SSD Toolbox can't communicate with Intel SSD nor HDD in SATA RAID

[idata]

I've discovered that having a direct SATA connection to Intel SSD is not enough for the Toolbox to communicate despite what the SSD product FAQ's and other instructions say. It appears that configuring mobo BIOS for RAID is yet another hurdle the application can't get over. I didn't test this w/o BIOS RAID configuration so I don't know if that works or not.

The relevant system components are entirely Intel. My Intel DX79SI mobo with i7-3930 processor is configured with one 300GB Intel 320SSD as system disk and a set of 3 mechanical drives in a RAID5 data set controlled with an Intel C600 SATA controller. It boots and runs fine. However the SSD Toolbox reports that SMART is disabled so it can't display SMART wearout and drive health data. Neither can the Toolbox view SMART data for any of the other SATA HDD in the RAID set. Given this issue I don't trust that it is properly reporting the firmware level, or that it can safely update SSD firmware if it thinks it's warranted.

It doesn't appear that Intel has posted this as a known issue in any literature, but I'm assuming this problem isn't strictly limited to my system. I'd like a response saying this is either a known issue else is known to work. We can proceed from there.

[idata]

The SSD's do NOT run in RAID. You need to switch controllers. Your drive is plugged in to the wrong port.

Check device mgr. Click on disk drives, then intel, highlight details, click property drop down menu, highlight Hardware Ids

You should see under "value"

IDE\Disk....ect.

NOT SCSI....ect

That will confirm wrong port if it starts w/SCSI...

You will eventually get constant BSOD if you don't trim it. I will send my intel chat suuport if you wish.

Your toolbox will work when you get the port connection right.

[idata]

SSD's do not work in raid. Your ssd needs to be plugged into the right port. Then your toolbox and trim will work properly.

If you don't trim it regularly, you will start getting blue screens. I can post my chat w/intel about this if anyone wants it.

FINALLY my computer works the way I had hoped. Cleared up a SH**load of problems now that trim works

[DShar11]

SSD's work just fine in raid. I have no idea what you are on about.

You can plug the drives into whatever port you want but if you are in raid there will be no trim, toolbox or not.

[idata]

I will second that motion, indeed SSDs work fine with Intel chipsets and their IRST software. You don't need to use Intel SSDs for RAID to work either, I'm currently running RAID 0 volumes with three different manufactures SSDs, one of which are Intel SSDs. But you need to do a little homework to learn how it is done, but it's not difficult.

I've seen claims that some SSDs won't work in RAID, but I've never had any problems.

Sure, I'd like to see your chat with Intel support.

[idata]

I'm not havng a problem using the 520SSD with BIOS Chipset SATA mode configured as RAID.

BIOS detects the drive as a SATA INTEL SSDSC2cw240A3. drive on port 0 with a link rate of 6Gb/s and at least in my version of BIOS 0430 on an intel DX79SI the three modes for the chipset are IDE (don't want) AHCI and RAID which according to the explanation on the BIOS page " RAID always enables AHCI".

I still can't get the SSD toolbox to recognize the drive as a Intel and enable the SSD optimizer. The toolbox reports the correct size and firmware version, but does not report SMART attributes.

It apeears to me the combination of a c600 chipset with the most current drivers for the chipset and Intel RST enterprise with most current version is the root cause of the symptom I observe.

If anyone can point me in different direction that makes sense, please do so.

Thank you all for continuing to add to this topic.