SSD on system running RAID 0

Associate
Joined
3 Aug 2004
Posts
252
Hi everyone,

I'm getting a bit confused with different things I've read and I wondered whether anyone might be able to clarify something for me....

I'm using a Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 which is SATA2 ready to do a clean install of Windows 7 HP x64 and I've attached a Crucial M4 128GB SSD to port 0 along with 2 x WD 1TB Caviar Blacks which I got from OcUK this week on to ports 1 & 2.

Ideally I'd like to run the SSD as a single drive and run the 2 x 1TB drives in a RAID 0 to give me a single 2TB drive and benefit from any speed increase. I understand the risks of RAID 0.

However, I don't want to cause any problems with TRIM running on the SSD and I know that in AHCI this would be fine, but if I have the following configuration on the Intel Matrix Storage Manager:

SSD - Non Member Disk
WD 1TB Black - Member Disk (RAID 0)
WD 1TB Black - Member Disk (RAID 0)

....will that stop TRIM from working on the SSD?

I downloaded the RAID driver from Gigabyte (10.6.0.1002) dated June 2011 which I was going to use during the Windows installation.

If anyone knows, I'd really appreciate any help.

Thanks! :)
 
Caporegime
Joined
5 Sep 2010
Posts
25,572
RAID mode includes the benefits of AHCI.

If you use RAID mode then you can set up the HDD's in RAID 0 and leave the SSD as a single disk.

TRIM will work on the SSD as the commands can be passed to the drive in RAID mode as long as the drive isn't actually part of a RAID array.

The latest Intel RST driver is here.

When you install Windows on to the SSD then use RAID mode but leave the HDD's disconnected to avoid any operating system files being installed on them.

Once Windows is installed you can reconnect the HDD's and set up the RAID 0 array.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
3 Aug 2004
Posts
252
Thanks very much for the info and link Surveyor, that's the part I was getting confused on - whether it was just when the SSD was part of the array or even just being on a port where RAID has been enabled.

I did exactly what you suggested, I used the latest driver you linked to and once everything was installed, updated and configured, I attached the 2 x 1TB Blacks and put them in RAID 0. After checking TRIM functionality by using the 'fsutil' command, everything appears to be working. :)

Thanks again for your help, it's really appreciated!
 
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