GA-890GPA-UD3H + AHCI mode... The saga continues!

[crazylegs]

Hi all - a little while ago I made a thread here concerning some erratic issues I was having with a new build, which happens to be the 1st system I've built using an SSD. Also as it happens the 1st 'enthusiast' level system I've built since s939 days. Since then i've been struck down with a very busy period at work and had very little spare time. However now its time for me to either sort this system out am still using my old rig as main PC!

Specification:

- GA-890GPA-UD3H
- AMD x4 695
- 2x2GB Kingston Hyper-X 1600 DDR3 RAM
- Corsair 850HX PSU
- AMD HD6870

The only other device I have plugged in atm is a CD/DVD drive, which is currently in SATA port 4. (there is an option to run ports 4/5 as 'IDE' even if AHCI/RAID is enabled) Will be plugging traditional hard drives in if/when I get this properly installed!

The main problem is as follows:

If i set the SB850 controlled SATA ports to ACHI/RAID, the SSD is NOT detected in BIOS. Also there is only about a 50% chance that the system will enter BIOS, otherwise it hangs just after POST at the place where it is systematically detecting drives, it sees the cd/dvd drive but lists everything else as 'none'

Also if i set the Gigabyte controlled SATA ports to AHCI and plug the SSD into them, the same thing happens.

If i set either as 'IDE' then the SSD is properly detected and the machine will happily boot into BIOS.

The SSD has had its firmware updated to the latest (v.006).

Also i have updated BIOS to 'FF' the latest release.

Has anyone experienced anything like this before?

Any advice is welcome and appreciated!

Update:
- Tried a traditional drive, while SATA operation is set to AHCI... also not detected in BIOS :/ Don't want it to be a MB fault!

 

[Emulex]

intel fixes it!

 

[crazylegs]

intel fixes it!

I've got a horrible feeling you're right :/

 

[Emulex]

well just return the amd junk and use an intel solution and you should be straight. then think about your time (time = $$) wasted on the ordeal and chalk it up to a lesson well learned.

Also avoid sandforce controller drives. The only one that is even decent stable is the G2 Microcenter (ADATA S599) with the latest firmware. And that's not 100% stable. wierd timing issues.

I would put cash down that says an intel SSD on an intel mobo with an intel chipset is going to be 1000% solid and reliable. to me that is worth a premium in price or performance.

 

[flexcore]

I have the same MB. I setup ports 0-3 as AHCI w/ Samsung SATA HD on port 0 and ports 4-5 as IDE w/ LITEON SATA DVD on port 4. The HD doesn't show up in BIOS, but the DVD does. This has work great since setup. It's been a little while since I been in the BIOS but if you have any questions I'll do what I can.

 

[crazylegs]

I have the same MB. I setup ports 0-3 as AHCI w/ Samsung SATA HD on port 0 and ports 4-5 as IDE w/ LITEON SATA DVD on port 4. The HD doesn't show up in BIOS, but the DVD does. This has work great since setup. It's been a little while since I been in the BIOS but if you have any questions I'll do what I can.

Thats interesting that you have the same problem with the HD not showing in BIOS, with AHCI enabled.

When you installed windows (Win7 x64?) did you use the MS drivers or did you hit F6 and supple AMD drivers?

At the moment, i've installed W7 x64, with SATA operation = IDE, using MS drivers.

Doing some HD speed tests my sequential read is fine (~330MB/s) but my 4k-64 read is WAAYYYY down (~33MB/s)! Write speeds are all around 60MB/s which seems in line with this SSD.

My trouble is, that i wont be able to get a refund, only a replacement because i purchased this hardware around 2 months ago :/

Update:

- my problem persists and is slightly different, because HDs are not only not detected in BIOS. But the system continues to hang just after POST, if SATA operation is set to AHCI :/

 

[Elixer]

Perhaps this will help...
http://www.overclock.net/amd-motherboards/727533-solved-ga-890gpa-ud3h-f3-compatibility.html

The GA-890GPA-UD3H will NOT see any sata drives on Sata ports 4 & 5 if you have OnChip SATA Type set Native IDE (default) [Allows the SATA controller to operate in Native IDE mode].

For the SATA3_4 and SATA3_5 ports to function the OnChip SATA Type is set to RAID or AHCI. (see page 50 of the manual)

 

[crazylegs]

Perhaps this will help...
http://www.overclock.net/amd-motherboards/727533-solved-ga-890gpa-ud3h-f3-compatibility.html

Thanks for the link. Is interesting (and a little down-hearting) seeign how many glitches/problems different people are having with HD configuration with this board/chipset.

Unfortunately, this is not quite the same as my problem. For me IDE mode works fine, drives are seen in all ports. But as soon as i try AHCI/RAID config, then the drives are not shown in BIOS and there is a (estimate here) 50-75% chance that the system hangs after POST.

 

[flexcore]

I installed Win7 x64pro using built in MS drivers. I haven't had any problems, at all.

 

[clicq]

I might be pointing out the obvious, but the drives won't show up on the first BIOS post screen if the controller is set to AHCI -- they'll show up after the BIOS post screen on a separate AHCI "bios" screen, though it may be so fast you won't see it.

The drive should still show up in Windows setup though... are you saying that in AHCI, it doesn't show up at all?

I have my SSD installed on SATA port 0, with everything set to AHCI (onchip sata mode, sata ports 4/5, and the GSATA controller). I have two hard drives in ports 1 and 2, with the DVD drive on the second GSATA (white) port. In this configuration, nothing shows up on the BIOS post screen, but the hard drives show up on the AHCI bios screen, followed by the DVD on the GSATA controller bios screen.

I actually had trouble booting off the DVD drive when it was connected to port 4, so you might try moving it to one of the GSATA ports.

