Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with AMD processors => Topic started by: thx1138 on June 22, 2010, 01:58:15 pm
-
Since my system-HDD failed recently, I decided to buy an SSD to replace it. I've read that in order to function properly, ACHI should be enabled. I can find no mention of ACHI in the manual for my board, nor can I find it by perusing the BIOS interface. Is there anything I need to do to optimise the function of this SSD with my motherboard?
-
You should be able to find the AHCI option under the Integrated Periferals tab and then the ICH SATA Control Mode.
-
Hi,
As you said enabling AHCI mode is the way to go.
Dark Mantis stated you need to make the required setting under the Integrated Peripherals heading in BIOS. The settings you need to make are as follows:
For the SATA 2 ports you need to set:
On-Chip SATA Type to AHCI also set On-Chip SATA Port 4/5 Type to As SATA Type.
The same applies to the Onboard SATA 3 Mode
For more information check pages 50 & 51 of your Mobo manual
ATB
-
Hi,
As you said enabling AHCI mode is the way to go.
Dark Mantis stated you need to make the required setting under the Integrated Peripherals heading in BIOS. The settings you need to make are as follows:
For the SATA 2 ports you need to set:
On-Chip SATA Type to AHCI also set On-Chip SATA Port 4/5 Type to As SATA Type.
The same applies to the Onboard SATA 3 Mode
For more information check pages 50 & 51 of your Mobo manual
ATB
I bow to your superior answer, O great Hero ;) I must admit mine was just from memory of my board.
-
I bow to your superior answer, O great Hero I must admit mine was just from memory of my board.
LOL
I have an advantage as I am running a GA790XTA-UD4 which is a very similar board!
-
Thanks very much. I do have a RAID among my SATAs, though (not including the new SSD). Would that be affected by switching from RAID to ACHI?
-
Hi,
Yes, if you have already set-up a RAID array you could have issues when switching to ACHI.
If you could post back with details of your RAID set-up and which SATA channels you are using for it that would help to offer further advice
-
^^^ As above :)
Windows is quite clever at some things, but changing to AHCI on-the-fly like Linux isn't one of them.
You either need to set AHCI in BIOS prior to install, or mess about with a registry hack (which is not always trouble-free).
-
(http://i.imagehost.org/t/0808/S1120001.jpg) (http://i.imagehost.org/view/0808/S1120001)
(http://i.imagehost.org/t/0723/S1120002.jpg) (http://i.imagehost.org/view/0723/S1120002)
Do those screenshots give the SATA channels? The physical connectors of the RAID drives are those just above the SATA 3.0 connectors (i.e. the lowermost of the SATA 2.0 connectors).
Does the answer lie in "OnChip SATA Port4/5 Type"? By my reckoning, I can set some ports to use a different mode than the rest... if 4 and 5 are the lower two SATA 2.0 connectors, and if I know Aunt Aggie like I think I do, they are, I should be able set them to RAID and set the other four to IDE for SpinRite and later to ACHI for my SSD. Oh wait *smile fades*. OnChip SATA Port4/5 Type can only be set to 'as SATA Type' or IDE. Damn you, Aunt Agather! Foiled again! :(
-
Hi,
Could you please clarify a couple of points as, you now have 2 threads running which, although separate issues, cover the same ground.
Is your OS installed on the SSD drive?
What configuration have you used for the OS Install (RAID, AHCI, IDE).
What is your RAID Array used for?
Are you using the SATA3 ports and if yes what drives are attached?
From your other post, is the HDD you are trying to recover data from a single drive or part of a RAID Array?
thanks
ps I have asked anyone looking at your other thread to post here to avoid conflict with this problem. Hope you don't mind but I believe it is the best way to resolve both issues you are facing.
-
Hi,
Could you please clarify a couple of points as, you now have 2 threads running which, although separate issues, cover the same ground.
Is your OS installed on the SSD drive?
What configuration have you used for the OS Install (RAID, AHCI, IDE).
What is your RAID Array used for?
Are you using the SATA3 ports and if yes what drives are attached?
From your other post, is the HDD you are trying to recover data from a single drive or part of a RAID Array?
thanks
ps I have asked anyone looking at your other thread to post here to avoid conflict with this problem. Hope you don't mind but I believe it is the best way to resolve both issues you are facing.
Hi. I created different threads 'cause I didn't realise at the time that the solution to each issue would affect the other.
My OS is installed on the SSD drive.
The OS was installed with the setting at RAID.
