GA-MA78GM-S2H - how to use only 2 ports for RAID (not 4)

[eddyiek]

Hello all,

I own this motherboard and I have the following configuration in my system:
- 1 x WD 640GB SATA2 (having OS on it)
- 2 x 1TB WD SATA2 (to be used in RAID)
- 1 x DVD Writer SATA2
- 1 x Blu-ray Writer SATA2

Now, I have enter to BIOS Setup(F4 version, F11 being the latest available) menu and I saw that there is no possibility to choose between SATA/RAID values, individually, for each of the 5 IDE ports !!

There is only the option to set SATA0 -> SATA3 to RAID (so 4 ports) and SATA4/5 to IDE (or the same type as SATA0->3).

So, if I want to put:
SATA0 - WD 640GB - IDE
SATA1/2 - WD 1 TB - RAID
SATA3 - DVD Writer - IDE
SATA4 - Blu-ray Writer - IDE

this is not possible!

Any suggestions on this? My goal is to use/set only 2 ports for RAID, not the all 4 and the let the others for SATA.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bilbat]

I don't do AMD, so I'm not absolutely certain here, but, if it at all resembles RAIDing with an ICH, you enable RAID for the controller itself, and then simply 'pick & choose' what individual drives to actually add to an array; at least with an ICH, it doesn't matter if you enable RAID for the controller, install the 'pre-load' OS driver, and then don't configure any RAIDs - it will still 'chug along' with the individual drives - in fact, I basically recommend this to everyone, as that way, your options for a future array remain open without the 'messy' surgery required to add the driver later on, should your intentions (or your financial commitment) change... On an ICH, you only give up two things doing this - your SMART data becomes, so far as I can determine, inaccessible; and, the ICH will, when 'unRAIDed', operate as two busses, with three channels on each - shifting into RAID mode configures it as a single bus connect with six channels...

 

[eddyiek]

@all

This is a direct link to my BIOS setup manual http://download.gigabyte.ru/manual/motherboard_manual_ga-ma78gm-s2h_rev.1.1_e.pdf (page 43)

1) Does anyone has update the BIOS to F11 version and notices maybe if each port could be set individually to SATA/AHCI/RAID?
2) As it stipulates in manual, if I will use port 4 set to IDE it seems that this will work in PATA mode (?!!) and not SATA

Thanks.

 

[rand_79]

why do you want it to work in pata mode?

 

[bilbat]

You might give this a try:
http://download.amd.com/Desktop/RAIDXpert2.4.1540.4_X2.exe

 

[eddyiek]

why do you want it to work in pata mode?

I dont' want it but this it says in the Manual:

OnChip SATA Port4/5 Mode (SATAII4/ESATA connectors) - Configures the operating mode of the integrated SATAII4/ESATA connectors:
1) IDE Disables RAID for the SATA controller and configures the SATA controller to PATA mode. (Default)
2) As SATA Type The mode depends on the OnChip SATA Type settings.

@bilbat

thanks, I'll see what the software does.