GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

[VorLonUK]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

But many people want the features AHCI mode brings, such as:-

NCQ
Staggered Spin-Up
Hot Swappable
64 Addressing

Page 9 Lists the lot....

http://download.intel.com/technology/serialata/pdf/rev1_3.pdf

http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/imst/sb/CS-012304.htm

[hyakki]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

When running in raid mode the ICH10R bios enables AHCI and all the features, it doesn't even use or need the standalone AHCI bios (you can even confirm this since after it detects the drive it says Drive is controlled by raid bios). all the drives get passed over to the ICH10R controller , the only time it needs the "standalone" AHCI bios is if its out of raid mode, and i don't really see any reason to take it out of raid mode (even if you don't use raid), would you rather use a bios dated recent in 2008 (the ICH10R bios) or some shoty 2006 "iSRC" bios..

[VorLonUK]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

The latter Bios, is an Intel Secondary Bios to invoke AHCI in the ICH, which I use and have had zero problems with. I don't use Raid, nor do lots of people, but still wish to implement the AHCI features, without enabling something they don't wish to use (raid), or even futureproof for.

As information appears to be limited on this, I don't think you can assume that just because the AHCI screen appears to be standalone, that it is "either/or" (Ahci or Ahci & Raid). In Ahci/Raid mode the "Standalone" AHCI screen may be suppressed in favour of just the Raid Information, although "behind the scenes" the AHCI bios has invoked that part of the ICH controller as it had when just in AHCI only mode. My understanding is Raid then just becomes an addition to the mix, not a seperate entity supporting all and sundry.

As for:-

shoty 2006

I would have thought Intel had the expertise when it came to supporting their own chipset.
The dating of it doesn't really matter, considering when you take into account that Intel's driver model seems to be fairly generic between their chip releases. For Instance Original XP disks (from 2000) still support later ICHxx's. That would indicate that the driver model is consistent.

[hyakki]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

the ICH10R has ahci. it doesn't need the iSRC bios.



the only reason the "2006 ahci bios" was put into these boards are so people don't have to press F6 to install raid drivers when installing windows, thats the only difference from the ICH* bios, the raid bios you need to install drivers first before you can install windows (unless its a sp1~ later disk).

like i said before other manufactures have removed / never put in the ahci standalone bios. (such as DFI),

really i have used many motherboard brands and manufactures and gigabyte is the only one iv seen use this 2006 isrc bios., most other companys give you a floppy disk with the raid drivers.

Also i forcefully removed the ahci bios from a bios i made (using cbrom) and NCQ ..etc still work just fine (the ahci bios is no longer even present on my system so its not working behind the scene as you say).

[siemens_wolf]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

hi,hyakki:
does it mean that when installing the OS, say XP, one can put it in RAID MODE even there's only a single HDD?

[VorLonUK]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

the ICH10R has ahci. it doesn't need the iSRC bios.



the only reason the "2006 ahci bios" was put into these boards are so people don't have to press F6 to install raid drivers when installing windows, thats the only difference from the ICH* bios, the raid bios you need to install drivers first before you can install windows (unless its a sp1~ later disk).

like i said before other manufactures have removed / never put in the ahci standalone bios. (such as DFI),

really i have used many motherboard brands and manufactures and gigabyte is the only one iv seen use this 2006 isrc bios., most other companys give you a floppy disk with the raid drivers.

Also i forcefully removed the ahci bios from a bios i made (using cbrom) and NCQ ..etc still work just fine (the ahci bios is no longer even present on my system so its not working behind the scene as you say).

AHCI is a Feature in many ICH controllers and is invoked by many means (with Raid or NOT). You seem to talk about it as a completely seperate entity, ie almost on it's own and not connected with Raid. Why too are you singling out the ICH10, when Ahci has been about for sometime on earlier controllers too.
There have even been threads where people have been enabling their non "R" controllers in AHCI mode, as Intel don't officially support them.

I'm not sure what you are saying about the F6 method. F6 was there simply as a convenient facility to load a 3rd party driver at pre-OS install, as the main OS of the time (XP) wasn't shipped with every conceivable driver (well it couldn't be).

Now we are on to Vista the F6 method is no longer required with the majority of controllers out there as the generic (ahci) drivers are included. These can be updated to Intel versions if you wish once you are in windows with the Intel matrix storage software.

[hyakki]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

hi,hyakki:
does it mean that when installing the OS, say XP, one can put it in RAID MODE even there's only a single HDD?

yes. the raid bios can work fine with one drive or many even if you don't run raid.

VorLonUK, I'm using the ICH10R as an example, it really goes for most of the ICH chips ICH5R->ICH10R., I'm not talking about ahci, I'm talking about the "Intel AHCI serial ata iSRC bios" and why its not needed .

anyways my main point is the "Intel AHCI serial ata iSRC bios (2006)", is just a waste of space in the system bios, when the official and supported (and updated) Intel ICH* bios can do everything the other one can do, with or without raid.

(i was saying the only downside with the raid mode is you have to press F6 for xp or load a driver up for vista (pre sp1) if you can call it a downside.