The RAID is a RAID 0. It stores data.
There are no drives attached to the SATA 3 ports.
The HDD that I'm attempting to recover from is a single, separate drive.
-
Hi,
thanks for the info.
Sorry to keep asking questions but...... Do you use a PATA (IDE) DVD/CD? If you are using a DVD/CD drive that is PATA then you don't need to change any settings for it.
If I was faced with your situation I would do the following:
Put the SSD drive onto the SATA3 channel set to AHCI and re-install the OS (It should actually be a little better on the SATA3 than the SATA2 channels, especially as you are not setting up a RAID Array for your OS)
Leave your RAID array as it is and leave the settings for SATA2 channels 0, 1, 2 & 3 as RAID. (The way you already have them set)
Set SATA2 channels 4 & 5 to native IDE (you can do this and it won't affect the RAID set-up) for accessing the HDD that you wish to recover info from.
If re-installing the OS at the moment isn't convenient then, to be honest, you are going to be stuck until you can reconfigure your rig as your present set-up will not allow you to do everything that you want.
Hope this helps
-
Hey, thanks. My DVD drive is PATA.
My SATA RAID though, is plugged into ports 4/5 - is it possible to just move them to different ports without destroying the array?
As for the OS install... ugh... I jut spent the past day installing drivers and programs... I can't bear to stomach another day of the same! Does ACHI just give a performance boost or does it prevent damage to the SSD? If it's only a (small?) performance boost, then I can just put it off until I next have to reinstall Windows?
-
My SATA RAID though, is plugged into ports 4/5 - is it possible to just move them to different ports without destroying the array?
You should be able to safely move them to SATA2 ports 0,1,2 or 3 without issue.
Does ACHI just give a performance boost or does it prevent damage to the SSD?
Do be honest I have yet to find a real advantage to using AHCI and I tend to leave my SATA ports as IDE. There are small advantages with AHCI but I do not believe them to be that great. However, you will notice an improvement if you use the SATA3 rather than SATA2 for your SSD as this contains your OS. But, as you have said, at the moment it is not essential and you can keep running as you are.
As you are not using your SATA3 ports you could set them to IDE to recover your lost data, rather than reconfigure the whole system.
My suggestion as to reconfiguring your system would be the best way to go and, when you have time to do so, I would recommend that you set-up as outlined in my previous post.
ATB
-
Do be honest I have yet to find a real advantage to using AHCI and I tend to leave my SATA ports as IDE. There are small advantages with AHCI but I do not believe them to be that great.
You might like to read why AHCI is very much a good idea, of course it will require reading (500 pages last coun in total t: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=1462552
However, you will notice an improvement if you use the SATA3 rather than SATA2 for your SSD as this contains your OS.
Actually no, quite the opposite, the Intel ICH10 chip performs better than the Marvel (both in extant reviews, personal testing and testing of associates on WP)
Also, there has been no definitive official testing or data to confirm the Marvel controller even passes ATA Trim commands (while we do know with certainty Intel does from data). Remember a query from OS will only show Trim is "enabled" not that is actually working.
For both the above reasons, performance if nothing else, SATA 3.0 controllers are not the place to running an SSD simple as that.
-
Hi
thanks Venganza for the info and I am always willing to learn more, but it is a little strange that on my 790XTA-UD4 the SATA3 does actually work faster than SATA2. Not in RAID mode, I admit, (although it may have improved with the last BIOS update, I haven't tested it) but in IDE or AHCI the speed is noticeably better. And I can only offer advice from my own experience.
I will read through the article that you have linked to with interest.
-
Hi
thanks Venganza for the info and I am always willing to learn more, but it is a little strange that on my 790XTA-UD4 the SATA3 does actually work faster than SATA2. Not in RAID mode, I admit, (although it may have improved with the last BIOS update, I haven't tested it) but in IDE or AHCI the speed is noticeably better. And I can only offer advice from my own experience.
I will read through the article that you have linked to with interest.
Oh well AMD uses a different controller, and incidentally you MUST use AHCI on the AMD or Trim won't work, and you do want it to be operational right?
The AMD controller is superior to the Marvel I find in many ways, although sustained speed is not quite as good from tests I have seen.
-
Hi
thanks Venganza for the info and I am always willing to learn more, but it is a little strange that on my 790XTA-UD4 the SATA3 does actually work faster than SATA2. Not in RAID mode, I admit, (although it may have improved with the last BIOS update, I haven't tested it) but in IDE or AHCI the speed is noticeably better. And I can only offer advice from my own experience.
