Strange GA-P35-DS3R boot problem

[CFster]

Getting a weird problem when trying to setup a RAID 0 array on this board.

The system takes a long time to recognize the hard drives when the Intel RAID controller is activated. Then I can press CTRL-I and go into the configuration screen and create an array, but as soon as I reboot it does it again. My only solution was to ditch the RAID and just use a single boot drive (which works OK).

E6750 @stock speed
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R
2GB Corsair XMS2 PC26400
EVGA 8800GTS
(2) Maxtor 6Y080M0 80GB SATA
(1) Lite-On SATA DVDRW

 

[grimskull]

try this....

boot up the PC and press DEL as it is starting up to enter the BIOS. Scroll to integrated peripherals and turn the hard drives to a RAID setup. Have a look around in there to make sure everything is set for a RAID set up. Save and exit, the PC will reboot, when the RAID splash screen show press CTRL + I. Define the RAID sat up and configure them in to the RAID 0. You may have to press Y to activate them in a RAID 0. they should show up as LD1-0 and LD 1-1.... depending on what SATA ports you have them connected to. Save it and exit, the PC will restart, press DEL again and go to the boot sequence of your PC, put the optical drive first,( CD/DVD drive), your RAID drives should be listed here. Save and exit, PC will restart, insert your Win XP SP2 CD into the DVD drive and press any key when you are told to on screen. Press F6 to set up a RAID and pop in your floppy disk that you ahve made that holds the RAID drivers... you can download them from Gigabyte website. Follow on screen instructions.

Let us know how you get on....

 

[CFster]

Thanks for the reply.

Well basically I did all of that. From the time when the Intel RAID Bios screen comes on to when it says CTRL+I is easily a full minute. It just takes forever for it to detect those drives, weather they're formatted and in RAID formation or not.

I've since switched to the Gigabyte RAID using the purple headers and everything works perfectly, albeit with a performance hit I'm sure. I understand the Gigabyte RAID is slower than the Intel chip. But, it's faster than no RAID.

I suspect it must be an imcompatibility with my hard drives?

 

[grimskull]

There will be no incompatability from the hard drives, they will all work, no matter what SATA version, 1.5GB or 3GB. On the Gigabyte board there is two SATA controls, one Intel and one Gigabyte, if the intel isnt working and its configured correctly then i suspect a bad board so probably best to RMA it.

It shouldn't tak a full minute to get to the RAID screen, should be a lot less than that, unless its doing a full POST test and sumthing is wrong.