I'm updating an existing computer that has a Gigabyte Z68 series motherboard with a new SSD.  Win 7 64x.

 

The existing configuration has the motherboard mode set to Raid(XHD) and it uses a 60 GB SSD to "accelerate", or act as a cache for, a standard 500 GB HD, using Intel Smart Response.  On the Intel Rapid Storage gui, the ssd is listed as RAID 0, and the standard HD is listed as "Accelerated Drive".  It is my understanding that the TRIM command for the SSD is not supported in a RAID configuration.  That's ok, for this SSD.

 

However....I've now added into the mix a 480 GB OCZ SSD to act as the main storage area for flight sim and others.  It is not part of the Raid 0.

 

As I said, in my motherboard BIOS, it is mandatory that the mode is set to RAID in order for the Intel Smart Response drive acceleration of the 60GB SSD/500 GB HD to work.  I would like to keep the pre-existing configuration as it is, but I would like this new SSD (the 480 GB one) to get TRIM.

 

Since the new SSD is not part of the Raid 0, will it automatically get TRIM, even if the motherboard is set to RAID?*

 

*I can send TRIM to it manually using the OCZ Toolbox, but I would prefer everything happens automatically.

I'm updating an existing computer that has a Gigabyte Z68 series motherboard with a new SSD.  Win 7 64x.

 

The existing configuration has the motherboard mode set to Raid(XHD) and it uses a 60 GB SSD to "accelerate", or act as a cache for, a standard 500 GB HD, using Intel Smart Response.  On the Intel Rapid Storage gui, the ssd is listed as RAID 0, and the standard HD is listed as "Accelerated Drive".  It is my understanding that the TRIM command for the SSD is not supported in a RAID configuration.  That's ok, for this SSD.

 

However....I've now added into the mix a 480 GB OCZ SSD to act as the main storage area for flight sim and others.  It is not part of the Raid 0.

 

As I said, in my motherboard BIOS, it is mandatory that the mode is set to RAID in order for the Intel Smart Response drive acceleration of the 60GB SSD/500 GB HD to work.  I would like to keep the pre-existing configuration as it is, but I would like this new SSD (the 480 GB one) to get TRIM.

 

Since the new SSD is not part of the Raid 0, will it automatically get TRIM, even if the motherboard is set to RAID?*

 

*I can send TRIM to it manually using the OCZ Toolbox, but I would prefer everything happens automatically.

 

Which motherboard exactly? which SSD's exactly?

At any rate, if you only have 2 SATA III ports and you want to hook up 2 SATA III SSD's, your best bet is to use them in both SATA III ports (provided that both SSD's are SATA III)

 

...but I guess you have OS + FSX and other stuff in your 500GB HDD, so you can't use the 60GB SSD for the OS + the 480GB for FSX and other programs without a full reinstall.

 

Current RST RAID 0 drivers support TRIM already (not sure it applies to Z68 though), but with a 480GB SSD I would just clone your current HDD with OS and everything else to the 480GB SSD and ditch SRT

The suggestion to just ditch the smart response technology is a good one, but you're right that this might lead to some more rearranging than I'm interested in doing.  I've read that the 6 series chipsets don't support RAID 0+Trim,  although 7 series do.  Since this chipset is Z68 Express, I think the 60GB SSD that accelerates the HDD probably doesn't get it.  I'm just wondering if the new 480 GB SSD will be supported by automatic trim since it is not part of the raid array.  My concern comes from the fact that the BIOS mode is set to RAID, as it has to be for the smart response tech to work, and not AHCI.

 

So...will the non-raid SSD get automatic TRIM, even though the motherboard is set to RAID, and not AHCI?

The suggestion to just ditch the smart response technology is a good one, but you're right that this might lead to some more rearranging than I'm interested in doing.  I've read that the 6 series chipsets don't support RAID 0+Trim,  although 7 series do.  Since this chipset is Z68 Express, I think the 60GB SSD that accelerates the HDD probably doesn't get it.  I'm just wondering if the new 480 GB SSD will be supported by automatic trim since it is not part of the raid array.  My concern comes from the fact that the BIOS mode is set to RAID, as it has to be for the smart response tech to work, and not AHCI.