I will read through the article that you have linked to with interest.
Oh well AMD uses a different controller, and incidentally you MUST use AHCI on the AMD or Trim won't work, and you do want it to be operational right?
The AMD controller is superior to the Marvel I find in many ways, although sustained speed is not quite as good from tests I have seen.
When you say it's imperative that AHCI is the chosen mode for Trim to work, is that specifically for absic's board or mine also? My chipsets were made by AMD.
-
Hi,
Sorry the issue has become a little clouded.
For your SSD you should use AHCI mode and our boards use the same chipsets for the Southbridge, it's just that your board has a few extra bits on-board and uses the 790FX chipset for the Northbridge. The 790FX Chipset allows you the additional PCI-E lanes that my board doesn't have but otherwise they are are nearly identical.
-
Yup, AMD = use AHCI, for Intel stuff too :)
-
Hey, I was able to switch to ACHI (moved SSD to SATA 3 ports) without reinstalling Windows by changing the Windows registry prior to switching mode. Only one item in the registry needs to be modified: instructions here (http://www.ithinkdiff.com/how-to-enable-ahci-in-windows-7-rc-after-installation/).
Does this mean I have a Marvell chip controlling my SSD? And that's a bad thing? :(
-
Pleased you have been able to get this sorted without too many issues.
Does this mean I have a Marvell chip controlling my SSD? And that's a bad thing? :(
Your SSD , now being on the SATA3 channels, is being controlled by the Marvell chip. The main problems with this chipset seems to be if you are running RAID and the slower speed this provides in RAID mode compared to SATA2 (which you are not doing). In IDE or AHCI mode this is not a problem so don't worry.
ATB
-
Hey, I was able to switch to ACHI (moved SSD to SATA 3 ports) without reinstalling Windows by changing the Windows registry prior to switching mode. Only one item in the registry needs to be modified: instructions here (http://www.ithinkdiff.com/how-to-enable-ahci-in-windows-7-rc-after-installation/).
Does this mean I have a Marvell chip controlling my SSD? And that's a bad thing? :(
I didn't want to mention hacking registry, as it is not always successful :)
-
I didn't want to mention hacking registry, as it is not always successful :)
Have to agree, again but, if it works (and this tweak seems to) it can save a lot of time reconfiguring and then re-installing Windows and other software. However I would always go for the clean install option, it may take a bit longer but there is less chance of screwing things up. ;)
-
That is the problem isn't it. If it works registry hacks are great but if not....You don't get a second chance opnce you've f***ed it up.
-
Can you help me with this configuration...
I have the same board and just recently installed a crucial sata3 ssd drive. Im running it as my boot disk, before I installed a fresh copy of windows 7 I changed the On-Chip SATA Type to AHCI, and the sata 3 port to AHCI...
My question is that I have 2 other internal drives for storage that are not ssd, typical mechanical drives (no raid config). My SSD is on the Sata 3 port (Gsata port 6) ... and the other 2 drives are on the Sata 2 (0 and 1 ports) again no raid....
I ended up going back to the bios after windows was installed and changed the On-Chip Sata to IDE.. port 4/5 to IDE... and the SATA3 PORTS I left as AHCI... Is the proper way to configure the other 2 sata drives? Sometimes I will reboot the system and it wont see the SSD boot drive at all until I put the SATA3 port back on IDE in bios, Reboot, and Go back to the bios and set THE SATA 3 back to AHCI again and configure the boot order to have the SSD drive be the first boot. (seems like this happens when I plug in a external drive and dont eject it before boot)
The "On-Chip Sata" options in bios say its for ports 0-3 (The Sata 2 Ports where my 2 mechanical drives are setup, which is why I put to IDE?)
Im thinking this still may not be correct...Whats the best way to have this set up and what ports should i put the Mechanical drives on if there no raid config? Is it ok that the drives are in Sata2 ports 0 and 1 if they are not in raid config? Reason I ask is because during post it shows port 1 as being a slave channel so dont know if it matters cuz no raid is set... Any help to configure this properly is much appreciated! Thanks :) DO I STILL SET THE ON-CHIP SATA TO AHCI EVEN THO THE MECHANICAL SATA 2 DRIVES ARE ON THESE PORTS?
-
Oh and by the way the only drive connected during windows installation was the SSD drive... set to AHCI in bios ... the other SATA2 where plugged in and turned on in bios after the install... so these 2 storage drives where not configured in bios before or during windows install...