[SOLVED] Single NVMe SSD in RAID without RAID Array

shurzota

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Apr 5, 2010
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Hi everyone!

I want to do a clean installation of Windows 10 Pro x64 on a newly assembled PC:
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS Xtreme (UEFI v.F35, GPT);
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X;
OS (boot) drive: Samsung 970 Pro PCIe NVMe SSD (M2A socket);
Data drive-1: Samsung 980 Pro PCIe NVMe SSD (M2B socket).
Data drive-2: HDD Toshiba (SATA III).

The only connected (boot) drive is the Samsung 970 Pro PCIe NVMe SSD. I will connect Data drives 1 and 2 after the OS installation.

I have read that PCIe NVMe SSD has better performance in RAID mode in comparison with ACHI mode:
https://www.anandtech.com/show/7843/testing-sata-express-with-asus/4
I want to enable RAID mode for PCIe NVMe SSD in UEFI (to take advantage of the caching in RAID protocol), but I cannot set RAID to Array (because I have only one physical OS (boot) drive).

My questions are:
  1. Can I successfully install Windows 10 on a single NVMe SSD with enabled RAID mode and without setting RAID to Array?
  2. Should I and can I install the AMD RAID Driver (SATA, NVMe RAID) if I enabled RAID, but did not set RAID to Array?
Motherboard User’s Manual: https://download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_x570-aorus-xtreme_1001_190708_e.pdf

I would greatly appreciate any help.
 
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Solution
Assuming you are on a PCI-e Gen4 compatible mainboard/CPU, the 980 Pro or EVO is already super fast at up to 7 GB/sec sequential reads. (A RAID 0 will look impressive in CrystalDiskMark comparisons only, but, will seem no faster in 'real world' use, and, often folks who do use RAID 0 regret it later, once the first and slightest glitch in either drive results in loss of all data at some point down the road, at which point they come here for help with recovery. assistance...which is hopeless, typically)

It would certainly make no sense to consider a RAID 0, mixing a PCI-e 3.0 and PCI-e 4.0 drive, limiting you to sub-gen 4 performance in RAID 0 anyway....(Raid 0 is limited by the slowest drive)
Hi everyone!

I want to do a clean installation of Windows 10 Pro x64 on a newly assembled PC:
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS Xtreme (UEFI v.F35, GPT);
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X;
OS (boot) drive: Samsung 970 Pro PCIe NVMe SSD (M2A socket);
Data drive-1: Samsung 980 Pro PCIe NVMe SSD (M2B socket).
Data drive-2: HDD Toshiba (SATA III).

The only connected (boot) drive is the Samsung 970 PRO NVMe SSD. I will connect Data drives 1 and 2 after the OS installation.

I have read that PCIe NVMe SSD has better performance in RAID mode in comparison with ACHI mode:
https://www.anandtech.com/show/7843/testing-sata-express-with-asus/4
I want to enable RAID mode for SATA in UEFI (to take advantage of the caching in RAID protocol), but I cannot set RAID to Array (because I have only one physical OS (boot) drive).

My questions are:
  1. Can I successfully install Windows 10 on a single NVMe SSD with enabled RAID mode and without setting RAID to Array?
  2. Should I and can I install the AMD RAID Driver (SATA, NVMe RAID) if I enabled RAID, but did not set RAID to Array?
Motherboard User’s Manual: https://download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_x570-aorus-xtreme_1001_190708_e.pdf

I would greatly appreciate any help.
That is a 7+ year old article and has nothing to do with NVMe RAID. Just use AHCI mode on your drives. Don't try to get greedy (and stupid).
 
Hi everyone!

I want to do a clean installation of Windows 10 Pro x64 on a newly assembled PC:
Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 AORUS Xtreme (UEFI v.F35, GPT);
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X;
OS (boot) drive: Samsung 970 Pro PCIe NVMe SSD (M2A socket);
Data drive-1: Samsung 980 Pro PCIe NVMe SSD (M2B socket).
Data drive-2: HDD Toshiba (SATA III).

The only connected (boot) drive is the Samsung 970 PRO NVMe SSD. I will connect Data drives 1 and 2 after the OS installation.

I have read that PCIe NVMe SSD has better performance in RAID mode in comparison with ACHI mode:
https://www.anandtech.com/show/7843/testing-sata-express-with-asus/4
I want to enable RAID mode for SATA in UEFI (to take advantage of the caching in RAID protocol), but I cannot set RAID to Array (because I have only one physical OS (boot) drive).

My questions are:
  1. Can I successfully install Windows 10 on a single NVMe SSD with enabled RAID mode and without setting RAID to Array?
  2. Should I and can I install the AMD RAID Driver (SATA, NVMe RAID) if I enabled RAID, but did not set RAID to Array?
Motherboard User’s Manual: https://download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_x570-aorus-xtreme_1001_190708_e.pdf

I would greatly appreciate any help.
I recall testing perf on my nvme ssd using raid vs ahci the diff was zip.
 
Assuming you are on a PCI-e Gen4 compatible mainboard/CPU, the 980 Pro or EVO is already super fast at up to 7 GB/sec sequential reads. (A RAID 0 will look impressive in CrystalDiskMark comparisons only, but, will seem no faster in 'real world' use, and, often folks who do use RAID 0 regret it later, once the first and slightest glitch in either drive results in loss of all data at some point down the road, at which point they come here for help with recovery. assistance...which is hopeless, typically)

It would certainly make no sense to consider a RAID 0, mixing a PCI-e 3.0 and PCI-e 4.0 drive, limiting you to sub-gen 4 performance in RAID 0 anyway....(Raid 0 is limited by the slowest drive)
 
Last edited:
Solution