Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 PH-72 doesn't show 2nd nvme and causes Slow Boot

deanprananda · January 4

Hello, Everyone. I have a question.

My Specs:

Intel Core i7-14700hq

16GB RAM

Disk 0 (C:): Samsung

Disk 1 (D:): Teamgroup

My secondary NVMe D: which is teamgroup doesn't show up causing slow boot (taking almost 1-2 minutes) when turned on again. How to fix without replacing NVMe?

brummyfan2 · January 4

Hi,

Could you please go to Disk Management (right click start and select Disk Management), post the picture of the bottom half of DM, like mine.

deanprananda · January 4

brummyfan2

Jan 4, 2025

Hi,
Could you please go to Disk Management (right click start and select Disk Management), post the picture of the bottom half of DM, like mine.
https://us.v-cdn.net/6029997/uploads/T9JNE3ES2S7D/screenshot-2025-01-04-170247.jpg

Here the further details of my Disk Management and also Disk 1 doesn't appear in My Disk Management which causes my laptop slow boot and the Disk 1 doesn't appear in my BIOS even my Disk 1 undetectable

. Disk 1 is for D: which i stored my important data and old files.

brummyfan2 · January 5

Did you use it another PC/Laptop? Have you tried using it in an enclosure connecting to this new laptop externally? Also try reinserting the SSD properly, sometimes, reinstalling resolves the problem.

deanprananda · January 5

brummyfan2

Jan 5, 2025

Did you use it another PC/Laptop? Have you tried using it in an enclosure connecting to this new laptop externally? Also try reinserting the SSD properly, sometimes, reinstalling resolves the problem.

If i disabled VMD, it causes BSOD Inaccesible Boot although the second nvme appears in BIOS but it doesn't appear in Windows. My C: drive is now Intel RST which unable to detect second NVMe.

deanprananda · January 5

Jackykamal

Jan 5, 2025

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/718743/acer-predator-helios-neo-16-ph-72-doesnt-show-2nd-nvme-and-causes-slow-boot
Hello!
It sounds like you're experiencing an issue with your secondary NVMe drive (D:) not being recognized, which is causing slow boot times. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue without replacing the NVMe drive:
Check BIOS/UEFI Settings:
Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing F2, Delete, or Esc during boot).
Look for the storage configuration settings and ensure that the Teamgroup NVMe drive is detected. If it’s not showing up, there may be a connection issue or the drive may need to be reseated.
Reseat the NVMe Drive:
Power off your laptop and disconnect it from the power source.
Open the laptop case (if you're comfortable doing so) and carefully remove the NVMe drive. Then, reinsert it to ensure a good connection.
Update Drivers:
Make sure that your storage drivers and chipset drivers are up to date. You can do this through the Device Manager:
Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager.
Expand the Disk drives section and check for any warning signs on your drives.
Right-click on your drives and select Update driver.
Check Disk Management:
Right-click on the Start menu and select Disk Management.
See if the Teamgroup drive appears there. If it does but is unallocated or offline, you may need to initialize or format it. Be cautious, as formatting will erase data on the drive.
Run a Disk Check:
Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following command to check for errors:
chkdsk D: /f
This will check the D: drive for errors and attempt to fix them.
Disable Fast Startup:
Sometimes, Fast Startup can cause issues with secondary drives. To disable it:
Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
Uncheck Turn on fast startup and save changes.
Check for Firmware Updates:
Visit the Teamgroup website to see if there are any firmware updates available for your NVMe drive. Updating the firmware can sometimes resolve compatibility issues.
Test the Drive on Another System:
If possible, test the Teamgroup NVMe drive in another computer to see if it is recognized there. This can help determine if the issue is with the drive itself or your laptop.
If none of these steps resolve the issue, it may be worth considering professional diagnostics to determine if there is a hardware fault with the NVMe drive or the motherboard.
As per @deanprananda I Agree Point

