GA-X58A-UD3R and a Sata III drive: Do I need to install anything?

[Z Overlord]

I know my board has a MARVEL Sata III controller (I hear that brand sucks but alas) and I just got my sata III connector for my Corsair 800D (it uses hotswap bays, so the middle connector was sata II only, but they offered me an upgrade to sata III).

So now my OCZ Agility 3 (Sata III drive) can make use of my Sata III supported board. Do I need to install anything? Or does simply using the sata cable provided with my motherboard suffice?

[Dark Mantis]

Hi

Without going into detail about the actual problems involved with the Marvell 9128 controller the best port to install your SSD on is the SATA2_0. Even though this is SATA2 it is the fastest port on the motherboard.

[Z Overlord]

I just have it plugged into the first port, channel 0

[Dark Mantis]

OK. That's the best place for it. Make sure that you have the latest chipset drivers and BIOS file installed.

[Lsdmeasap]

And install the latest Intel RST drivers since you are now going to use the Intel ports for your SSD.

You want the third link
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/SearchResult.aspx?lang=eng&ProductFamily=Chipsets&ProductLine=Chipset+Software&ProductProduct=Intel%C2%AE+Rapid+Storage+Technology

[markatneerim]

While a lot of people have reported problems with the Marvell 9128 chip I have managed to get 420 MB/s using it with a Intel s520 120 GB on Win 7 x64.  

 I have a GA-X58A-UD5 board updated to the latest BIOS from Gigabyte,   set the firmware option to Auto in the BIOS and connected the SSD to the second (port7) connector.

This configuration has been stable for some time.

The only problem I have had is that I cannot connect the SSD to the first (port 6) connector as it causes the post Bios to hang - see my post:

    http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,8367.0.html 

- I have a minor niggle but can cope with that given the performance I have achieved

For your information I only installed the Marvell Console Driver from on Gigabyte's site.

[Lsdmeasap]

Higher sequential speed means nothing, except that, higher benchmarked sequential read speed only.   Those ports are very unstable with SSD's especially for use with a OS drive, I'd recommend against it.   

See my other reply here for more info on your questions about those ports and firmware
http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,8367.msg66507.html#msg66507