# New SATA2 Drive - AHCI or IDE?



## Huxley2k7 (Dec 2, 2007)

Whats up guys,

Hate to keep making new threads for issues, but when i'm unsure about something, i like to be sure, before taking the plunge. 

I've got my new SATA2 HDD, it's a 500GB Western Digital (5000AAKS). Since installing XP and optimizing my PC fully, i'm just not noticing any performance increase over my old 80GB SATA, in fact, it seems worse! Opening up simple files (Like My Documents) on the drive presents an hour-glass with at least a 1 second delay or so before the file opens! Deleting tiny files of around 8MB sometimes brings up the progress bar? This is a fresh format, with nothing but maintenance programs, registry optimizers, diskeeper, and a couple of games on it. I've optimized XP to the fullest, and the HDD is always defragged, including the page-file. The HDD should not be as slow as it is im sure of it.

So i think, maybe, i did something wrong, or there is something i need to do. One thing i haven't installed yet, is the 'SATA RAID drivers' from Gigabyte's website. Should i?

Should i be running the HDD in AHCI mode instead of the generic motherboard IDE mode? If so, would it really require me to completely re-install Windows with a boot-disk containing specific drivers? The manual is a little hazey in this regard.

I have the latest Bios already installed and all other motherboard drivers too. Here is my motherboard page. The Gigabyte site is SO slow for me, a real pain in the ass. Hope it isn't for you to!

Input, thoughts, criticism, help appreciated. 

Thanks,

Hux.


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## Hawk1 (Dec 2, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> Whats up guys,
> 
> Hate to keep making new threads for issues, but when i'm unsure about something, i like to be sure, before taking the plunge.
> 
> ...




I asked the same question over on the ASUS forums. I was told you will get better performance if the drives are in AHCI or RAID mode.  They say to use RAID mode, even if you don't have a RAID, as it will allow you to set one up in the future without a complete OS reinstall (something I regreted this weekend, as I had to reinstall). Anyway, even going to AHCI from IDE mode, you should reinstall the OS, although there are workarounds if need be.



> You should set the ICH7R to either RAID or AHCI if running sata HDD because leaving set to the default 'IDE' will cause your HDD to be emulated as pata, which will produce a performance hit.  Setting to AHCI or RAID also eliminates a common Vista issue with IDE burners.  The only difference between AHCI and RAID is the sleep modes available in AHCI will not be available in RAID mode, so I suggest RAID also because it leaves RAID open as a future option.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 2, 2007)

Thanks a lot Hawk!! So, i couldn't quite tell from your post, i should go RAID however i *do* need to re-install the OS? 

Cheers,

Hux.


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## t_ski (Dec 2, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> They say to use RAID mode, even if you don't have a RAID, as it will allow you to set one up in the future without a complete OS reinstall.



He's saying no, you won't need to reinstall.


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## t_ski (Dec 2, 2007)

But backing up and restoring is not the same as a reinstall.


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## panchoman (Dec 2, 2007)

scsi emulation is the best, but you cant find that on newer boards for some reason, so you're suppossed to use ide emulation...


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 2, 2007)

Right, thankyou guys. Sorry, i just like to get full confirmation before i commit myself to such projects! Im sure ya'll understand.

Well, my manual clearly states you cannot initiate any form of RAID or AHCI mode without re-installing OS. I think i'm just gonna go ahead and format it and setup RAID. I'm assuming its RAID0 i must setup? 

I still have my old 80GB HD, so can i plug that in, transfer all the crap over to that, unplug it, re-format my OS HDD, setup RAID mode, install OS, then transfer back all that crap again?

Cheers all.


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## Hawk1 (Dec 2, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> Thanks a lot Hawk!! So, i couldn't quite tell from your post, i should go RAID however i *do* need to re-install the OS?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Hux.



Sorry, I think everyone misunderstood. Yes, you will need to reinstall the OS when going from IDE to AHCI or RAID. When reinstalling, you have to use F6 during the first few seconds or windows will not recognize your HDD, as it doesnt have SATA/RAID drivers on it. You have to set AHCI or RAID in BIOS, and if you do it with your current OS, it will not boot. There are workarounds, but a clean install is best.


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## Kursah (Dec 2, 2007)

I've tried ACHI and IDE for SATA2 drives, and really I noticed no difference in speed. I did notice my HDD ran a tad quieter under ACHI mode. I thought ACHI was going to be a better improvement overall from what I've read, but in both Vista Ult. and XP Pro, I noticed and verified no difference. If anything ACHI gave up a couple MB/s to IDE for a quieter operating drive. Of course I have a 7200.9 series Seagate, I think it was one of their first NCQ ACHI supporting drives, so maybe there's no point in my application. But from my experiences, IDE is easier to setup and deal with. I've never tried RAID, nor do I feel the need to. I have my current 500GB drive, which is plenty of space for me, and I plan on getting a raptor 74gb 10k rpm in the future for speed needs.

But my experiences and knowlege may vary in comparisons to others with different hardware, setup procedures, experiences, etc.


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## Steevo (Dec 2, 2007)

Check your drive channel for current transfer mode. I used IDE emulation for my single drive at work off a Gigabyte 625 board, and it initially chose UDMA33 transfer mode. But after tweaking the registry from safe mode and removing all other instances of it transfer speed is now what it should be.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 2, 2007)

@ Hawk - Heh yep, thanks mate. 

