Asus Z170-Deluxe: Switching from AHCI to RAID disables Samsung 950 Pro

[paulalex7000]

Hi folks,

I’m a bit stuck and confused on this issue: When I switch my Asus Z170-Deluxe from AHCI to RAID, my M.2 NVMe Samsung 950 Pro is no longer seen as a valid boot device. It doesn’t seem to be a Windows driver issue, since the Boot portion of the BIOS doesn't even show the 950 as a choice after I switch to RAID.

The purpose of me switching from AHCI is so I can create 2 RAID0 sets, consisting of Samsung 850 and the SanDisk SSDs.

Here is the Disk Configuration of what I have:

- SATA6G_1: CD/DVD
- SATA6G_2: nothing at moment -- will later install a Toshiba P300 7200 3TB SATA HD on this port
- Onboard M.2: Samsung 950 Pro M.2 512GB SSD
- SATA6G_3: Samsung 850 Evo 512GB SSD
- SATA6G_4: Samsung 850 Evo 512GB SSD
- SATA6G_5: SanDisk Ultra III 960GB SSD
- SATA6G_6: SanDisk Ultra III 960GB SSD
- SATA6G_E1/E2: nothing attached to these ASMedia SATA ports


I don’t think there is any device contention, not if I interpreted the manual correctly. I tried enabling M.2 RAID (even though I'm only trying to enable RAID for the Samsung and Sandisk SSDs), as well as enabling SATA Express PCIE Storage RAID and also PCIEX16_3 PCIE (I only have one device using using the PCIEX16 slot). In the CSM section, I tried configuring Boot From Storage Devices to both Legacy Only as well as UEFI Driver First. Also did same for Boot From PCI-E/PCI Expansion Devices.

The BIOS setting for "M.2 and SATA Express Mode Configuration" is set for M.2. I'm not sure if I totally get this; since I have nothing plugged into the SATA Express port, so it shouldn't matter anyhow, right?


Section 3.6.5 didn’t really say anything about the effects of changing from AHCI to RAID. Does switching to RAID use more PCIe lanes, which is why it’s knocking out my 950?

Section 5.1 didn’t really say anything except all SATA ports would be in RAID, but didn’t say anything about M.2 port, particularly with a NVMe device attached. From what I understand in the manual, SATA Express ports (SATA6G_5/6) used by SATA devices would be in contention with a SATA device attached to onboard M.2 port, but it’s okay to do if NVMe device attached to M.2 port…?

What am I missing here?

Thanks in advance,
Paul

 

[popatim]

Doesnt the m.2 share with sata6_g1 and g2? Its an either/or situation and you cant have both as I recall and you chose which one to have 'active' in the bios.

 

[paulalex7000]

Doesnt the m.2 share with sata6_g1 and g2? Its an either/or situation and you cant have both as I recall and you chose which one to have 'active' in the bios.

Hello. Thanks for the response. Regarding the above, I wondered about that too, but the manual has me slightly confused regarding this. According to section 1-30, The M.2 socket shares SATA ports with SATA Express. Only one SATA device could be activated. To use an M.2 SATA device, refer to section 3.6.8 Onboard Devices Configuration regarding the BIOS switch. The SATAEXPRESS connector can support one SATA Express device or two SATA devices.

I'm slightly confused here, tho. If I'm reading the above correctly, that only applies to SATA devices, not NVMe?

My SATAG6_1 has a SATA CD/DVD ROM, but attached to my M.2 connector is a NVMe device (the Samsung 950 Pro SSD), so that's not using any SATA channels, so it shouldn't conflict?

Or am I way off base here? But right now, with the present way it's configured (all SATA configured for AHCI), I can presently boot off my Samsung 950 NVMe SSD, and I can utilize my CD/DVD device. Unless your statement only applied to when I switched from AHCI to RAID in the BIOS (which would then explain why I lose my NVMe device, but the CD/DVD device is still present).

I'm not trying to argue here, I do appreciate your help; just still a bit confused.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[popatim]

I'm was not sure either. Sine your 950 is working we can assume I was incorrect. Raiding the sata ports should not affect a pcie device but it may effect the boot files.

Lets restart with your ports, you orginally say you have nothing in the sata express ports but those are Sata6G_G1 and G2; and your cd rom drive is in G1. Can you verify your sata ports configuration.

Additionally, do you have the Samsung NVME Driver installed?
The Intel Raid driver installed?
Does Disk Management show System and boot partitions anywhere but on the nvme drive?

 

[paulalex7000]

Hello, yep, I verified the SATA ports configuration by going into the BIOS and double-checking....

I can't exactly check Diskmgmt.msc, since the primary OS is on the NVMe device, which then gets un-enumerated by the BIOS once I change from AHCI to RAID 🙂 But to answer your question, I did install the NVMe driver.

After I change the setting from AHCI to RAID, the BIOS doesn't see my NVMe drive at all, verified by going into the Boot[ing Order] section of the BIOS. Indeed, after I make that change, the Boot order then defaults to one of my Samsung EVO SSD's. If I let the computer boot normally, it tries to boot off the EVO SSD, but of course there are no boot files there. So the computer doesn't even get as far as booting off the NVMe device (which is my primary OS).

From a t-shooting perspective, I'll disconnect all of my SATA devices and change from AHCI to RAID and see what happens. That's something I probably should have thought of, when I first ran into this problem.

edit: removed reference to installing Intel RST drivers in second paragraph; that was not done since I'm not using my SSD as a cache for SATA hard drives.

