Official GIGABYTE Forum
Questions about GIGABYTE products => Motherboards with Intel processors => Topic started by: gmwal on August 13, 2011, 08:19:33 am
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Hi, I just bought two 120Gb OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS SDD' and am having problems with them in a RAID 0 array. After I install the OS, drivers, programs etc. the system just freezes and then one of two things have been observed: the first time a blue screen appeared; the second time a black screen appeared showing an error message (did not write it down unfortuntatley). The freeze happens at random times after the installation of the OS. One thing is that both times the freeze occured i was running a three monitor eyefinity setup ( i have three dell u2410 monitors running off of a HD5970 ati radeon graphics card with 6GB of system memory). I have upgraded BIOS to F7, all my drivers are current etc. I am wondering if anyone has set up a RAID 0 on the GB X58A UD3R mobo and if so, has anyone encountered any problems ? Dont know if its the marvel controller on the SATA3 ports (ports 6,7) or the hard drives. Right now testing each drive individually by installing OS onto each and running for a few days. Will update when finished with this. The SSD's are connected to the above ports.
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I can more or less categorically state that your problem lies with trying to use the Marvell 9128 SATA3 (yeah right!) controller ports. These controller chips just don't work and will actually perform less than the Intel ICH10R SATA2 southbridge ports. I would advise using the SATA2_0 and SATA2_1 ports for your boot drives.
If you want more information on this problem just do a search of the forum of Marvell.
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Ditto, ditto-ditto-ditto.....that does it!.........I'm making a "Marvell" form letter ;D
Aussie Allan
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so i have been doing some research on this problem. I found the article by HARDOCP that talks about this issue:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/02/20/sata_6gbs_on_your_new_motherboard/2
To summarize the article for RAID users: "In a RAID 0 2 disk array situation we see that Intel's SATA 3Gb/s ICH10R controller bested the Marvell's SATA 6Gb/s 9128 controller. We triple checked this data and then went and then asked motherboard builders to confirm our results and all had seen the same thing."
Hopefully this helps others out. However this article was written in February 20th 2010. I am not a PC enthusiast so you guys will know way more than me BUT SURELY things have changed since. It seems gigabyte has tried to address the issue with their F6 BIOS update but it did not work for me. I bought my computer at the time the article was written and are you guys telling me the performance issues still remain?
http://ca.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3305&dl=1#bios
Do u guys know of any other developments with regard to Marvell and what it is trying to do to address the performance issue. I would even be interested to hear your thoughts regarding intel developments regarding RAID controllers. ooh yea, i tested the one drive and no issues so looks like ur right Mantis. I will try ur suggestion of using the INTEL ICH10 ports.
Cheers
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Yes that is basically the same as I said. I did some protracted testing myself when it first came out and came to the same conclusions. There are many threads and posts on this forum about it.
You are quite correct nothing has changed really, it was cheaper for the motherboard manufacturers to bury their heads than fix the issue. They did try with BIOS updates etc but of course this issue was beyond that sort of fix. I have the X58A-UD7 and of course have the Marvell chip in all it's glory just sat there laughing at me! It is only any good for single low performance drives and optical drives etc.
The new motherboards are fine and Intel has it's own SATA3 solution now so it doesn't make a lot of difference to the later boards.
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So i guess what ur saying in short (but in a nice way) is that im screwed barring a miracle.
If i am to use a RAID 0 the best i could acheive is using the INTEL ICH10 ports? If that is the case it does not make sense to keep both 120GB SATA3 drives since i wont be able to utilize the RAID array to its full potential on a SATA 2 interface?
I just ran HDTUNE on my computer. Getting read times of about 275MB/s using the Marvell Port. Not much fluctuation. So muich for the 550mb/s read times (did not expect to reach the theoretical capacity anyways but thought maybe around 400MB/s would be nice). Do you know if this is common read spead for one drive or is it underperforming?
Also, the temperature of my SSD is reading 128 degrees Celsius. What is going on there?
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So i guess what ur saying in short (but in a nice way) is that im screwed barring a miracle.
If i am to use a RAID 0 the best i could acheive is using the INTEL ICH10 ports? If that is the case it does not make sense to keep both 120GB SATA3 drives since i wont be able to utilize the RAID array to its full potential on a SATA 2 interface?
I just ran HDTUNE on my computer. Getting read times of about 275MB/s using the Marvell Port. Not much fluctuation. So muich for the 550mb/s read times (did not expect to reach the theoretical capacity anyways but thought maybe around 400MB/s would be nice). Do you know if this is common read spead for one drive or is it underperforming?
