Since I'm going with an almost identical set up I don't even need to ask questions, Russ Uno is asking them all for me. lol

 

Yup, I ask a lot of questions

Teachers in HS school hated me for it..

Both IDE (ATA actually, later renamed PATA) and AHCI are standards for the behaviour of storage interfaces. SATA stands for Serial ATA, which implements ATA over a serial link. AHCI specifies via the API in a non implementation specific way how Serial ATA interface can be used.   

 

Native IDE = the controller acts as a IDE port (master/slave, usually only 4 ports).

AHCI = gives access to all ports, enables advanced features, hot plugging, native command queuing.

Raid = vendor specific mode.

 

The usual advice is start at raid and work backwards until you find a stable mode. Raid is vendor specific so will require a specific driver, it usually enables  AHCI mode so will work on 95%+ of systems and is potentially the fastest mode. If the OS is installed under this option can choose AHCI/IDE later. Sometimes called enhanced or performance mode. Enabling RAID mode doesnt mean you have to use RAID. This is refering to a software RAID capable mode. 

 

AHCI is the default on most shipping systems, AHCI is supported in all modern OSs (kernel 2.6.19 and later). Use this if raid doesnt work or you dont have a raid option. After installing some OSs (XP does this) choosing IDE will cause boot failure.

 

Native IDE/IDE/Compatibility mode. Controller acts as a IDE/PATA controller. Use this mode if the OS wont recognize the controller. Will probably mean only 4 sata ports can be used. Will slow the interface to 100Mb/s or 133Mb/s. 

Both IDE (ATA actually, later renamed PATA) and AHCI are standards for the behaviour of storage interfaces. SATA stands for Serial ATA, which implements ATA over a serial link. AHCI specifies via the API in a non implementation specific way how Serial ATA interface can be used.   

 

Native IDE = the controller acts as a IDE port (master/slave, usually only 4 ports).

AHCI = gives access to all ports, enables advanced features, hot plugging, native command queuing.

Raid = vendor specific mode.

 

The usual advice is start at raid and work backwards until you find a stable mode. Raid is vendor specific so will require a specific driver, it usually enables  AHCI mode so will work on 95%+ of systems and is potentially the fastest mode. If the OS is installed under this option can choose AHCI/IDE later. Sometimes called enhanced or performance mode. Enabling RAID mode doesnt mean you have to use RAID. This is refering to a software RAID capable mode. 

 

AHCI is the default on most shipping systems, AHCI is supported in all modern OSs (kernel 2.6.19 and later). Use this if raid doesnt work or you dont have a raid option. After installing some OSs (XP does this) choosing IDE will cause boot failure.

 

Native IDE/IDE/Compatibility mode. Controller acts as a IDE/PATA controller. Use this mode if the OS wont recognize the controller. Will probably mean only 4 sata ports can be used. Will slow the interface to 100Mb/s or 133Mb/s.   

I would strongly recommend you not use a RAID mode, even if your disk is recognized through it, as it might make the disk unrecognizable if connected through a different disk controller if the disk is ever migrated to a different computer.  It might make it impossible to read the disk as a stand-alone reiserfs on an alternate PC in a disaster recovery situation. 

 

The ACHI mode is what is desired.  Not RAID, not IDE emulation.

Both IDE (ATA actually, later renamed PATA) and AHCI are standards for the behaviour of storage interfaces. SATA stands for Serial ATA, which implements ATA over a serial link. AHCI specifies via the API in a non implementation specific way how Serial ATA interface can be used.   

 

Native IDE = the controller acts as a IDE port (master/slave, usually only 4 ports).

AHCI = gives access to all ports, enables advanced features, hot plugging, native command queuing.

Raid = vendor specific mode.

 

The usual advice is start at raid and work backwards until you find a stable mode. Raid is vendor specific so will require a specific driver, it usually enables  AHCI mode so will work on 95%+ of systems and is potentially the fastest mode. If the OS is installed under this option can choose AHCI/IDE later. Sometimes called enhanced or performance mode. Enabling RAID mode doesnt mean you have to use RAID. This is refering to a software RAID capable mode. 

 

AHCI is the default on most shipping systems, AHCI is supported in all modern OSs (kernel 2.6.19 and later). Use this if raid doesnt work or you dont have a raid option. After installing some OSs (XP does this) choosing IDE will cause boot failure.

 

Native IDE/IDE/Compatibility mode. Controller acts as a IDE/PATA controller. Use this mode if the OS wont recognize the controller. Will probably mean only 4 sata ports can be used. Will slow the interface to 100Mb/s or 133Mb/s.   

I would strongly recommend you not use a RAID mode, even if your disk is recognized through it, as it might make the disk unrecognizable if connected through a different disk controller if the disk is ever migrated to a different computer.  It might make it impossible to read the disk as a stand-alone reiserfs on an alternate PC in a disaster recovery situation. 

 

The ACHI mode is what is desired.  Not RAID, not IDE emulation.

 

Thanks Joe, good info.  My motherboard bios defaults to IDE and I left it as such.  Now I feel sure enough to change it to AHCI. 

Thanks Joe, good info.  My motherboard bios defaults to IDE and I left it as such.  Now I feel sure enough to change it to AHCI.

 

Actually changing from IDE mode to AHCI is much worse than changing from RAID mode to IDE or RAID mode to AHCI. See my original text. If RAID mode works then switching AHCI or IDE will still work. Because it works in IDE, doesnt mean it will work in AHCI (it should but isnt guaranteed). RAID mode is a AHCI/IDE hybrid mode that must be 100% compatible with both, simply adding additional fuctions that are supported. Intel recommend RAID mode where supported. 