 

[MortisX]

Hello. Samsung 950 Pro in M.2 slot can use with SATA Controller RAID mode.
For it need in BIOS (UEFI) setting adjust:
Advanced -> PCH Storage Configuration
SATA Mode Selection = RAID.
M.2 PCIE Storage RAID Support = Disabled (!)

If you enabled "M.2 PCIE Storage RAID Support" - M.2 slot use as sata device and 950 Pro not work.

P.S.: sorry my english..

 

[Andrew_171]

paulalex7000 did you manage to get this sorted? I have exactly the same problem 🙁

Did what MortisX suggest work?

Thanks Andrew

 

[MortisX]

paulalex7000 did you manage to get this sorted? I have exactly the same problem 🙁
Did what MortisX suggest work?
Thanks Andrew

to Andrew_171.
I have same a configuration: Asus Z170-Deluxe, Samsung 950 Pro in onboard M.2 slot and HDD RAID 1 in SATA6G_3 and SATA6G_4. And it work, as I say previously. As a minimum, with the latest versions UEFI (BIOS).

I do not know if it works on an initial version of the BIOS, as I updated it before found a solution.

P.S.: It is mentioned in the manual page 3-38:

"M.2 PCIE Storage RAID Support [Disabled]
This item allows you to enable or disable PCIE port to SATA for RAID Remapping."

Samsung 950 Pro is not SATA device and not work with this option, but for other slots RAID work where this option is disabled.

 

[Andrew_171]

Hi, thanks for the reply

Mine is slightly different. I have 2 x M.2. One is installed in the slot built into MB and the second in fitted in PCIE exapnsion card supplied with the MB, this is installed in PCIE_3 slot

Any ideas?

Thanks again for your help

paulalex7000 did you manage to get this sorted? I have exactly the same problem 🙁
Did what MortisX suggest work?
Thanks Andrew

to Andrew_171.
I have same a configuration: Asus Z170-Deluxe, Samsung 950 Pro in onboard M.2 slot and HDD RAID 1 in SATA6G_3 and SATA6G_4. And it work, as I say previously. As a minimum, with the latest versions UEFI (BIOS).

I do not know if it works on an initial version of the BIOS, as I updated it before found a solution.

P.S.: It is mentioned in the manual page 3-38:

"M.2 PCIE Storage RAID Support [Disabled]
This item allows you to enable or disable PCIE port to SATA for RAID Remapping."

Samsung 950 Pro is not SATA device and not work with this option, but for other slots RAID work where this option is disabled.

 

[MortisX]

Hi, thanks for the reply

Mine is slightly different. I have 2 x M.2. One is installed in the slot built into MB and the second in fitted in PCIE exapnsion card supplied with the MB, this is installed in PCIE_3 slot

Any ideas?

Thanks again for your help

Then the main question - you want have RAID with this two M.2 SSD or want use RAID for another devices?
For first variant - I don't known how it did. As I say - 950 Pro is not sata and not work in raid, as I think. In this variant I can only advise to contact with Samsung Tech Support.

For second variant you need have next settings:

Advanced -> PCH Storage Configuration
SATA Mode Selection = [RAID]
M.2 PCIE Storage RAID Support = [Disabled] (!)
SATA Express PCIE Storage RAID Support = [Disabled] (!)

Advanced -> Onboard Devices Configuration
M.2 and SATA Express Mode Configuration = [SATA Express] (as default)
PCI-EX16_3 Bandwidth = [X4 mode] (important, with this option you can't use SATA6G_5 and SATA6G_6 ports. But you known it, if you use "PCIE exapnsion card". Right?)

P.S.: Also for first variant you can try next settings, but I doubt that it will work:

Advanced -> PCH Storage Configuration
SATA Mode Selection = [RAID]
M.2 PCIE Storage RAID Support = [Enabled] (!)
SATA Express PCIE Storage RAID Support = [Enabled] (!)

Advanced -> Onboard Devices Configuration
M.2 and SATA Express Mode Configuration = [M.2] (it disable SATA Express = disable SATA6G_1 and SATA6G_2)
PCI-EX16_3 Bandwidth = [X4 mode] (it disable SATA Express = disable SATA6G_5 and SATA6G_6)

P.P.S.: As I known 950 Pro have two editions. NVMe or AHCI variant. I think (I not try it) AHCI 950 Pro can work in RAID with this settings. I dont known how it work for NVMe 950 Pro...

 

[Andrew_171]

Yeah it's the "First Variant", I want to RAID 0 two M.2 SSD's

Page x in manual says "* Supports PCIE RAID congurations via onboard M.2 and PCIEX16_3 storages"

I can get the raid to work. If I install windows on another drive windows can see it. I just can't boot from RAID 🙁

 

[MortisX]

Yeah it's the "First Variant", I want to RAID 0 two M.2 SSD's

Page x in manual says "* Supports PCIE RAID congurations via onboard M.2 and PCIEX16_3 storages"

I can get the raid to work. If I install windows on another drive windows can see it. I just can't boot from RAID 🙁

You say Windows can see you raid 0. You can select you raid as boot device in UEFI menu?
If yes, then maybe all that you need - NVMe raid driver where you install OS. I don't know what else to do...

 

[Andrew_171]

Yes windows can see RAID if I install windows on a different drive, it works fine. But BIOS does not show RAID drive in boot menu

 

[ramonsmits]

Good idea to make those additional SSD's a RAID disk. However, your 950 Pro would be connected to Intel RST as a single disk, correct? I have performance issues with my 950 Pro in that configuration.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-3213419/samsung-950-pro-performance-issues-caused-intel-rapid-storage-technology.html

Although it's a few months back I wanted to warn you for this.