Gigabyte RAID problems on EP45-DQ6

[cornellalum]

I am trying to setup a RAID array on a newly built system and I am having problems. My system is unable to recognize any drives when I plug them in the purple ports designated for the Gigabyte SATAII chip. However, the drives are recognized when plugged into the orange SATA ports connected to the ICH10R Southbridge.

Drives: 2x 500GB SATAII drives
Connection:
Failed Attempt #1) GS0_Source, GS1
Failed Attempt #2) GS2_Source, GS3
Failed Attempt #3) GS0_Source (1 drive only)
BIOS Version: Tried F9, F10a
BIOS Settings:
SATA RAID/AHCI Mode [DISABLED]
SATA Port0-3 Native Mode [DISABLED]
Onboard SATA/IDE Device [ENABLED]
SMART BACKUP FUNCTION [DISABLED]
SMART BACKUP INITIAL [DISABLED]

Also I do not see any option to get into the Gigabyte SATAII Raid Bios by pressing CTRL-G.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Gigabyte RAID problems on EP45-DQ6

RAID must be setup on the Intel Chipset only, for some reason the newer BIOS's disable the GA controller. I believe some of the older ones allow it but it is also not working properly in those either. There has been a few discussions here already about this.

Here is the latest one with a few users comments if you would like to see everyone's thoughts and discoveries >>>

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/ga-ep45-ds5-g-sata-problem-please-help-27043/

Some talk about drives and Controller here as well >>>

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/problem-ga-ep45-ds5-hard-disk-led-remains-27347/

[mv2devnull]

Re: Gigabyte RAID problems on EP45-DQ6

Drives on GS0_Source and GS1, and Smart Backup enabled on the same ports should yield a RAID1 array.

[mccann73]

Re: Gigabyte RAID problems on EP45-DQ6

Drives on GS0_Source and GS1, and Smart Backup enabled on the same ports should yield a RAID1 array.

How is that going to work if you cant even access the gigabyte raid screen to create the array or at least confirm the raid1 array has been created automatically by smartbackup?

My current DS5 board with latest bios seems to have raid disabled by default on the gigabyte controller, it will only detect drives on GS0 and GS1 as standard ide devices.

I agree with Lsdmeasap, stick to the intel controller till they finally resolve these problems....

[mv2devnull]

Re: Gigabyte RAID problems on EP45-DQ6

How is that going to work if you cant even access the gigabyte raid screen to create the array or at least confirm the raid1 array has been created automatically by smartbackup?

"gigabyte raid screen" configures the JMB363 fakeraid (just like the "Intel Matrix" configures the ICH10R fakeraid). That has nothing to do with the SiI5723 chips and their raid modes (ie only smartbackup==SAFE==RAID1 at the moment). The SiI5723 creates the array for you (but you have no choices). The JMB363 is a mere SATA-controller in this use.

Think about the possible consequences of having a RAID controller as "disk device" connected to another RAID controller. SiI5723 is made to work as subdevice of SiI5723, but there is no garantee that the communication of JMB363-SiI5723 cascade is optimal.

SiI5723 documentation says that it is configured in three ways:
1. pins
2. I2C
3. GUI application (if appropriate pins have been shorted)

SteelVine Manager program from Silicon Image can show SiI5723, drives on it, and state of the array. It can not change raid-mode. Unfortunately, the main BIOS seems to claim sole ownership on the control pins and our only hope is that Gigabyte can and does release a BIOS with more options than smartbackup (ie that the pins are not too hardwired).

SiI5723 is marketed as hardware raid chip. It sort of is, but a very simple one.


Yes, I do agree that ICH10R is a much better choice now, until (if ever) the BIOS/firmware/GUI admin of JMB/SiI get sorted out. The features of ICH8/9/10R are quite well known.

[cornellalum]

Re: Gigabyte RAID problems on EP45-DQ6

Lsdmeasap, thanks for the links to the threads.

Sadly, I can't get the drives to even be recognized on the 4 GS ports, even in standard IDE mode. Does anyone know if Gigabyte will eventually fix these problems? If not, I will probably end up returning this board and getting another board from another manufacturer.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Gigabyte RAID problems on EP45-DQ6

Here is some more links about all this, several are listed on the same post. I think possibly the same as above but maybe a link or two more >>>

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/ep45-ds5-dq6-27384/

Lots of info and Ideas posted there. Good detailed info

[mv2devnull]

Re: Gigabyte RAID problems on EP45-DQ6

As I wrote earlier, enabling Smart Backup should make "drive" visible. There is always the possibility that the brand and model of the drives is not compatible with 5723.

Googling around finds references to beta bios versions that do not show on the Gigabyte site. But as usual in business, those in the know are probably behind NDA.

[mccann73]

Re: Gigabyte RAID problems on EP45-DQ6

Hi mv2devnull<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Thanks for the explanation, it seems a complex way (and i guess it was cheap??) to have had the SiI5723 controllers driven by the JMB363, maybe there would have been a better way to <o:p></o:p>
impliment the 4 additonal sata ports than what seems a fairly restrictive feature?


Got some info from Gigabyte on this controller, will post on the ep45-ds5-dq6-27384/ thread....


cheers
<o:p></o:p>