Configuring a RAID Set (AMD 800 Series)
RAID Levels
| RAID Level | RAID 0 | RAID 1 | RAID 5 (Note 1) | RAID 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Number of Hard Drives | ≥2 | 2 | ≥3 | 4 |
| Array Capacity | Number of hard drives * Size of the smallest drive | Size of the smallest drive | (Number of hard drives -1) * Size of the smallest drive | (Number of hard drives/2) * Size of the smallest drive |
| Fault Tolerance | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
To configure a RAID set, follow the steps below:
- Install hard drive(s) in your computer.
- Configure controller mode in BIOS Setup.
- Configure a RAID array in RAID BIOS.
- Install the RAID driver and operating system.
Before you begin:
- SATA hard drives or SSDs. (Note 2) To ensure optimal performance, it is recommended that you use two hard drives with identical model and capacity. (Note 3)
- A Windows setup disc.
- An Internet connected computer.
- A USB thumb drive.
Preparing the Hard Drives and BIOS Settings
A. Installing hard drives
Install the hard drives/SSDs in the SATA/M.2 connectors on the motherboard. Then connect the power connectors from your power supply to the hard drives.
(Note 1) Only available on NVMe SSDs with the AMD Ryzen™ 9000 Series Processors.
(Note 2) An M.2 PCIe SSD cannot be used to set up a RAID set either with an M.2 SATA SSD or a SATA hard drive.
(Note 3) Refer to the "Internal Connectors" section of the user's manual for the installation notices for the M.2, and SATA connectors.
B. Configuring controller mode in BIOS Setup
Turn on your computer and press <Delete> to enter BIOS Setup during the POST (Power-On Self-Test). Under Settings\IO Ports, set SATA Configuration\SATA Mode to RAID (Figure 1). Then save the settings and restart your computer. (If you want to use NVMe PCIe SSDs to configure RAID, make sure to set NVMe RAID mode to Enabled.)
Figure 1: Screenshot of the BIOS settings showing SATA Mode set to RAID and NVMe RAID mode set to Enabled.
C. RAID Configuration
Step 1: In BIOS Setup, go to Boot and set CSM Support to Disabled (Figure 2). Save the changes and exit BIOS Setup.
Figure 2: Screenshot of the BIOS settings showing CSM Support set to Disabled.
The BIOS Setup menus described in this section may differ from the exact settings for your motherboard. The actual BIOS Setup menu options you will see shall depend on the motherboard you have and the BIOS version.
Step 2:
After the system reboot, enter BIOS Setup again. Then enter the Settings\IO Ports\RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility sub-menu (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Screenshot of the BIOS settings showing the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility sub-menu.
Step 3:
On the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility screen, press <Enter> on Array Management to enter the Create Array screen. Then, select a RAID level (Figure 4). Options include RAIDABLE, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10 (the selections available depend on the number of the hard drives being installed). Next, press <Enter> on Select Physical Disks to enter the Select Physical Disks screen.
Figure 4: Screenshot of the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility showing the Create Array screen with RAID level options and Select Physical Disks.
(Note 1) If you want to install the operating system onto a single drive/SSD first, select RAIDABLE mode.
(Note 2) Only available on NVMe SSDs with the AMD Ryzen™ 9000 Series Processors.
Step 4:
On the Select Physical Disks screen, select the hard drives to be included in the RAID array and set them to Enabled. Next, use the down arrow key to move to Apply Changes and press <Enter> (Figure 5). Then return to the previous screen and set the Array Size, Array Size Unit, Read Cache Policy and Write Cache Policy.
Figure 5: Screenshot of the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility showing the Select Physical Disks screen with options to enable drives and apply changes.
Step 5:
After setting the capacity, move to Create Array and press <Enter> to begin. (Figure 6)
Figure 6: Screenshot of the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility showing the Create Array screen with options for array parameters.
If any physical disks are in Legacy state, please delete those logical Legacy arrays to be able to create RAID arrays.
After completing,
you'll be brought back to the Array Management screen. Under Manage Array Properties you can see the new RAID volume and information on RAID level, array name, array capacity, etc. (Figure 7)
Figure 7: Screenshot of the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility showing the Array Management screen with RAID volume information.
Delete RAID Volume
To delete a RAID array, select the array to be deleted on the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility\Array Management\Delete Array screen. Press <Enter> on Delete Array(s) to enter the Delete screen. Then set Confirm to Enabled and press <Enter> on Yes (Figure 8).
Figure 8: Screenshot of the RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility showing the Delete Array screen with confirmation options.
Deleting an Array will delete all of the data available on it. Deleting an Array may take up to 15 seconds. After selecting Yes, please wait for the operation to complete.
Installing the RAID Driver and Operating System
With the correct BIOS settings, you are ready to install the operating system.
A. Installing the Operating System
As some operating systems already include RAID driver, you do not need to install separate RAID driver during the Windows installation process. After the operating system is installed, we recommend that you install all required drivers from the GIGABYTE Control Center to ensure system performance and compatibility. If the operating system to be installed requires that you provide additional RAID driver during the OS installation process, please refer to the steps below:
Step 1: Go to GIGABYTE's website, browse to the motherboard model's web page, download the AMD RAID Preinstall Driver file on the Support\Download\SATA RAID/AHCI page, unzip the file and copy the files to your USB thumb drive.
Step 2: Boot from the Windows setup disc and perform standard OS installation steps. When the screen requesting you to load the driver appears, select Browse.
Step 3: Insert the USB thumb drive and then browse to the location of the drivers. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the following three drivers in order.
- AMD-RAID Bottom Device
- AMD-RAID Controller
- AMD-RAID Config Device
Finally, continue the OS installation.
Windows Setup Screenshot: A dialog box titled "Select the driver to install" is shown, listing "AMD-RAID Bottom Device", "AMD-RAID Controller", and "AMD-RAID Config Device" with options to Hide drivers, Browse, Rescan, and Next.
B. Rebuilding an Array
Rebuilding is the process of restoring data to a hard drive from other drives in the array. Rebuilding applies only to fault-tolerant arrays such as RAID 1 and RAID 10 arrays. To replace the old drive, make sure to use a new drive of equal or greater capacity. The procedures below assume a new drive is added to replace a failed drive to rebuild a RAID 1 array.
While in the operating system, make sure the Chipset and RAID drivers have been installed.
Step 1: Right-click on the RAIDXpert2 icon on the desktop and then select Run as administrator to launch the AMD RAIDXpert2 utility.
Step 2: In the Disk Devices section, left-click your mouse twice on the newly-added hard drive.
Step 3: On the next screen, select Assign as Global Spare and click OK.
Step 4: You can check the current progress in the Active Volumes section on the bottom or left of the screen.
Step 5: Then rebuild is complete when the Task State column shows "COMPLETED."