Also, the temperature of my SSD is reading 128 degrees Celsius. What is going on there?
Hear is your miracle but the screw is about £110 .... you didn't think it was gunna cost you nothing did you!
6GB/s PCI-E cards are the work around .... the only one I have experience with and will recommend is Highpoint's Rocket Raid series ..... 2 port and 4 port ..... internal or external porting (620/622 or 640/644)..... this is the only way to date to get your SATA3 gear running at speed.
Aussie Allan
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I think that PCIe card uses the same marvel 9128 controller?
here is what i am looking at:
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/product_SATA.htm
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Yup! but it works...... I have the 640 card which has two 9128 chips embedded in the PCB..........some of the newer boards 67/78 have the 9128 and they seem to finally actually work..... Don,t ask me how.... Ive tried,....getting an NDA out of Marvell is like getting a Kilo of Plutonium off Obama for a school project.
Plenty of reviews out there........there are reputed other, cheaper alternatives out there...... we hear about them all the time........Highpoint 620 and up are the cheapest that work.......... ;)
http://www.highpoint-tech.com/USA_new/series_rr600.htm .... to be more specific
Aussie Allan
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I am wondering why on the gigabyte motherboard driver page there is no preinstall driver listed like there is for SATA 2 ports. When i set up my Raid i use the driver from the installation disc that came with the mobo. Should they not update this. They show a console driver but i cant use it to preinstall. Maybe that is the problem. what do u think?
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gmwal
I/we have tried everything....If you pull apart the Gigabyte Marvell install package, ... there isn't even a Marvell driver in there!..... for a straight fix.....the 67/58s are nailed.....Ive even been trying to beg,borrow ,steal 88SE9182/99SE30/20s/25s and 27 chips to reball onto boards.......they just don't want to deal with small people....no matter how good the intentions for the wider IT community.
If it could be cracked, it would be the support coup of the decade.... why do you think Ive been trying ;)
Aussie Allan
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Just wondering, do u run a Raid 0 array with SSd's and if so can you give me ur performance specs. This is the first time i am setting up an array and not sure what to expect.
As of now my performance looks low. I am running HD Tune. Using the benchmark tool and the read file tool i have the following stats attached.
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You are still running your RAID on the Marvell controller according to HDTune that you posted so no wonder you aren't getting brilliant figures!!!
Also, the temperature of my SSD is reading 128 degrees Celsius. What is going on there?
Whatever is telling you that is just not reporting it right. Either the sensor is faulty or the program is just not reading it correctly.
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So i think i figured it out. asking around i found that the marvell chip works fine its the fact it uses a PCIe x1 lane that limits its speeds. Assuie ALlan, i think the reason why your highpoint 640 rocket raid works well even though it uses the same marvel 9128 controller is because that card uses a PCIex4. So i think that quadruples the the data through put allowing the sata 3 ssds to reach its potential. I think this is right????
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Possible!..... But who cares! .... we finally got something to work WoooooHooooo!
Your theory is sound tough.....it'll work on any PCI-E slot but the 620 can only utilize 1 lane regardless and it's non raid.... the 640 or 644 is a different kettle of fish..........http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1301&Itemid=47
.........................http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2011/01/04/high-point-rocketraid-640-review/1
These are bot good reads and if you soak them up , it'll answer all the question to date about possible performance.....Enjoy
I especially liked and did not expect the JBOB to Raid0 benchmark comparison.
Aussie Allan
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Just wondering, do u run a Raid 0 array with SSd's and if so can you give me ur performance specs. This is the first time i am setting up an array and not sure what to expect.
As of now my performance looks low. I am running HD Tune. Using the benchmark tool and the read file tool i have the following stats attached.
Right, with these two in raid0....the first thing is you will loose your trim..... But Garbage collection does just fine.......and two....just say you put these two on a 640 raid card......at a guess......and this is a guess.....I would say you would get anywhere from 550 to 850Mb/s.....sorry I can't be more specific.......Just don't have this data.
From what Ive read ....the onboard ICH10R has a max upper limit of about 500Mb/s.....so a 6Gb/s PCI-E raid card is required to get over this.
Aussie Allan
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Yes the SATA limit is starting to become a reality now with more SSDs available that can approach it or even pass it if they are RAIDed up. That was one of the main reasons for me buying a OCZ Revo X2 PCIE drive as the limitation doesn't come to bare.
