gigabyte DS3 + sata driver confusions!

[dzuydoan]

hello all,

just got all my new parts and looks like this DS3 board has got me pretty confused with the sata nonsense.

-gigabyte ds3 rev 3.3
-pentium conroe e6600
-2gb crucial

firstly, i need to get the sata drivers from the gigabyte cd to floppy. there are 2 sata controllers on this board, gigabyte and intel. I believe gigabyte uses Jmicron drivers but for the intel one what is it? and what files do i need to copy onto the floppy?

a quick browse through the drivers cd had me more confused on which files to get over to the floppy.

but yeah i have no idea which are the drivers for intel controller, and google has not been of much help. or if anyone knows where i can DL them that would be helping out more!

also, what does running "sata as IDE" on the bios mean?!

any info would be much appreciated,

thanks!

 

[CCT]

This may help: http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/iaa_raid/


'sata as IDE' is part of the bios setting that specifies NOT to run Sata drives in a Raid or AHCI mode but to run them as a standard IDE mode. Depending upon the mobo, there are other settings involved, eg, 'operate IDE in enhanced mode' and 'enhanced mode support on Sata'.

 

[dzuydoan]

yas, but what does running a sata as standard IDE mode mean, that you lose all the benefits of sata and it pretty much turns it into an IDE?

AND, i just read that if you have any IDE devices (cdroms or HD) you have to select the gigabyte controller to control as IDE, forcing sata drives to be controlled by the intel controller to not be used as IDE.

correct me anyone if i am mistaken.

oh the details that PC users must endure.....

 

[CCT]

There is no appreciable difference in Sata and Pata unless you use Raid 0 with 10k + drives OR wish to have data protection with Raid mirrors.

The major appeal to me for Sata drives is the smaller cabling, easier connection, hot swapping capability.

Most manuals are confusing relative to the Sata/Pata bios selections.

Perhaps someone here will have used that mobo. As your query is about a particular item like a mobo, and you were bright enough to include that name in your thread title, you stand a good chance of getting an answer.

 

[SNGX1275]

The 965P-DS3? I've got that board, and built a second system with that board in it last week. If you aren't running RAID why are you even messing with SATA drivers right now. The defaults in the bios allow a sata drive to be recognised by Windows right off the start so there is no need to install sata/raid drivers. If there are some 'benefits' to having sata drivers installed even if not running RAID you can do that from inside Windows - that gigabyte disk that came with the motherboard has the drivers on it. Just pop it in and let it autorun (or doubleclick if you've disabled autorun) and it should be right there on the screen that comes up (last choice I believe).

 

[dzuydoan]

well,

somethings gotta be lacking cause even the gigabyte manual says to make a bootable driver disk for both RAID and NON raid SATA setups.

also, i want to use the intel sata controller which i believe requires the drivers, no?

hmm, but yes, now that you mention it, i remember being able to see my sata drive under default settings which i think just treated the sata like an IDE.

hmm, if i go ahead and install windows on the sata as an ide, then load the drivers, then go back to bios to switch modes, i guess there's no difference in loading at the start of install? but yeah even the manual does say to load drivers at install even without RAID....

confusing....

 

[CCT]

Loading the Sata drivers at install without Raid is usually for AHCI which is a Sata mode BUT is not required.

I can't think of a need for Sata drivers when the drive is operated as IDE.

 

[dzuydoan]

yas yas, and im looking to run in AHCI.

indeed

 

[CCT]

Then do some reading about it - limited use:

http://www.techarp.com/showFreeBOG.aspx?lang=0&bogno=316

http://www.intel.com/cd/ids/developer/asmo-na/eng/dc/digitalmedia/66004.htm

 

[SNGX1275]

well,

somethings gotta be lacking cause even the gigabyte manual says to make a bootable driver disk for both RAID and NON raid SATA setups.

Apparently not if you don't AHCI, because I installed XP and Vista on 2 of those boards without screwing with drivers.

I guess in theory NCQ might be worth the trouble of AHCI, but hotplugging is pretty worthless.