Recently I just bought a 500GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 32MB Cache SATAII NCQ HDD and now using it as my primary drive with OS installed on it while my previous 120GB Samsung Spinpoint 8MB Cache SATA HDD (non-NCQ) as secondary drive for backup purpose.

I'm using DFI LanParty DK P35-T2RS which using Intel ICH9R chipset and currently running the drives under SATA HDD Mode: IDE. Both drives running at Ultra DMA Mode-5 transfer mode which is ATA-100. However, I learn that running the drives in SATA HDD Mode: AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) will enable the drives to run at Ultra DMA Mode-6 which is ATA-133? AHCI also enable features such as NCQ (Native Command Queuing) and hot-swappable drives?

Switching to AHCI mode will require me to reinstall the OS and also install SATA driver before the installation of OS. Should I go for AHCI mode or just leave it as IDE? Any noticeable performance gain and features benefit?

Yes. The performance is noticable. If you wanna enable AHCI you have to install the driver before switching it on in BIOS. After done that you're require to boot into Safe Mode first. This will not 100% work. You might get BSoD after that.

In this case you can reinstsall your O/S instead of format it. First create AHCI driver into Floppy disk from the Driver CD which came with your motherboard.

Next, reinstall your O/S by pressing F6 on the beginning of your Windows installation.

the difference in day to day usage is minimal.
can only be seen on benchmark softwares.
but if you're working with very big files, the transfer rates with the NCQ enable is noticeable.

Install the driver before switching the mode in BIOS? Well, from most I read from the Internet all requiring a reinstallation of the OS prior to mode switching and initial installation of SATA driver is required during the installation of the OS. However, from what you mentioned regarding installing the driver in after installed the OS, switching the mode and then booting in Safe Mode to see if any BSOD appear. This seems to be like the one mentioned here: http://www.sharkyforums.com/showthread.php...Storage+Manager ?

Else if BSOD appeared, a reinstallation if needed. I wouldn't mind reinstall the OS since my Windows just crashed on me yesterday, recovered using Windows Recovery Mode. But one thing is that my FDD already kaputed and I left no working FDD available with me .

Maybe I should try the Slipsteam way which mentioned here: http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/501772 ?

I'm having HD videos on my HDD which average 2GB and above per file. Guess using AHCI mode will benefits me in this way?

BTW, since I'm having 1x SATAII NCQ drive and 1x SATA Non-NCQ drive. Can both be installed on the same system with the NCQ feature enabled?

Yes.. That's why I said.. This will not 100% working..

Just get a new Floppy Disk Drive for only RM25.00.. It's good to learn Slipsteam..


Since you have a lot of large data.. Why not you configure RAID-0 (Stripping) with System Drive Partition 4K Sector and Data Drive 64K Sector..

This will improve your performance approximately 30%..

This post has been edited by lighter: Feb 13 2008, 03:00 PM

Maybe I should try the driver installation in OS and then do the mode switching in BIOS. If everything working then voila ~ . Else... ... will try to do the Slipsteam thingy tonite .

Isn't RAID requires two HDD of the same size? I have one 500GB and one 120GB leh. Anyway, will my Seagate still be able to run its NCQ thou I'm using a Non-NCQ drive on the same system?

Good luck to you yea..

Yeah.. just get another 500GB HDD..

Haven't try NCQ before... but theoretically your motherboard can support non-NCQ..

Man... I doesn't print money notes myself . That 500GB already cost me RM445 and another one of it will total it up till RM990 . 1TB... I doesn't need that much yet .

Most probably I'll try the driver installation and mode switching trick before doing a full reinstallation. No matter how the outcome, I'll do a full reinstallation. It's just a matter of the outcome and time .

However, if because one of my drive doesn't support NCQ thus I wouldn't be able to run NCQ mode for my Seagate. Guess I wouldn't trouble myself so much doing all the "chores" .

Intel(R) Matrix Storage Technology : Changing and/or Choosing Serial ATA Modes

... and... apa ni?