 

So...will the non-raid SSD get automatic TRIM, even though the motherboard is set to RAID, and not AHCI?

 

 

But if you're using a different controller (the SATA II one, I assume) you can set that one to AHCI and get trim working? Or is there just one setting for all the Intel mobo controllers?

If it's the former, you should get TRIM, otherwise, I guess not, and in both cases you're capping the new SSD at SATA II speed.

 

You may want to try Intel SSD toolbox to check if your new SSD is ready to receive the TRIM commands

 

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18455

I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to configuring things such as this, but I think there is only one setting for the Intel chipset controllers, so whether the devices are plugged into a SATA II or a SATA III doesn't allow them to be configured differently.  Not sure about that, but I didn't see how to set it otherwise.   Maybe the Marvel SATA III ports can be set to AHCI independently, because these aren't integrated into the Z68 Express chipset but I'm saving learning about those for another day.

 

I wasn't aware that it was possible to easily revert back to AHCI after Windows is already installed, but I found I was able to do that by an edit to the Win registry.  After making the edit, rebooting into the BIOS and making the change to AHCI, it then came up and installed the Microsoft AHCI drivers.  Rapid Storage Techonology didn't work anymore, and had to be uninstalled and reinstalled.  Then, upon another reboot, the AHCI drivers were now the correct Intel drivers (iaStor), and RST recognized the two SSD's and the HDD as expected. 

 

Migrating the Operating system from the HDD to the otherwise now useless 60 GB SSD is likely the next step, but I have to learn how to do that.

 

Anyway, despite doing a little more reconfiguring than I set out to do, the original mission of changing the system so that the SSDs all get TRIM, without breaking anything that I don't have the knowledge to un-break, and not having to reinstall the OS, appears to be accomplished.

 

Thanks for your input, Dazz.

I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to configuring things such as this, but I think there is only one setting for the Intel chipset controllers, so whether the devices are plugged into a SATA II or a SATA III doesn't allow them to be configured differently.  Not sure about that, but I didn't see how to set it otherwise.   Maybe the Marvel SATA III ports can be set to AHCI independently, because these aren't integrated into the Z68 Express chipset but I'm saving learning about those for another day.

 

I wasn't aware that it was possible to easily revert back to AHCI after Windows is already installed, but I found I was able to do that by an edit to the Win registry.  After making the edit, rebooting into the BIOS and making the change to AHCI, it then came up and installed the Microsoft AHCI drivers.  Rapid Storage Techonology didn't work anymore, and had to be uninstalled and reinstalled.  Then, upon another reboot, the AHCI drivers were now the correct Intel drivers (iaStor), and RST recognized the two SSD's and the HDD as expected. 

 

Migrating the Operating system from the HDD to the otherwise now useless 60 GB SSD is likely the next step, but I have to learn how to do that.

 

Anyway, despite doing a little more reconfiguring than I set out to do, the original mission of changing the system so that the SSDs all get TRIM, without breaking anything that I don't have the knowledge to un-break, and not having to reinstall the OS, appears to be accomplished.

 

Thanks for your input, Dazz.

 

To migrate your system drive to the SSD you need to make sure the partition where you'll be cloning your HDD ends up properly aligned.

There are several tools that will align your current partition.

 

The steps would be:

 

1.- Backup your current HDD

2.- Shrink your current partition to fit in that 480GB SSD. Check how much of that is usable, or be conservative if you can. You might need to defrag and/or clean up your drive to free up space

3.- Align your current HDD partition

4.- Clone it to the SSD (some cloning softwares may take care of alignment upon cloning, so you could skip step 3)

 

You'll need to make sure the Win system partition (if present) and the Master Boot Record are cloned / restored to the SSD too

 

You should be able to do all of the above with Paragon Backup and Recovery 2014, Free