Raid problem - WD 300gb Velociraptor in Raid 0 on Intel ICH10R ICH9R ICH8R

[The Mafia]

Hi everyone.

My System:

Asus P5Q Deluxe (p45, ICH10r)
Core2Quad 9450
2 x 300gb WD Velociraptors
4gig 1066mhz Ram at stock
Vista Ultimate x64

Unfortunately I have come accross the majot problem of the Dreaded hangs and blue screens caused by a fault between the Intel ICH7\8\9\10r controller, Vista, and WD's Velociraptors.

Anytime you try and do disk intensive operations, the computer will hang or BSOD, Intel Storage manager will report a delayed write, and then the computer will eventually blue screen with a random error reporting memory corruption. (memory replaced and tested, not at fault)

I've wasted a total of 30 hours trying to fix this problem with no avail. Almost wrecked the joint due to frustration.

This is what I have done:

- Did everything Intel suggested when they acknowledged the problem
- Tried increasing Sata and SB voltages (made things faster, but they still failed)
- Replaced the mainboard with a Gigabyte P35 DS4R - same problems
- Different memory
- Standard Clocks
- Searched the shit out of the internet
- Different drivers, iastor.sys
- re-installed Vista a total of 9 times now.

Here are some articles of the problem, destroying peoples lives:

Intel Admitting there is a fault:
http://www.intel.com/support/chipset.../CS-025783.htm

A Blog with many, many people having the problem:
http://www.flyingnerd.com/intel-raid...windows-vista/

Someone that claims to have fixed it (didn't work for me):
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?p=5832197


Another note, Dell customers are being plagued with this problem, and are buying new computers and are not being able to use them. Thats a real shitty outcome for the!


Okay. Now here are my options:

1. Buy 2 x Brand new Seagate 640 gig drives and raid them, and hope they aren't at fault.
Pros: Extra Storage that I don't really need.
Can use the array on any intel Mainboard
Cons: Chance it may not work

2. Buy a Raid card - I'm looking at a Promise FastTrak TX4650 (4 port, PCIe4x)
Pros: Maybe Faster
Getr to Keep the fast Velociraptors
Cons: Raid card dies, I need another to get my data (can't just use another mainboard)
Expensive
Extra boot time
Possible mainboard incompatibility issues

3. Spend A lot of time and effort trying to fix this problem. Apparently later issues of this mainboard (different revisions) have a fix, but people aren't really reporting sucess. I went to a completely different mainboard and still had no luck so I dount changing the mobo will be a good idea.


Anyway, I'd like to solve the original problem before I go and buy 2 new slower drives, or a raid card that will be just another component to fail, or send a mainboard away to be gone for 3 months.

If someone can help me with a solution that actually works, I am willing (and seriously will) provide some sort of remuneration. It seriously is driving me that crazy.

[hvalac]

well if your going to sell a velociraptor i shall do the honour of taking one of these beasts of your hands for say $300

[Lord_Sidious]

Option 4. If Intel have admitted fault, then you should make them fix it. Go to the ACCC and tell them the board was not of merchantable quality and that the manufacturer knew that.

I would suggest then you get a different hardware configuration.

[The Mafia]

yeah but option 4 means I don't have a computer working for a year, and that I have to go through endless amounts of shit to get it sorted.

Plus by the time they look into it, there will be a newer architecture out that doesn't have this bug.

Fuck its annoying.

Anyone else got any input?

[gaspah]

buy a raid card, spending that much on wd velociraptors, i think its justifiable to shell out some cash to get a decent controller for them... although i've never had an issue with my ICH8R or ICH9R raid configurations (ga-965p-ds3p + ga-g33m-ds2r).. for deets on the configurations see my sig.. and they takes some serious reading and writing... though not velociraptors, i only use western digital in my pcs..

but for raid-0, the fastrack raid card wont be faster than the onboard intel... they're actually pretty decent performing controllers..

[terrastrife]

how about, dont install the matrix storage manager?

try with the hdds in port 1 and 3, also try 1 and 5.

[The Mafia]

Tried that, and it still fails. Tried ports 1+3, 3+5, etc and nothing.

And its not the matrix manager, its windows itself. Sometimes the manager doesn't even report it, windows just hangs.


The problem has been confirmed to only be there when running a raid array. IDE mode they are fine.

[MrSmoke]

id get the 2x640gb cause i always run out of storage

[WooKiE_MaN]

try XP and not vista..........

[terrastrife]

wheres the 'buy 4x 150gb raptors and raid them' option :P

[The Mafia]

Originally Posted by WooKiE_MaN

try XP and not vista..........

XP is worse - You can't even get the installation started.

At least vista lets you get into windows.

[issa2006]

i have xp pro + 4x vr300 (no problems..+ vista 32 no problems...(

raid 0 + 5

[The Mafia]

what sort of mainboard are you running mate?

Seems an asus problem, and some other brands.

Also, can anyone recommend a decent raid card? Or suggest a few?

I need to get this raid up and running again, as single drives are slow as hell...

[gaspah]

this may sound strange... but i had a problem with intel matrix controller and hotswap and delayed write errors when nero was installed.... now i dont use nero i dont have the same problem... may not be the same as your problem.. but i thought id say something...

[Mikey_D]

Wierd issue. Personally, i'd probably buy the raid card. To me, time is more important than a few $$.

Sounds like arse though, you've got my sympathy.