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Bios slow in Ahci mode

Forum Motherboards & Memory : Chipsets & Bios - Bios slow in Ahci mode

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Hello everybody!

I have a Ga-ep45-ud3r mobo with ich10r host and Bios version F4. If Sata disk access is set in Bios to P-Ata compatibility mode, then W2k-Xp bootup is slow (35s) for still unclear reasons. And if Sata disk access is set in Bios to Ahci, then OS bootup gets very fast (OS disk is an X25-E, W2k boots in 15s and Xp in 9s, including nVidia video driver).

But then, in Ahci mode, the Bios gets very slow. The video card displays its data for a few seconds, and then the Bios takes 17s before giving control the the OS boot sequence, which is far too long.

From what's displayed, it seems that Gigabyte's Bios calls a routine supplied by Microsoft, as soon as the ich10r is set to Ahci or Raid, and this routine takes about 15s. Right?

By the way, this mobo has also a JMicron 363 P-Ata+Sata host on board, which also slowed down the Bios pretty much the same way when in Ahci mode, before I shut off the JMicron.

So:
- Can I improve this time through some settings?
- Does your mobo's Bios run faster than 17s in Ahci mode? What's your model then?
- Does an Intel mobo, with an Intel Bios, run faster than 17s in Ahci mode? Observed figures?
- Or do nVidia chipsets manage it better?

Thanks!

Add a reply

Somethings not right. The BIOS doesn't lagg more than a second on my P35-DS3R and P45-DS3R when AHCI is enabled.

Message edited by shadow703793 on 09-23-2009 at 01:57:08 AM

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http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3818083596_1a772f7162_o.gif

Reply to shadow703793

Thanks Shadow703793! As your Mobo is quite similar to mine, it gets puzzling...

Read on a German forum that Gigabyte incorporates Intel's Ahci part in the Mobo's Bios, and older versions from Intel were slower, similarly to what I see... So:
Could you tell the version of your Mobo's Bios, and of the Ahci part of your Bios? Thanks!

And of course, more inputs are welcome!

Reply to Pointertovoid

For P35-DS3R rev 2.1: F13 BIOS version.

Can't remember the other one.

Btw: http://www.gigabyte.us/Support/Mot [...] #anchor_os

Looks like you have a quite out of date BIOS. Try flashing it to F11 using QFlash. DO NOT use @BIOS for flashing BIOS.

Message edited by shadow703793 on 09-25-2009 at 01:37:48 AM

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Reply to shadow703793

Thanks!

Meanwhile I've downloaded Bios F4 F5 F9 F11 from Gigabyte, detailed them by Cbrom v2.20 and observed the embedded Ahci subroutine provided by Intel.

F4 F5 F9 include Ahci v1.07, only the F11 (from 31st of August, 2009!) has Ahci v1.20...

Which means that I can hope a classical upgrade to F11 will bring a faster Ahci part of Bios start.

Reply to Pointertovoid

Found some threads on diverse forums that observe the same effect, and their analysis and results are quite clear:
http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/l [...] 68690.html
http://62.109.81.232/cgi-bin/sbb/s [...] &show=9789

It was really Intel's embedded Ahci that slows down Gigabyte's Bios, and Gigabyte took some time to include Intel's faster v1.20E Ahci.

So for my Ud3r, official Gigabyte F11 Bios should be the answer.

Reply to Pointertovoid

Quote :

Meanwhile I've downloaded Bios F4 F5 F9 F11 from Gigabyte, detailed them by Cbrom v2.20 and observed the embedded Ahci subroutine provided by Intel.

Nice to see someone using CBRom, not many even know about it. Used it for BIOS modding a few years back, lol.

At any rate, glad Gigabyte fixed it.

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Reply to shadow703793

And it worked.

I just used Gigabyte's regular QFlash to update the mobo's Bios from F4 to F11.
This brought the embedded Ahci part by Intel from 1.07 to 1.20E, which now takes 3s instead of 17s.
So I didn't have to modify a Bios, which I was reluctant to.

Two other parts of the computer start have gotten each 3s slower: before the Bios gets the screen, and during Xp bootup. But the net sum is clearly positive, and at 4000MHz, I get a working Xp 25s after switching the power.

Reply to Pointertovoid

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