:mount
dism /unmount-wim /mountdir:mount /commit
8. Modify the “boot.wim” file by running these commands
dism /mount-wim /wimfile:boot.wim /index:3 /mountdir:mount
dism /image:mount /add-driver:C:\Win7USB\USB3 /recurse
dism /get-drivers /image:mount
dism /unmount-wim /mountdir:mount /commit
9. Now take your updated “install.wim” and “boot.wim” in the working directory and copy it back to the
“sources” directory on your install key.
Note: If you are unable to see the drive directory on the USB key install after injecting the USB drivers into the
windows 7 ISO image via DISM commands, please consult your motherboard manufacturer to obtain the
necessary USB drivers and perform the injection process with the appropriate USB drivers.
§
January 2018 Installation Guide
337025-001US 11
Intel® Optane™ Solid State Drive 760p and Pro 7600p Series
5 Installation System Confirmation
After the drive boots on its own, then it is confirmed that the drive will boot as a bootable medium.
For further management, SSD utility software tools are provided.
Intel® SSD Toolbox
The Intel® Solid State Drive Toolbox (Intel® SSD Toolbox) is drive management software that allows you to
view current drive information for Intel® Solid State Drives (Intel® SSDs). The tool can be used to assess the
drive health, update the firmware, check SMART attributes, and more.
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/27130?v=t
CrystalDiskInfo*
CrystalDiskInfo is a software tool for SSDs that provides a complete report of SMART data, as well as a
current temperature and health status. This tool can also be utilized to gather basic information such as
buffer size, firmware, and serial numbers. More advanced options such as command time out, end-to-end
error reads, and relocation event count can be utilized for determining drive endurance and enabling
analysis over the life of the drive.
https://crystalmark.info/?lang=en
CrystalDiskMark*
CrystalDiskMark is a benchmark software tool that allows you to measure sequential reads/writes as well
as other benchmarking options for further management. This tool is useful because it allows you check if
your drive is running at optimal levels, displaying the results in a user-friendly graph interface, and refers
to common benchmarking figures such as MB/s and IOPS. This is an essential tool for testing key features,
such as read/write speeds for large files up to 512KB and requires minimal configuration.
https://crystalmark.info/?lang=en
§
Installation Guide January 2018
12 337025-001US
Loading...