Intel RST/RSTe Drivers (latest: v20.2.1.1016/ v9.0.0.2062)

@Fernando :
Thank you! What would be the best matching Intel RAID ROM/EFI BIOS for modules: v15.8.0.3109?
I probably won’t be able to get Windows 7 on my Z370 mobo. Downgrading bios 15.8.0.3109 is the lowest version I could go when flashing the bios. The tool did not run for me. Kept getting an error.

EDIT by Fernando: Fully quoted post replaced by directly addressing to its author (to save space)

@b60khansen :
It is not easy to understand your question.
If you are searching for the best matching Intel RAID storage driver for the Intel RAID BIOS module v15.8.0.3109, my answer would be: “The Intel RST(e) RAID driver v15.8.2.1009”, but I don’t recommend to install it, because the better v15 platform Intel RST(e) drivers are the v15.9.8.1050 ones.
If possible, you should replace the Intel RAID ROM/EFI RaidDriver BIOS modules by the v15.9.1.3271/v15.9.2.3386 ones.

@Fernando

I have a question for you. I have a Dell XPS 9000 with the following CPU and chipset:

CPU: Intel(R) Core™ i7 CPU, 920 @ 2.67GHz (64bit)
Chipset: (Northbridge - Intel X58 rev. 13) (Southbridge - Intel 82801JR (ICH10R) rev. 00)

Am I correct in assuming that the (Edit by Fernando:) v11.7.4.1001 drivers would be the correct ones to install?

I currently have Intel Rapid Storage Technology 9.6.0.1014, which includes the software as well as the driver. Can I install Intel RST(e) AHCI/RAID Drivers & Software Set v11.7.4.1001 WHQL over the 9.6 version or do I have to uninstall 9.6 first? Also, instead, can I simply install the driver only, while keeping the software set from 9.6?

Please advise.

EDIT by Fernando: Unneeded quoted long text replaced by naming the related driver directly (to save space within this thread)

@Master_O :
Welcome to the Win-RAID Forum!

For users, who are unsure about the “best suited” Intel AHCI/RAID driver for their specific Intel chipset system, I have started >this< thread. At the bottom of the linked start post you can find the related table.
Here are my answers to your questions:

  1. Yes, the Intel RST(e) driver v11.7.4.1001 WHQL will be a good choice for your system. Alternatively you can take the RST driver v11.2.0.1006 WHQL (recommended if the Intel SATA Controller has been set to “RAID” mode).
  2. Since you have currently installed a complete Intel RST/RST(e) Drivers & Software Set, you should uninstall the related “Rapid Storage Technology” Software from within the Control Panel and reboot, before you are going to install any other Intel RST/RST(e) driver (no matter whether as “pure” driver or as “Drivers & Software Set”).
  3. The choice between the installation of a “pure” Intel RST/RST(e) driver or a complete “Drivers & Software Set” depends on the AHCI/RAID mode setting of your on-board Intel SATA Controller within the BIOS. If the Controller is running in “AHCI” mode, I recommend just to manually install the “pure” Intel RST/RST(e) driver. Only users of an Intel RAID system (with an existing or planned Intel RAID array) will benefit from the Intel RST/RST(e) Software.

Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)

@Fernando

One other question regarding the "pure" 64-bit driver:

To install the new driver (without the software set), do I do the following:

1) Open devmgmt.msc
2) Select my ICH10R chipset
3) Click update Driver Software
4) Select iaAHCIC.inf in the extracted folder

I am only asking because I want to make sure I install this driver correctly. Also, thank you for your help so far.

@Master_O :
When you want to update the Intel RST/RST(e) driver manually, you have to run the Device Manager, expand the "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" (for Intel AHCI users) resp. the ""Storage Controllers" (for Intel RAID users) section, do a right-click onto the listed AHCI resp. RAID Controller and choose the option "Update Driver software".
The rest of your procedure scheme is ok.

