Building RAID Arrays (AM5 Series)
RAID Introduction
This document provides instructions on building and managing RAID arrays for GIGABYTE AM5 series motherboards.
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disk drives into one or more logical units for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both.
The following table outlines the basic characteristics of common RAID levels:
| Feature | RAID 0 | RAID 1 | RAID 5 (Note 1) | RAID 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Drives | ≥2 | 2 | ≥3 | 4 |
| Capacity | (Drive Count * Smallest Drive Capacity) | Smallest Drive Capacity | (Drive Count - 1) * Smallest Drive Capacity | (Drive Count / 2) * Smallest Drive Capacity |
| Error Correction | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
To build a RAID array, you must complete the following steps:
- Install Hard Drives.
- Set Controller Mode in BIOS.
- Enter RAID BIOS and set RAID Mode.
- Install RAID Drivers and Operating System.
Prerequisites:
- SATA Hard Drives or SSDs (Note 2): For optimal performance, use drives of the same model and capacity (Note 3).
- Windows Operating System installation disc.
- A computer with internet access.
- A USB drive.
Hardware Installation & BIOS Settings
A. Installing Hard Drives
Connect the prepared Hard Drives/SSDs to the motherboard's SATA/M.2 slots, and finally connect the power supply unit's power cable.
Note 1: Only applicable for AMD Ryzen™ 9000 series NVMe SSDs.
Note 2: If installing M.2 PCIe SSDs, they cannot be combined in a RAID array with M.2 SATA SSDs or SATA HDDs.
Note 3: For M.2/SATA slot installation precautions, please refer to the "Socket and Jumper Introduction" chapter in the user manual.
BIOS Settings
B. Setting Controller Mode in BIOS
Steps:
After powering on, during the POST process, press the <Delete> key to enter the BIOS setup program. Navigate to 'Settings > IO Ports'. To create a RAID, set the 'SATA Configuration > SATA Mode' option to 'RAID' (Figure 1). Save the settings and restart the computer. (If you intend to use NVMe PCIe SSDs for RAID, set the 'NVMe RAID mode' option to 'Enabled'.)
Figure 1: Screenshot of the GIGABYTE BIOS interface, showing the 'Settings > IO Ports' menu. The 'SATA Configuration' option is expanded, with 'SATA Mode' set to 'RAID' and 'NVMe RAID mode' set to 'Enabled'.
C. Setting RAID Mode
Step One:
In the BIOS setup screen, navigate to 'Boot' and set 'CSM Support' to 'Disabled' (Figure 2). Save settings and restart.
Figure 2: Screenshot of the GIGABYTE BIOS interface, showing the 'Boot' menu. The 'CSM Support' option is highlighted and set to 'Disabled'.
Note: The BIOS settings mentioned and described here may vary depending on your motherboard model and BIOS version.
RAID Configuration
Step 2: Accessing RAIDXpert2 Utility
After restarting, enter the BIOS setup screen again, then navigate to 'Settings > IO Ports > RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility' (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Screenshot of the GIGABYTE BIOS interface, showing the 'Settings > IO Ports' menu. The 'RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility' option is highlighted.
Step 3: Creating an Array
In the 'RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility' screen, press <Enter> on the 'Array Management' option to enter the 'Create Array' screen. First, select the desired RAID mode in the 'Select RAID Level' option (Figure 4). The available RAID modes include: RAIDABLE (Note 1), RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 (Note 2), and RAID 10 (the selectable RAID modes depend on the total number of installed hard drives). After selecting the RAID mode, press <Enter> on the 'Select Physical Disks' option to enter the 'Select Physical Disks' screen.
Figure 4: Screenshot of the GIGABYTE RAIDXpert2 utility, 'Create Array' screen. The 'Select RAID Level' dropdown is open, showing options like RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and RAIDABLE.
Note 1: To install the OS on a single drive first, set that drive to RAIDABLE mode.
Note 2: Only applicable for AMD Ryzen™ 9000 series NVMe SSDs.
Step 4: Selecting Physical Disks
On the 'Select Physical Disks' screen, set the drives you want to include in the RAID array to 'Enabled', then press the key to move to the 'Apply Changes' option and press <Enter> (Figure 5). You can then return to the previous screen to set the Array Size, Array Size Unit, and whether to enable read/write caching.
