Using Smart Response Technology with Existing RAID0 Array

[SpenceAlmighty]

Hi Guys,

Hi All,


I have been researching with mixed results trying to confirm if the following config will work for me to use Intel Smart Response Technology


ASUS P8Z68-M-PRO board - i5 2500 - DDR3 etc...

2x WD Blue 500GB SATA3 in RAID0 (onboard intel RAID controller) Boot Partition on Z68 SATA3 Ports

3x WD Green 2TB SATA2 in RAID5 (onboard intel RAID controller) Data on Z68 SATA 2 Ports

1x 60GB SATA3 SSD on ASUS SATA3 port (ASMedia PCIe SATA controller)


Will I be able to use Smart Response Technology to accellerate my RAID0 in this configuration? I already have the system running except for the SSD, I am just making sure before I buy the SSD.


Thanks in advance for anyone who can clear this up for me.

 

[SpenceAlmighty]

I dont know how but the forum has doubled this one up. Sorry, I hope a mod can delete the duplicate thread.

Ta,

 

[Dereck47]

Will I be able to use Smart Response Technology to accellerate my RAID0 in this configuration? I already have the system running except for the SSD, I am just making sure before I buy the SSD.

Yes, you should be able to use your RAID per Intel's user guide: http://download.intel.com/support/chipsets/sb/intel_smart_response_technology_user_guide.pdf

 

[SpenceAlmighty]

Even though I wont have the SSD connected to the Intel Storage Controller?

 

[x Heavy]

I threw a Patriot pyro onto my raid with the hope that ISC will "Accelerate" the system. Unfortunately my experiences lead me to believe that Intel storage management only accelerates those with spinner hard drives and not SSD's. So I tossed my 60 gig onto it's own as a system cache only.

It's already plenty fast enough.

If you navigate the Intel software "Help" tab you will see a wealth of easily understood information on just about everything you could want to do. But keep in mind "Accelerating a already fast SSD built system is not available. I have spent a week myself trying.

 

[SpenceAlmighty]

Sorry, I have been a bit misleading in my OP -

My storage at the moment is mechanical only. Boot drive is 2xWD Blue 500GB SATA3 on the Intel SATA3 ports in RAID0 and I am thinking of adding the 60GB SSD to it by connecting the drive to the AsMedia SATA3 port available on the board.

 

[SpenceAlmighty]

I will solve this myself!

Intel Smart Response Technology will work with exisiting RAID arrays on the Intel Storage Controller.

To make this all work I had to move my DVD/RW off the Intel SATA2 to the ASMedia controller and one of my SATA3 HDDs from my RAID0 Boot partition from the SATA3 Port to the now available SATA2 port and then connected the OCZ Vertex 3 60GB to the now available SATA3 Port. (FWIW 7200rpm drives in a RAID0 still come nowhere near 3Gbs so I haven't lost any performance from my RAID0)

Intel Storage Controller lost my RAID0 for half a second and I panicked but it righted itself. So if anyone was wondering, yes you can run a RAID0 on one SATA3 and one SATA2 port on the Z68 chipset.

From there I made sure all SW, Drivers, Firmwares (IRST, BIOS&SSD) were current and then establishing the Smart Response cache was as simple as the Intel "how to guide"

Crystal Disk Mark 3.01 x64 reports: - 2x WD Caviar Blue 500GB in RAID0 with 60GB OCZ Vertex 3 SATA3 SSD in Maximised mode

Results on run 3 - 1000GB test 5 Passes

Seq Read: 340.4 MB/s Seq Write: 90.22MB/s
512k Read: 352.4MB/s 512k Write: 90.51MB/s
4k Read: 28.88MB/s 4k Write: 52.49MB/s
4k QD32 Read: 59.20MB/s 4k QD32 Write: 66.31MB/s

Also for a real world experience - Photoshop x64 CS5 used to take about 30sec to get ready for use and now takes about 2 sec. Office applications load like I have Alt+Tab'ed to them.

for $139 AUD I have made a huge difference to the speed of my PC and I am happy I have made the jump - whats more I am hungry for when the price on SSD gets down to ~$0.80-$1/GB

 

[SpenceAlmighty]

Best answer selected by SpenceAlmighty.