GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3: Can't enable both RAID chipsets

[TreeTopFlyer]

Short story is:  If I enable the Marvell SATA controller and set it to "RAID" (problem only happens when Marvell is set to RAID, not IDE or AHCI) it disables the two RAID 1 arrays (SATA II for BOOT & SATA III for Data) I have set up and working fine on the Intel controller from booting.  The only thing that shows up in the BIOS boot preference is the Marvell RAID set.  During the POST both the Intel & Marvell RAID BIOS show up, I can go in to either BIOS (ctrl I or ctrl M) and see that everything is correct but the only choice to boot from is the Marvel RAID set when I go in to the mb BIOS.

Up to this point there has been no OS involvement.  If I start an install of Win7 or Server 2008 R2 (both x64) the install will see the 2 Intel RAID arrays BUT will not let me install to either array (even with the F6 Intel RAID driver).  I can then load the F6 driver for the Marvell RAID.  The install will then see the Marvell RAID array but Win7/2008 R2 will not allow an install to any of the RAID arrays.

If I break the Intel RAID Arrays in to individual disks (Intel SATA set to AHCI) I can then install to the Marvell RAID array but not the individual AHCI Intel disks.

Anytime I set the Marvell SATA III controller to RAID I'm unable to configure the system the way I want to.

System:
GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 (flashed to F4 BIOS)
Intel I7-2600K cpu (no over clocking)
Patriot Division 2 Viper Xtreme PC3-12800 (1600 MHz) (2 x 4gb = 8gb total)
OCZ ModXstream-Pro 700 PS
(2) WD 500gb 7200 rpm 6Gbs hd (Intel chip 3.0 gb interface)
(2) Hitachi Deskstar 7K3000 1.5 TB 7200 rpm 6.0 Gb hd (Intel chip 6.0 Gb interface)
(2) Hitachi Deskstar 7K3000 1.5 TB 7200 rpm 6.0 Gb hd (Marvell chip 6.0 Gb interface)

I find it hard to believe that Gigabyte would design the product this way, but I'm open to suggestions.

Thanx

[F5BJR]

*
Normal installation is for Windows Seven 64 bits or Server 2008

 1 - setup your RAID ( or your 2 * RAID's  )

 2 - use BIOS setup for place the good RAID Virtual disk ( INTEL or Marvell or other if you have another add-on card )
     in first boot disk

 3 - use BIOS for delete USB disk for first boot disk order .
      For startup install i use key F12 ( with my GigaByte GA-X58A-UD5 ) and i choice manually DVD or USB Key

After you can install without problem your Virtual RAID disk

I have never found this problem before Windows 7

Pierre

* Also a solution is to remove all unused disks  but after you have to setup the good disk Array in boot order with the motherboard BIOS

****

* Problem found some days if i install disks connected to an old card 8 * IDE ports LSILogic /DELL ATA 100/4R

error is this  : --> windows could not format a partition on disk 0 or similar message as cannot find an install disk ...

Finnaly i have found a stupid WIN7 install problem ( can format , can make partition but cannot install )

1 - remove in BIOS boot to USB disks as first disk ( in BIOS order DVD , harddisk RAID first disk )
* with WINXP i have never see this problem !!*
 
2 - start DVD install

3 - when requiert RAID driver i plug the USB key, i load driver

4 - after find my RAID disk and all is good

This error is because WIN7 test to write a removeable disk USB and cannot continue

Pierre

[TreeTopFlyer]

The bottom line is that if the Marvell SATA controller is "enabled" and set to "RAID" mode then I am unable to use the Intel SATA controller in RAID mode.  It also disables any single non-RAID drive on the Intel SATA controller from booting.

I have been through about 20 different installs on this setup and they all end up the same . . . if I enable the Marvell SATA controller in RAID mode the Gigabyte board becomes useless.

[TreeTopFlyer]

OK, since I've had no response from Gigabyte Support or from here let me ask this question:

Has anybody been able to use both RAID controllers (Intel & Marvell) at the same time with no other add-in controllers?

My thoughts are that this is a mb BIOS limitation/problem or that the board I have is defective even though it seems to work fine with a very minimal/basic install (no RAID).

If anyone else has been able to successfully use this board with both RAID controllers enabled then I would assume I have a defective board and will start the return process.

[TreeTopFlyer]

Finally heard from Gigabyte support:
***********************************************************
   Dear Customer,

Unfortunately you will not be able to use both controller under raid mode at the same time due to hardware limitation.
As for Server 2008 there are no driver support available for it, only the default drivers which are built into the OS.