Figure 5: Screenshot of the GIGABYTE RAIDXpert2 utility, 'Select Physical Disks' screen. Multiple NVMe drives are listed with their status as 'Ready', and the option to set them to 'Enabled' is visible.
Step 5: Creating the Array
After setting the RAID array capacity, navigate to the 'Create Array' (Build Disk Array) option. Press <Enter> on the 'Create Array' option to begin building the RAID array (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Screenshot of the GIGABYTE RAIDXpert2 utility, 'Create Array' screen. The 'Array Size' is set to 766218 MB, and the 'Create Array' button is ready to be pressed.
Verifying and Deleting RAID Arrays
Verifying the Created Array
After completion, the screen will return to the 'Array Management' screen. You can view the created RAID array's properties, such as RAID level, name, and capacity, under 'Manage Array Properties' (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Screenshot of the GIGABYTE RAIDXpert2 utility, 'Array Management' screen. It displays the properties of a created array, such as 'Array ID: 1', 'RAID Level: RAID 0', 'Array Status: Normal', and 'Array Capacity: 766.2 GB'.
Deleting a RAID Array
To delete an existing RAID array, navigate to 'RAIDXpert2 Configuration Utility > Array Management > Delete Array'. Select the array to be deleted, press <Enter> on the 'Delete Array(s)' option to enter the deletion screen. Then, set the 'Confirm' item to 'Enabled' and press <Enter> on the 'Yes' item (Figure 8) to delete it.
Figure 8: Screenshot of the GIGABYTE RAIDXpert2 utility, 'Delete Array' warning screen. It asks for confirmation to delete the array, with options 'YES' and 'NO'.
Installing RAID Drivers and Operating System
A. Installing the Operating System
After completing the BIOS settings, you can begin installing the operating system.
Some operating systems integrate RAID controller drivers. To ensure system performance and compatibility, it is recommended to enable the GIGABYTE Control Center program after installing the operating system and install all motherboard drivers. If your operating system requires the RAID controller driver to be installed during the OS installation process, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Download Drivers
Visit the GIGABYTE website, search for your motherboard model's product page, and download the 'AMD RAID Preinstall Driver' from the 'Support & Downloads > Downloads > SATA RAID/AHCI' section. Extract the downloaded files and copy them to a USB drive.
Step 2: Boot OS Installer
Boot from the operating system's installation disc and proceed with the OS installation. When the driver loading screen appears, select 'Browse'.
Step 3: Install Drivers
Select the USB drive, navigate to the RAID driver folder, and install the following three drivers in order:
- AMD-RAID Bottom Device
- AMD-RAID Controller
- AMD-RAID Config Device
After loading the necessary drivers, continue with the operating system installation.
Screenshot of the Windows OS installation program, showing the 'Select Driver' screen. It prompts the user to load a driver and provides a 'Browse' button. Three AMD RAID drivers are listed.
B. Rebuilding a RAID Array
Rebuilding a RAID array involves copying data from one drive in the array to another. This function is only available in modes with error correction capabilities, such as RAID 1 and RAID 10. The new drive's capacity must be greater than or equal to the capacity of the old drive. The following steps assume you are replacing a failed drive in a RAID 1 array and rebuilding the array.
After entering the operating system, first confirm that the motherboard chipset and RAID drivers are installed.
Step 1: Launch RAIDXpert2
On the desktop, right-click the 'RAIDXpert2' management tool icon and select 'Run as administrator (A)' to launch the RAID tool.
Screenshot showing the context menu for the RAIDXpert2 icon with 'Run as administrator' selected.
Step 2: Select New Drive
In the disk management area, double-click the newly added hard drive.
Screenshot of the RAIDXpert2 disk management view, showing available disks and their properties. A new disk is selected.
Step 3: Assign as Global Spare
In the pop-up window, select 'Assign as Global Spare' and click 'OK'.
Screenshot showing the option 'Assign as Global Spare' selected for a disk.
Step 4: Monitor Rebuild Progress
You can check the disk activity area below to query the rebuild progress of the array (indicated in red).
Screenshot of the RAIDXpert2 interface showing the status of an array rebuild, indicating 'COMPLETED'.
Step 5: Rebuild Complete
When the status displays 'COMPLETED', the rebuild is finished.