@Fernando
(64bit Intel RSTe AHCI & RAID drivers v11.7.4.1001 WHQL)

One other question: are these SHA-1 hashes below correct for the above driver?


iaAHCIC.cat 0b30c4ee5a128518b70b1dc92e49fed2fcc5bea5

iaAHCIC.inf 503dcc17550d2b5d0cc3175168618ab8f9db087f

iaStorA.sys 0270a35884606767aca09f68950a4eeaedc89886

iaStorAC.cat c218201f7365ad2ba5059efc3aa0dc9014c2300c

iaStorAC.inf 9d8a5d41aa9d268675200ebc8ec3eb9a6b87dd80

iaStorF.sys 353cfb228b251c8ccd1c4a1a4d087dc5b812f11d
I don’t want to install a corrupted driver, after all…

I am not willing to waste my time for such nonsense. The digital signature of a driver gets lost after a manipulation of any file, which is part of the driverpack.
If you don’t trust the drivers I am offering, you should download the related files from somewhere else and compare the hashes.

No, you go to Device Manager and change relevant SATA raid ide controller drivers.

@PitKoz :
Unfortunately your advice is not valid for users, whose on-board Intel SATA Controller is running in AHCI mode. Please look into >this< answer I gave to Master O.

@Fernando

I trust your drivers. I was only asking out of an abundance of caution and for recordkeeping purposes. Please don’t take that as some kind of insult because that wasn’t what I meant at all. Anyway, thanks for your help regardless.

Yes, I made mistake in name of group sorry, thank you for correction.

IRST driver v11.7.0.1013 (the one featured on their download page) performs significantly better on my boot SSD (Kingston A400 latest firmware) than your supplied latest driver v11.7.4.1001. I went from 0-20th percentile to 44-51st percentile on www.userbenchmark.com on SATA II.

Any idea why this is?

My BIOS IRST chip ROM version is v11.2.0.1527

EDIT: don’t reply to me yet, still learning, will apply IRST v11.2.0.1527 in Device Manager and report benchmarks

@Zetren :
Here is my comment:

  1. To be able to evaluate the quality of a certain driver it is not enough to look at the benchmark results. The stability of the system is important just as well.
  2. The Intel RST(e) driver v11.7.0.1013 dated 11/19/2012 was the first, whereas the v11.7.4.1001 dated 03/05/2013 was the latest driver of the v11.7 development branch. Since each new development branch starts with new features and a lot of bugs, it is hard to believe,
    a) that the first version has already been the best of a certain development branch and
    b) that Intel had continued nevertheless the development and the release of newer/better v11.7 series drivers for several months.
  3. If you want to compare the speed of 2 different drivers, you have to compare under similar conditions the performance of the related HDD/SSD, which is managed by the driver resp. its Controller, and not to compare the speed of your complete PC.

Hello!
I have X99 with AHCI DEV_8D02. The drivers for this DEV_8D02 are from Intel RST v.13 / 14. The latest driver with DEV_8D02 support is Intel RST v.14.8.18.1066.
Why do you think Intel stopped supporting DEV_8D02 so quickly. Indeed, in RST v. 15/16/17 DEV_8D02 is no longer there.

@Dagal :
You should better ask Intel than me.
By the way:
1. You can get any of the much newer Intel RST(e)/RST drivers properly installed by using either the mod+signed variant or pressing the “Have Disk” button, navigating to the file named iaAHCIC.inf and choosing the oldest of the listed Controllers.
2. The only v13 platform Intel RST(e) drivers, which natively support the DEV_8D02 Intel SATA AHCI Controller, are the v13.1 series ones (latest: v13.1.0.1058 dated 05/02/2014).
3. It is an illusion to believe, that the newest Intel AHCI drivers are the best even for older Intel chipsets. Sometimes very old drivers, which were developed earlier than the related chipset, are the best (look >here<).

@Fernando
You think that you can insert your DEV_8D02 in iaAHCIC.inf into the new RST v.17 driver and should work.

@dagal:
Yes, but I bet, that you will be disappointed regarding the performance of the v16 and v17 platform Intel RST drivers.

For the latest v17.5 drivers, it says:

Best matching Intel RAID ROM/EFI BIOS modules: v17.5.3.4203

But in this thread: Intel EFI “RaidDriver” and “GopDriver” BIOS Modules , I only see >“pure” Intel RST EFI “RaidDriver” v17.5.4.4296 (without header)< . Usually the recommended modules that you have in this the driver thread are also in the module thread. Is this just a typo or you really don’t have the 17.5.3.4203 modules?

@Fernando , do you have any ideas on my question above? I’m not complaining but I’m just curious.