*************************************************************
This would be classified as "NEED TO FREAKIN' KNOW" preferably before the mb was bought.  I've just looked over the original box and no where does it say that running both RAID controllers is not possible.

I'm going to assume that none of the motherboards with this chipset and both Intel & Marvell RAID controllers will work properly.

And just for reference Server 2008 R2 runs just fine on this board with drivers readily available (maybe not at Gigabytes website).

Oh well, I gave Gigabyte another shot after several bad experiences previously.  I'm off to argue with the reseller about returning the board.

[Dark Mantis]

OK, well at least you finally received an answer from GGTS. I know it wasn't what you wanted to hear and can understand your annoyance but I think it is something that boils down to a chipset limitation and as such will be the same industry wide for the Z68 boards if that is correct. I agree though that information like that should really be included on the box and other advertising media.

Please let us know how you get on though as we would be interested in whether you have any more luck using a different make/board.

[F5BJR]

*
Possible same problem with all Z68 motherboards ( chip limitation )

I have see for Marvell ports ( blue marine ) with ASUS Z68 ?? can run only for datas and not for system !!!
Also exist an option for remove Marvell ORom in BIOS

For me your motherboard use a big space OptionRom Version 10   

A possible solution is to contact users  in ASUS forum for request infos for compatibility

If that is possible request a good BIOS to GigaByte

If that is impossible a solution is to test with a little HighPoint RR620 RR622 ( 2 * ports ) or RR640 RR644 ( 4 * ports ) but send a message to HighPoint for the compatibility with your Z68 motherboard

Pierre

[PimV]

I have similar problems with this motherboard with a i7-2600K processor and Windows 7 Professional 64 bits. My goal is to build a sytem with W7 on 2 disks in RAID0 (Intel RAID controller in the Z68X) and my data on a second RAID0 set of 2 disks (Marvell RAID controller). Before I started I flashed the BIOS to the latest version "F". I enabled the Intel controller in RAID0, disabled the Marvell controller and installed W7 without problems. Then I enabled the Marvell chip, at first in IDE-mode, and the problem started:
- The BIOS complains about "Too many option ROMs execute during POST may cause cetain option ROM not working properly".
- In spite of the correct boot-order settings the sytem refuses to boot from DVD (using the Boot-menu with F12 didn't work either).
- Problems finding the operating system: "Loading Operating System .............." (having correctly set hard-disk booting order).
Then I set the Marvell controller to RAID and the sytem did not find the operating system and consequently W7 didn't start anymore.

In the mean time I have tried all sorts of BIOS settings (I now know them all by hart) and installed W7 a dozen times. Now I am pretty sure that the fault lies with the mother board or BIOS. The last thing I am going to try is to install W7 on the RAID0-set on the Marvell controller and only after that to enable the RAID0-set on the Intel controller.

[PimV]

I have been Informed by the GIGABYTE-Team that it is impossible to run both controllers (Intel and Marvell) in RAID-mode at the same time due to limited space in the "shadow memory" (whatever that may be).

[F5BJR]

*
OK for official information !!

That is why i have not hacked my GA-X58A-UD5 Bios with 10.xx.xx.xx  Option Rom

Pierre
 
Possible solution is to boot with an OLD PCI Graphics card ( only for test )
1 - add PCI graphics card ( old model use few memory region )
2 - program in BIOS for start with PCI and not PCI-e Graphics
3 - start your computer and look if you have always the OPTIONROM error




 

[PimV]

The graphical card I use has plenty memory of its own (XFX HD-687A-ZDBC has 1GB memory). Therefore I would expect it not to use any 'normal' mmemory'. As the i7-2600K processor on my board has it's own graphic processor, I could disable the PCI-e graphic card and only use the internal graphic processor. But wouldn't that increase the use of normal memory?

Does anybody know what is 'shadow memory'? As it seems to be a relic from the MS-DOS days, could it be limited to 64 KB?

[F5BJR]

*
I have tested with your OPTION ROM implanted in my GA-X58A-UD5 and i have also OPTION ROM error

With PCI graphics card not resolve

Pierre

[Dark Mantis]

From memory(no pun intended) Shadow Memory was as you say left over from the DOS era.  It was used to "copy" the parts of a program to memory without the program being aware of it. It does slowdown the system though and actually I didn't even think it was still used today.