IDE-AHCI-RAID... so far

[idata]

When I start my bios i can choose how to set up my SSD: AHCI,IDE,RAID

AHCI and IDE are similar (AHCI newer and more advanced, IDE more standard and compatible) AHCI, I guess, support the automatic TRIM in window7 while IDE don't but i am not sure about this...

RAID has two possibilities:

a) single SSD

Doesn't support automatic TRIM but support the TOOLBOX (correct me if wrong)

b) With RAID-0 SSD (2xSSD disk)

Doesn't support anything but go faster ^_^ (there is any way to trim or clean the empty space with this configuration?)

This said if you have just one SSD which one would you advice?

AHCI?

IDE?

RAID-mono disk?

[DZand]

Pekish79 schrieb:

I though the new version of MSM did pass TRIM.... if not i have to use MS AHCI drivers...

Alternatively you may use the new Intel RST driver v9.5.6.1001, which may have a better support of your Intel SATA AHCI Controllers. As long as the new RST drivers do not pass the Trim command, you can easily clean your SSD by the Optimizer of Intel's SSD Toolbox.

[idata]

I just did a clean install from DVD of Windows 7 64bit to my new pc. I have 4 hard drives installed.

1 Intel X25M 160gb SSD --> OS 2 Samsung F3 500 ---> RAID 0 volume 1 Samsung F3 1TB ---> Storage I set my motherboard Gigabyte EX58-UD5 to RAID mode, then I created the RAID 0 of the two Samsung 500Gb disks, then I installed Windows 7 on the Intel X25M (non raid disk). After I got into windows, I ran the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility, and then I ran the current Intel Matrix Storage Manager. Everything works, no problems, opening Intel Matrix Storage Manager shows the RAID 0 disks and the two non-raid disks and the storage controller is using the latest Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver. In the device manager of Windows, it tells me under "Disk Drives" that my drives are using the Microsoft Driver disk.sys. But, under "Storage Controllers", the controller shows that the computer is using the Intel ICH10r Sata RAID controller. I have three questions: 1. Is my Intel X25M using the Intel Matrix Storage Driver, and should I not worry that in Device Manager under "Disk Drives" it says it's using the Microsoft driver? 2. I still need to format the RAID 0 Samsungs, and the other 1tb Samsung. Using Disk Management, do I just create a simple volume for both of them? As well, for the RAID 0 Samsungs, I set the stripe size in the BIOS at 128K the default, but when I create the NTFS volume, it asks me for the size I think of the clusters, do I just use default? 3. Should I use MBR (master boot record) type of partition for those drives? Many Thanks, David

PS. If it helps, I loaded the Intel SSD Optimizer Toolkit and it detected my SSD as being available to be trimmed, my single Samsung drive, and it also showed my RAID 0 Samsungs greyed out as not being able to be optimized because they are part of a RAID.

[DZand]

davem1979 schrieb:

1. Is my Intel X25M using the Intel Matrix Storage Driver, and should I not worry that in Device Manager under "Disk Drives" it says it's using the Microsoft driver?

2. I still need to format the RAID 0 Samsungs, and the other 1tb Samsung. Using Disk Management, do I just create a simple volume for both of them? As well, for the RAID 0 Samsungs, I set the stripe size in the BIOS at 128K the default, but when I create the NTFS volume, it asks me for the size I think of the clusters, do I just use default?

3. Should I use MBR (master boot record) type of partition for those drives?

Here are my answers:

1. All your storage drives (SSD, RAID0 and single hdd), which are connected to the Intel SATA ports of your mainboard, are always using the same SATA driver, in your case the Intel MSM driver named IASTOR.SYS. The drivers, which are shown within the "Disk Drives" section of the Device Manager, are not the drivers, which are used by the SATA Controllers.

Conclusion: Everything is fine, there is nothing to worry about.

2. It is your decision, if you want more than 1 partition on each drive. If I were you, I would divide the RAID and the 1TB drive into 2-3 Partitions. When you are creating an NTFS volume and you are asked for the size, it means the size of the desired partition and not the size of the clusters, which is 4KB for the NTFS file system..

3. As far as I understand, the active partition with the MBR/bootloader is on your SSD. So you should just create non-MBR partitions (primary or enhanced with logical drives) on your RAID0 and 1 TB hdd.

[idata]

Thanks again Fernando! You've been a great help in these forums!

I'm glad to know that the drives are installed properly. As well, I will take a look again at the disk managment today with your recommendations in mind.

Best,

David

[idata]

Just wanted to update on my disk managment question: I used Windows 7 disk management to partition the RAID 0 and the single 1tb drive. I used MBR not GPT and just made a simple volume on both of them. GPT I think is for when you want to partition a disk into more than 4 partitions. Anyway, I just used all the default values, and all is well.