Help me setup RAID 0 Properly

[LittleNemoNES]

Hey, folks

Apart from what is in my sig, some important info I think is relevant:

-Planning on using 3x WD Raptor 74GB RAID0
-DFI Motherboard is using x48 chipset. I will use the Intel Matrix controller.
-Will use Vista x64 Ultimate SP1
-checked all 3 drives using a WD Diag tools -- all 3 drives turned out "OK" (green, no errors)

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This is what I've done recently:
I created a RAID volume with these 3 drives.
I then install Vista x64
Everything is great.
After a good while of use (could take up to a week) my computer suddenly becomes unresponsive -- I have to reboot.
When I reboot, my PC takes longer than normal to post then I see a message indicating one of my drives has failed in the RAID0 array.
Rinse, Repeat.

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I have had 0 errors with a new WD640 HDD using AHCI but again, supposedly all those other drives are ok.

SO

What would you do differently? Install drivers from the floppy?
install certain chipset drivers?
install/not install intel storage manager?
Is it ok to have a storage drive attached to the same controller (non raid)?

It is driving me crazy.
All help is appreciated

 

[chizow]

My board is ICH10R so its not quite the same, but the manual is very explicit about BIOS settings for RAID using the Intel array. I also tried AHCI first and installing on my boot drive and then switching to RAID in the BIOS later, and it resulted in BSODs.

Here's the sequence I did that works:

1) Set drive setting to RAID in the BIOS. That means you lose AHCI tweaks for individual drives via BIOS. Not sure if this disables NCQ for individual drives or what, but based on my nForce NCQ experiences I don't mind if its gone.

2) Reboot, this time hit alt-f6 or whatever to get into the RAID BIOS set-up. Configure your RAID 0 array with the 3 drives.

3) Reboot, install Vista. If you don't want any Vista files copied to a storage drive, I would unplug any non-boot drive HDDs at this point, wait until Vista finishes installing, then plug it back in and re-name your different drives.

Should be completely stable, right now I'm running Vista 64 with my 750GB F1 SpinPoint as my boot drive with 3 partitions 1) Vista 200GB 2) Storage 450GB and 3) Page 20GB. My 2x 150GB Raptors are a single gaming partition in RAID 0.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Originally posted by: chizow
My board is ICH10R so its not quite the same, but the manual is very explicit about BIOS settings for RAID using the Intel array. I also tried AHCI first and installing on my boot drive and then switching to RAID in the BIOS later, and it resulted in BSODs.

Here's the sequence I did that works:

1) Set drive setting to RAID in the BIOS. That means you lose AHCI tweaks for individual drives via BIOS. Not sure if this disables NCQ for individual drives or what, but based on my nForce NCQ experiences I don't mind if its gone.

2) Reboot, this time hit alt-f6 or whatever to get into the RAID BIOS set-up. Configure your RAID 0 array with the 3 drives.

3) Reboot, install Vista. If you don't want any Vista files copied to a storage drive, I would unplug any non-boot drive HDDs at this point, wait until Vista finishes installing, then plug it back in and re-name your different drives.

Should be completely stable, right now I'm running Vista 64 with my 750GB F1 SpinPoint as my boot drive with 3 partitions 1) Vista 200GB 2) Storage 450GB and 3) Page 20GB. My 2x 150GB Raptors are a single gaming partition in RAID 0.

Thanks buddy.
You response is just what I feared in that apparrently nothing I'm doing, IIRC, is wrong but I still get RAID failure.
Perhaps the Southbridge is unstable? What is a good way to test this?

 

[chizow]

After a good while of use (could take up to a week) my computer suddenly becomes unresponsive -- I have to reboot.
When I reboot, my PC takes longer than normal to post then I see a message indicating one of my drives has failed in the RAID0 array.
Rinse, Repeat.

Hmmm this portion seems to be where the problem occurs. Does the PC become unresponsive mid-use? Or is it something off wake/hibernate?

Does the same drive always fail? Are you sure its not just a single drive that's a problem?

Try using a different SATA port for the problem drive?

I don't know if its anything specifically wrong with the SB being unstable, you could try increasing SB voltage but I don't know if that will help much. You could also try tweaking some of the BIOS settings like PCI/SATA spread spectrum. For tests, I'd just see if I could I could consistently repeat the problem to try and isolate it.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Does the PC become unresponsive mid-use?

Yes

Does the same drive always fail? Are you sure its not just a single drive that's a problem?

Not sure

Try using a different SATA port for the problem drive?

Ok. I'm using some different SATA cables this time also

I created a RAID 0 array using the lower 4 ports this time. However, I couldn't recover a backup of my AHCI config to it and when I tried to add additional drivers (RAID) to make it work, it didn't...

Do you have a suggestion on how to best convert a normal vista install into a raid0 one?
It would save me having to install an ass-load of apps/games again.

Thanks for the help

 

[CadESin]

I run more or less the exact same setup, I have 3 Raptor 36gig raptors in RAID 0 and a 1tb Seagate for storage, all these are running off the Intel Matrix Controller on my Asus Maximus Extreme.

I do however use the raid drivers that came with my MB when I install Vista 64, mainly so I can feel better about still having a floppy drive on my computer.

I have had no issues with this setup on this board, but I did have more or less the exact same problem as you are having with my Asus Maximus Formula I had before, I only had the board for a few days before sending it back to Asus on a RMA due to a blown mosfet, and recived the Extreme as a upgrade, so I never really worked to find a fix, sorry.

A few things I would check is that your SB is not getting to hot, as on your board it is not a linked cooling system between the NB and SB, you will need good airflow around the SB, that GTX 280 is putting out a lot of heat right near the SB. Allso make sure you are not running any overclock at all on the SB.

As for converting a normal vista install to a raid 0 one, I don't myself know any way of doing this.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Thanks for the help, guys.
I'm going to give this another go this weekend.