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alright i need to know if there is any truth to this. went to the store to return my oxz V3's and the guy working there tells me that Intel SSd's work fine on the marvel controller. Now i dont have the ability to test this but has anyone tested a pair of intels (the 510s elmcrest series for example) on the sata 3 ports that have a marvel 9128 controller. If possible on a gigabyte x58A ud3r mobo or something similar. This sounds a bit fishy to me an i am skeptical but i must know. He said ocz's have problems with the marvell controller
I already have a ocz vertex 2 ssd so i just bought another one to raid 0 it on the intel ich10 ports. however i dont want to give up on the possibility that my mobo does not support sata3 ssd drives when it clearly should.
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alright i need to know if there is any truth to this. went to the store to return my oxz V3's and the guy working there tells me that Intel SSd's work fine on the marvel controller. Now i dont have the ability to test this but has anyone tested a pair of intels (the 510s elmcrest series for example) on the sata 3 ports that have a marvel 9128 controller. If possible on a gigabyte x58A ud3r mobo or something similar. This sounds a bit fishy to me an i am skeptical but i must know. He said ocz's have problems with the marvell controller
I already have a ocz vertex 2 ssd so i just bought another one to raid 0 it on the intel ich10 ports. however i dont want to give up on the possibility that my mobo does not support sata3 ssd drives when it clearly should.
.....Clearly should and does are two totally different thing.........Am at a bit of a loss as you said you are trying to get a a pair of OCZ V3s running!....... then you have a V2 which you added another too ?..... is this a totally different thing....So you are trying to get two V3s to work on the Marvell and two V2s to work on the Intel ports??...........If Intel SSDs work on the 58A or 67 platform..... tis news to me......and about 10,000 others.
I deal with about three posts per day involving the numbers/letters 9128-X58A .... your booting problem may be associated with the raid set on the Marvell controller but I suspect other......SSDs when Raided must be identical.....brand, size, firmware.....if all these are ticked they should run even on the Marvell port......not really fast, but they should run....... on these boards Marvell ports should be left for optical (DVD_ROM) and in IDE
Te Intel IC10R is more then capable of running two raid sets (2xV2s and 2xV3s).although I don't understand way you would do it tis way.
Aussie Allan
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Hi gmwal
I would have to agree with Allan on this and I don't think the bloke in the shop knows what he is talking about to be honest. He is getting a bit mixed up I think. What he said about OCZ having a problem is correct or at least it was but has been sorted now since the firmware was updated. He is a bit behind the times. The problem lies in the controller not the SSDs so why would it make a difference which drive you connected ? The Intel drives are good but not magic!
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Dark Manits:
i guess i was hoping for some magic. ;D I am just having a hard time resigning myself to the fact that the marvel chip wont run at sata 3 speeds. Oh well time to move on.
Aussie Allan:
Before this whole post got started i just had one vertex 2 ssd. I bought two vertex 3 ssd' in hopes my mobo could support them in raid 0. When i learned that the marvel controller was not able to support this array i sent them back a couple of days ago from where i bought them. I bought another vertex 2 ssd and will Raid 0 it and my old vertex 2 on the intel ICH10 ports. Seeing as my vertex 2 works fine by itself on the intel ports raiding them should not be a problem. In essence the performance should be identical to one vertex 3.
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Dark Manits:
i guess i was hoping for some magic. ;D I am just having a hard time resigning myself to the fact that the marvel chip wont run at sata 3 speeds. Oh well time to move on.
Aussie Allan:
Before this whole post got started i just had one vertex 2 ssd. I bought two vertex 3 ssd' in hopes my mobo could support them in raid 0. When i learned that the marvel controller was not able to support this array i sent them back a couple of days ago from where i bought them. I bought another vertex 2 ssd and will Raid 0 it and my old vertex 2 on the intel ICH10 ports. Seeing as my vertex 2 works fine by itself on the intel ports raiding them should not be a problem. In essence the performance should be identical to one vertex 3.
As long as you're taking into account the theoretical 500Mb/s limit of even this controller over Sata you'll be correct there.
The way the industry is going , it's turned upside down yet again......not 4 or 5 yrs ago the humble Hard Drive was the slowest link in the chain, so all the effort was put into that area (SSD).......now the entire industry has been caught on the back-foot/flat-foot with connectivity from the drive to the processor effectively, SATA3 has been to slow in development, and too small a incremental speed steps to remain a viable option if you want the performance that is available today.
PCI-E based data transfer was and is still overlooked as the logical alternative to the problem......the Latest RevoDrives that are hitting the shelves as we speak are hitting 1500MB/s reads!......... I actually see IBIS cable replacing SATA and IBIS connectors on SSDs.
Aussie Allan