Asus Rampage III Extreme 1601 sindersMod! (TRIM in RAID0 support for R3E)

[SkOrPn]

Sinders, any chance you could do a 1601 modded with the latest IRST 11.5 for testing purposes? I would like to test Raid0 stability and performance using three Crucial C300's to see where Intel is at in their development stage of the new mode model. They look to be switching to SCSI instead of Sata and only Windows 8 can pass TRIM via SCSI, well for now anyway so I read. I would like to verify what I have read.

If not no biggie... Thanks

SkOrPn

[ZioGTS]

Actually, 11.5 are older than 11.1, and looks like they've been built for enterprise management chipset. I tried that version for a few days, but I found several errors were being logged in events log.
Maybe you need a different IRST to get them working (or ERST?).

[sinders]

Here is my Rampage III Extreme 1601 BIOS mod same as in this thread
but with the Intel Option ROM updated to v11.5.0.1347.

Remember, The best Intel RAID ROM and RST software combination for
our board is Intel RAID ROM 11.1.0.1413 and Intel RST software versions
11.1.0.1006, 11.0.5.1001 and 11.2.0.1006.

[SkOrPn]

Actually, 11.5 are older than 11.1, and looks like they've been built for enterprise management chipset. I tried that version for a few days, but I found several errors were being logged in events log.
Maybe you need a different IRST to get them working (or ERST?).

Station Drivers shows the 11.1 dated January 2nd, 2012 with a WHQL cert issued on Feb 8th, However Station drivers shows 11.5 dated May 14th, 2012. Also, it kinda looks like there is a few typos over at station drivers.

I have read reports saying 11.5 has been great for some and awful for others. Seems like the 11 series is taking longer than all the previous series before it. I wonder if its because of the Enterprise drivers? I mean why did they even differentiate the two in the first place? Seems counter productive to me... lol

Only testing on my machine will determine which is best or not for my setup. The last 11.5 I used was horrible, but there has been several updates since then. I wonder if we will ever see IRST 12 ?

[ZioGTS]

Station Drivers shows the 11.1 dated January 2nd, 2012 with a WHQL cert issued on Feb 8th, However Station drivers shows 11.5 dated May 14th, 2012. Also, it kinda looks like there is a few typos over at station drivers.

The posting date on station-drivers can't be used to define which one was built last...
Anyway, there's a useful thread HERE that clearly states 11.5 is indeed meant for RST-E (enterprise chipsets). It's in german, but Google Translate is your friend...

[SkOrPn]

Station Drivers shows the 11.1 dated January 2nd, 2012 with a WHQL cert issued on Feb 8th, However Station drivers shows 11.5 dated May 14th, 2012. Also, it kinda looks like there is a few typos over at station drivers.

The posting date on station-drivers can't be used to define which one was built last...
Anyway, there's a useful thread HERE that clearly states 11.5 is indeed meant for RST-E (enterprise chipsets). It's in german, but Google Translate is your friend...

Sorry Zio, I wasn't using the Posting Date at station drivers, I was referring to the "Driver Release Notes" (I dont even know when that info was posted) that Station Drivers says Intel has dated these drivers. Posting dates are entirely different dates... Below are the direct quotes from Station Drivers... I'm not saying this is golden which is why I commented they may be typos, lol. Im just saying Station drivers definitely says the Driver Release notes states driver 11.5.0.1171 is dated newer.

11.5 Quote

11.5.0.1171 Information Package: Driver Date: 14/05/2012 WHQL: Non-Official

11.1 Quote

11.1.0.1006 Information Pack Drivers Date: 01/02/2012 WHQL: 08/02/2012 Official: yes

DOH!!!
err nevermind..... HAHAHA, lol we are not on the same page I guess. Ok, I see where we/I went wrong. I was referring to Driver Release Dates NOT OROM dates and your referring to OROM's release dates since you posted a link to the OROM 11.5.0.1347. Sorry, my bad I was talking about "Drivers 11.5.0.1171" are clearly stated as newer than 11.1.0.1006 (which is what was recommended) in the Driver Release Notes, which is the only information I have. I like to keep as updated as possible and I like to test stuff myself.

So the smaller numbered OROM 11.1 is newer than OROM 11.5? Wow, why on earth would Intel number it like that? Or am I missing something? The OROM module looks to be shared (Attention: This ROM module is actually in the RST "Enterprise" series) which just means Intel has found a way to simply write one module that works with both DEV_2826 and the older DEV_2822 chips (That is how I read this anyway). I had expected the C600 to be so radically different that they could not share code, but it looks like that is not the case. Thanks for the Link ZioGTS, its appreciated...