Jackykamal

Jan 5, 2025

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/718743/acer-predator-helios-neo-16-ph-72-doesnt-show-2nd-nvme-and-causes-slow-boot
Hello!
It sounds like you're experiencing an issue with your secondary NVMe drive (D:) not being recognized, which is causing slow boot times. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue without replacing the NVMe drive:
Check BIOS/UEFI Settings:
Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI settings (usually by pressing F2, Delete, or Esc during boot).
Look for the storage configuration settings and ensure that the Teamgroup NVMe drive is detected. If it’s not showing up, there may be a connection issue or the drive may need to be reseated.
Reseat the NVMe Drive:
Power off your laptop and disconnect it from the power source.
Open the laptop case (if you're comfortable doing so) and carefully remove the NVMe drive. Then, reinsert it to ensure a good connection.
Update Drivers:
Make sure that your storage drivers and chipset drivers are up to date. You can do this through the Device Manager:
Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager.
Expand the Disk drives section and check for any warning signs on your drives.
Right-click on your drives and select Update driver.
Check Disk Management:
Right-click on the Start menu and select Disk Management.
See if the Teamgroup drive appears there. If it does but is unallocated or offline, you may need to initialize or format it. Be cautious, as formatting will erase data on the drive.
Run a Disk Check:
Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following command to check for errors:
chkdsk D: /f
This will check the D: drive for errors and attempt to fix them.
Disable Fast Startup:
Sometimes, Fast Startup can cause issues with secondary drives. To disable it:
Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
Uncheck Turn on fast startup and save changes.
Check for Firmware Updates:
Visit the Teamgroup website to see if there are any firmware updates available for your NVMe drive. Updating the firmware can sometimes resolve compatibility issues.
Test the Drive on Another System:
If possible, test the Teamgroup NVMe drive in another computer to see if it is recognized there. This can help determine if the issue is with the drive itself or your laptop.
If none of these steps resolve the issue, it may be worth considering professional diagnostics to determine if there is a hardware fault with the NVMe drive or the motherboard.
As per @deanprananda I Agree Point

The Problem is:

If i disabled VMD, it causes BSOD Inaccessible Boot although the second nvme appears in BIOS but it doesn't appear in Windows. My C: drive is now Intel RST which my primary NVMe (Samsung) became NVMe drive but my Teamgroup (secondary NVMe for D:) unable to detect second NVMe.

I bought the laptop on September 19th, 2024 and it almost 4 months. The problem was when i was played a game with many mods (Cities Skylines) then c: drive automatically become RST despite previously no RST NVMe appeared in BIOS.

brummyfan2 · January 5

deanprananda

Jan 5, 2025

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1318368#Comment_1318368
https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1318368#Comment_1318368
The Problem is:
If i disabled VMD, it causes BSOD Inaccessible Boot although the second nvme appears in BIOS but it doesn't appear in Windows. My C: drive is now Intel RST which my primary NVMe (Samsung) became NVMe drive but my Teamgroup (secondary NVMe for D:) unable to detect second NVMe.
I bought the laptop on September 19th, 2024 and it almost 4 months. The problem was when i was played a game with many mods (Cities Skylines) then c: drive automatically become RST despite previously no RST NVMe appeared in BIOS.

Could you please check in BIOS whether you have IRST or AHCI for SATA mode.

deanprananda · January 5

brummyfan2

Jan 5, 2025

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1318371#Comment_1318371
Could you please check in BIOS whether you have IRST or AHCI for SATA mode.

IRST because VMD is enable despite it still slow boot even Fast Startup enabled. But if VMD is disabled, it would cause Inaccessible Boot Disk and BSOD which unbootable despite the second disk is appeared on BIOS but still undetected if IRST still on C: Disk. There is no way to boot without IRST or removing IRST-ed NVMe Drive (i mean non-IRST NVMe Disk)

deanprananda · January 6

brummyfan2

Jan 5, 2025

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1318371#Comment_1318371
Could you please check in BIOS whether you have IRST or AHCI for SATA mode.

