P35-DS3L SATA Multi-word DMA 2

[lspnet]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']I've been googling around for hours trying to find an answer to my problem, if it even is a problem. I managed to find one other post by someone with apparently the same "issue" (My Ultra dma mode Ahci 2.. why is that? - Guru3D.com Forums), however, nobody was able to give him a decent answer.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
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[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']So anyway, I just built a new box: p35-D3SL w/ a xeon x3350, 1 150GB Raptor, 1 750GB WD. I have AHCI enabled and I didn't have a single problem on the Vista install despite that being a very common issue. I am however experiencing an issue with my drives being set to MWDMA-2 on the IDE channels. <o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
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[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']I'm not 100% sure how this might effect the drive's performance, as all the HD benches I've run (HD Tach, HD Tune, Sandra) return decent performance indexes, except for significant subpar burst rates (only 86.6 MB/s on the raptor), which may or may not be a result of the MWDMA-2.<o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
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[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']I also have not be able to install any of the common Intel storage drivers: Intel Application Accelerator or Intel Matrix Storage Driver as I am told my system does not meet the minimum requirements for install, DESPITE the fact that Intel directs me to the download page when I search for p35 chipset software.<o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
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[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']So my questions are:<o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']1. Is MWDMA-2 a common issue for p35 owners running Vista w/ AHCI turned on? If so, is just something that should be ignored?<o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']2. Am I not supposed to be able to install the Intel Matrix Storage Driver for the d3sl?<o:p></o:p>[/FONT]
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[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']I'm really curious to see if I may have just gotten a faulty motherboard so that I can RMA it ASAP. Thanks for any help!<o:p></o:p>[/FONT]

[lspnet]

Re: P35-DS3L SATA Multi-word DMA 2

What the hell... I have no idea, why my post was formatted like that, and I'm not able to edit it.

[lspnet]

Re: P35-DS3L SATA Multi-word DMA 2

Since I can't edit it, heres a properly formatted version:
I've been googling around for hours trying to find an answer to my problem, if it even is a problem. I managed to find one other post by someone with apparently the same "issue" (My Ultra dma mode Ahci 2.. why is that? - Guru3D.com Forums), however, nobody was able to give him a decent answer.

So anyway, I just built a new box: p35-D3SL w/ a xeon x3350, 1 150GB Raptor, 1 750GB WD. I have AHCI enabled and I didn't have a single problem on the Vista install despite that being a very common issue. I am however experiencing an issue with my drives being set to MWDMA-2 on the IDE channels.

I'm not 100% sure how this might effect the drive's performance, as all the HD benches I've run (HD Tach, HD Tune, Sandra) return decent performance indexes, except for significant subpar burst rates (only 86.6 MB/s on the raptor), which may or may not be a result of the MWDMA-2.

I also have not be able to install any of the common Intel storage drivers: Intel Application Accelerator or Intel Matrix Storage Driver as I am told my system does not meet the minimum requirements for install, DESPITE the fact that Intel directs me to the download page when I search for p35 chipset software.

So my questions are:
1. Is MWDMA-2 a common issue for p35 owners running Vista w/ AHCI turned on? If so, is just something that should be ignored?
2. Am I not supposed to be able to install the Intel Matrix Storage Driver for the d3sl?

I'm really curious to see if I may have just gotten a faulty motherboard so that I can RMA it ASAP. Thanks for any help!


Hopefully a mod will be able to merge the posts

[lspnet]

Re: P35-DS3L SATA Multi-word DMA 2

Upon further research and disabling AHCI in the bios, I have discovered a few things:

1. Disabling AHCI allows Vista to recognize both HD ATA channels as UDMA 5 instead of MWDMA 2.
2. As expected, the burst rates increased dramatically from 85 MB/s + to 115 MB/s + when benching the raptor with HD tune.
3. I ran the Intel chipset ID utility, and strangely it recognizes my chipset as g33/g31 with no mention of the p35.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: P35-DS3L SATA Multi-word DMA 2

Hmm, well that is strange. I was going to ask which color ports you have the disks connected to, but seems you have answered that part.

As for the chipset ID, what does CPU-z Tell you in the Mainboard section? P35/G33/G31 should be the family
CPUID

As for the intel matrix storage driver, that must be installed AFTER a operating system is installed in a RAID configuration using the F6 preinstall (Or in vista, just installing the raid driver before the system). So that is likely why you cannot install the matrix software

[lspnet]

Re: P35-DS3L SATA Multi-word DMA 2

CPUID does report the chipset has P35/G33/G31 Rev. A2

However, My ga-p35-ds3l does not have RAID capabilities as the southbridge is only the ICH9.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: P35-DS3L SATA Multi-word DMA 2

Ahh, I overlooked that! Looks as if you do not even have the Gigabyte/J.Micron Purple Raid/Sata ports either

As you can see below there is no Intel Matrix driver for your board. If it is on your disk, the disk must be a "Generic" disk they ship with several boards
GIGABYTE - Support - Motherboard - Driver - GA-P35-DS3L (rev. 2.0)

You should however install this Newest Intel .Inf Chipset driver, it is for your board and surely newer then what is on your disk
Download Software, Drivers and Utilities Filters

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: P35-DS3L SATA Multi-word DMA 2

Here is My Software RAID (Using Gigabyte/J.Micron Chip) HD Tach RW benchmarked. It actually went down after defrag, was 253 burst before, musta made things to "tight" to write on :)



Ahh, after reboot, Better but jumpy

[lspnet]

Re: P35-DS3L SATA Multi-word DMA 2

I did install the INF shortly after I installed vista, so its not that.

I've decided to leave AHCI disabled as it appears to be the cause of the MWDMA issue and there doesn't seem to be any real appreciable beneifits to leaving it on (unless I'm missing something) since I don't plan on doing any hot-swapping. NCQ also doesn't appear to be at all useful to the typical end-user, and I've read that it can in fact slow typcial non-server related performance in some cases.

Interestingly though, Sandra still reports that NCQ is enabled on the raptor even with ACHI disabled

Anyway, unless someone can point out any sigfnicant reason to get AHCI working properly, I'll just leave it disabled.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: P35-DS3L SATA Multi-word DMA 2

Yeah if the drive supports NCQ it often times will be enabled no matter what, as a plus

I also found AHCI depressing!