Intel(R) Matrix Storage Technology : http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Fi...?ProductID=1809
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager : http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Fi...?ProductID=2101

This post has been edited by vearn27: Feb 13 2008, 03:35 PM

you should be able to see the slight different in transfer rates.

yes, you can. but only the hd with NCQ feature will benefit most.

i suggest you keep the windows in the smaller drive intact and run full installation from the bigger drive; if you really wanted to experience it yourself.
if anything goes wrong, you can always disable the ahci and boot as usual from the smaller drive.
btw, you should use the smaller drive as a master where the OS is installed and the bigger drive as storage.
raid wasn't a favourable option, unless you're into video editing or web servers.

I have tried both AHCI mode and without it but sadly to say when I finally got it working, the real life day to day difference was really minimal if at times worse. For a single user, single drive pc, I doubt NCQ gives benefits and my own personal experience confirms this.

The reason is that although NCQ is technically more efficient, the NCQ logic introduces its own overhead which in certain cases SLOWS things down.

This report also reports similiar results:

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2007/03/1...ve_technology/2

Is it worth the hassle??
Nahh...

Basically stick to whatever mode you are currently on if it's working fine for you.

This post has been edited by Reuben: Feb 13 2008, 06:21 PM

Your quote really enlighten me . Thanks a lot for sharing a good piece of information. Now I remember how NCQ works and I don't really think that will be beneficial since I'm using it all alone .

Then if I really opted for really greater performance, getting another identical HDD and running RAID-0 will be much more wiser, isn't?

So as you said, I just left my HDDs on SATA IDE mode running at UDMA Mode-5 which is ATA100? Can I use SATA AHCI mode to run the drives at UDMA Mode-6 ATA133 with NCQ disabled?

Whichever will give better performance? Please advise .

not worth the switch

Gotcha ~ will remain on the same SATA HDD Mode and now running Windows CheckDisk to scan and fix error on the HDD .

You are misleading, you should correct your sentense to "No. The performance is not very noticable."

actually guys, i found the extra speed very noticeable when i switched ICH9R sata ports from IDE mode to AHCI mode with a NCQ capable hdd.

when installing xp pro, the sata ports were in ide mode. after installing xp, i installed the ICH9R AHCI drivers and switched to AHCI mode in BIOS. intel's matrix storage manager now shows the hdd working under the ICH9R AHCI controller.

on an average of 5 start-ups:
sata ports in ide mode: 16secs to desktop (after mobo POST)
sata ports in AHCI mode: 12secs to desktop (after mobo post)

keep in mind that this is a almost 'clean' xp pro sp2 installation, only mobo chipset drivers, audio drivers & atio graphic drivers installed.
i imagine that after installing antivirus/firewall and all other necessary software, the difference could be even bigger, don't u think?

asus P5KR (Intel P35 & ICH9R)
Q6600
seagate ST3250620AS 250gb 16mb cache sata2 NCQ able

Just reformatted and setup mine into AHCI mode as well. Will see if I can feed any difference between both mode. However, it seems like a little faster on response, but it could be due to my SP3 .

Did the slipsteam on the bootdisk, really hassle free from getting a FDD instead .

agreed..
for normal desktop user..

just stick to whatever mode you currently use..
i love the native ide anyway since i get a lot flexibility..

Just giving it a try. Since my HDD and OS messed up on me lately and keep on with reformatting thingy. Now giving AHCI mode a try since I'm going to doing a few reformat after all .

Just switched my XP and VISTA(dual boot) to AHCI without reformating on my Gigabyte E-DS3 (ICH9 chipset), since officially ICH9 does not support AHCI, I've used the trick to switch to the AHCI driver.

Anyway, i'm dissapointed with the results. My newer 250GB 16MB Seagte HDD actually post lower results using HD Tune compared to IDE mode in VISTA. Not sure about XP becoz didn't do the test prior to switching.

My other older 250GB 8MB Seagate HDD seems to shows almost similar results either in AHCI or IDE.

Frankly, not worth the time tweaking and testing. Boot up time seems comparable, but due to the extra few seconds from the additional SATA AHCI BIOS boot up screen, i think the boot up is definitely slower.

Now i want to switch my XP back to IDE, but dunno how.....Dunno which driver to point to b4 rebooting the PC and switch BIOS back to IDE....anyone can help?

i believe the AHCI does help because my new system seem boot slower than my last time system (Amd X2 3800+, Asus M2N-E board, 2GD Hyper-X , 150GB raptor) compared with Current Newly Build system(Q6600, P5K EPU with same ram and harddrive) changing to P5K Pro to confirm 1st with AHCI enable..