P8Z68-V PRO UEFI Boot

[Dark360]

I decided the other day that I wanted to format my computer and have a go with setting up Windows 8.1 on a UEFI boot.

Now the first I need to understand is some setting in the BIOS.

Legacy ROM & EFI Compatible ROM

From my understanding EFI Compatible ROM should integrate the RAID controller into the BIOS, but it does not.

Enabling it just makes the BIOS Logo Screen small and hangs for 30Secs-1Min, then just goes to a black screen with a flashing White line in the top left and also stops me from accessing the BIOS Set-up (DEL) & Boot Menu (F8).

I have to clear my CMOS to gain access to the BIOS.

The is also another options Force BIOS & Keep Current.

Whether I enable RAID or ACHI in the SATA configuration it still wont boot.

I have tried all combinations of each setting to no avail.

I have created a boot-able USB for Windows 8.1 using RUFUS in UEFI/GPT Mode.

With Legacy ROM and Force BIOS settings I can boot from UEFI USB, but the boot times are no different as its just creating a GPT install instead of an MBR one.

I have even backed up all the data from my RAID's and removed both the RAID configurations.

I have also flashed the latest firmware on my Motherboard, whic 3603.

Any Help would be appreciated??

Specs:

Intel i5-3570K @ 4.2GHz
ASUS P8Z68-V PRO 3603
8GB Corsair Vengeance 1866MHz
eVGA GTX 780 SC ACX SLI
2 x OCZ Vertex 3 120GB RAID 0
2 x WD 500GB RAID 0

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm still a bit puzzled with these issues. I never had to deal with them so far, because I never upgraded to Windows 8. But sooner or later, I will -- as I eagerly await the freebie Win 10 update/upgrade toward year's end.

Maybe this will give you some insight:

http://forums.tweaktown.com/asrock/55330-need-help-booting-uefi-z68-ext3-gen3.html

I have both the original May-2011 P8Z68-V Pro and the "Gen3" version. But both are configured for Win 7.

 

[Dark360]

So reading though that it would indicate that the motherboard I have has an first generation type UEFI and doesn't support UEFI boot, just a fancy looking BIOS I guess. That may be why they released a Gen3. UEFI boot is not specifically a Win 8 thing, it's also works with Win 7, just Win 8 performs better with it.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

So reading though that it would indicate that the motherboard I have has an first generation type UEFI and doesn't support UEFI boot, just a fancy looking BIOS I guess. That may be why they released a Gen3. UEFI boot is not specifically a Win 8 thing, it's also works with Win 7, just Win 8 performs better with it.

That leaves a question for which I'm not entirely sure of the answer. Do you NEED this UEFI-boot feature? I think you NEED it in order to BOOT FROM a GPT partition, but it is not necessary to USE a GPT partition for data. Personally, I don't need even a 2TB HDD for a boot-system disk. I don't think I WANT a drive greater than 1TB for a boot-system disk.

You'll have to decide. Otherwise, how does Win 8 "perform better" with the features you're lookin' at there?

 

[Dark360]

I already decided to give up on trying after 2 days of trying to get it to work. I don't know whether UEFI & GPT go hand in hand, but the enhancements of GPT over MBR are not just 2TB. My computer already boots in 30 secs which is fast enough, it was the integrated RAID into the BIOS that was interesting me as loading the Intel one takes about 10-15secs.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I already decided to give up on trying after 2 days of trying to get it to work. I don't know whether UEFI & GPT go hand in hand, but the enhancements of GPT over MBR are not just 2TB. My computer already boots in 30 secs which is fast enough, it was the integrated RAID into the BIOS that was interesting me as loading the Intel one takes about 10-15secs.

I hear this all the time from old (perennially noobie) friends or from the occasional forum member -- about boot-times. Different strokes for different folks: but the boot-time difference is of little concern to me either way. Of course, I have my sig-rig which just runs continually without sleep or hibernate. The twin 2700K system goes to sleep, and then into hibernate an hour thereafter.

But if it isn't post-boot operating performance that's affected, I don't see fretting about it.

You can use a GPT partition without the UEFI boot feature, but not for boot-up. At least -- that's what the "trail-signs" and indications I see seem to indicate . . .