@ Kursah - Well, this HDD is supposed to be as fast as a Raptor in some cases (I read it in a bench-mark review before i bought the thing) and i'm just not seeing any performance increase, only a decrease. Otherwise, i probably would just keep it in IDE. But you know, you don't pay for a downgrade. 

@ Steevo - I wouldn't know where to begin, i really lack knowledge when it comes to HDD's. 

Hux.


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 2, 2007)

Hi,i found a way to switch from ide mode discs to ahci without reinstalling.I have just done it myself on vista so i KNOW it works.

here is the link with the details.--->http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=457699&pid=588980114&st=15&#entry588980114

hawk1 ,this "workaround" is fine,i have lots of stuff i dont really wanna lose and it is working fine with no reinstall and no problems.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 2, 2007)

tigger69 said:


> Hi,i found a way to switch from ide mode discs to ahci without reinstalling.I have just done it myself on vista so i KNOW it works.
> 
> here is the link with the details.--->http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=457699&pid=588980114&st=15&#entry588980114
> 
> hawk1 ,this "workaround" is fine,i have lots of stuff i dont really wanna lose and it is working fine with no reinstall and no problems.



Well apparently, looking at my manual, my Motherboard does not support AHCI mode, as its an ICH8 southbridge..... ?

I think i'm just going to have to try and RAID it. But won't it be looking for two HDD's? Will that even function properly with one SATA? It's all so bloody confusing.


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 2, 2007)

It seems you need the "R" version sb for ahci,i dont really understand myself how raid can work with 1 disc


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## Hawk1 (Dec 3, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> Well apparently, looking at my manual, my Motherboard does not support AHCI mode, as its an ICH8 southbridge..... ?
> 
> I think i'm just going to have to try and RAID it. But won't it be looking for two HDD's? Will that even function properly with one SATA? It's all so bloody confusing.



Setting it to RAID (at least for my P5W DH) does not automatically mean you have to set up a RAID,  or even have 2 SATA drives. From what I understand, AHCI and RAID modes are pretty much exactly the same for performance, but when you set to RAID mode, it means you will be able to implement a RAID in the future, without having to reinstall the OS. If you just set to AHCI and wanted to go to a RAID in the future, it WOULD mean you would have to reinstall the OS and set to RAID mode in the BIOS.

Edit: if you never plan to go to a RAID (at least without an OS reinstall) then AHCI will be fine for you. I would even suggest using tigger's workaround, as that is the way I originally got mine to AHCI without any issues. I just had to reinstall on Friday, as I did want to go to a RAID0 (havent had a chance to install any programs for real world tests, but HD Tach has a marked improvement in burst rate, as expected).


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> Setting it to RAID (at least for my P5W DH) does not automatically mean you have to set up a RAID,  or even have 2 SATA drives. From what I understand, AHCI and RAID modes are pretty much exactly the same for performance, but when you set to RAID mode, it means you will be able to implement a RAID in the future, without having to reinstall the OS. If you just set to AHCI and wanted to go to a RAID in the future, it WOULD mean you would have to reinstall the OS and set to RAID mode in the BIOS.



Thanks again Hawk. I just don't know if it's worth it, and im wondering whether setting my Hard Drive to RAID mode (Or at least something other than IDE to utilize its full SATA functionality) will fix an old stuttering problem i've been having in games which mainly occurs when something in-game is loaded/read from the HD. It used to happen on my old 80GB too, which was also a SATA, which i also did not setup in RAID or AHCI mode. Just wondering if thats the culprit. 

Also, as stated before, i definitely don't feel like the HD is giving me its full performance. What do you think?


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 3, 2007)

I just switched mine from ide mode to ahci,and it does seem quicker.I dont fancy raid with two disc again as i lost a lot of stuff.There is always raid 0/1 on just two discs using the intel matrix storage program.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

tigger69 said:


> I just switched mine from ide mode to ahci,and it does seem quicker.I dont fancy raid with two disc again as i lost a lot of stuff.There is always raid 0/1 on just two discs using the intel matrix storage program.



Where have you noticed the performance increase mate? As for AHCI, well, my motherboard has an ICH8 controller so apparently i cant have AHCI mode yet it's in my Bios and its in my manual.


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 3, 2007)

It just seems snappier,if you know what i mean.Stuff opens quicker.Try the ahci if its in your bios mate.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

Gah, im getting really confused with all this crap. I'd rather reinstall the OS as opposed to modifying my current install etc like you suggest Tigger. I just want to configure my HD to run at optimal performance levels i paid for, not some half-arsed IDE mode. It's just proving to be a real pain in the ass. I think i'll just go with AHCI mode, RAID does not and will not interest me. Still, im stuck on what to do. I know im going to re-install the OS, but i don't have a Floppy Drive, nor do i even have the proper connectors for one on my PSU. AHCI needs drivers during the OS install to function properly. 

Is there ANY way i can use a USB drive and put the AHCI drivers on there for when i re-install OS? 

The manual is SO fu**ing useless.


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 3, 2007)

cant you do it the way i did? switch with no reinstall?