According to IT technician that worked in Acer Service Center, it was Teamgroup NVMe was the main reason why it causes slow boot and undetected. After removing Teamgroup NVMe. Predator Helios become normal once again despite loses the D: Disk

brummyfan2 · January 6

deanprananda

Jan 6, 2025

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1318373#Comment_1318373
According to IT technician that worked in Acer Service Center, it was Teamgroup NVMe was the main reason why it causes slow boot and undetected. After removing Teamgroup NVMe. Predator Helios become normal once again despite loses the D: Disk

Thanks for posting the outcome 👍️

StevenGen · January 6

deanprananda

Jan 6, 2025

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1318373#Comment_1318373
According to IT technician that worked in Acer Service Center, it was Teamgroup NVMe was the main reason why it causes slow boot and undetected. After removing Teamgroup NVMe. Predator Helios become normal once again despite loses the D: Disk

These are the M.2 SSD Gen 4 x4 drives that Acer tested and recommends for the PHN16-72 below, I'm using the Samsung 990 Pro NVMe with the Heatsink option which can be used in SSD1 and SSD2 as a D drive in my PHN16-71 laptop (which has the exactly same size case and lid and internal space) and this drive works exceptionally quick and cool its optional and very efficient heatsink. Good luck and hope these drive suggestion will help you out further and only buy M.2 drives that Acer recommends

Drives listed and tested by Acer with the PHN16-72

If this answers your question and solved your query please "Click on Yes" or "Click on Like" if you find my answer useful👍

dww · January 20

It would be nice to have a detailed motherboard diagram detailing these drive and memory specifications making it easier for end users to make informed decisions which ultimately makes for less wasted time by tech services because your customers are better informed.

StevenGen · January 20

dww

Jan 20, 2025

It would be nice to have a detailed motherboard diagram detailing these drive and memory specifications making it easier for end users to make informed decisions which ultimately makes for less wasted time by tech services because your customers are better informed.

The block diagram of laptops really don't mean much to a normal user as they wouldn't be able to read them, and its not something that any manufacturer provides for their users, its specifies the ram and the M.2 SSD drives in these new high end laptops. manufacturers are very careful not to advice users on using any components that will shorten the durability and reliability of their Acer product(s), as that is what a responsible company does and that is what Acer is doing, so be aware of all this. good luck and hope this helps you out.

This is the PDF and highlighted ram and M.2 SSD drive section of the block diagram of the PHN16-71

PHN16-71 BLOCK DIAGRAM.pdf

Uploaded Jan 20, 2025176.92 KB

If this answers your question and solved your query please "Click on Yes" or "Click on Like" if you find my answer useful👍

dww · January 21

Thank you for your prompt response.

My mistake in not inquiring about differences in models at the same time.

I have the Predator PNH16-72-97V7 Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-14900HX 2.20 GHz, I imagine there are subtle differences within the model lines.

I am looking to determine best RAM and SSD upgrades on this new machine already. Currently ready to upgrade to 64 GB Ram and WD Black SN850 2TB

Cheers,

StevenGen · January 22

dww

Jan 21, 2025

Thank you for your prompt response.
My mistake in not inquiring about differences in models at the same time.
I have the Predator PNH16-72-97V7 Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-14900HX 2.20 GHz, I imagine there are subtle differences within the model lines.
I am looking to determine best RAM and SSD upgrades on this new machine already. Currently ready to upgrade to 64 GB Ram and WD Black SN850 2TB
Cheers,

The total 64GB ram will work, look at the Crucial Predator Helios Neo 16 PHN16 which recommends the 2x 32GB DDR5-5600 • CL=46 • Non-ECC • SODIMM • 262-pins • 1.1V • 2Rx8 based • PC5-44800, which will work 100% as will the WD Black SN850X 2TB M.2 drive. Btw, the 64GB 2x 32GB DDR5-4800mt/s CL40 Crucial ram has been working perfectly with my PNH16-71, don't worry about the last 4 digits as that is an Acer reference and makes no difference to compatibility of the ram. Good luck.