Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with Intel processors => Topic started by: baddeye on August 07, 2014, 10:25:58 pm
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Sorry if this is a bit wordy, I'm trying to be as clear as possible while putting my thoughts and memories of the last week into words.
I'm having some issues with my new build. I was trying to use a OCZ Vertex 2 (120GB) SSD as my boot drive, with a Seagate Barracuda 1TB as my storage drive. Of course I have a DVD burner in the mix as well. All 3 of these devices I had connected to the Intel SATA controller on ports 0, 1, and 2.
The board shipped with the F5 BIOS. First thing I did before installing Win7 was to upgrade to the latest and greatest BIOS (F8) so I can't say whether this would have occurred on the earlier version.
Upon the initial install of Windows, I noticed that even with an SSD it took much, much longer than usual to get the base install completed. Normally you can have Win7 installed and looking at a desktop within 20-30min before drivers and Windows updates. This took over an hour. Once at the desktop, attempting to do anything that required HD access was met with about a 30-60 second pause while Windows "thought about it". Clicking on anything else at that time resulted in getting a "(Not responding)" message, until it suddenly decided to work. I chalked it up to not having correct drivers installed yet so I stuck it out to the end - including Windows Updates - hoping it would clear up. It did not.
I then began to suspect the SSD was to blame, so I disconnected it and started the install process all over again on the Barracuda. This was marginally faster, however every 3rd or 4th boot would hang at the Windows splash screen. No errors, no blue screens, nothing would get past it other than a hard reset and once that was done it would boot up into a startup repair screen, which never found any problems. Ultimately this ended up trashing the Windows build somehow and would simply go from POST, to Windows splash screen, to BSOD, then loop back to POST.
Both of these drives were used on my previous system build (which was in use up to the night I accumulated all the pieces to build the new one) so I was fairly certain they functioned fine.
On a whim, and running out of troubleshooting options I decided to connect the the Barracuda and my DVD to the Marvell controller ports and activated the controller in the BIOS. The Marvell controller recognized the HD but not the DVD, regardless of which of the two ports I connected them to(This was curious, but the least of my concerns). Of course it would not boot from the HD due to it being installed and configured from the Intel controller, so I connected the DVD to the Intel controller and left the Barracuda HD on the Marvell controller then began the install process once again. Note that the DVD never seemed to have any issue with being connected to the Intel controller.
From this point forward everything POSTed, installed, configured and performs perfectly with either the Barracuda or the Vertex2 SSD connected to the Marvell controller.
After installing and setting everything up on the Barracuda connected to the Marvell Controller, I decided to connect the SSD back to the Intel controller to check the firmware version and possibly update it. Simply trying to boot the system with the SSD connected (but not trying to boot from it) initially resulted in a handful a blue screens, but then cleared up and I was/am able to run the system using the Barracuda on the Marvell controller as my boot drive. When I attempt to access the SSD (on the Intel controller), it hangs, lags, simply disappears, and other such similar things. the OCZ toolbox software (Not in any particular order) initially sees the drive, then it doesn't, then it says the drive was unplugged, then it says its an unsupported drive, then returns to being able to see the drive.
So, bottom line.. as far as I can tell the Intel SATA controller on my board is not healthy. After searching these forums and Google I have not seen this similar problem on this motherboard.
I'm now wondering if the BIOS has anything to do with it but skeptical of downgrading it for fear of bricking it. I've tried changing multiple settings within the BIOS as well as using the optimized defaults and none have improved anything.
I've already started the return/exchange process with Newegg but would LOVE if I didn't have to tear this thing apart, ship it back and wait for the replacement to arrive.
Has anyone seen or heard of this problem? Suggestions, comments?
Thanks...
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You could try the F9b beta BIOS that is available over at TweakTown: http://forums.tweaktown.com/gigabyte/28441-gigabyte-latest-beta-bios.html
I am running this BIOS version and have not met with any SATA issues however, I am not running a Vertex 2. I also have my system set up a little differently as I am using the Marvel controller set to IDE for my Blu-Ray drive and the Intel Controller set to AHCI for the SSD's.
I do have a Vertex2 SSD but it is not currently installed in my system. I am just about to go to work but will try installing it this evening and see if I encounter the same problem that you have had and report back for you.
