Threadripper NVMe RAID - Is a BIOS update required?

[RaskTreve]

AMD recently released windows drivers to support MVMe RAID arrays on Threadripper. They state that a motherboard bios update may be required first. So I have been watching for an ASUS download but nothing has been posted to date since mid August for the ROG Zenith Extreme.

Some threads appear to indicate that the RAID settings will magically appear if you set the right combination of UEFI boot settings. Can someone confirm if that is the case, or if we are waiting for a bios update from ASUS?

[vsimone67]

RaskTreve wrote:
AMD recently released windows drivers to support MVMe RAID arrays on Threadripper. They state that a motherboard bios update may be required first. So I have been watching for an ASUS download but nothing has been posted to date since mid August for the ROG Zenith Extreme.

Some threads appear to indicate that the RAID settings will magically appear if you set the right combination of UEFI boot settings. Can someone confirm if that is the case, or if we are waiting for a bios update from ASUS?

I am using 0801 for my NVMe RAID after you turn on the NVMe raid option you also need to do the following:

"To enable RAID Expert in the BIOS you have to enable CSM mode in Advanced/Boot .
Then you have to make sure all the options below are set to UEFI Only, save settings then reboot back into bios.

Then you should see RAID expert at the bottom of the Advanced menu."

[RaskTreve]

vsimone67 wrote:
I am using 0801 for my NVMe RAID after you turn on the NVMe raid option you also need to do the following:

"To enable RAID Expert in the BIOS you have to enable CSM mode in Advanced/Boot .
Then you have to make sure all the options below are set to UEFI Only, save settings then reboot back into bios.

Then you should see RAID expert at the bottom of the Advanced menu."

Thank you for your reply, vsimone67.
Unfortunately, I have still not been able to get the RaidExpert options to appear at the bottom of the Advanced menu.

In the boot menu I set the following:
Launch CSM: Enabled
Boot Device Control: UEFI Only
Boot from Network Devices: UEFI Driver First*
Boot from Storage Devices: UEFI Driver First*
Boot from PCI-E Expansion Devices: UEFI Driver First*

*This was the only UEFI setting available

Even after setting the above and rebooting a couple times, the RAIDExpert does not appear anywhere in the Advanced tab. I tried changing the Sata Configuration from AHCI to RAID but that did not cause any additional settings to appear either.

Anyone have any ideas?

[vsimone67]

RaskTreve wrote:
Thank you for your reply, vsimone67.
Unfortunately, I have still not been able to get the RaidExpert options to appear at the bottom of the Advanced menu.

In the boot menu I set the following:
Launch CSM: Enabled
Boot Device Control: UEFI Only
Boot from Network Devices: UEFI Driver First*
Boot from Storage Devices: UEFI Driver First*
Boot from PCI-E Expansion Devices: UEFI Driver First*

*This was the only UEFI setting available

Even after setting the above and rebooting a couple times, the RAIDExpert does not appear anywhere in the Advanced tab. I tried changing the Sata Configuration from AHCI to RAID but that did not cause any additional settings to appear either.

Anyone have any ideas?

Did you go to in the AMD PBS and turn NVMe RAID on?

[RaskTreve]

vsimone67 wrote:
Did you go to in the AMD PBS and turn NVMe RAID on?

Enabled Enumerate all IOMMU in IVRS under Advanced \AMD PBS and now the RaidXpert Configuration appears.

However, nowhere in the raid configuration can I get the MVMe drives to appear so that I can create an array! Thoughts? *

[vsimone67]

RaskTreve wrote:
Enabled Enumerate all IOMMU in IVRS under Advanced \AMD PBS and now the RaidXpert Configuration appears.

However, nowhere in the raid configuration can I get the MVMe drives to appear so that I can create an array! Thoughts? *

What BIOS version are you using? You should be using 0801 and did you enable NVMe RIAD on AMD PBS?

[RaskTreve]

vsimone67 wrote:
What BIOS version are you using? You should be using 0801 and did you enable NVMe RIAD on AMD PBS?

Thanks vsimone67, I hadn't realized that you were referencing BIOS version. I updated the BIS to 0801, and was able to configure the raid. I installed the drivers on the windows install and everything seemed to go well. I think it took less than 5 minutes for Windows to complete installation, that thing is fast!

Now the bad news. The system was totally unstable. It failed while installing Nvidia drivers. All kinds of strange problems, and wouldn't even reboot from within windows. On hard reboot the bios said the raid status was failed. I broke apart array to try to recreate it, but now the bios only sees one of the nvme drives. 😞

I suppose I can try reflashing the bios to see if that helps. I will also try swapping out the NVME and seeing if windows can see the one that is invisible to the raid configurator.

Sigh... it was going to be so good!