Its pretty easy to do mate.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

tigger69 said:


> cant you do it the way i did? switch with no reinstall?
> 
> Its pretty easy to do mate.



It says its not compatible with my ICH8 chipset, even though i have the AHCI option in Bios, and a little section on the AHCI install in the useless manual. So i thought it would probably be best to stick with the manual's half-arsed guide, as opposed to one that might not work, and ultimately screw up my HDD, meaning i'd be stuck with nothing.


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## Hawk1 (Dec 3, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> It says its not compatible with my ICH8 chipset, even though i have the AHCI option in Bios, and a little section on the AHCI install in the useless manual. So i thought it would probably be best to stick with the manual's half-arsed guide, as opposed to one that might not work, and ultimately screw up my HDD, meaning i'd be stuck with nothing.




Well, here is one way you can reinstall without floppy. 

I think you can also use a USB floppy to install the drivers, but the above method wont cost you anything (other than a CD and some download time).

edit: you can also use this great guide by rado354, if you have the time/inclination, but if you don't plan to reinstall too often, may not be worth your time.


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 3, 2007)

I found this-->http://kerneltrap.org/node/7582

It seems the ich8 does support ahci,there is lots of info here for you to get it running on your machine.

The method i posted to change from ide to ahci needs no disk or nothing,you basically change a setting in the reg,install a driver then reboot and change bios to ahci.When you boot up again windows automatically installs the driver.then you just install the matrix storage manager.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

tigger69 said:


> I found this-->http://kerneltrap.org/node/7582
> 
> It seems the ich8 does support ahci,there is lots of info here for you to get it running on your machine.
> 
> The method i posted to change from ide to ahci needs no disk or nothing,you basically change a setting in the reg,install a driver then reboot and change bios to ahci.When you boot up again windows automatically installs the driver.then you just install the matrix storage manager.



I'm trying it now Tigger, thanks mate, might as well take the plunge. Wish me luck. 

@ Hawk - If the AHCI method does not work, i will definitely try out those links. Thanks for finding those for me, i searched google a few pages back with no luck! Cheers.

Okay, so i downloaded the 



> Below link to ready pack with patch and latest Intel Matrix Storage Manager v7.6.1.1002 WHQL
> 
> http://rapidshare.com/files/68377915/AHCI_...WS_XP_PATCH.zip



Replaced those entries in the text document with 2821.

Ran the Install.CMD

Enabled AHCI mode in Bios.

Downloaded latest storage manager.

Ran install and i get the error ''Do not meet the minimum requirements for this software''.

What gives?


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 3, 2007)

Did it reboot ok after you switched it to ahci mode? If so,i guess it means it IS running in ahci mode.

have a look at this,post no.5.Hope it helps.

http://www.everythingicafe.com/foru...h-and-reboots-after-itunes-install-14145.html


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

tigger69 said:


> Did it reboot ok after you switched it to ahci mode? If so,i guess it means it IS running in ahci mode.
> 
> have a look at this,post no.5.Hope it helps.
> 
> http://www.everythingicafe.com/foru...h-and-reboots-after-itunes-install-14145.html



When i reboot, it started a little differently - there was a little boot-up page highlighting my Sony drive in green, then it went through the normal boot-up process and straight to desktop as normal... 

This time round, no 'found new hardware' wizard started up too. How can it work in AHCI mode then, without installing the Intel Storage Manager?


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 3, 2007)

coz you already have the ahci driver installed.the thing from that link changes the registry to enable it(i think)

check you device manager like this-


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

Hmmm! I just went into Bios, and noticed i may have missed a setting. I had originally just set the Onboard SATA/IDE CTRL mode to AHCI in Integrated Peripherals. I had not 'Enabled' AHCI mode with the other setting. Upon doing this, PC reset, went through some hard-drive AHCI function which i couldn't quite catch, then went to the blue BSOD screen and reset again. Luckily i got back into the Bios and switched it back to Disabled. I don't know if this will allow me to install the Matrix Storage Manager since it won't go back to Desktop.

Attached picture.


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 3, 2007)

I wonder if that means it wont work then?

On mine i set it to ahci from ide,rebooted and it booted fine to windows and did the installing driver for new hardware thing.

Leave it as it was with the other setting off,and look at device manager.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

tigger69 said:


> I wonder if that means it wont work then?
> 
> On mine i set it to ahci from ide,rebooted and it booted fine to windows and did the installing driver for new hardware thing.
> 
> Leave it as it was with the other setting off,and look at device manager.



Basically, in my Bios, the Onboard SATA/IDE mode i have on AHCI. Thats fine,as you can see, im getting to Desktop etc. However, when i ENABLE the SATA AHCI Mode in Bios, thats when i get the BSOD and can't get to desktop. 

So you think i should switch it back to Onboard Sata/Ide mode - IDE?


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 3, 2007)

It seems that way ,by the looks of the pic,it is still in ide mode.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

tigger69 said:


> It seems that way ,by the looks of the pic,it is still in ide mode.



Wtf... This is what i got now that i switched it back to Onboard IDE mode.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> Well, here is one way you can reinstall without floppy.
> 
> I think you can also use a USB floppy to install the drivers, but the above method wont cost you anything (other than a CD and some download time).
> 
> edit: you can also use this great guide by rado354, if you have the time/inclination, but if you don't plan to reinstall too often, may not be worth your time.



