Question about Intel smart response Z68

Boostjunky · 20 Feb 2012 at 12:23

Hi,

Im thinking of using my 64gb ssd drive with intels smart response on a Z68 motherboard. However I have a 1TB mechanical drive which i'd like to create two partitions on. One partition for the OS, programs and games and the other partition for backups such as music, downloaded games etc.

Can this be done as i'm sure I have to use RAID to enable this feature on a Z68 motherboard. When RAID is enabled will the OS still see the two seperate partitions?

Cheers

Orcvader · 20 Feb 2012 at 13:02

1) Go into BIOS, turn SATA mode to RAID
2) Install Windows (So it installs with the RAID drivers). You can create the two seperate partitions at this stage
3) Connect the SSD, change boot order to HDD, boot into the new install and install the Intel RST drivers
4) Now you can choose which partition the SSD will cache

Windows will now see two partitions, the SSD-accelerated partition and the back up partition.

Boostjunky · 20 Feb 2012 at 13:18

Thanks Orcvader, fully understand it now.

Wazz-1 · 20 Feb 2012 at 15:51

Im also looking at this, do you have to use RAID mode?

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology
This driver supports RAID 5 & 10 on specific desktop platforms; supports RAID 0, 1, AHCI & Matrix RAID on specific desktop and mobile platforms.
I don't understand :confused:

Boostjunky · 20 Feb 2012 at 18:10

Well I was thinking of upgrading to a z68 board to make better use of my ssd drive.

As far as I can understand you enable raid when installing the OS, then windows installs the drivers needed. Once that is done, you install the relevant intel software and select the ssd to use for cache and away you go.

What I wanted to know is when you partition one single drive would they still be seen as seperate drive's when RAID is enable. It seems the answer is yes they will.

Orcvader · 20 Feb 2012 at 20:49

Boostjunky said:
Well I was thinking of upgrading to a z68 board to make better use of my ssd drive.

As far as I can understand you enable raid when installing the OS, then windows installs the drivers needed. Once that is done, you install the relevant intel software and select the ssd to use for cache and away you go.

What I wanted to know is when you partition one single drive would they still be seen as seperate drive's when RAID is enable. It seems the answer is yes they will.

Pretty much this.

For the caching to work the SATA mode must be in RAID mode. This is because the SSD and the HDD it's caching is in some sort of RAID mode. IT doesn't work in AHCI or IDE, as the RST drivers will just refuse to install if Windows is not installed with the RAID drivers.