AHCI on ICH9R on G33 based Intel DG33SXG2 (Gateway)

breakdaze · 07 Dec 2010

Is it worth it?

OK, so I installed Win 7 x64 on a Gateway FX7026 PC that originally came with Vista. The Intel Matrix Storage (ICH9R SATA controller) driver for Vista x64 is available through Gateway, and Intel offers the inf chipset updater for chipset driver updates after the fact.

First I tried installing W7 in AHCI mode, but it failed, then I tried to do it by using the Load Driver function and pointing to the Vista x64 ICH9R AHCI driver on a usb stick, still no dice. Therefore I would have to slipstream the ACHI driver into the W7 source and try again. I installed W7 x64 with the BIOS in IDE SATA mode instead of trying to use the Vista x64 ICH9R drivers in a slipstreamed source.

I know there are registry hacks to enable AHCI after the OS and drivers are loaded.

HOWEVER, does it really matter for a desktop use PC? NCQ is great for servers, but if I don't do video editing, will AHCI really even be any benefit?

In other words, should I bother trying to get AHCI going?

One more question, is it just me or does the ICH9R RAID mode suck? I had another mobo with ICH9R and tried to put some identical WD HDDs in RAID 0, it worked for a while then one of the disks fell off the RAID for no apparent reason. On this mobo I tried to create a RAID using the built in utility (RAID 0), but it failed. If I could get it working, is it worth it? Or is it a gimmick?

Or maybe I need HDDs that are truely made for RAID, and normal drives just won't do?

thanks,

b

Hopalong X · 07 Dec 2010

RAID just uses normal HD's. Nothing special. A matched size, speed(RPM's) and brand is advisable.

So identical WD's should be fine. I was going to go RAID 0 but almost everyone on this forum said it was a waste.
So I set up one OS and one drive for backup.
You already found one of the reasons for NOT doing it. One goes and you loose everything.

I made Windows System Images and Macrium system images stored on the second drive.
I can restore the main HD even if one software doesn't work. In less than an hour I can be up and running with all updates etc. with a clean start. I keep a good old and a recent image to reimage with.
Overkill maybe but I got the HD space so why not.

I wouldn't worry about the AHCI. Just run SATA make back ups as I have to be stored on storage drive and enjoy.

Mike