Which SATA Raid Controller?

I'm trying to install XP Pro on an XPS 410 that came from Dell with
Vista Home Premium. Under Vista, the hard dive controller was listed
as "Intel 82801 HR/HH/HO SATA RAID Controller". I've downloaded the
Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver (R158601) from Dell's web site,
and put it on a floppy. During the XP install, I hit F6, etc., and am
asked to select the controller from the list show below. Which is the
correct one? The closes match ("82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller
(Desktop ICH8R))" says "SATA AHCI" and not "SATA RAID"?

"ICH9 SATA AHCIController (Desktop ICH9R)"
"82801HEM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E)"
"82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E/M)"
"ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID Controller"
"82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)"
"631xESB/632xESB SATA RAID Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
"631xESB/632xESB SATA AHCI Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
"82801GHM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH7MDH)"
"82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
"82801GR/GH SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
"82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH7M/DH)"
"82801FBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH6M)"

Thanks

Hi!

> Under Vista, the hard dive controller was listed as "Intel 82801 HR/HH/HO
> SATA RAID Controller".
> The closes match ("82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller
> (Desktop ICH8R))" says "SATA AHCI" and not "SATA RAID"?

I believe the southbridge in this system is an 82801 ICH-8. The best choice
in the list below should be the ICH8R/9R SATA RAID controller.

The AHCI entry lets you take advantage of enhanced SATA features but it does
not--so far as I know--provide access to any RAID functionality whatsoever.

William

"Scott Davis" <> wrote in message
news:...
> I'm trying to install XP Pro on an XPS 410 that came from Dell with
> Vista Home Premium. Under Vista, the hard dive controller was listed
> as "Intel 82801 HR/HH/HO SATA RAID Controller". I've downloaded the
> Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver (R158601) from Dell's web site,
> and put it on a floppy. During the XP install, I hit F6, etc., and am
> asked to select the controller from the list show below. Which is the
> correct one? The closes match ("82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller
> (Desktop ICH8R))" says "SATA AHCI" and not "SATA RAID"?
>
> "ICH9 SATA AHCIController (Desktop ICH9R)"
> "82801HEM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E)"
> "82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E/M)"
> "ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID Controller"
> "82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)"
> "631xESB/632xESB SATA RAID Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
> "631xESB/632xESB SATA AHCI Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
> "82801GHM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH7MDH)"
> "82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
> "82801GR/GH SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
> "82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH7M/DH)"
> "82801FBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH6M)"
>
> Thanks



Not the same animal nor OS, but I used the "ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID
Controller" to finally set up RAID1 on my XPS420 with WinVistaHomePremium.

I was never able to successfully set up RAID on my machine with XP Pro,
though it should be noted that the XPS420 was never sold from the factory
with anything other than Vista.

I also was forced to download the latest version of the Intel Matrix Storage
Manager from the Intel site as I could never get the older version on the
Dell site to function properly.

Hi!

> I also was forced to download the latest version of the Intel Matrix
> Storage Manager from the Intel site as I could never get the older
> version on the Dell site to function properly.

A newer version of the drivers and Matrix Storage Manager are definitely
recommended. I was running in AHCI mode on a Dimension 8400 and while it was
mostly stable, the system would bluescreen if left sitting there and running
XP Pro SP3. The drivers integrated with the Dell XP Pro install CD as well
as those available for download from Dell both had the same problem.

I finally got the latest available release from Intel, and since then the
8400 has been perfectly stable.

William

On Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:28:23 GMT, "William R. Walsh"
< m> wrote:

>Hi!
>
>> Under Vista, the hard dive controller was listed as "Intel 82801 HR/HH/HO
>> SATA RAID Controller".
>> The closes match ("82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller
>> (Desktop ICH8R))" says "SATA AHCI" and not "SATA RAID"?
>
>I believe the southbridge in this system is an 82801 ICH-8. The best choice
>in the list below should be the ICH8R/9R SATA RAID controller.
>
>The AHCI entry lets you take advantage of enhanced SATA features but it does
>not--so far as I know--provide access to any RAID functionality whatsoever.
>
>William
>

William,
Thanks for feedback. I installed XP using the controller you
suggested and it installed fine. The controller appears in the device
manager as "Intel ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID Controller", as one might
expect. I have a single 250GB Western Digital SATA II hard drive (no
RAID). I wanted to use the SATA RAID controller because the BIOS has
some text that recommends it for best performance.

