wutang01 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I've been researching, and my head's exploding. What I want to do, is format my computer, setup RAID and reinstall Vista Ultimate x64. I currently have an ASUS P5B Deluxe with an Intel C2D E6600. Four Western Digital 500GB SATA2 HDDs. Now from what I understand is, all I have to do is follow this guide: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/454/1/ But do I have to update the driver to the latest version? I heard JMicron really screws up the connected IDE drives on your computer ... which would pose a problem. (It apparently controls both SATA and IDE or something). This web site (http://www.thepatri0t.net/2006/12/07/asus-p5b-deluxe-drivers/) says avoid the JMicron driver unless you are using it for RAID. (Scroll down the page until you see this 'warning' in red text). Can I just use Vista 64's default driver? PS: Do I need to install the Intel Matrix Storage Manager and/or the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility? How does those 2 fit in with the installation process? I hope someone can help me. I'm kinda confused ... and I'll be honest ... I'm worried ****less about things screwing up on me when I'm trying to setup RAID ... Any help is appreciated! Thanks in advance! Regards, wutang01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
=NickJ= Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 just to verify, the four drives are attached to sata ports 1-4 and you set them up using the intel matrix storage manager bios yes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamend Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 If you have 4 drivers then I'm guessing you're using the Intel chipset's SATA ports for RAID (there are 2 RAID systems on the board, Intel with 4xSATA and JMicron with 2xSATA + IDE). I think Vista supports Intel RAID by default, but it probably wouldn't hurt to download the latest F6 floppy drivers (which you can put on a USB key) for the installation. Either way you should install the Intel INF chipset and Matrix Storage software (in that order). It's up to you if you want to install the JMicron drivers. Oh and I haven't had any problems with the JMicron chip after installing the drivers, but I don't think it's necessary if it's not in AHCI/RAID mode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayhem Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 that website explain it well, as for installing vista on raid isn't hard at all, you simply have to set your bios definitions and make the partition stripe that is explained on the page and then simply boot with Vista DVD and vista will see and install without any problem i have 2 sata in raid 0, only had to 2 things that i said and installed vista (in my case 32 bits) without any problem or having to load any external raid drivers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrokat Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I have the same configuration. You will need to load the drivers from Intel's website. I had some issues but I got around it. I don't remember what I did but since Vista has been out for awhile, you should not have any problems since drivers have been updated. I know what your trying to do will work. Intel Matrix Storage Manager and the Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility are installed after the vista installation process. Configure your raid from the Bios before installing Vista. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wutang01 Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 (edited) So the people with P5B Deluxe and installed the JMicron driver ... do you have any problems with system slowdown, onboard sound problems or problems with your IDE devices (e.g. DVD burning?) Also, which driver should I be using: 1 - JMicron JMB36X RAID Controller Driver V1.17.15.0 for Vista (32bit/64bit) (WHQL) [2007/07/13 update] 2 - JMicron JMB363 RAID Driver V1.17.6.4 WHQL for 32/64bit Vista [2007/05/25 update] 3 - Intel? Matrix Storage Manager Driver v6.2.0.1009 for Windows Vista [2006/10/24 update] What is the difference between JMB36X and JMB363 anyway?:ss Any help is appreciated! Thanks in advance! Either way you should install the Intel INF chipset and Matrix Storage software (in that order). It's up to you if you want to install the JMicron drivers. Oh and I haven't had any problems with the JMicron chip after installing the drivers, but I don't think it's necessary if it's not in AHCI/RAID mode. Is this just before selecting which drive I want to install Vista on? The "Load Driver" bit? I want to setup my 4 HDDs in RAID mode ... does that mean I'll need the JMIcron driver? Also, do I need to connect the HDDs in order on the motherboard? ie SATA port 1, SATA port 2, SATA port 3, SATA port 4 ...? Edited January 7, 2008 by wutang01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamend Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 You will be using the Intel RAID solution for your 4 drives so you only need the Intel RAID drivers for the installation of Vista. Use the Intel F6 floppy drivers (copy them to a USB key, then clicking "load drivers" should find them automatically): http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Des...64〈=eng After Vista is installed, install the Intel INF chipset drivers first and then your other drivers including the Matrix Storage software. When I had the P5B Deluxe (and I've had 2 Intel + JMB363 boards since, P5K and P5K Premium), I didn't have any problems with the drivers. I rarely used the onboard sound though because I have a SoundBlaster. My IDE DVD always worked fine. JMB36X is the series to which JMB363 belongs. They use the same drivers. The stuff on the ASUS site is always outdated, so get the latest ones right here (1.17.31): ftp://driver.jmicron.com.tw/jmb36x/Win2k_xp_Vista/ Also use the latest Matrix Storage software (7.8.0.1012 11/9/2007): http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Des...64〈=eng Oh and no, the order of the hard drives isn't important. You can reconnect them in any order after creating the array and it will still work fine. Also, Intel Matrix Storage RAID is generally portable between different chipset versions, so you don't have to worry about losing your array if you upgrade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wutang01 Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 So recapping: 1. Go into BIOS, enable RAID ... setup RAID5 ... 