[VorLonUK]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

anyways my main point is the "Intel AHCI serial ata iSRC bios (2006)", is just a waste of space in the system bios, when the official and supported (and updated) Intel ICH* bios can do everything the other one can do, with or without raid.

That may be your opinion. But non of us know Unless you work for Intel or Gigabyte as to why they code their boards the way they do or even the way you believe them to be. Even if you did know, you wouldn't be able to say because of NDA's. There maybe a technical reason (perhaps alternative OS support - Unix based etc), why they have done things this way. Usually things are done for good reason, even if they don't neccessarily appear to be efficient.

[siemens_wolf]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

That may be your opinion. But non of us know Unless you work for Intel or Gigabyte as to why they code their boards the way they do or even the way you believe them to be. Even if you did know, you wouldn't be able to say because of NDA's. There maybe a technical reason (perhaps alternative OS support - Unix based etc), why they have done things this way. Usually things are done for good reason, even if they don't neccessarily appear to be efficient.

hi, I think your opinion is right....

Still, for many plain users, like me, we just need a plain and efficient way to install the OS, perhaps quickly and without any problem.

So the solution that Hyakki provided is good enough. though I havn't tryied....

Good to receive advice from both of you.

[yomike007]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

Ok, i have a new problem. I migrated a raid1 over from a ga-965p-ds3. The ex58-ud5 recognises it displays it properly.

I installed vista x64 on a raptor on the intel sata ports and then setup a raid5 with 4 1tb hard drives on the intel chipset.

Once in windows i installed Intel Matrix Storage Manager. It properly shows my raptor, and my 4 hard drives in raid5.

I then installed the Gigabyte Raid Configurer. When i launch it, it gives me a "GBB36X RAID DEVICE NOT FOUND!"

The raptor, Raid5, and the Raid1 properly show up in My Computer. When I enter Disk Drives under Device Manager, the Raid5 is displayed properly, but the Raid1 on the GSATA ports is displayed as a SATA Safe SCSI Disk Device.

Both the GIGABYTE GBB36X controller and INTEL ICH10 SATA RAID controller appear under Storage Controllers in Computer Management and are updated with the latest drivers.

My bios settings(F4) for the GSATA are enabled and ACHI. Changing ACHI to IDE has no effect. The Raid1 is connected to the GSATA 2/3 ports, and my CD ROM drive is connected to the GSATA1 port.

Anyone know what the problem is? I want the Gigabyte Raid Configurer to work in case of a disk failure.

[salada2k]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

^ + 1

Hi, I have the same problems. I'm not sure if this board is really buggy or what, but ontop of the OP's issues and yomike007's issues above I ALSO cant get the system to boot when I have any USB devices plugged in. (Except USB mouse and USB keyboard). This is a pain as I use a bluetooth mouse and keyboard and having the bluetooth dongle plugged in = no boot. Also having external HDD, or memory stick plugged in = no boot. You might think on the surface it's a boot order/USB boot set to enabled issue and so did I, but I checked all options and even changed them all and still no luck. I have to wait til windows boots and then plug them in. Not much fun when you're doing stuff remotely, in fact not much fun at all.

Also, I'm using a RAID 0 array and after configuring the array using SmartBackup in the BIOS I was not able to install Windows. Just hangs on 'Verifying DMI pool data'. I had to DISABLE RAID to make RAID work. Go figure. Once Windows was installed, I was able to change RAID from DISABLE to ENABLE and the system was able to boot. Phew. But still, that was completely contradictory to what the manual said. Yes after some annoyance I RTFM. :)

None of the Gigabyte utilities (EasyTune, Dynamic Energy saver) work for me. They ALL crash under Vista x64 even though Gigabyte explicitly suppors Vista x64. That sucks.

I'm going to update to the new F5 beta BIOS on this site that came out 14th Feb tonight, and see if this changes the sorry state of this BIOS and fixes these issues. It's really simple issues???? Cmon Gigabyte wtf.

Anyway for anyone considering this board don't let these posts turn you off - this is an AMAZING board and once these niggly issues are all worked out I'll be one very happy camper. Until then my patience is wearing dangerously thin.

[salada2k]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

I updated to BIOS F5g tonight, loaded default settings, powered off, and then up again, no change all the issues still remain.

[redknag]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

I have the same issue with my MS bluetooth dongle. Will not boot with it plugged in. Vista 64. :(

[salada2k]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

It does not matter what OS, as it hangs/feezes at POST time, not boot time.

If you have the wireless entertainment 8000 (maybe this works on other models too), you can remove the MS bluetooth dongle from the charger/usb hub (underneath) and then plug it straight into a spare USB port then the system will boot.

Gigabyte should still fix this problem though as there are some devices like the USB hard drive there is no workaround for. If it's plugged in, and you restart your PC, it will crash at POST.

Also tried the F6a BIOS, still same problem.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: GA-EX58 series's AHCI Mode Setting Problem!

Legacy USB Storage Detect Disabled should fix your Boot issues with USB Devices

You will need to re-enable this to flash via USB Using Qflash though so keep that in mind when/if you flash later on.

EasyTune and DES work fine in Vista x64, did you pay for your Vista? If not, that may be why they do not work for you