Well Hawk, i've resorted to the contingency plan! That is a full-format OS reinstall using this method. I selected Win32 Drivers and assigned them to the new SATA compatible windows install CD created with Nlite. The driver was only 0.5Mb, im hoping its right. Im hoping this works!



tigger69 said:


> It seems that way ,by the looks of the pic,it is still in ide mode.



Well thanks for your help Tigger mate! It's as i thought though, seems this method is not compatible with my board or something. Doesn't like it. I'm going to go with the old-skool reformat and see how it goes. I'm sure you'll be hearing from me soon! So stick around! I'll be sure to thank you! 

Well wish me luck dudes!


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## Hawk1 (Dec 3, 2007)

Good luck and it should work out fine.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> Good luck and it should work out fine.



Bah, i get to the F6 part, where i select to instal the SCSI driver to run this thing in AHCI mode, i follow the steps, then it says it can't find any hardware/CD Rom/Floppy with the drivers on it and tells me to press F3 to quit. I did make some progress though - i put the SATA in the GSATA motherboard socket, and now it seems to be recognizing my HD as a SATA in AHCI mode during boot-up. Still says PCI/IDE mode in Device manager though and i haven't noticed much difference, so its probably not changed anything. AHCI is still disabled as well, since it gives me BSOD during bootup to desktop if i leave it on.


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## Hawk1 (Dec 3, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> Bah, i get to the F6 part, where i select to instal the SCSI driver to run this thing in AHCI mode, i follow the steps, then it says it can't find any hardware/CD Rom/Floppy with the drivers on it and tells me to press F3 to quit. I did make some progress though - i put the SATA in the GSATA motherboard socket, and now it seems to be recognizing my HD as a SATA in AHCI mode during boot-up. Still says PCI/IDE mode in Device manager though. Then again, AHCI is still disabled since it gives me BSOD during bootup to desktop if i leave it on.



Hmm, interesting. I'm not familiar with the Gigabyte, as my Asus board has the ICH7R SB. Anyone else want to chime in (tigger?).


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 3, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> Hmm, interesting. I'm not familiar with the Gigabyte, as my Asus board has the ICH7R SB. Anyone else want to chime in (tigger?).



I don't think there is much else anyone can do, i'm really on my last tether with it. Believe me, if i have some questions, ill be sure to come back and ask. I think it's just a matter of me trouble-shooting this crap and hoping for the best. SATA is one big pain in the ass IMO.


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## Hawk1 (Dec 3, 2007)

Well if its really important to you and you want to give it a try(and you can afford the expense), get a USB Floppy. Check this if you do want to give it a try to make sure you get a supported USB Floppy.

Good luck with troubleshooting it.


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 3, 2007)

Sata is not a pain in the ass,only when things go wrong.

For the future tho',make sure you buy a board that has the "R" version sb,which supports all the sata options.

I hope you suss it out tho'.


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## ntdouglas (Dec 3, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> I'm trying it now Tigger, thanks mate, might as well take the plunge. Wish me luck.
> 
> @ Hawk - If the AHCI method does not work, i will definitely try out those links. Thanks for finding those for me, i searched google a few pages back with no luck! Cheers.
> 
> ...



Does the hdd have jumpers on the back of it? I had to remove the jumpers on my Seagates to enable sata 2.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

Okay guys, after lots of trial and error, i think i've finally made progress, HOWEVER, wondering if you dudes can help me out?

Here's the deal - I managed to install a slipstreamed SP2 version of XP with SATA drivers. ALL the while in AHCI mode! After a lot of trial and error, i got XP installed. BIG performance increase! The XP load bar barely goes past the screen once before its booting into windows. I noticed a big performance increase, accessing files etc was very quick. 

...Then, i decided to plug in my old 80GB which has all the files i need on it (EG: Mobo drivers) into the SATA ports. It didnt find it at first, so i fiddled with Bios and adjusted its IDE settings since i figured it would run under IDE. It still didn't find it, so i plugged it into the GSATA2 port (Next to my new HD) as my Bios was still in AHCI mode. The mobo found it, i went into windows and immediately noticed it taking at least 5 progress bar-passes on the windows bootup before getting to desktop. Also, when on windows, i think that freakin 'found new hardware' crap installed something to work the old HD properly, i can't remember whether the performance hit came before or after this though since i made a few reboots during the process! It originally showed up as 'Generic Volume' then the found new hardware did something automatically and then it showed up as D drive. Accessing the HD's felt slow again (Like pre-AHCI) and it just feels shitty. Upon restart, i notice that during the boot-up phase (After the Gigabyte screen flashes up) what once said 'AHCI Bios installed' now says 'AHCI Bios Not Installed'. Im still in AHCI mode etc, but alas, the performance has taken a hit. I unplugged the old HD after grabbing the files, and now the PC still feels the same! Ever since plugging in that HD! Im pretty sure i set the Bios settings back the same now. 

Why has this happened? What can i do? Re-install OS again? I don't see how this found-new-hardware thing (If that is the culprit) would affect the 'AHCI Bios Installed' during bootup either. 

