The related settings should be within the "CPU Configuration" section of the "Advanced" part of the BIOS.
Provided, that you meant SATA connected SSDs, I would take either 2 x 256 GB Samsung 850 Pro (better performance) or 2 x 250 GB Samsung 850 EVO SSDs (better price/performance relationship),
@Fernando ,
I agree totally with you, stability is much more important than the system performance.
This is the reason I have done some comparitive benchs using different SATA RAID0 driver versions on the same machine.
During my tests I got a ‘bad’ surprise, and I am sure you can reproduce the ‘abnomaly’ described here below on your side , even using a different hardware, because I do suspect a TRIM (W10 “optimization” option) the source of erratic malfunction when using Intel SATA RAID0 technology.
The screenshots are self speaking on the tests done:
Normal performance:
TRIM function is OK:
Abnormal Performance:
How to reproduce this severe (quasi permanent) malfunction ?
It is quite easy.
You start a W10 "optimize" function on the RAID0 disk, and wait up to the completion to get this:
After that ‘optimization’ process you get the “Abnormal” situation.
You can try several times the benchs (ANVIL, ATTO, CDM, etc…), the situation does remain ‘abnormal’ until you decide to wait for a very long period of time (20 minutes or more) or you decide to reboot the PC.
Th ereboot PC does reinitialize correctly the RAID0 driving.
I do suspect Intel RAID0 drivers (whatever the version used) does malfunction for a long period of time after any W10 “optimize” operation (or ANVIL ‘trim’ operation).
@100PIER :
Since your last post has much more to do with the topic “Performance of a RAID0 array” than with the Intel RST RAID drivers, I have moved it into this Sub-Forum.
Here is my reply:
Although I have used different Intel RAID0 systems very often and did my benchmark comparison tests with very short intervals, I have never seen these “abnormal” benchmark results after having run the Win10 “Optimizer” or traggered TRIM by using Anvil’s Storage Utilities. Furthermore I doubt, that your results are driver related.
What you should never do is running a benchmark test immediately after having sent a thunderstorm of TRIM commands into the SSD resp. RAID array. If you watch the LED lights showing the activity within the target drive after having run the “Optimizer”, you will realize, that it takes some time until the lights are and stay completely off.
I always wait at least 2 minutes after having “TRIMMED” the target drive, before I start with the first benchmark test.
@Fernando ,
Thanks for your opinion.
I do agree the thunderstorm of TRIM commands on a RAID0 does take some time, specifically for large SSDs.
I thought that when W10 does indicate OK ‘optimize’ is completed the operation of optimization is effectively done.
On my tests the W10 operation from 0% up to 100 % is about one minute. (It is a 2TB SATA RAID0 850PRO). (For a single 960PRO 1TB it does take about 3 secondes only).
But apparently even after getting the “Windows 100% OK” done the TRIM salve is not finished !! May be a background task is running a long time.
On my side I have had to wait for may be about 10 minutes additional delay or more to be sure the SSD RAID0 performance goes back to normal.
For sure the 2 minutes delay for the first bench test is not sufficient in my case.
I agree with you. The SSD RAID0 array I have used in the past has only a size of 2x256 GB. That is only 25% of your RAID0 array size.
Do i need to install the RST software+Driver 11.7.4.1001 for my X58 ICH10R or just Install the driver?
Sure i’ve read somewhere you install the software then remove the cache in devices then uninstall the RST software to get the cache boost still?
P.S i have Intel Bios Version 11.6.0.1702 software installed
@trebleta :
For systems with an Intel RAID0 array I recommend to install the complete Drivers & Software Set and to enable the write-back caching option.
Once you have done that, you can either uninstall the RST Software or disable the Intel RST Services (to avoid, that they are permanently running in the background and decrease the performance).
Am i better to use the system in raid, even if the drives are not in a raid format or swap to ACHI?
Also disabling RST you mean disabling the service from starting
@trebleta :
1. If there is no RAID array, it is better to set the Intel SATA Controller to “AHCI” mode.
2. Yes, if you don’t want to uninstall the RST Software, you should prevent, that the RST Service is permanently running in the background by using the shown option.
It seems the proper alignment of RAID arrays deserves more attention.
This seems especially true of SSDs where the Read Page Size and the Write Block Size of the NAND chips should be taken into consideration.
Searching
Align SSD to page erase block size
looks to be a bottomless rabbit hole!
Here is a calculator, written by W1zzard:
https://www.techpowerup.com/articles/other/157
With further discussion here:
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threa…adsheet.107126/
The SSDs mentioned above are all older models.
Finding the Page and Erase Block size for the NAND used in modern SSDs is no easy matter!
NB
That 66% of Windows I/O is Random 4K at low que depths.
Less than 1% of I/O is the large sequential so loved by marketing!
https://www.thessdreview.com/ssd-guides/…acturers-bluff/
https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/1577-…random-relevant
ie:
Unless you have a specific use case (video editing etc);
Storage optimization should concentrate on R4K QD1 #s, NOT the large sequential marketing BS #s…!
The latency of the Software Stack was of little import in the old HDD days as it had lots of time to ‘think’ during the ~12ms of seek time/head movement.
Not so with with the ~0.1ms or lower seek times of SSDs.
Here the added latency of the RAID software means that all raid arrays are slower at LQD R4K than a single disk!
I don’t have a SSD RAID setup as yet, so cannot test this.
I hope this may be of help/interest to others here.
Btw, it does not work on 300-series.
My Z390M Gaming comes with 17.x. I did some tests:
17.x-18.x = successfully entered the EZ-RAID section in the bios settings, saw EZ-RAID interface (smth like that) with my HDD listed and got message that two drives are needed to create a RAID.
19.x = Failed to start iRST
RaidDriver.efi 18.31.3.5434, from my motherboard latest bios (B560M Pro). Is there any new latest RaidDriver and RaidOrom for intel 500 chipsets?
18.31.3.5434.rar (96.8 KB)
@Koekieezz
Thanks for the attached new RST v18 platform Intel EFI RaidDriver module.
I don’t know it. Intel doesn’t offer them separately.
@Fernando Thanks for the explanation, it’s just odd to see the EFI on 31 while OROM at 35 XD
Is 18.13.3.5434 newer than 18.13.51.5346?
Both Intel RaidDriver versions belong to different development branches. The v18.31.51.5346 is dated 09/09/2021 and it seems to me, that the v18.31.3.5434 is newer.
Example: The latest v15 platform Intel RST RAID driver is v15.9.8.1050 dated 07/31/2019 and not the Win11 in-box driver v15.44.0.1015 dated 02/08/2018.
@biozz
Your attached BIOS Modules are not "new" for this Forum.
Hi,
I don’t see option for Dynamic Storage Accelerator in my Intel RST console for the Z590 platform. Did they deprecate this option?
Thank you
Which Intel RST Software Set version are you currently using and which BIOS settings regarding the CPU and its C-States did you choose?
By the way - you may find useful information regarding the “Dynamic Storage Accelerator” >here<.
