HELP: 990FXA-UD7 with bios F6 fails to post completely with SB950 RAID enabled..

[wasserkool]

So I am trying to configure two Intel 510 SSDs in RAID 0 on my gigabyte 990fxa-ud7 motherboard that has the AMD SB950 chipset.

There are altogether 6 SATA 6.0 gbps ports on the motherboard that is controlled by the AMD chipset. But the motherboard will fail to book if I enable RAID with the following setup:

P = Port

p1 - Intel SSD (Set to RAID0)
p2 - Intel SSD (Set to RAID 0)
p3
p4 OCZ MaxIOPS - My windows Boot drive.
p5
p6

I am guessing the built in chipset RAID functionality does not allow you to mix and match drives? Does it mean that if I want to run RAID 0 off the AMD chipset the remaining port must be unused?

I did some more tinkering by removing all other SATA drives from the SB950 ports and just left the two Intel SSDs on port 0 and 1, went to the bios to enable the RAID functionality and BAM....the motherboard refuse to post and spits out some garbled message. I have to reset the CMOS everytime I do this......I am so lost lol...

Everything works fine and dandy if I leave the SATA setting as AHCI mode though. I've also installed the RAIDXpert software and logged into the admin page but it is not detecting any of the drives plugged into the system..

[wasserkool]

The failed POST message I am getting is:

What? 40:0eh <> 40:13h?

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

You should be able to run your RAID and a single standalone disk off one controller as long as it is in RAID/AHCI mode. Obviously all the drives must be prepared to run in those modes too.

[absic]

Hi there,

I'm using the same chipset on the GA-990FXA-UD5 for running a RAID0 Array but I have mine configured slightly differently, insofar as I have my OS installed on the RAID rather than on a separate drive and I have drives attached to all of the AMD SATA ports.

You might like to read through this thread: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,5704.msg45816.html#msg45816 where I go through setting up a RAID0 Array on the AMD Chipset as it may give you some ideas.

If I were putting together your system I would start over and do the following:
Remove all of the drives from the system except for the one drive that you want to install the OS onto and the DVD/CD burner.
Attach the OS drive to the 1st AMD SATA3 port and the DVD/CD Drive to the 1st Marvell SATA Port
In BIOS set the AMD SATA Controller to RAID and the SATA Ports 4/5 to "As SATA Type. Set the Marvell GSATA Controller to IDE
Install the OS - You will need to install the AMD RAID Drivers via F6 during the Windows Installation and can do this from either a USB pendrive or from the installation disk that comes with the motherboard.
Once you have installed the OS and loaded the basic drivers for your system shut-down the PC and then attach the 2 drives for the RAID Array
Start up the PC and press the "Ctrl + F" keys at the AMD AHCI check screen to enter the raid set up.
Configure the RAID0 Array
Restart the PC.

Hopefully doing this will solve the problem for you.

[RodPed]

The problem is that you've got the single SSD plugged into the wrong port.  You should have it either in port 5 or port 6.  Check the BIOS and set ports 5 & 6 to IDE, then plug your single drive into one of those ports.  As it is you've got a 2 SSD RAID array plugged into ports 1 & 2, where the BIOS setting for RAID for these ports covers 1 through 4.  Since you've got your single SSD plugged into port 4, your RAID is messed up.  It can only go in port 5 or 6.