Current specs:
*x58 eVGA e758 w/ i7 930 @ 4.2GHz
*Windows 7 x64
*Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD
*WD Blacks (storage)
*AHCI mode (BIOS)
*Intel driver v11.2.0.1006
I think I’d like to:
*Reformat my SSD and install a fresh Windows 10 Pro
*Create a RAID with secondary/storage drives (with my primary/OS drive being a single Samsung 850 500GB SSD)
Two questions:
1.) Any suggestions on the best driver to use, as well as a preferred order of setup (RAID vs AHCI, installing/updating a controller driver, when to create the storage array, etc.)?
2.) Is there any downside to switching from AHCI to RAID in my BIOS, assuming that my primary OS drive will be a single SSD? I heard that TRIM can’t be done via RAID, along with other downsides, but I’m not sure whether that only applies to what’s RAIDed, or if it applies to all drives when RAID mode is activated.
EDIT: I plan on reformatting this week, however, I won’t have the storage drives to create a RAID until next month.
The Intel RST/RST(e) drivers I recommend to use with an X58 chipset system can be found within the start post of >this< thread. Since your system doesn’t allow to use the AHCI and RAID mode simultaneously, there is no configuration order regarding the Intel SATA Controller (has to be set either to “AHCI” or “RAID”).
EDIT: The switch from “AHCI” to “RAID” mode within the BIOS will make your current system drive (where the boot sector is located) unbootable, but once you have repaired the boot sector (e.g. by a fresh OS install in RAID mode onto the system drive), you will have full access to all the other Disk Drives.
Not really. You will have TRIM support within your system drive even if it is running in RAID mode (precondition: the usage of an Intel RST/RST(e) driver from v11 platform up. TRIM support within an Intel RAID0 array requires a TRIM modded Intel RAID ROM module within the BIOS.