 

Installing in IDE mode and switching to AHCI may cause issues. Installing in AHCI and switching to IDE may cause issues. Installing in RAID may not work, but if it does AHCI and IDE are defo both supported without reinstalling.

 

Joe is generally correct with respect to add in cards, choosing RAID option is bad as a signature is written to the disk and needs to be understood by the subsequent RAID cards. WRT to motherboard RAID options this generally isnt the case (Ive tried many) and all work seemlessly, afterall what they implement is AHCI and additional features and legacy ATA mode. AHCI or IDE mode should work with seemlessly with RAID mode. This is not true with AHCI and IDE mode.

 

With unraid swapping between IDE mode and AHCI mode should work, to say it will always work is asking for trouble. 

 

Regards

 

Kevin

 

 

Installing in IDE mode and switching to AHCI may cause issues.

Installing in AHCI and switching to IDE may cause issues.

What installing are you talking about?  Windows or something?

There's no installng with unRAID, it's all been preinstalled inside that image file.

Joe L. explained it best.  For unRAID, AHCI is what's desired.

 

*slight off topic highjack

 

For Windows, not unRAID, how would you recommend going from a system using Native IDE to a system using ACHI?  I've always wanted to get ACHI working so that my hot swap bay would work, but I've never had any luck (as I explained previously).  Would something like the following work?

 

1) Back up all data

2) Boot into BIOS and set the HDD mode to ACHI

3) Boot from Windows disc and reformat all drives

4) Install Windows

 

It seems a bit extreme, but considering I just wiped clean and reformatted my whole system a few days ago, I would be happy to do it.

 

Also, on my particular motherboard (Gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H), Native IDE mode allows me to use all 5 onboard SATA slots, not just 4.  Haven't tried the onboard eSATA (so I'm not sure if it would take over one of the onboard SATA slots or not).

Back on topic 

 

All my parts (listed in my sig.) came in today so I spent 1.5 hours putting it all together. Being a newbee at PC type hardware I spent a bit of time just figuring it out, what screws and connectors went where. It was fairly logical by just doing a screw count and process of elimination with cables. The worse part was putting the rear escutcheon on..

I still need to find a PC owner to install the SW on the Flash Drive, it sure would be nice if I could do it from my Mac. The board did seem to work even without a system - always a good sign.

More later.

Rajahal, that partially depends on which Win OS you're running. Google provides several guides that work, all without having to reinstall the os or reformat any of the drives. There's also some articles on MSDN that describe the steps needed too.

Ok, now I'm scared again.  Am I going to have any trouble when I change bios from IDE to AHCI on my unRAID server or not?

 

 

Am I going to have any trouble when I change bios from IDE to AHCI on my unRAID server or not?

 

Not.

 

I think we answered that earlier here.

 

Why then would he have to reformat his drives to make the same change?

Why then would he have to reformat his drives to make the same change?

Did you read carefully?

 

Ok, now I'm scared again.  Am I going to have any trouble when I change bios from IDE to AHCI on my unRAID server or not?

You may need to use the devices page to assign the drives to their correct slot in the array after changing the mode.  It is very easy.  The disks will cease showing up as IDE drives and be seen as SATA.  Don't worry, the array won't start if it is confused.  Just take a screen-shot of the devices page before you change mode and it will be easy to get all the disks re-assigned if needed.  Most of the time unRAID will get it figured out on its own, since the same hardware is involved.  If not, use the devices page, assign as needed, and the "Start" the array.

 

The "apparent" change from an IDE device to an SATA is the cause for windows confusion.  It does not take well to swapping out the devices from under it, (by changing the mode) and has no equivalent to the "devices" page to tell it which drive is now the "C" drive.

 

Joe L.

Ok, now I'm scared again.  Am I going to have any trouble when I change bios from IDE to AHCI on my unRAID server or not?

You may need to use the devices page to assign the drives to their correct slot in the array after changing the mode.  It is very easy.   The disks will cease showing up as IDE drives and be seen as SATA.  Don't worry, the array won't start if it is confused.  Just take a screen-shot of the devices page before you change mode and it will be easy to get all the disks re-assigned if needed.   Most of the time unRAID will get it figured out on its own, since the same hardware is involved.  If not, use the devices page, assign as needed, and the "Start" the array.

 

The "apparent" change from an IDE device to an SATA is the cause for windows confusion.  It does not take well to swapping out the devices from under it, (by changing the mode) and has no equivalent to the "devices" page to tell it which drive is now the "C" drive.

 

Joe L.

 

Ok, thanks Joe. 

Sorry to confuse you queeg, and thanks for the tips BRiT.  The reformatting thing only applies to Windows, not unRAID.  As BRiT mentioned, there may even be ways around it in Windows.

 

...The worse part was putting the rear escutcheon on...

I really have no idea what you are talking about, but I really hope you are referring to the distribution of pubic hair...

...The worse part was putting the rear escutcheon on...

I really have no idea what you are talking about, but I really hope you are referring to the distribution of pubic hair...

 

Damn you!  You made me LOL at work... obviously I'm supposed to be working.  Working does not include laughter.

Revised.. Actually the worst part was dealing with a PC to install the software. That took 3x longer than building the unRaid.

They really need to make this Mac compatible...

 

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/escutcheon