Thankyou guys for any help.

EDIT: Added a pic of my Device Manager. Note: I haven't installed anything but the onboard network device so i can get online. I'm not sure, but it looks like its reporting the drive as AHCI/SATA correctly? Or is it? Also, in the bottom right you can see the 'Removable Hardware' icon, which contains the HDD. (WD 5000AAKS).


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## ntdouglas (Dec 4, 2007)

You have an 8 pin jumper block on the back of that drive.


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## Mussels (Dec 4, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> Whats up guys,
> 
> Hate to keep making new threads for issues, but when i'm unsure about something, i like to be sure, before taking the plunge.
> 
> ...



Simple answer: AHCI is best, even tho they are the same speed.

IDE mode is the same speed, AHCI adds the extras like NCQ, hot swap, etc - so its the same speed only that IDE is more compatible (often doesnt need drivers to install windows) whereas AHCI needs the drivers on a floppy, but has the extra features.

there is sometimes a 'raid' option as well, which is best to have disabled if you run AHCI but arent running RAID.


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## Kursah (Dec 4, 2007)

Alright, I just got my ACHI working without re-installing XP or crashing! I have an ICH8R southbridge though, so whether or not it can help here, hard saying. I found too many instructions to fail when I tried them. So I found a guy who did this to his laptop and it worked for me...I'm sure instructions given are the same or very similar...I'm just posting what worked for me.

1- download Intel Matrix Storage Manager exe.
2- Put in C:\ Dir
3- Go to Start, Run, type c:\iataxxx.exe -a
  This will extract the files to C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager
4- Go to Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager
    Then go to IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers, right click one of the first Intel PCI Storage 802xx controllers, not the primary or secondary below them, Click Update Driver, manually find the drivers,  don't search, then click Have Disk,

Copy and Paste:
C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\Driver

Then locate 82801HR/HH/HO SATA ACHI Controller (very bottom one, at least for ICH8R)

It will come up with a warning, click okay, it will ask to restart, do so...and go into Bios, set your SATA to ACHI and voila, you should be ACHI. This took all of 5 minutes from download to completion, without digging into the case, no floppy/cd, all good to go. Again, sorry if it does not help, I was stoked I could pull it off in XP since it is easy in Vista...pretty much the same deal in XP I just realised. Dunno why there are so many sites with more complicated instructions (even for ICHxR's) if it's this easy.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

ntdouglas said:


> You have an 8 pin jumper block on the back of that drive.



There is an 8 Pin block, i didn't know that was the jumper block though? Surely if i needed to activate that, i wouldn't be able to have installed XP with a slipstreamed XP disc, all in AHCI mode in Bios etc? If that is the jumper, is it worth switching it then?

I just looked at this http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc....php?p_faqid=1409&p_created=1138290141#jumper and there's no actual Jumpers on my HDD, furthermore, its an OEM HDD. 



Kursah said:


> Alright, I just got my ACHI working without re-installing XP or crashing! I have an ICH8R southbridge though, so whether or not it can help here, hard saying. I found too many instructions to fail when I tried them. So I found a guy who did this to his laptop and it worked for me...I'm sure instructions given are the same or very similar...I'm just posting what worked for me.
> 
> 1- download Intel Matrix Storage Manager exe.
> 2- Put in C:\ Dir
> ...



Kursah, thanks for taking the time to write out the guide, but i think my PC is in AHCI mode. It's all turned on in Bios, where originally i would get a BSod with it all activated. I'm now just trying to find out if its actually working as AHCI, since during POST, there's a little screen named something like ''AHCI Intel Bios Version 7.1 SrCi'' then below that it says 'AHCI Bios Not Installed' where before, right after the OS reinstall with Slipstreamed XP, it said 'AHCI Bios Installed'. All the details are in my previous post regarding that, im just trying to find out why its saying that now. 

@ Mussels - Thanks, but your a little late buddy. 

EDIT: Here is the FULL page i get during POST. It's always been on since i enabled AHCI Mode in bios, it runs through every bootup. 


```
[CENTER]Serial ATA AHCI Bios Version, iSrc 1.07
Copyright Intel (bla bla)
##This Version Supports Only HDD's and CD Roms##

Controller Bus#00, Device #F, Function #02: 04 Ports
............
No Device Found
AHCI Bios Not Installed[/CENTER]
```

Anyone got any ideas?


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## ntdouglas (Dec 4, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> There is an 8 Pin block, i didn't know that was the jumper block though? Surely if i needed to activate that, i wouldn't be able to have installed XP with a slipstreamed XP disc, all in AHCI mode in Bios etc? If that is the jumper, is it worth switching it then?
> 
> I just looked at this http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc....php?p_faqid=1409&p_created=1138290141#jumper and there's no actual Jumpers on my HDD, furthermore, its an OEM HDD.
> 
> ...



Remove the jumper. Has your drive performance increased? Post a hdd tach screenie, that will show if your running sata2.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

ntdouglas said:


> Remove the jumper. Has your drive performance increased? Post a hdd tach screenie, that will show if your running sata2.



I just installed it and ran the thing straight off (Quick 8MB), never used it before, dunno what these results mean. 

I'm really at my wits end with this whole HDD thing, not knowing whether its even setup properly etc, I really appreciate all the help.


