Threadripper NVMe Boot RAID 0 on Windows 7, Is it possible ?

[ROB_DF_MX]

CPU: AMD Threadripper 1950X
Motherboard: Gigabyte X399 Aorus Gaming 7
NVMe Drives: Samsung 970 Pro 512GB
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

Hello pals,
Hope you can help me with this one:

I want to set a boot NVMe Raid on my AMD Threadripper workstation.
But drivers at the AMD web site and also at the Gigabyte motherboard web page are only available for Windows 10.

Is it possible to set a boot NVMe RAID 0 on Windows 7 ?

I can only find drivers and instructions for Windows 10, but not for Wondows 7.

Any help, pointers or tutorials online ?

Thanks a lot in advance.
Roberto.

 

[jaslion]

CPU: AMD Threadripper 1950X
Motherboard: Gigabyte X399 Aorus Gaming 7
NVMe Drives: Samsung 970 Pro 512GB
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

Hello pals,
Hope you can help me with this one:

I want to set a boot NVMe Raid on my AMD Threadripper workstation.
But drivers at the AMD web site and also at the Gigabyte motherboard web page are only available for Windows 10.

Is it possible to set a boot NVMe RAID 0 on Windows 7 ?

I can only find drivers and instructions for Windows 10, but not for Wondows 7.

Any help, pointers or tutorials online ?

Thanks a lot in advance.
Roberto.

1. Windows 7 is not officially supported by your platform and there will be no drivers for it as you have seen.
2. You can install it but you won't have drivers which can lead to a bunch of issues
3. Raid 0 nvme often results in NEGATIVE performance gains so don't do that

 

[Calvin7]

X399 AORUS Gaming 7 (rev. 1.0)
Specification
Operating System

1.Support for Windows 10 64-bit

AMD had made known before Ryzen released, and before stating that Windows 7 would not be officially supported, that AMD internally had fully working Ryzen chipset drivers for Windows 7.
https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/830385-official-amd-ryzen-threadripper-windows-7-chipset-drivers-available-so-newer-amd-cpus-are-officially-supported-with-windows-7/

 

[TJ Hooker]

Win7 doesn't have native NVMe drivers built in, so you'd have to modify the install media to inject drivers to allow you to install the OS.

Why do you want to do this? I'm think there's still a work around to upgrade Win7 to Win10 for free, which would allow you to use NVMe drives without issue. Putting SSDs in RAID is usually pointless, or even detrimental.

 

[USAFRet]

NVMe RAID 0?
For the boot drive?

Why on earth would you do this?

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-950-pro-256gb-raid-report,4449.html

 

[ROB_DF_MX]

@jaslion
Thank you for your reply.

Jaslion you are partially wrong, there are support files and drivers for the X399 platform from some manufacturers, if you look at the drivers available for some of the inital X399 motherboards you will find that in fact there are drivers available for Windows 7.

That is the case of the ASRock X300 Taichi:
https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/X399%20Taichi/index.us.asp#Download

Or like mine, Gigabyte X399 AORUS Gaming 7:
https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Motherboard/X399-AORUS-Gaming-7-rev-10#support-dl-driver-sataraidahci

My problem is that the RAID drivers there are for "traditional" SSDs and not for a RAID made with NVMe Drives.

You are correct that Raid 0 nvme often results in NEGATIVE performance gains, but in some instances allows to speed a lot sequential I/O operations like reading huge data sets to RAM or to write big files like ISO files, HDD Images or Video Editing.

 

[ROB_DF_MX]

@Calvin7

Calvin7, thank you for your reply and for the link to that web topic.
I will check it and read it carefully.

Gracias amigo.

 

[ROB_DF_MX]

@TJ Hooker

TJ Hooker, thank you for your message.

I know how to create a Windows 7 boot installation media ( USB, ISO Image or DVD-ROM ) with the needed NVMe drivers and USB 3.0 support. Also I know how to upgrade to Windows 10 ( even if that is not my goal for now ).

What I want to know is if someone knows how to setup and create a Threadripper NVMe Boot RAID 0 on Windows 7.
I can install and boot from a NVMe drive, but not as a boot NVMe RAID 0.

You are correct that Raid 0 NVMe often results in NEGATIVE performance gains, but in some instances allows to speed a lot sequential I/O operations like reading huge data sets to RAM or to write big files like ISO files, HDD Images or Video Editing.

 

[ROB_DF_MX]

@USAFRet

USAFRet, I want to try that in order to speed a lot sequential I/O operations like reading huge data sets to RAM or to write big files like ISO files, HDD Images or Video Editing.

Is something wrong with that ?

It is my impression that the people who was reply to my question have not tried it and only are answering from theorical knowledge. Or maybe do not have a X399 platform to find out if it can be done.

There are many enthusiast people on many forums who have NVMe Boot RAID 0 on their machines, but only for Windows 10 as I have found.

 

[USAFRet]

@USAFRet

USAFRet, I want to try that in order to speed a lot sequential I/O operations like reading huge data sets to RAM or to write big files like ISO files, HDD Images or Video Editing.

Is something wrong with that ?

For that use, a RAID 0 with those drives may be/probably is...beneficial.

For the boot drive, as you stated initially? Not so much.


If you're building some uber render farm, or large dataset manipulation...you segregate the boot drive from your data drives.
At least that's the way any pro does it.

 

[ROB_DF_MX]

@USAFRet

USAFRet, I want to try that in order to speed a lot sequential I/O operations like reading huge data sets to RAM or to write big files like ISO files, HDD Images or Video Editing.

Is something wrong with that ?

For that use, a RAID 0 with those drives may be/probably is...beneficial.

For the boot drive, as you stated initially? Not so much.


If you're building some uber render farm, or large dataset manipulation...you segregate the boot drive from your data drives.
At least that's the way any pro does it.

Yes sure, that would be ideal if you count on UNLIMITEd resources. Sadly not my case.
Anyway, that still does not answer my inital question.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes sure, that would be ideal if you count on UNLIMITEd resources. Sadly not my case.
Anyway, that still does not answer my inital question.

All it takes is one other drive for the OS drive.
Nothing "unlimited" needed.

And if you have a threadripper and associated motherboard, and 2x NVMe drives...surely you can find $50 for a small boot drive.
Bypassing most of this "problem".

 

[ROB_DF_MX]

Yes sure, that would be ideal if you count on UNLIMITEd resources. Sadly not my case.
Anyway, that still does not answer my inital question.

All it takes is one other drive for the OS drive.
Nothing "unlimited" needed.

And if you have a threadripper and associated motherboard, and 2x NVMe drives...surely you can find $50 for a small boot drive.
Bypassing most of this "problem".

You are of "No HELP" at all.

I am not asking for permission to install my drives as a Boot NVMe RAID 0

Who are you ?
How did you got a Moderator rank ?

 

[USAFRet]

You are of "No HELP" at all.

I am not asking for permission to install my drives as a Boot NVMe RAID 0

Who are you ?
How did you got a Moderator rank ?

Threadripper NVMe Boot RAID 0 on Windows 7, Is it possible ?

I want to set a boot NVMe Raid on my AMD Threadripper workstation.

I'm just looking to assist you in getting a system that works well for your (eventually) stated use.
Not a weird contraption that won't actually work.

Good luck.