Configuring SSD OS + HDD RAID 1

[strydersilverton]

Question for the experts! Building a new system this weekend on a Sabertooth Z77 Mobo and had a few questions about my storage setup. I hope I’m providing enough information, but let me know if I’m missing something.

i7 3770K
Sabertooth Z77
Corsair Neutron GTX 240 SSD
2x Seagate Barracuda 1TB SATA 6.0GB
Windows 7 Prof.

I would like to set up my SSD as my OS boot drive on a Intel based SATA 6 port (Brown) and want to run my HDD’s in a RAID 1. I’m assuming that I will need to put them on Intel based SATA 3 ports (Black) even though they are SATA 6 capable because the other SATA 6 ports are ASMedia and not Intel. Is this correct? Also, based on my research I will need to set the SATA controllers to RAID in the BIOS in order to configure my RAID. Will my SDD still be able to use AHCI and TRIM even though the BIOS is configured for RAID and not AHCI? Finally, do I have to partition my SDD during the OS install or is this drive already partitioned appropriately?

Many thanks!
Stacy

 

[aleksanderdev]

Im want to do the same thing, and im trying right now.
I got my ssd on the intel 6gb sata 3 port, ahci.

A few houres ago i took 2 older 250gig drives, connected them to the black sata 2 ports.
They arent detected.
I dont know why, or how to fix it.

Edit:
It seems that older disks are only detected in IDE mode.
This cant be the case, if this is the only solution it sucks.

 

[zdbc13]

AHCI is a subset of RAID so it should work for your SSD (trim, etc.). Install Windows with only the SSD installed, do a custom install and use the whole drive for the system. Let Windows do the partitioning. Once installed do all the driver and windows updates and then add your RAID array disks (they can go on the 6gb ports), go into RAID setup and create the array. That should do it.

 

[aleksanderdev]

zdbc13
How can i creat a raid array when my disks dont show?

 

[strydersilverton]

AHCI is a subset of RAID so it should work for your SSD (trim, etc.). Install Windows with only the SSD installed, do a custom install and use the whole drive for the system. Let Windows do the partitioning. Once installed do all the driver and windows updates and then add your RAID array disks (they can go on the 6gb ports), go into RAID setup and create the array. That should do it.

Perfect... that is exactly what I was looking for! So its ok for the HDD's to go on the other 6GB ports even though they are ASMedia controlled and not Intel? That would be good news for performance.

Thanks again!

 

[aleksanderdev]

Only the intel controlled Sata ports are able to run Raid, that is if your HDD's are detected at all

 

[strydersilverton]

Best answer selected by strydersilverton.