[vsimone67]

RaskTreve wrote:
Thanks vsimone67, I hadn't realized that you were referencing BIOS version. I updated the BIS to 0801, and was able to configure the raid. I installed the drivers on the windows install and everything seemed to go well. I think it took less than 5 minutes for Windows to complete installation, that thing is fast!

Now the bad news. The system was totally unstable. It failed while installing Nvidia drivers. All kinds of strange problems, and wouldn't even reboot from within windows. On hard reboot the bios said the raid status was failed. I broke apart array to try to recreate it, but now the bios only sees one of the nvme drives. 😞

I suppose I can try reflashing the bios to see if that helps. I will also try swapping out the NVME and seeing if windows can see the one that is invisible to the raid configurator.

Sigh... it was going to be so good!

I wonder if one of your NVMe drives failed, I am using 3 960 EVO's

[RaskTreve]

I booted windows from another drive, and ran Samsung Magician. It was able to see the "invisible" NVMe drive, made the drive visible to Disk Manager, and allowed me to remove a "non-windows" volume. After this I was able to rebuild the array and everything seems stable. I really appreciate vsimone67's tips along the way. I hope to write a guide for others trying to do this, but for now here are a few of my lessons learned:

Preparation: Prepare a windows boot media USB drive, and a USB for drivers. Put AMD's NVMe drivers on the USB for drivers. It will also help if you unplug any other hard drives from sata ports so you don't have to filter through them at each step.

1. At the time of writing, you need bios version 0801.
2. Know that just as windows needs to be rebooted after changing certain settings, so does your BIOS.
3. In the boot tab:

• Launch CSM: Enabled
  
• Boot Device Control: UEFI Only
  
• Boot from Network Devices: UEFI Driver First*
  
• Boot from Storage Devices: UEFI Driver First*
  
• Boot from PCI-E Expansion Devices: UEFI Driver First*
  

4. Reboot
5. In the advanced tab do NOT set SATA to RAID. Leave it ACHI
6. In the advanced tab find the AMD PBS setting and change it to RAID
7. Reboot
8. In the advanced tab you should see the RAIDXpert Raid Configuration option now. I can't give you exact steps for this, but you may need to delete any arrays, and maybe initialize physical disks before you can create the array. Once you have created your array, move to the next step.
9. Reboot
10. Boot from windows USB and begin installation.
11. On the installation screen where you choose your boot drive, you won't see the array yet. Click on Load Drivers and navigate to your drivers USB. You will have to load 3 drivers individually one after the other. rcbottom.inf, rcraid.inf, and rcnfg.inf (spelling?)
12. Now you should see the raid array. Install windows on the array.
13. Once you have windows up and running, I would be cautious about installing any other chipset or raid drivers if you don't have to, until such time as ASUS formally releases and certifies these all work together.

I hope this helps anyone finding this thread, I almost gave up but am very happy with this crazy fast drive!

Good Luck!

[RaskTreve]

I booted windows from another drive, and ran Samsung Magician. It was able to see the "invisible" NVMe drive, made the drive visible to Disk Manager, and allowed me to remove a "non-windows" volume. After this I was able to rebuild the array and everything seems stable. I really appreciate vsimone67's tips along the way. I hope to write a guide for others trying to do this, but for now here are a few of my lessons learned:

Preparation: Prepare a windows boot media USB drive, and a USB for drivers. Put AMD's NVMe RAID drivers on the USB for drivers. It will also help if you unplug any other hard drives from sata ports so you don't have to filter through them at each step.

1. At the time of writing, you need bios version 0801.
2. Know that just as windows needs to be rebooted after changing certain settings, so does your BIOS.
3. In the boot tab:

• Launch CSM: Enabled
  
• Boot Device Control: UEFI Only
  
• Boot from Network Devices: UEFI Driver First*
  
• Boot from Storage Devices: UEFI Driver First*
  
• Boot from PCI-E Expansion Devices: UEFI Driver First*
  

4. Reboot
5. In the advanced tab do NOT set SATA to RAID. Leave it ACHI
6. In the advanced tab find the AMD PBS setting and change it to RAID
7. Reboot
8. In the advanced tab you should see the RAIDXpert Raid Configuration option now. I can't give you exact steps for this, but you may need to delete any arrays, and maybe initialize physical disks before you can create the array. Once you have created your array, move to the next step.
9. Reboot
10. Boot from windows USB and begin installation.
11. On the installation screen where you choose your boot drive, you won't see the array yet. Click on Load Drivers and navigate to your drivers USB. You will have to load 3 drivers individually one after the other. rcbottom.inf, rcraid.inf, and rcnfg.inf (spelling?)
12. Now you should see the raid array. Install windows on the array.
13. Once you have windows up and running, I would be cautious about installing any other chipset or raid drivers if you don't have to, until such time as ASUS formally releases and certifies these all work together.

I hope this helps anyone finding this thread, I almost gave up but am very happy with this crazy fast drive!

Good Luck!