Any idea what would have happened if I had selected "82801HR/HH/HO
SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)" instead? Would it BSOD?

Thanks

Hi!

> I wanted to use the SATA RAID controller because the BIOS has
> some text that recommends it for best performance.

I think that's targeted at people who will be using RAID0, which will
provide very fast transfer rates in many cases. However, with that speed
comes danger if one drive dies. A good backup strategy is a must.

The AHCI mode will let you take advantage of SATA features such as NCQ,
whereas if you had selected the IDE (PATA) emulation mode, you would not
have had to use any special drivers. You wouldn't have been able to use the
more advanced SATA features though.

> Any idea what would have happened if I had selected "82801HR/HH/HO
> SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)" instead? Would it BSOD?

I think it would probably work fine, but some RAID administration tools
might not have been installed. The closest comparable system I have is a
Dimension 8400, and the RAID/AHCI choices are combined on it. I'm not sure
how to activate and start using RAID--perhaps a BIOS resident Intel
configuration utility would appear to allow RAID array configuration.

William

Scott Davis wrote:
> I'm trying to install XP Pro on an XPS 410 that came from Dell with
> Vista Home Premium. Under Vista, the hard dive controller was listed
> as "Intel 82801 HR/HH/HO SATA RAID Controller". I've downloaded the
> Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver (R158601) from Dell's web site,
> and put it on a floppy. During the XP install, I hit F6, etc., and am
> asked to select the controller from the list show below. Which is the
> correct one? The closes match ("82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller
> (Desktop ICH8R))" says "SATA AHCI" and not "SATA RAID"?

"82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)" is the only
suitable choice. The others are mobile, server or ICH9R. (I've done this
drill several times)

>
> "ICH9 SATA AHCIController (Desktop ICH9R)"
> "82801HEM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E)"
> "82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E/M)"
> "ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID Controller"
> "82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)"
> "631xESB/632xESB SATA RAID Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
> "631xESB/632xESB SATA AHCI Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
> "82801GHM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH7MDH)"
> "82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
> "82801GR/GH SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
> "82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH7M/DH)"
> "82801FBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH6M)"
>
> Thanks

On Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:40:12 -0400, Tony Harding
<> wrote:

>Scott Davis wrote:
>> I'm trying to install XP Pro on an XPS 410 that came from Dell with
>> Vista Home Premium. Under Vista, the hard dive controller was listed
>> as "Intel 82801 HR/HH/HO SATA RAID Controller". I've downloaded the
>> Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver (R158601) from Dell's web site,
>> and put it on a floppy. During the XP install, I hit F6, etc., and am
>> asked to select the controller from the list show below. Which is the
>> correct one? The closes match ("82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller
>> (Desktop ICH8R))" says "SATA AHCI" and not "SATA RAID"?
>
>"82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)" is the only
>suitable choice. The others are mobile, server or ICH9R. (I've done this
>drill several times)
>
>>
>> "ICH9 SATA AHCIController (Desktop ICH9R)"
>> "82801HEM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E)"
>> "82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E/M)"
>> "ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID Controller"
>> "82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)"
>> "631xESB/632xESB SATA RAID Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
>> "631xESB/632xESB SATA AHCI Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
>> "82801GHM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH7MDH)"
>> "82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
>> "82801GR/GH SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
>> "82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH7M/DH)"
>> "82801FBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH6M)"
>>
>> Thanks

Tony,
Thanks for feedback. I think "82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller
(Desktop ICH8R)" would work okay, especially if I set the drive to ATA
mode in the BIOS setup. However, for my system, I think "ICH8R/ICH9R
SATA RAID Controller", as suggested by William, is actually a better
choice, even though I only have a single SATA drive (no RAID).

