My PC has an ASRock H510M-HDV/M.2 motherboard, a 256GB KLEVV C710 NVMe SSD that is about 4–5 years old, a 480GB KLEVV N400 SATA SSD that is around three years old, an Antec NeoECO 550W Bronze PSU, and a 1TB hard drive.
After several hours of use and about 40 minutes of playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, the computer froze. After waiting several minutes, I powered it off. On the next boot, it became stuck in the firmware screen and the NVMe drive was no longer detected. Turning off the PSU and reseating the drive did not immediately fix it.
A computer shop later managed to boot the system, but it froze again and Windows reported corruption. Another shop reinstalled Windows, although the first installation caused a BSOD before eventually working.
The drive-health results are confusing. CrystalDiskInfo reports the SATA SSD at 97% health, while Hard Disk Sentinel reports only 24% health, 40 bad sectors, and about 16TB written. The NVMe reports around 89% in both programs. Windows was installed on the NVMe, and it was the drive that disappeared after the crash.
I currently need at least roughly 512GB of reliable SSD storage for Windows and games. Should I continue using the NVMe and reserve the SATA SSD for games that can be downloaded again, replace both drives with a new 512GB-or-larger NVMe, or investigate the motherboard's M.2 slot first? Could a failing PSU or other electrical problem have damaged the drives? I'm away from home for a week, so I also want to know what testing and backups I should do before relying on this system again.
4 Answers
A bad M.2 connection or motherboard slot is possible, so testing the NVMe in another compatible computer or using another M.2 slot would help separate the drive from the board. However, the SATA SSD already has reported errors, and the intermittent NVMe detection is enough reason to make backups and avoid trusting either SSD. Replacing the drives is safer than replacing the motherboard without evidence.
The PSU cannot be ruled out completely, but a normal-looking PSU does not prove it is healthy. Don’t assume it damaged both drives based on this incident alone. First check Windows crash dumps and event logs, run the manufacturer’s diagnostics, and test with known-good storage. If the problem returns with a new drive, then investigate the motherboard, power connections, temperatures, and PSU more closely.
The SATA drive should not be trusted. Hard Disk Sentinel is not simply repeating the percentage shown by CrystalDiskInfo; it calculates its own health estimate from detected problems. Forty bad sectors is a serious warning even if CrystalDiskInfo still displays 97%, because that percentage is often mainly a wear indicator reported by the drive. Back up anything important from that SSD and plan to replace it.
The NVMe drive is also suspicious because it disappeared from the firmware after the crash. Reseat it carefully, check its temperature, inspect the connector and mounting screw, and look for a firmware update from the manufacturer. If it disappears again, treat it as failing and replace it rather than continuing to use it for Windows.
That makes sense. I was assuming the matching 89% readings meant the NVMe was healthy, but I didn’t realize NVMe health data could be limited.
Before doing more testing, copy important files elsewhere. A drive that vanishes during operation can fail without warning, and reinstalling Windows does not make the hardware reliable again.