Table of Contents
Introduction
All new Dell computers natively support a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)/GUID Partition Table (GPT) based image. UEFI offers increased speed, performance, and added security with Microsoft operating systems.
Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) drives also represent a technology leap forward over traditional platter-based drives. Windows 11 and Windows 10 natively support the UEFI standard and ship from the factory in UEFI mode.
NOTE: You may hear these drives referred to as M.2 drives, and while technically correct, it is a bit of a misnomer. All NVMe drives use the M.2 form factor, but not all M.2 SSDs use NVMe technology. M.2 is simply the form factor.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is NVMe?
- Should I use NVMe drives with MBR?
- Must I do anything for my NVMe drives to work with my Windows 11 or Windows 10 image?
- What is UEFI?
- What is the difference between MBR and GPT?
- Which imaging technologies support UEFI?
- What is the difference between Legacy BIOS and UEFI?
- How are GPT and UEFI associated?
- Is MBR the same as Legacy BIOS?
- How do I switch my Dell computer from Legacy Mode to UEFI?
- Q: What is NVMe?
A: Non-Volatile Memory express (NVMe) is a communications interface/protocol developed specially for solid state drives (SSD). Previously, solid state drives used hard drive controller interfaces (SATA, SAS, so forth…) that were designed for spinning hard disk drives. NVMe (Based on the PCI Express data bus) standardizes the interface for SSDs requiring only one driver for all drives using this specification. (Similar to USB devices)
- Q: Should I use NVMe drives with MBR?
A: No, Dell Technologies recommends NVMe drives be configured using UEFI and GPT for optimal performance, security, and reliability.
- Q: Must I do anything for my NVMe drives to work with my Windows 11 or Windows 10 image?
A: Perhaps - Depending on how your image was prepared and the source operating system that is used, you may need to inject NVMe drivers into your Windows 11 or Windows 10 image.
- Q: What is UEFI?
A: UEFI Is a version of the computer setup that replaces traditional Legacy BIOS. UEFI is a technology specification that is managed by The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface Forum or (UEFI Forum) an alliance of multiple technology companies working to modernize the computer booting process.
Advantages of UEFI included the following:
- The ability to boot to disks in greater than 2 TB using GUID Partitions (GPT)
- The computer architecture is not dependent on the Central Processing Unit (CPU) design
- Greater flexibility in the pre-Operating System environment, including network capability
- Modular design
- Drivers are not dependent on the Central Processing Unit (CPU) design.
- UEFI is a replacement technology for the Basic Input and Output System (BIOS)
- Secure Boot: A security technology to help prevent virus/malware attacks at the system board level.
- Q: What is the difference between MBR and GPT?
A: MBR stands for Master Boot Record. MBR dates to the start of personal computing in 1983 MBR uses a special boot sector on the drive containing a boot loader for the operating system. MBR's largest limitations are a maximum of primary partitions (4) and a limitation of 2-Terabyte disk size. MBR stores the boot and partitioning information in the dedicated boot sector providing a failure point and limiting disaster recovery.
GPT stands for GUID Partition Table. It is called GUID Partition Table because every partition on your drive has a "globally unique identifier," or GUID—a random set of characters allowing GPT partitions their own unique identifier (GUID Format 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000). On modern drives, the drive size limits 8 Zebibyte (ZiB) GPT stores multiple copies of the boot and partition data across the drive-providing redundancy and better disaster recovery.
- Q: Which imaging technologies support UEFI?
A: Dell Technologies recommends Dell ImageAssist (Dell’s cross-platform imaging technology), Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2012, 2012 R2, 2016 or newer and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) as the recommended imaging technologies for UEFI-based computers.
- Q: What is the difference between Legacy BIOS and UEFI?
A: Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a replacement technology for the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). Legacy BIOS has limitations that do not allow for optimal performance of new technologies and will likely no be longer supported soon as newer technologies are more incompatible with this older technology.
- Q: How are GPT and UEFI associated?
A:UEFI does not boot to MBR partitions without specific Legacy ROM support available in some Dell computer UEFI setups. UEFI is designed for GPT partitions. Secure Boot will not function with an MBR partition.
- Q: Is MBR the same as Legacy BIOS?
A: MBR refers to the Master Boot Record partitions of a hard drive. Legacy BIOS refers to computer setup designs prior to UEFI. Both Legacy BIOS and UEFI allow you to configure the computer options in the firmware of the motherboard. UEFI is intended to be used with the GPT partition type, but can be configured to use MBR on computers designed with Legacy BIOS support, but there are functional limitations and performance limitations that are associated with this legacy support.
- Q: How do I switch my Dell system from Legacy Mode to UEFI?
A: Dell computers that support Legacy BIOS in computer setup have an option to switch from UEFI to Legacy modes.
NOTE: Switching a computer from UEFI to Legacy or Legacy to UEFI will render the computer unbootable, requiring the computer to have the operating system that is either reinstalled or reimaged.
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Glossary
- UEFI - Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, System Setup interface that replaces BIOS (Basic Input and Output System) used for computer configuration.
- NVMe - Non-Volatile Memory express, a new technology that uses the PCI-Express bus for SSD operations, which is considerably faster than SATA technology.
- PCI Express - A high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard, which is designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards
- SATA - Serial ATA (abbreviated from Serial AT Attachment) is a computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid state drives.
- SAS - Serial-attached Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), a computer bus interface using SATA devices and the speed of the SCSI host controller.
- MBR - Master Boot Record
- GPT - GUID Partition Table
- GUID - Globally Unique Identifier
- ZiB - Zebibyte (1 zebibyte = 270 bytes = 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424bytes = 1024 exbibytes)
- SCCM - System Center Configuration Manager (Microsoft)
- MDT - Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
- Legacy ROM - (Legacy Read-Only Memory) enables older boot device options when computers are configured for UEFI (Shows boot options other than EFI enabled boot drives.)
- Firmware - permanent software programmed into a read-only memory
- Thunderbolt 3 - Thunderbolt 3 is a hardware interface that uses the USB Type-C connector. Thunderbolt combines PCI Express (PCIe) and DisplayPort (DP) into one serial signal, and also provides DC power, all in one cable. Up to six devices may be supported by one Thunderbolt 3 connection.
- DisplayPort (DP) - A digital display interface primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as an LCD Display. DisplayPort connections can also be used to carry audio, USB, and other forms of data over a single connection.
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