AHCI Drivers for Intel 510 120 GB SSD?

[DSchr2]

Background:

1) ASUS Crosshair V Formula motherboard

2) AMD 6-Core CPU

3) Intel 510 120 GB SSD set up on SATA Port # 1, all SATA Ports on AHCI

The ASUS AHCI drivers that come with the motherboard result in my being told that my Intel SSD is RAID Configured. It is not RAID Configured.

(Note: It must be the ASUS SATA drivers for the Crosshair V, as I do not have this problem on my Crosshair IV.) 

It is a single SSD for Win 7 64 bit and Programs.

What AHCI drivers are best, then, for a single 510 SSD?

Intel, MIcrosoft, ASUS - and which specifically?

Thanks!

[idata]

First, it's not really the ASUS AHCI driver... it's AMD's. Intel's storage drivers will not work on that controller.

In the BIOS, what SATA mode options are there? I'm not sure but AMD may consider AHCI and RAID to be the same since AMD single storage driver supports both. In any case, being in RAID configured should not affect performance.

Generally, you want to use the specific controller's driver (AMD in this case). I believe AMD drivers also support TRIM now as well.

[DSchr2]

"First, it's not really the ASUS AHCI driver... it's AMD's. Intel's storage drivers will not work on that controller."

Whoa! This world of controllers is like a shell game:

1) First, on the ASUS Crosshair IV Formula I was dealing with the dysfunctional JMicron Controller - which at Overclock.net we all decided to disable and not use that one extra SATA port.

2) Then, on the ASUS Crosshair V Formula (next iteration of the Formula) we had the AsMedia controller in lieu of the JMicron. Some thought and stated rather empahatically that AsMedia was a subsidiary of ASUS, which I know it is not.

One fellow said that he was using this AsMedia SATA Port (# 7) for his single SSD to avoid having it labeled as a RAID Configured SSD. Such Idiocy!

3) Then to avoid the RAID Configuration, which does disable some of the Intel Toolbox, I was told to use the Microsoft AHCI drivers.

4) Now you are saying that AMD Drivers are the "only game in town". Question: Why in Heaven's Name would AMD be calling the shots on an ASUS board when ASUS also makes Intel CPU motherboards as well?

5) While a simple check of the Win 7 Registry and via Command Line can confirm that TRIM is enable, prefetch and superfetch disabled, etc., how the heck is anyone really to know if TRIM is actually being carried out? I discipline myself to do things manually with the Intel Toolbox, for the same reasons that I look both ways when I cross a one-way street.

I am legitimately confused!

[idata]

It's very simple, you have an AMD CPU mother board, and that board will have an AMD chipset that supports that CPU. On your board, that is the 990FX chipset. On Intel CPU boards, there will be Intel chipsets. Intel chipset drivers will not work on AMD chipsets, and vice versa. Microsoft's msahci driver is capable of working on both chipsets, but the installation program of an AMD or Intel chipset driver will fail and stop when it does not find a compatible chipset. ASUS has no control over that. The drivers they "provide" are sourced from AMD or Intel, etc, ASUS does not write driver software.

If you can get the Intel SSD Toolbox to run on an AMD chipset mother board, you are very lucky. Using the msahci driver is not bad advice in general, but whether or not it performs as well as the AMD driver I do not know.

This thing with the AMD driver seeing your 510 as being a RAID configured SSD is strange. There are a few SSDs that actually are two SSDs in RAID 0 in one box, but not the Intel 510, or any Intel SSD. That sounds like a bug in the AMD SATA driver or BIOS. Is this something new with the 990FX chipset, or have users seen this happen with other AMD boards/chipsets? Did you check the AMD forums for any info on this?

Your question about knowing if TRIM is actually occurring is a good one. I have never heard of a method of monitoring that, and if there was one it would be common knowledge in forums, etc.

[DSchr2]

parsec, I just checked the bio that you posted and you certainly have reason to "know your stuff". However, your ability to explain it so clearly is exceptional.

Your advice makes perfectly good sense, in that ASUS and the other board manufacturers "ASUS does not write driver software." I am very active on Overclock.net where I had a fellow said that his "SATA Controller drivers are AMD 1.2.1.292" on his ASUS Crosshair V Board. Until I hear otherwise, I will use those then.

I really do appreciate your lucidity of thought and clear "here's why" way of communicating. I'm a bit obsessive in that I will not take someone's advice if I think they are just throwing poop up against the wall to see what will stick. I like to know why.

If you don't mind, I will post your response (with a credit of course) on OCN for others to understand what SATA drivers to use and why.

Thank you so very much!