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## ntdouglas (Dec 4, 2007)

Thats a pretty good score for a single drive. Is that with the jumper removed? With Seagates, the jumper is in there so it can also run on sata boards, and drive defaults to sata. Removing it enables sata2.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

ntdouglas said:


> Thats a pretty good score for a single drive. Is that with the jumper removed? With Seagates, the jumper is in there so it can also run on sata boards, and drive defaults to sata. Removing it enables sata2.



There is no jumper to remove, unless i physically remove the entire socket... 

So what is that score? Is my HD in AHCI/SATA mode then?


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## Hawk1 (Dec 4, 2007)

Thats SATA mode. IF it was in IDE mode, it would have been closer to the Ultra DMA bar.


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 4, 2007)

heres my single disc in ahci mode.

I notice its pretty consistent and not too many ups/downs.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

... So guys, Hawk, ladies, gentlemen... Is my HDD actually in AHCI mode now then? And if so, why is that stupid Intel thing popping up during POST telling me no AHCI Bios is installed? 

Is it because i have the SATA plugged into the Gigabyte SATA slots and the Gigabyte SATA drivers installed as opposed to the Intel SATA ones? I've noticed that this post-bootup thing only shows up when i have 'AHCI MODE' set to 'AHCI' in bios, but if i disable that, and set the Onboard Ctrl Mode to AHCI, it doesnt show up, however i have no CD Drive? :S 

Well, let me know guys, and thanks for stickin with me for so long!

Hux.


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## ntdouglas (Dec 4, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> There is no jumper to remove, unless i physically remove the entire socket...
> 
> So what is that score? Is my HD in AHCI/SATA mode then?



Thats about as fast as a single drive is going to get.

Your in sata2. Look at Tigger's bench. ^


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## Hawk1 (Dec 4, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> ... So guys, Hawk, ladies, gentlemen... Is my HDD actually in AHCI mode now then? And if so, why is that stupid Intel thing popping up during POST telling me no AHCI Bios is installed?
> 
> Is it because i have the SATA plugged into the Gigabyte SATA slots and the Gigabyte SATA drivers installed as opposed to the Intel SATA ones? I've noticed that this post-bootup thing only shows up when i have 'AHCI MODE' set to 'AHCI' in bios, but if i disable that, and set the Onboard Ctrl Mode to AHCI, it doesnt show up, however i have no CD Drive? :S
> 
> ...



Yes, its AHCI (SATA) mode. Not sure what the deal is at POST, I never got that on my ASUS board.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> Yes, its AHCI (SATA) mode. Not sure what the deal is at POST, I never got that on my ASUS board.



ZOMFG OMG LEIK WTF ISIHTINCINN!?!?!? You sure its defo in SATA/AHCI mode? Your not just tellin me that to shut me up, huh? 

Also, does your Asus have an intel chip?


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## Hawk1 (Dec 4, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> ZOMFG OMG LEIK WTF ISIHTINCINN!?!?!? You sure its defo in SATA/AHCI mode? Your not just tellin me that to shut me up, huh?
> 
> Also, does your Asus have an intel chip?



LOL, no I'm not telling you just to shut you up/close the thread. If it was still in IDE mode, your HD tach results would have been significantly lower (think I was getting like 115-120 when my drives were in IDE mode).

As far as my Asus, yes it has the Intel ICH7R SB (if thats what you meant).


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> LOL, no I'm not telling you just to shut you up/close the thread. If it was still in IDE mode, your HD tach results would have been significantly lower (think I was getting like 115-120 when my drives were in IDE mode).
> 
> As far as my Asus, yes it has the Intel ICH7R SB (if thats what you meant).





Hawk1 said:


> LOL, no I'm not telling you just to shut you up/close the thread. If it was still in IDE mode, your HD tach results would have been significantly lower (think I was getting like 115-120 when my drives were in IDE mode).
> 
> As far as my Asus, yes it has the Intel ICH7R SB (if thats what you meant).



Woooo hoooooooooo. Although, i shouldn't be celebratin' just yet. I am still in need of you guys' expertise and advice!

So! As you have all confirmed, it *is* running in SATA/AHCI mode. Which means, the Slipstreamed XP SP2 /w my GIgabyte SATA drivers install worked, right? ALl while in AHCI mode. Okay, so if thats the case, then does that mean my HDD is always running in that SATA mode now until i re-install my OS again? 

Reason i ask: My Bios has two options that correspond to AHCI. The 'Onboard CTRL Mode' which can be set to AHCI/IDE/RAID-IDE. And the 'AHCI Mode' which can be set to AHCI or Disabled. 

Setting the 'AHCI Mode' to *AHCI*, results in that Intel BIOS screen on post, telling me 'No AHCI Bios is Installed'. If i *Disable* this, but leave the Onboard CTRL Mode at AHCI, the Intel Bios post screen does *not* show up, instead, a Gigabyte SATA2/RAID Controller screen does, which highlights my HDD and SONY DVD RW drive in green and blue. I don't know what this means, but im gonna guess - The INTEL post screen, represents the INTEL AHCI mode (Turning on AHCI Mode to AHCI in bios, plugging the SATA cable into the Orange slots on the mobo, and installing Intel AHCI drivers during OS setup). While the other post-RAID/AHCI/SATA controller screen, with Gigabyte written all over it, represents the Gigabyte controller method (Disabling 'AHCI Mode', turnin on AHCI in the Onboard CTRL mode, plugging sata cables into the PURPLE 'Gsata' slots and installing the Gigabyte drivers during OS Setup) which is the setup im using.  