2. Initiate Vista installation. When selecting drive, click Load Driver ... and load the Intel driver. 3. After Vista finishes installing, load Intel INF chipset drivers ... THEN the Matrix Storage software. 4. Install everything else (LAN, onboard sound etc etc) So do I need the JMicron driver? If so, when do I install this ... after Vista finishes installing? Or do I only need the Intel driver for 4 HDDs (but JMicron driver if I had 2 HDDs?)? PS: Thanks so much for the help Cephas! The links, the guide ... you legend :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamend Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I don't think you'll need the JMicron driver. If your IDE drive works after Vista is installed, then don't bother. Vista should support by default it for normal SATA/IDE use, and the Vista installer should also support it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wutang01 Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 But will Vista support RAID by default? Or is that what Intel RAID driver is doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
=NickJ= Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 you'll only need to install the JMicron driver if you want to add more RAID drives on it's 2x SATA ports, but seeing as you still have 2x SATAs left on the Intel controller and you have 2tb already I think you'll be good for a while :D Vista's codebase doesn't support RAID by default, what it has is an older Intel RAID driver packaged with it which appears to give default support, by loading the drivers from a Floppy/USB stick you're just giving it the updated drivers :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wutang01 Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 Forgive my ignorance, I'm just trying to understand how this will all work ... I'm planning to have 4 drives on RAID. So it'll be ok not to install JMicron driver ... because I'll have 4 drives on RAID: 2 via Intel controller and 2 via JMicron controller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
=NickJ= Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) No put all four on Intel! Just ignore the JMicron controller I was just commenting on your upgrade potential left Edited January 9, 2008 by =NickJ= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+PeterUK MVC Posted January 9, 2008 MVC Share Posted January 9, 2008 Forgive my ignorance, I'm just trying to understand how this will all work ...I'm planning to have 4 drives on RAID. So it'll be ok not to install JMicron driver ... because I'll have 4 drives on RAID: 2 via Intel controller and 2 via JMicron controller? Maybe this will help: To get RAID 5 you must put all you HDD's on the Intel ports and setup the raid by (Ctrl + I). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wutang01 Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 Awesome ... coz that's where my 4 drives are connected to atm ... :D So all I'll do is do the Ctrl+I thing, setup RAID5, initiate Vista installation and then load the Intel driver first :) Just out of curiosity (or should I let it go ... LOL) ... how can you have 2 drives on JMicron? In the diagram PeterUK has kindly provided, there is only one JMicron SATA port ... And also ... even if I have RAID setup for my SATAs ... can I still connect my WD My Book via eSATA? The eSATA port at the top of my case, is directly connected to one of those 6 Intel Raid kindly labelled by PeterUK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+PeterUK MVC Posted January 9, 2008 MVC Share Posted January 9, 2008 Just out of curiosity (or should I let it go ... LOL) ... how can you have 2 drives on JMicron? In the diagram PeterUK has kindly provided, there is only one JMicron SATA port ... The eSATA on the Back Panel (if you didn't know) is by JMicron so you connect a HDD to the Internal SATA and a external to the eSATA (or loop it to the inside) to RAID 0,1 and JBOD. And also ... even if I have RAID setup for my SATAs ... can I still connect my WD My Book via eSATA? The eSATA port at the top of my case, is directly connected to one of those 6 Intel Raid kindly labelled by PeterUK Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wutang01 Posted January 9, 2008 Author Share Posted January 9, 2008 Awesome. Thanks for the help everyone! I'm going to go RAID once my My Book arrives. I need to backup 873GB lol!! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wutang01 Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Ok! I finally got RAID5 up and running! Thanks guys! However, I have one final question. I had 4 Western Digital HDDs, eah 500GB. However, only about 475GB is usable. After I setup RAID5, I only get use to 3 hard drives right? Because (talking in basic terms) 1 drive is used for parity files, right? 3 x 475GB = 1425GB. Just curious. Because I have a 1.36TB logical drive in My Computer atm :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
=NickJ= Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Ok! I finally got RAID5 up and running! Thanks guys! However, I have one final question. I had 4 Western Digital HDDs, eah 500GB. However, only about 475GB is usable. After I setup RAID5, I only get use to 3 hard drives right? Because (talking in basic terms) 1 drive is used for parity files, right? 3 x 475GB = 1425GB. Just curious. Because I have a 1.36TB logical drive in My Computer atm :D Yup thats all about right, you only get 475Gb from each drive because 500Gb is rated at 1,000,000 bytes per Gb when its actually 1,048,576 bytes per Gb (500,000,000 / 1,048,576 = 476.8 Gb), and then I think you lose a bit more from the 1425 in setting up the RAID structure. Looks like you'll all done :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wutang01 Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Yea. Thanks to all you guys :) I've installed the Intel Matrix Storage Manager, enabled "Volume Write-Back Cache". Don't know what that does, but some other ppl have it enabled as well :p And my Windows Experience Index now says 5.9 for my hard drive transfer rate!! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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