I installed Win7 x64 using the normal Microsoft drivers.

 

[crazylegs]

If i set SATA mode to AHCI/RAID, then after the POST screen (mem + cpu check), then the IDE device check, where at bottom of the screen it is still listing options (i.e. DEL for BIOS, F12 for Boot options, F10 for recovery etc etc) then the system hangs. I can't hit DEL to enter BIOS. I can't do nothing and let the machine continue to boot, it just sits there, as if its looking for IDE drives.

I'm thinking there is something wrong with the board.

 

[clicq]

Yea, it sounds like the board might have an issue .

One last thing to try -- if you boot with no drives connected, will it at least consistently finish the boot process? If it doesn't, I can't think of anything else to try, other than clearing the CMOS (though I imagine you've given that a shot already).

 

[Elixer]

well just return the amd junk and use an intel solution and you should be straight. then think about your time (time = $$) wasted on the ordeal and chalk it up to a lesson well learned.

Also avoid sandforce controller drives. The only one that is even decent stable is the G2 Microcenter (ADATA S599) with the latest firmware. And that's not 100% stable. wierd timing issues.

I would put cash down that says an intel SSD on an intel mobo with an intel chipset is going to be 1000% solid and reliable. to me that is worth a premium in price or performance.

Umm... yeah. 1000% solid.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2139679

Everyone can have issues...
Anyway, OP, did you try it with the motherboard out of the case to check for shorts ?

 

[crazylegs]

Thats typical, i was looking at getting rid of this setup for a Sandy Bridge system! Guess i'm going to have to wait for that to be sorted out now.

Yes i had tried building the system outside of the case, same problem. Stalls/hangs/freezes on POST screen after cpu + ram check, if AHCI is enabled.

 

[mxnerd]

You probably want to contact Gigabyte and let them know the problem. It's probably still a motherboard BIOS issue even that you have updated to newest BIOS.

Just 3 days ago I found that my the read/write speed of Samsung 1.5TB green drive ( I was only using the drive for storage) was only 4MB/s when attached to my AMD X4 Athlon + Gigabyte GA-785GM-US2h, yet is close to 80MB/s when attached to my Acer Revo 1600 (ATOM 330).

After I updated to the newest BIOS, the problem is sloved.

 

[crazylegs]

Have sent a ticket to Gigabyte, still waiting for a reply 3days later :/

Am pretty gutted, got the makings of the best PC (SSD boot drive, AMD x4 965, 4GB DDR3, 2x6870's, 850HX psu, H70 cooler...) i've ever had and its been nothing but hassle trying to get it setup!

 

[darkewaffle]

When you installed Windows did you have any drives other than the SSD and the disc drive connected?

Did you make sure to set the SSD's controller to AHCI prior to installing Windows?

AMD's AHCI drivers are pretty bad, they gave me some serious headaches last year. Make sure you use the Microsoft AHCI drivers.

If it was me, I'd just start fresh. Reset CMOS, secure erase the drive. Power up, set the SSD controller to AHCI, set the Disc Drive to IDE on either port4/5 or the seperate controller, install windows and use the MS driver and see if you're still running into problems.

 

[crazylegs]

When you installed Windows did you have any drives other than the SSD and the disc drive connected?

Did you make sure to set the SSD's controller to AHCI prior to installing Windows?

AMD's AHCI drivers are pretty bad, they gave me some serious headaches last year. Make sure you use the Microsoft AHCI drivers.

If it was me, I'd just start fresh. Reset CMOS, secure erase the drive. Power up, set the SSD controller to AHCI, set the Disc Drive to IDE on either port4/5 or the seperate controller, install windows and use the MS driver and see if you're still running into problems.

No i didn't have any other drives attached.

Yes AHCI was set from the start.

I've only used MS drivers. i.e. the ones Win7 installs automatically.

Have already tried that :/ Except for the 'secure erase disk' on one of my re-install attempts i did upgrade the firmware of the SSD to 006 (latest) and that did a format at same time. Could you elaborate on how to 'secure erase it' ?

Think the only thing left to do is to try an earlier BIOS version (of to re-flash F6? :S)

 

[darkewaffle]

Secure Erase is just some freeware program put out by Intel (and some Professor?) specifically to wipe HDDs, it's most useful to SSDs because it empties out everything whereas a normal format will still leave empty table frames (Something like that, it's been a while) which over time will degrade performance somewhat.

And if you went through all that then you're really not left with a whole lot to check unfortunately.

 

[crazylegs]

Ahh thanks! i'll give it one final try (using Secure Erase + a diff BIOS version) before i have to sit on it in IDE mode until Gigabyte respond!

 

[sb_dev]

Ahh thanks! i'll give it one final try (using Secure Erase + a diff BIOS version) before i have to sit on it in IDE mode until Gigabyte respond!

I have the same problem with this board. If I connect my HDD to SATA port and set it in BIOS to AHCI mode, computer boot normally only for the first time. If I restart it (from Windows or from BIOS - it doesnt matter), mobo stops after POST.

BIOS version - the latest - FF.

If I set IDE mode for this controller, everythink works fine.

 

[Arsynic]

Read the motherboard manual and make sure the ports support ACHI.

 

[sb_dev]

Read the motherboard manual and make sure the ports support ACHI.

All ports support AHCI mode.

 

[sb_dev]

! ! ! SOLUTION ! ! !

Try to change the option OnChip SATA Port4/5 Type to AS SATA TYPE.

It for works!

 

[crazylegs]

! ! ! SOLUTION ! ! !

Try to change the option OnChip SATA Port4/5 Type to AS SATA TYPE.

It for works!

Had a really busy week, followed by a weekend spent away from home.

Am pretty sure i've already tried this, but will double check