---

Ok, for clarification I just downloaded both INF's extracted out of the drivers in question.

11.5 copied/pasted and unedited: Its definitely newer unless Intel made a typo in the INF's...

; Copyright © 2009-2011 Intel Corporation
; **********************************************************************************************
; **********************************************************************************************
; ** Filename: iaStorAC.inf
; ** Revision: 05/14/2012,11.5.0.1171
; ** Abstract: Windows* INF File for AHCI Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Driver
; ** Installs: RST AHCI RAID Controller Miniport + RST Filter Driver
; **********************************************************************************************
[Version]
Signature="$Windows NT$"
Provider=%INTEL%
ClassGUID={4D36E97B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Class=SCSIAdapter
CatalogFile=iaStorAC.cat
DriverVer=05/14/2012,11.5.0.1171

Now for 11.1, copied/pasted and unedited:

; Copyright © 2003-12 Intel Corporation
; ****************************************************************************
; ****************************************************************************
; ** Filename: iaStor.INF
; ** Revision: Version 11.1.0.1006
; ** Date: 2/1/2012
; ** Abstract: Windows* INF File for Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Driver
; ****************************************************************************
; ****************************************************************************

[version]
CatalogFile=iaStor.cat
Signature="$WINDOWS NT$"
Class=SCSIAdapter
ClassGUID={4D36E97B-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Provider=%INTEL%
DriverVer=02/01/2012,11.1.0.1006

This is all I was saying from the beginning, that 11.5 is newer, albeit a beta but its newer, fresher by about three months. lol

[sinders]

The newest Intel normal RST drivers are RST 11.2.0.1006 which are newer than normal
RST driver version 11.1.0.1006 and newer than the RSTe drivers version 11.5.0.1171.

The RST 11.2.0.1006 drivers are what i'm using on my system paired
with the Intel Option ROM 11.1.0.1413.

I am hoping they will release another desktop OROM module soon like the 11.1.0.1413
OROM, maybe a higher 11.1 version or new 11.2 versions.

[ZioGTS]

sinders got it right! I'm also using 11.2.0.1006 drivers.

[sinders]

Over at Station Drivers people have commented the RST 11.2.0.1006 drivers are slower than
the previous RST releases whilst some people are finding them faster for them.

I have the RST 11.2.0.1006 driver release installed on my Windows 7 and they seem
to perform just as good as the previous releases.

I have my Windows 7 configured in RAID0 with a pair of Crucial RealSSD C300 256GB drives.

[SkOrPn]

Over at Station Drivers people have commented the RST 11.2.0.1006 drivers are slower than
the previous RST releases whilst some people are finding them faster for them.

I have the RST 11.2.0.1006 driver release installed on my Windows 7 and they seem
to perform just as good as the previous releases.

I have my Windows 7 configured in RAID0 with a pair of Crucial RealSSD C300 256GB drives.

How much testing have you done? I have four Vertex 32gb barefoot drives, 1 Vertex 2 256gb, and three C300 128gb drives. Looking to remove one of my Vertex's and use it in my Asus Netbook 1005HA (its only ICH7 anyway so why have a sata3 drive in their? lol) since Im only using Linux Mint 13 on it, and remove the C300 from it and add it to the mix of SSD's on my R3E. Id like to run all three C300's in R0 for Win7 and Win8. Currently also running two C300's in R0 and have been since their release, however I read that the newer Intel RST has been able to become more stable in regards to Raid and multiple drives. I used to run four Vertex's in Raid 0 and although that was very fast, it wasn't as stable as these two C300's I have in R0 now. I also read that three C300's are now just as stable as two, so thats why I want to maximize the performance with three of them. Not sure if the things I read are just here say or facts, but it seems plausible.

Thinking of doing three C300's in Raid 0, then three Vertex's in Raid 0 and one Vertex 2 on the Marvel along with my Optical drive for immediate storage. All my spinning disk drives are in my Home Server now which has drastically reduced the heat in my main case. lol

Any ideas how I can improve my setup? Or does it sound ideal already? I'm not interested in moving onto newer SSD's just yet, not until I get the full lifespan out of the ones I already have and every one of them still feel just as fast as the day I got them if not better, although that is probably from keeping my RST drivers up to date. So, 11.2 is the newest drivers then. Thanks for that info....

SkOrPn