This, IMO, is why the Intel AHCI bios post screen pops up telling me no Bios is installed since i hadn't actually installed the intel AHCI drivers during OS, instead the Gigabyte ones, which would explain why the Gigabyte AHCI/SATA post screen is showing the WD 5000AKS. 

*BREEEEEEEEEEEEEATHE*

However, turning the Onboard SATA/IDE CTRL Mode to AHCI disables my freakin' DVD Drive.... Why!? Also, when i have this turned on to AHCI but have AHCI Mode disabled, it starts detecting loads of IDE controllers and results in all this crap in my Device Manager (SEE PIC) i think it may be due to the intel drivers / motherboard drivers i have to install - which leads me to my next question. What drivers DO i have to install now exactly? It's all so confusing. 

AGain thanks so much for all the help! I think im finally getting to the bottom of this! 2 Weeks of perseverance! I need rest!

Thanks.


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## Hawk1 (Dec 4, 2007)

Ok, I've done a little of your homework. Have a read here, particularly from post #10. Theres a couple of links in the thread you may want to check out.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> Ok, I've done a little of your homework. Have a read here, particularly from post #10. Theres a couple of links in the thread you may want to check out.



Thanks Hawk, interesting. Believe me, i've scoured Google to the core for all the AHCI/965/DS3/SATA bla bla combinations. Somehow didn't come across that one though. Still, those guys seem to be having problems initiating AHCI/SATA mode, whereas i thought we established i'd got over that hurdle? Also, they always refer to a Floppy Disk, which is something i cannot do. 

I guess my questions now are, do i install the Intel Chipset drivers for my Motherboard at windows? 
Do i need to install the RAID/SATA drivers again when i get to Windows after installing them during OS setup?
What Bios settings should i settle with?
Will the IDE controllers auto-installing affect my HDD in SATA mode?

Also, can you/anyone explain why the DVDRW drive stops working when the Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode is set to AHCI? Seem's i can't have them both running at the same time. 

Thanks again Hawk and all.


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## Hawk1 (Dec 4, 2007)

Huxley2k7 said:


> Also, can you/anyone explain why the DVDRW drive stops working when the Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode is set to AHCI? Seem's i can't have them both running at the same time.




Is this a SATA DVD Drive, or IDE?


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> Is this a SATA DVD Drive, or IDE?



It's IDE, which pretty much answers the question itself really. In which case, how can i get that to work at the same time? Or would i need to buy a SATA DVD drive?

Last few questions mate! I'm assuming your not too sure about my previous ones which is fine, me neither! 

Okay, well, i went into Bios again, and switched the Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode to IDE. This shows up my CD Drive, and, apparently, after running HD Tach, im still getting the same 'score' (About 248Mb/s) as i was in AHCI mode? How do you explain that then? Is it in SATA mode no matter what now? It is, afterall, in the Gigabyte SATA controller sockets. Any ideas?


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## Hawk1 (Dec 4, 2007)

Go back into your device manager and change the view to devices by connection. See where/which controllers your HDD and DVD show up in. If its listed under an UltraATA/IDE Channel, the drives in IDE.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> Go back into your device manager and change the view to devices by connection. See where/which controllers your HDD and DVD show up in. If its listed under an UltraATA/IDE Channel, the drives in IDE.



I've attached a picture, tell me what you think. 

As far as i can see, it seems the Gigabyte Controller is controlling them both??? 

Let me know what you think. At the moment the Bios is set to IDE.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

This is with Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode set to AHCI, but the AHCI Mode disabled (The Intel one, i think. )


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## OnBoard (Dec 4, 2007)

tigger69 said:


> heres my single disc in ahci mode.
> 
> http://forums.techpowerup.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=10945&d=1196796569
> 
> I notice its pretty consistent and not too many ups/downs.



You got the same drives, here's my result with IDE mode, seems quite identical


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## Hawk1 (Dec 4, 2007)

Well, I'm stumped now. This would be a better place to start troubleshooting. From the first post in this thread, it looks like your HDD IS in AHCI mode. Go through that thread and see if anyone else had similar issues as you. Good luck.


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 4, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> Well, I'm stumped now. This would be a better place to start troubleshooting. From the first post in this thread, it looks like your HDD IS in AHCI mode. Go through that thread and see if anyone else had similar issues as you. Good luck.




Thanks Hawk. Checked out the link, i'll try those suggestions out tomorrow when i got some more time. I got to go to bed soon, i spent too many long nights into the early hours of the morning working on this crap. Thanks for all your help. 

BTW - How come my HDtach results are all jagged while the other dudes are a lot more straight?


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## Huxley2k7 (Dec 5, 2007)

Check this shit out:






That is with the SATA cable now plugged into the Intel ports (The orange ones) and 'AHCI Mode' - Disabled leaving the 'Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode' as AHCI. _That_ result, is indeed, IDE mode. 