The BIOS setup says the following under "SATA Operation":

"The factory default setting is RAID On"
"IMPORTANT: The RAID On option may be used even when there is only one
hard drive on the system. Dell recommends this for improved system
performance. "

I ran the Intel Chipset Identification Utility
(http://www.intel.com/support/chipset.../CS-009266.htm)

It identified the I/O controller on my XPS410 as "Intel 82801HH I/O
controller hub (ICH8DH) SATA Controller found in RAID mode".

The following table shows that this controller is also known as
"ICH8R/DH/DO", which maps to the "ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID Controller"
choice in the list I was presented with during the F6 install process.
(http://support.intel.com/support/chi.../CS-022304.htm)

I then downloaded the latest Matrix Storage Manager. This updated
the version to 8.5.0.1032. The description in device manager is now
"Intel ICH8R/ICH9R/ICH10R/DO SATA RAID Controller".

The Matrix Storage Console application shows my drive as a "Non-RAID"
SATA hard drive, which is correct.

Sorry if this is too much information, but hopefully others will find
it useful.

Thanks,
Scott

On Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:19:47 GMT, "William R. Walsh"
< m> wrote:

>Hi!
>
>> I also was forced to download the latest version of the Intel Matrix
>> Storage Manager from the Intel site as I could never get the older
>> version on the Dell site to function properly.
>
>A newer version of the drivers and Matrix Storage Manager are definitely
>recommended. I was running in AHCI mode on a Dimension 8400 and while it was
>mostly stable, the system would bluescreen if left sitting there and running
>XP Pro SP3. The drivers integrated with the Dell XP Pro install CD as well
>as those available for download from Dell both had the same problem.
>
>I finally got the latest available release from Intel, and since then the
>8400 has been perfectly stable.
>
>William
>

Thanks for the tip. I also have a Dimension 8400 with XP Home (not
Pro) SP3 running in SATA AHCI mode. I haven't had any blue screens
since installing SP3, but if I do I'll try your suggestion.

On Tue, 7 Oct 2008 19:52:28 -0500, "S.Lewis"
<> wrote:

>
>"Scott Davis" <> wrote in message
>news:.. .
>> I'm trying to install XP Pro on an XPS 410 that came from Dell with
>> Vista Home Premium. Under Vista, the hard dive controller was listed
>> as "Intel 82801 HR/HH/HO SATA RAID Controller". I've downloaded the
>> Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver (R158601) from Dell's web site,
>> and put it on a floppy. During the XP install, I hit F6, etc., and am
>> asked to select the controller from the list show below. Which is the
>> correct one? The closes match ("82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller
>> (Desktop ICH8R))" says "SATA AHCI" and not "SATA RAID"?
>>
>> "ICH9 SATA AHCIController (Desktop ICH9R)"
>> "82801HEM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E)"
>> "82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E/M)"
>> "ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID Controller"
>> "82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)"
>> "631xESB/632xESB SATA RAID Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
>> "631xESB/632xESB SATA AHCI Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
>> "82801GHM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH7MDH)"
>> "82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
>> "82801GR/GH SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)"
>> "82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH7M/DH)"
>> "82801FBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH6M)"
>>
>> Thanks
>
>
>
>Not the same animal nor OS, but I used the "ICH8R/ICH9R SATA RAID
>Controller" to finally set up RAID1 on my XPS420 with WinVistaHomePremium.
>
>I was never able to successfully set up RAID on my machine with XP Pro,
>though it should be noted that the XPS420 was never sold from the factory
>with anything other than Vista.
>
>I also was forced to download the latest version of the Intel Matrix Storage
>Manager from the Intel site as I could never get the older version on the
>Dell site to function properly.
>
>
Thanks for the info. I remember the discussion concerning your RAID
issues about a year or so back. As I recall, that was the reason you
went back to Vista? Anyway, I successfully installed the "ICH8R/ICH9R
SATA RAID Controller" for my single (non-RAID) SATA drive (see my
other post in this thread), so I think I'm okay now. Thanks again.