Gigabyte EP45-UD3P ICH10R RAID 5 2TB Drives Not Working

[bc0203]

Hi.

I'm using a Gigabyte EP45-UD3P (which has ICH10R RAID) and am trying to build a RAID 5 stripe using 5 Seagate 2TB drives (ST320005N4A1AS-RKs, to be exact.) I'm running the most current BIOS on the mobo and I've checked the drives; they don't need a firmware update.

What I'm experiencing is odd and frustrating... when I try to build a RAID 5 stripe with these drives, the stripe size comes up in the 890GB range. The drives are all individually recognnized at the correct size, so that's not the problem - any ideas?

Thanks in advance...

 

[bc0203]

I'll post this here for the benefit of those who might be having the same problem with their system...

I'm using Windows 7, but I'm sure it's the same under Vista 64...

Set up your drives under RAID, but don't create the RAID stripe in the BIOS.

Download the most current version of the Intel Matrix RAID manager

Create the stripe using that... works fine!

 

[Pointertovoid]

Maybe the 2TB limit messes up here.

The ich10r is supposed to cope with >2TB disks and >2TB raid arrays - it's one of the few improvements over previous chips. I also read something related in the description of Bios updates for the Ga-ep45-ud3r.

Mbr-type partitions definitely can't cope with >2TB arrays nor disks. Did you use an Mpt-type partition?
(Well, from your post, it seems to go wrong even before making the partition).

 

[bc0203]

Maybe the 2TB limit messes up here.

The ich10r is supposed to cope with >2TB disks and >2TB raid arrays - it's one of the few improvements over previous chips. I also read something related in the description of Bios updates for the Ga-ep45-ud3r.

Mbr-type partitions definitely can't cope with >2TB arrays nor disks. Did you use an Mpt-type partition?
(Well, from your post, it seems to go wrong even before making the partition).

No, as you pointed out... I hadn't even tried to set up partitions yet, I was just trying to create the stripe.

It would seem that when you use the latest version of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager for W7 and tell it you want to create the uber-sized RAID 5 stripe, it downloads a special 64-bit driver that facilitates the process.

 

[Pointertovoid]

I've found again the Bios story with >2TB, it's there
http://www.gigabyte.fr/Support/Motherboard/BIOS_Model.aspx?ProductID=2932
Bios version F3 : "Support raid HDD up to above 2000GB size"

I haven't read the update release note; maybe the 2TB limit refers to the JMicron 363 host, not to the ich10r.

Anyway, you already told "running the most current BIOS".

 

[bc0203]

I looked at the link you sent me, it was for their French site, and it was a beta upgrade to their BIOS. The BIOS upgrade isn't available on their US site.

Since I've got a driver that's working at the O/S level, and I'm not booting off of the RAID array, I'm gonna hold off and wait for the offically released (English) BIOS upgade that supports 2TB drives.

 

[jnrdavo]

I'll post this here for the benefit of those who might be having the same problem with their system...

I'm using Windows 7, but I'm sure it's the same under Vista 64...

Set up your drives under RAID, but don't create the RAID stripe in the BIOS.

Download the most current version of the Intel Matrix RAID manager

Create the stripe using that... works fine!

Hi guys,

How do you setup the drives under RAID without creating the stripe? (I'm presuming that you do this in BIOS).

I'm trying to get windows7 RTM 64bit working on a ga_ex58-ud5 board, but the win7 installed is not recognising the drives... (i've downloaded the drivers from gigabyte site, but it doesn't find the drivers).