Now, with the cable in the Intel port, and AHCI ENABLED in Bios, during the Intel post screen, it says 'AHCI *is* Installed' as opposed to 'Not' installed when plugged into the GSATA ports. This results in the bSod. So, is that because i have not installed the Intel AHCI drivers during OS installation? It has to be! Meaning, if i can install the Intel drivers during OS reinstall, i can then set the 'AHCI Mode' to Enabled, and leave the Onboard Ctrl Mode to IDE, so i get the HDD in AHCI mode while still having access to my Sony on a diffeent controller in IDE!? Can someone please confirm this for me, am i onto somethin?


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## ntdouglas (Dec 5, 2007)

Check this shit out. Intel matrix storage manager. 64k stripe. Ever consider raid?: This thing will defrag a 500 gig raid array in about 2 minutes, tops. lol


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## Kursah (Dec 5, 2007)

Nice! That average blows my 51MB/s average out of the water! Granted I have 2 partitions on a Sgate 7200.9 500gb, the best I've ever scored in HD tach is 54mb/s. My burst is around 230mb/s iirc, but my drive starts at about 65mb/s and ends at about 35mb/s. LoL...I'm ashamed!


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## ntdouglas (Dec 5, 2007)

Kursah said:


> Nice! That average blows my 51MB/s average out of the water! Granted I have 2 partitions on a Sgate 7200.9 500gb, the best I've ever scored in HD tach is 54mb/s. My burst is around 230mb/s iirc, but my drive starts at about 65mb/s and ends at about 35mb/s. LoL...I'm ashamed!



Thanks man. Thats not a bad score at all for single drive. Looking in your system specs, I noticed you've got drive temps posted. What do you use to see that?


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## Kursah (Dec 5, 2007)

Everest, Speedfan both show my Drive temps...they've dropped some since I last updated my specs though since the cooler weather. I'm at about 31 idle, 34 load


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## ntdouglas (Dec 5, 2007)

Kursah said:


> Everest, Speedfan both show my Drive temps...they've dropped some since I last updated my specs though since the cooler weather. I'm at about 31 idle, 34 load



Everest home? Or that everest pro thingy you have to buy?


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## Kursah (Dec 5, 2007)

Both have worked for me, I have yet to find an HDD that isn't detected and displaying temp in Everest Home, Pro, Speedfan.


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## Hawk1 (Dec 5, 2007)

ntdouglas said:


> Check this shit out. Intel matrix storage manager. 64k stripe. Ever consider raid?: This thing will defrag a 500 gig raid array in about 2 minutes, tops. lol



Damn! Maybe I should of set mine up as 64k instead of 128. Nice scores.


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## ntdouglas (Dec 5, 2007)

Kursah said:


> Both have worked for me, I have yet to find an HDD that isn't detected and displaying temp in Everest Home, Pro, Speedfan.



Thanks man. I have home, and it is showing my drives at 30c. I shot you a thanks also. Not to be beating a dead horse to the ground but,did you remove the jumper from the back of your Seagate?


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## ntdouglas (Dec 5, 2007)

Hawk1 said:


> Damn! Maybe I should of set mine up as 64k instead of 128. Nice scores.
> 
> View attachment 10955



Thanks man. I couldn't read your attachment. Try making it a little bigger.
Actually, if your gonna redo, try 32k stripe.


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## Kursah (Dec 5, 2007)

ntdouglas said:


> Thanks man. I have home, and it is showing my drives at 30c. I shot you a thanks also. Not to be beating a dead horse to the ground but,did you remove the jumper from the back of your Seagate?



Yep...and the only thing that changed was my burst speed. It increased by almost 2x fold! But I didn't notice any real-world changes from it.


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## Mussels (Dec 5, 2007)

Kursah said:


> Both have worked for me, I have yet to find an HDD that isn't detected and displaying temp in Everest Home, Pro, Speedfan.



same, except for the <80GB drives that are old enough to not HAVE a temp sensor. Everest is quite good for reporting all the temps at once (although you need the paid version)


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## Deleted member 24505 (Dec 5, 2007)

My drives are at 20c atm.I dunno what the highest temps are tho'

You can do raid 0/1 at the same time with just two discs with the matrix storage thing.


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## ntdouglas (Dec 5, 2007)

tigger69 said:


> My drives are at 20c atm.I dunno what the highest temps are tho'
> 
> You can do raid 0/1 at the same time with just two discs with the matrix storage thing.



I think I will stick to what I have.


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## Kursah (Dec 5, 2007)

I may try RAID someday...but I'm thinking of making my seagate a storage and getting a 150gb 10-15k rpm raptor and going that route.


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## ntdouglas (Dec 7, 2007)

Ah, just try raid.


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## Source (Jan 28, 2008)

tigger69 said:


> I just switched mine from ide mode to ahci,and it does seem quicker.I dont fancy raid with two disc again as i lost a lot of stuff.There is always raid 0/1 on just two discs using the intel matrix storage program.



Hey Tig, after you switched from IDE to AHCI under deice manager what does it label your hard drive as now. Mine was change from 74G Raptor to RAID_VOLUME_ONE but it left my second SATA drive as WD5000AAKS....

any thoughts...


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