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I'll give the beta bios a try and report back what happens.
I feel that it is worth clarifying the problem is not only with the Vertex 2. The 1TB Barracuda also displays problems, albeit slightly different behaviour.
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I have just tried installing the Vertex2 SSD and the system is showing the same issues as you have reported and I am running the F9b beta BIOS.
I have just checked the OCZ site and there is no newer Firmware for the Vertex2 than the 1.37 version which was released in June 2012.
I have reported this to Gigabyte Technical Support and pointed them towards this thread but I'm not sure if it is a BIOS issue or the OCZ Firmware not recognizing the 9 series chipset.
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Outstanding. Thank you for verifying that I'm not crazy. :)
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Ah, the plot thickens.
Whilst I can't get the system to POST/BOOT properly with the Vertex 2 installed, if I try using it as a Hot Swap device it runs perfectly OK. This would seem to me, to indicate that the problem is with the BIOS rather than with the Vertex 2.
Oh, and just to confirm your other issue, I also have a Barracuda 1Tb which causes issues with the POST/BOOT process if trying to run with it from the start. But, once again, it functions perfectly OK if used as a Hot Swap drive or via USB3 Dock when the system is up and running.
By the way, I am running Windows 8.1 so it is probably not OS related although my BIOS settings will be different to yours.
I have also tested with BIOS versions F6 through to F9b and the problem is there with all of them.
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When they function correctly are you just setting the SATA port configuration to Hot Swap and not using either drive as the boot drive but leaving them connected at all times? Or are you connecting them hot after the system boots?
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I'm connecting them hot after the system has booted and I'm at the Windows desktop.
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Hmmm.....
Well then that leaves me with 2 more questions...
1. If you are able to boot with your other SSDs having no issues off of your Intel controller, what kind of SSDs are they?
and
2. How quickly do you suppose Gigabyte will resolve this issue, if ever?
I'm torn between sending this board back and exchanging it with a different one or replacing my SSD with one that works, and I'm running out of time to decide.
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For my system spec's check the review here: http://forum.giga-byte.co.uk/index.php/topic,14703.0.html
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I am using the Marvel controller set to IDE for my Blu-Ray drive and the Intel Controller set to AHCI for the SSD's.
Please excuse my off topic butting in, but although I understand why your blue-ray is on the Marvel controller, why IDE instead of AHCI ?
Ali.
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The reason I have the controller set to IDE for the Blu-Ray drive is purely because I have found these kind of drives to function more reliably using IDE rather than AHCI.
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My last OCZ SSD (agility 3) "died" as i built my latest system on this board.
Windows installed - rebooted a few times and subsequently stopped detecting the drive in BIOS.
I figured it was just an SSD thing (ocz ssd hardware has been notoriously faulty for myself and my clients) but your post got me thinking.
Tonight i'll try out the hot swap methodology and check that out.
thx for the ideas.
c
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It will be interesting to see if you can Hot Swap the drive and please post back your results whichever way they go as, the more information we can gather, the better it will be for finding a solution.
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I probably should have done this a few days (at least) ago... but I have submitted a ticket with Gigabyte's tech support.
Hopefully someone has a solution.
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sorry for the late reply but i threw my old OCZ ssd into a usb3 caddy i had and windows won't see it.
so in my case the ssd probably did fry.
haven't had the time yet to boot the OCZ tools and see what can be done.
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For what it is worth, I have spent a whole day trying to install Windows 7 Pro on a very recently acquired Gigabyte Z97X-SLI using an OCZ Vertex 2. I am using an Intel Core i7 4790K, 16GB RAM
Eventually I contacted the supplier to be advised NOT to try using the OCZ Vertex 2 because it is incompatible with the Z97X. I therefore used an ancient WD740 10k RPM drive taken from a retired server.
Joy of joys, it works!
May just be chance but I had previously tried using two different OCZ Vertex 2SSDs so my guess is that they don't work.
Your mileage may vary ;)
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Glad you've got things working again.
to be advised NOT to try using the OCZ Vertex 2 because it is incompatible with the Z97X
Did they tell you why it was incompatible?
Ali.