In the next firmware update, can you add a feature where we can disable the NVME SSD? I normally like to remove the SSD that I’m not installing the OS.
Multiple reasons. For one, to keep from accidentally modifying the wrong drive. Another is to keep Windows from modifying the EFI partition of a different drive.
I personally like to install Linux to its own drive. Remove it, then install Windows in its own drive. Then put both back in. This way, I can keep the EFI boot partitions separate and use the firmware boot manager to choose which OS to boot.
That sounds like a useful idea. Given the FW16 's unusual location of SSD slots (stacked on top of each other), you’d have to remove the 2280 first in order to remove the 2230. Plus, you’d have to loosen all 16 screws of the midplate before you can do that.
Exactly! I didn’t think it would bother me but when you’re actually doing it, it’s a chore, lol. 16 screws and that connector… I felt like I was wearing it out!
I did record myself putting it together though. It was fun! Warning that it’s real time, lol. 1.5 hours from start t finish.
No matter how many times I read people having issues with memory and not posting due to long training times, I was worried when I was dealing with it! I kinda expected it, but as I was reseating memory like what others did to fix the issue, I have that kind of luck where I would be the first to have a real unsolvable issue, lol. At least not a quick fix. Thank goodness that wasn’t the case.
OMG, I stayed up until 5am… Woke up at 8a, started downloading my Steam and Blizzard games, fell asleep again at 3.
At least the laptop can boot without the mid plate so I can get access to the SSDs and use an external keyboard/mouse to do all the OS installs.
I installed Fedora 39 to the 2230 drive and Win 11 to the 2280 drive.
Surprised the CalDigit TS4 worked with two external monitors because I kept reading that AMD didn’t support multiple DP streams and the TS4 didn’t have an MST hub. But in Windows, it drove both my 1440p @ 165 Hz panel and my 1080p @ 75 Hz panel AND the internal display at native resolution @ 165 Hz … 3 total displays! No issues! At least in Windows.
In Fedora, the 1080p display was seen as an unknown display and could only do 640x480 @ 30 Hz. Basically unusable. Even if I disable the internal display, same thing.
I’m going to try to disable the 1440p display to see if that will get the 1080p display working fully. Still surprised to see all 3 some what working despite what I’ve read.
I almost was tempted to install Windows on my FW16. In the end, I installed KDE Neon on the 2230 SSD with /home as encrypted partition, mounted the 2280 SSD under /opt - and installed steam and Heroic game launcher. So are installed World war Z, The Witcher 3, God of War and Cyberpunk.
Having played all these games native under Windows, I still think they are more fluid under Linux. Probably because I can create a real game mode and disable all services that are not required at will.
Maybe it has to do with here being on a Ryzen + 64Gb Ram and 7700S versus a i7 8700K + 32Gb Ram and GTX 1080Ti. But we’ll see what that gives in the long run
I did what I planned and installed Windows on the 2280 Solidigm P44 Pro (TLC 2TB), then removed it and got Fedora 39 installed on my 2230 Micron 2400 (QLC 2TB), then put the 2280 drive back in. In that order, least amount of going back in and out.
As shown in the video, the laptop DOES boot without the input modules OR the mid plate, so it’s not so bad with an external keyboard and mouse. However, if I ever want to reinstall an OS, I don’t want to pull everything apart again just to do it (especially with the 16 screws on the mid plate - just ouch!).
So if we can just make an NVME SSD disappear as a BIOS setting, that would a be nice quality of life feature.
