How do I turn on NCQ?

[adambeau]

I was told in another thread when using an amd processor with an ssd in ahci mode that i should turn on something called NCQ... He said intel processors come with it turned on but not amd for some reason. He also mentioned updating drivers and after a few google searches i figured i should ask before i destroy my new rig again. lol

cm silent pro 700w psu
amd phenom ii x6
g skill sniper 4x4 @1866
2x550ti (evga)
120gb corsair force 3 ssd
120gb ocz vertex 3 ssd

Thanks guys

 

[WyomingKnott]

90% certainty: If you have an SATA device on an SATA port set to AHCI mode, NCQ is enabled. It's a firmware ability of the drive itself.

OTOH, from Wikipedia: For NCQ to be enabled, it must be supported and enabled in the SATA host bus adapter and in the hard drive itself. The appropriate driver must be loaded into the operating system to enable NCQ on the host bus adapter.

If you provide a link to the other thread, I'll look at the counter-argument.

EDIT: what OS version are you using?

 

[Chainzsaw]

Hello,

You need AHCI turned on in your BIOS to use NCQ. However before you do so you would have to make sure of a few things.

If you reboot your computer - check your BIOS - as long as your SATA drives are in AHCI - NCQ should be running.

If AHCI is not turned on...let us know.

 

[adambeau]

it is turned on in the bios and i am using windows 7, let me find the other thread.

 

[adambeau]

i am running win 7 home 64 bit.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/forum2.php?config=tomshardwareus.inc&cat=32&post=284174&page=1&p=1&sondage=0&owntopic=1&trash=0&trash_post=0&print=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

this is the other thread i was referring to, thanks for the help!

 

[adambeau]

90% certainty: If you have an SATA device on an SATA port set to AHCI mode, NCQ is enabled. It's a firmware ability of the drive itself.

OTOH, from Wikipedia: For NCQ to be enabled, it must be supported and enabled in the SATA host bus adapter and in the hard drive itself. The appropriate driver must be loaded into the operating system to enable NCQ on the host bus adapter.

If you provide a link to the other thread, I'll look at the counter-argument.

EDIT: what OS version are you using?

this is mainly what he said:


Sorry to repy you too late, the "NCQ" is the core parts of the AHCI, this is the basic technology to improve the speed of the read/write. However, to Intel CPU this mode is turned on automatic when you select "ahci" mode, but to AMD CPU this tech need be tunred on manually.

 

[popatim]

In the older AMD AHCI drivers NCQ was indeed turned off but in the newer ones its turned on has been my experience. I know you can check/change the setting in AMD RaidXpert by selecting the drive and then going to the settings tab. I'm not sure if you can change it with any other tool.

 

[adambeau]

thank you, i will use raid xpert to see if it is turned on but since its such a new setup i assume it is and that for some unknown reason my comp sucks at benchmarks.

thanks everyone!

 

[adambeau]

Best answer selected by adambeau.