MARVELL SATA3 problem

[onemilimeter]

Hi Dark Mantis and onemilimeter

Let's keep this thread clean and discuss there only "electrical sound" issue. As it's not the noise due to it's very silent sound, right?

If you want to ask for anything else (like SATA3) you can do it in the appropriate thread or just send PM (the best way as I read all of them).

As it's just impossible for me to read all posts at the forum.

Hi runn3R...

There are many threads complaining the MARVELL SATA3 problem. Like you said it's just impossible for you to read all posts at the forum. We understand that it's not easy for you as it looks to me that you're the only Gigabyte staff who handles the forum. I spent some time to gather several important threads which describe the MARVELL SATA3 problem as follows:

Thread 1
Thread 2
Thread 3
Thread 4

Please throw few comments on those threads to acknowledge us that you've read them and share with us what's the stance of Gigabyte regarding the problem.

I'm sorry to post this "off-topic" here but like many other X58 users I really wish you to know about the MARVELL SATA3 problem and want to know the stance of Gigabyte.

Thanks.

[runn3R]

Thanks for drawing my attention to this issue. I will have a look at it.

[absic]

SATA 3 issues are not confined to Intel there is also an issue with AMD platform as I have encountered problems with my GA-790XTA-UD4 and the SATA 3 controller.

[runn3R]

Topic's location?

[Pantera1222]

Yes the sata 3 doesn't seem like it is running as fast as it should. Maybe this new bios update is fixing this? who knows as there is no changelog.

[absic]

Topic's location?

If that question was aimed at me, I'm afraid I haven't bothered posting a new topic about it, but there is a real problem on my GA-790XTA-UD4 and the only way I can get this rig to run properly is to have everything set to Native IDE. The minute I try installing my OS with AHCI enabled on the Marvell SATA3 channel, I get hangs, and crashes. I have now tried 3 BIOS versions F2, F3 and the F4A beta all with the same results.

I have tried with 4 Gig and 8 Gig of RAM, 2 different CPU's and it really doesn't want to play nicely. Of course, it could be the Hard-drives that are the problem, I am using two Western Digital Caviar Black SATA3 640 Gb drives. I have tried both of these individually and together when trying to install RAID without success. I have replaced SATA cables and reconfigured until the cows come home but, I cannot get SATA3 to run unless in Native IDE Mode. In a process of elimination I have also tried swapping out my graphics card. This shouldn't make a difference to how the SATA 3 handles and surprise....... it didn't. AHCI temperamental and glitchy Native IDE mode rock solid.

[onemilimeter]

If that question was aimed at me, I'm afraid I haven't bothered posting a new topic about it, but there is a real problem on my GA-790XTA-UD4 and the only way I can get this rig to run properly is to have everything set to Native IDE. The minute I try installing my OS with AHCI enabled on the Marvell SATA3 channel, I get hangs, and crashes. I have now tried 3 BIOS versions F2, F3 and the F4A beta all with the same results.

I have tried with 4 Gig and 8 Gig of RAM, 2 different CPU's and it really doesn't want to play nicely. Of course, it could be the Hard-drives that are the problem, I am using two Western Digital Caviar Black SATA3 640 Gb drives. I have tried both of these individually and together when trying to install RAID without success. I have replaced SATA cables and reconfigured until the cows come home but, I cannot get SATA3 to run unless in Native IDE Mode. In a process of elimination I have also tried swapping out my graphics card. This shouldn't make a difference to how the SATA 3 handles and surprise....... it didn't. AHCI temperamental and glitchy Native IDE mode rock solid.

I only have a single WD Caviar Black SATA3 (WDCBS3) 640GB HDD. In the past my UD3R (Rev. 1) was loaded with default BIOS F5 setting and thus I believe my system was running in "Native IDE" mode. Do you mean that if the system is set to "AHCI" (e.g. because want to use eSATA), the Marvell SATA3 channel and the WDCBS3 640GB HDD and hence the system will not work properly?

[absic]

Exactly.

IDE fine
AHCI/RAID system unusable

Should state that I am using Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

[onemilimeter]

Exactly.

IDE fine
AHCI/RAID system unusable

Should state that I am using Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

That's something that I hope it won't happen... I'm running Windows XP Pro... One of the reason I got a new system is because my old Gigabyte board does not support AHCI and I was told it's not good for eSATA without the AHCI. I'm going to set it to AHCI soon and if it causes my system crashed (e.g. the WDCBS3 640GB HDD does not work properly), I will shout at Gigabyte everyday...

[etwolf]

I wait with bated breath !
The sole reason I chose the GA-X58A-UD7 was "sata 3 4x speed via raid 0"
If sata 3 raid 0 on the  Marvell is never going to be faster than sata 2 raid 0 on the Ich10
then I have truly wasted my money
on both  the board itself and the sata 3 drives I have purchased for my so called "4x speed via raid 0" array.

I PRAY that this is fixable through firmware/bios updates, not a hardware design oversight and also that the rev 1.0 board is supported. 

    

[Dark Mantis]

I wait with bated breath !
The sole reason I chose the GA-X58A-UD7 was "sata 3 4x speed via raid 0"
If sata 3 raid 0 on the  Marvell is never going to be faster than sata 2 raid 0 on the Ich10
then I have truly wasted my money
on both  the board itself and the sata 3 drives I have purchased for my so called "4x speed via raid 0" array.

I PRAY that this is fixable through firmware/bios updates, not a hardware design oversight and also that the rev 1.0 board is supported.  

   

My sentiments exactly. I too bought new drives to RAID0 but ended up moving them to the SATA2 ports because it was faster. I now just use the SATA3 Marvell port for my SSD. I think that it's funny that Gigabyte has known about this for so long and yet done nothing about it. They will say that is not the case but I happen to know it is true. To be fair it is not just Gigabyte certain other manufacturers have similar problems and they utilise the Marvel 9128 chop also. I will be very surprised if this is fixable by a software update, I think it is a hardware fault and everyone is just keeping quiet and hoping it will die a death

[onemilimeter]

My sentiments exactly. I too boght new drives to RAID0 but ended up moving them to the SATA2 ports because it was faster. I now just use the SATA3 Marvell port for my SSD. I think that it's funny that Gigabyte has known about this for so long and yet done nothing about it. They will say that is not the case but I happen to know it is true. To be fair it is not just Gigabyte certain other manufacturers have similar problems and they utilise the Marvel 9128 chop also. I will be very surprised if this is fixable by a software update, I think it is a hardware fault and everyone is just keeping quiet and hoping it will die a death

I wonder if HDDs are connected as RAID0 to a SATA3 PCI-E add-on card will it perform faster than the SATA2 ports?

[Dark Mantis]

If I remember correctly Pierre has been trying to check this out but without too much success so far.

[absic]

I think it is a hardware fault and everyone is just keeping quiet and hoping it will die a death

I too am of this opinion, it's a shame but maybe that is the price we are expected to pay for being the first to try these things out.

Remember Microsoft Vista? I beta tested that for well over 24 months,  before they released a proper working version renamed Windows 7. I didn't get any thanks and was still charged full price for this wonderful replacement OS.

Of course, Gigabyte isn't as big as Microsoft so maybe they will be a little more understanding......... 

[onemilimeter]

If I remember correctly Pierre has been trying to check this out but without too much success so far.

Probably the addon card used by Pierre using the same MARVELL chip?