SATA RAID [1-4] Forces IDE [5-6]

[RangerXP]

** UPDATE : I have resolved this issue under a new thread - AHCI/IDE to RAID and back - No Reinstall - Concept Guide
**


I have been reading that the SB950 does not support RAID and AHCI configurations, like the 850 and 750 both supported. I was under the impression that I could have RAID support for SATA ports 1-4 and AHCI for ports 5-6.. instead I get IDE.

Is there a solution to make this happen, or should I just go back to my external controller.. seems like the performance hit imposed by the IDE interface is much too high to warrent a backup set of disks on RAID.

I currently flashed to BIOS 1102 with http://www.overclock.net/t/1225514/dl-c5f-bios-1102-with-updated-raid-rom-latest-raid-driver to get the RAID support and caching improvements - but I was secretly hoping the ROM mod would have resolved this.

Formatting out 1500GB at RAID 5 still takes forever though - doh!

[luminol]

Hi all I am having the same problem it appears many of you have had as well. I'm having a bit of trouble deciphering all the
instructions people have offered so far though. Basically I need help setting up the following.

1 SSD on port 5 or 6 as OS drive.

2 HDD on port 1 2 3 or 4 as a raid 0 array.

windows 7 64

I do need the reg mod also please.

I had already installed windows 7 64 on the SSD when I discovered this quirk. I need the SSD to operate in AHCI and the raid 0 array in raid in bios. Also I have never done any reg editing and would appreciate some help with that. Do I need to do it through cmd prompt or through start regedit and then navigate to ahci?

Thanks in advance to anyone who will help.

[moonfire711]

Almost same issue, but not sure what I'm doing wrong.

ASUS Crosshair IV Formula

Currently running three 1TB hdd in raid5 which contain my OS and data.

I bought a samsung 840 250GB SSD with the plan to put my OS (new install of windows 7 x64) on the SSD while keeping a raid0 or raid5 of my three 1TB drives for data.

Current issues:
When I set the SATA controller to AHCI with only SSD connected, windows 7 install sees the SSD just fine and I partitioned the unallocated space, but didn't install windows as I need the BIOS set to RAID to handle my other HDD RAID array later.

I set my SATA controller to RAID for all 1-4 and 5-6 SATA ports. Ports 1-3 contain my three HDD and port 4 is the SSD.
My bios sees the SSD and I went into the RAID controller and set the SSD to RAID READY.

*My current install of windows 7 on the raid5 array can't see the SSD. It's not in Disk Management (administrative tools) at all.

I removed the raid5 array by unplugging SATA cables and only connected SSD, booted from a fresh copy of windows7 install disk with service pack 1 integrated and loaded raid drivers, but windows 7 install still can't see SSD. Windows 7 install can only see SSD when the SATA controller is set to AHCI.

Final question:
How do I get my SATA controller in the BIOS set to RAID instead of AHCI and still install my OS and programs to a single SSD and have the ability to use a RAID array for data storage?

I don't want to install the OS while bios is set to AHCI as I don't want to lose the ability to use raid, nor do I want to have to hack the registry to switch to raid later (who knows if that will work with this drive).

[Mummy]

You are right! When ports 1 - 4 are set to RAID, you cannot change the setting for port 5 and 6
But even when its in RAID you can use any number of Single Drives. They will function normally under the RAID setting. Just as shown in my pictures!!

It doesn't matter if RAID is on and there are NON-RAID drivers pressent!!

++ Thumps up!
...Therefore there is no need for setting "AHCI" to show up, when there is RAID in use.

[RangerXP]

Would it be a true statement to say that this configuration only works with a RAID boot volume? I want to make an AHCI SSD the boot volume on Port 1 or 5, and still run all the ports as RAID. Reading the comments above it sounds like I could just enable RAID all around and it would support the AHCI volume - but that didn't work on my AHCI installed OS.

Should I reattempt to make the SSD a single volume non-member RAID0 drive? No NCQ or TRIM support right - but is the performance still going to be there? Thanks for the continued support in this thread.

[HiVizMan]

RangerXP wrote:
Would it be a true statement to say that this configuration only works with a RAID boot volume? I want to make an AHCI SSD the boot volume on Port 1 or 5, and still run all the ports as RAID. Reading the comments above it sounds like I could just enable RAID all around and it would support the AHCI volume - but that didn't work on my AHCI installed OS.

Should I reattempt to make the SSD a single volume non-member RAID0 drive? No NCQ or TRIM support right - but is the performance still going to be there? Thanks for the continued support in this thread.

Ranger I currently have my 24/7 system set up in BIOS as RAID. Yet my OS is on a single SSD - the other drives are RAIDED.

[Henkenator68NL]

RangerXP wrote:
Would it be a true statement to say that this configuration only works with a RAID boot volume? I want to make an AHCI SSD the boot volume on Port 1 or 5, and still run all the ports as RAID. Reading the comments above it sounds like I could just enable RAID all around and it would support the AHCI volume - but that didn't work on my AHCI installed OS.

Should I reattempt to make the SSD a single volume non-member RAID0 drive? No NCQ or TRIM support right - but is the performance still going to be there? Thanks for the continued support in this thread.

This has no influence at all at any single disk (= not part of any RAID Array)

See this screenprint from RAIDXpert (I know you have intel but is easy to show)

[Mummy]

Your SATA settings dont have anything to do with where you can boot your system up. You can use allmost anything, i think even those PCI-E SSD would work, but im not sure for that.

Reason why your OS didnt work may be that your os boot files where in wrong place. I hear that if you have old Windows like Vista and you want to update on newer windows 7 in different HDD you actually need to remove your old HDD to do so. Because Windows 7 installation sees old boot files on old HDD it then will instal the boot files in it and rest of files to new HDD or SSD. what that means is that when you try to boot from new HDD or SSD nothing will happend and so you need to chose the old HDD and it will start...


Shortly install your OS when your SATA settings is RAID(or AHCI) and your SSD isnt in any RAID array. When you install it make sure you dont have any other SSD or HDD in your case. When you are done you should have SSD that is bootable in AHCI and RAID mode(without being in any RAID array).


Edit: Im not sure will TRIM work on AHCI drivers under RAID mode on AMD chisets, but when i used Intel there where atleast talking it to become in with some update.

New SSD's have theyr own protection that should work well you can ask/look it up from your SSD makers site/forum.

[luminol]

I've tried all these fixes and from what I have encountered I am pretty sure the problem has to do with using the SSD as an OS drive while a raid array is in use for what ever reason. There are 2 solutions 1 is to plug your OS SSD into the asmedia sata port. It will run slower though. Or run a registry hack to change ports 5-6 from raid to ahcii. I don't know the reg mod so I had no choice but to use the asmedia controller and if you can do it the other way I would suggest that fix.

[Mummy]

Hmm.. i dont see the issue, but i have ordered one 840PRO 256gb to my OS drive and i see, but some how i dont think i have any prblem with it even if all ports are set to RAID and my storage is on RAID 0.

[HiVizMan]

As I said earlier in the thread there is no problem if you have your SATA mode set to RAID and the OS hard drive is a single drive.

If you are doing a virgin OS install my advice is to do the install without any other hard drives present (in RAID sata mode) as Windows is not too discriminate as to where it puts the boot files.