Forum - RE: Performance of the Intel RST/RSTe Drivers

#151 | RE: Performance of the Intel RST/RSTe Drivers datum

Sun Dec 21, 2014 4:53 am (Last edited: Sun Jul 03, 2016 12:41 pm)

Zitat von SoNic67 im Beitrag #151
Zitat von iceman im Beitrag #150
Yes, but AHCI has a new IRST driver 12.9.4.1000 can use,
It doesn't matter what is in your BIOS. Once Windows starts, it loads it's drivers that access directly the present hardware.
BIOS is useful just at boot time, until you see the windows login prompt. Login prompt is already with windows (different) drivers.

So what does the AHCI driver in the BIOS do?

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#152 | RE: Performance of the Intel RST/RSTe Drivers datum

Sun Dec 21, 2014 7:57 am

Because does not support raid, so only AHCI or IDE mode

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#153 | RE: Performance of the Intel RST/RSTe Drivers datum

Sun Dec 21, 2014 11:38 am (Last edited: Sun Dec 21, 2014 11:48 am)

Zitat von kevindd992002 im Beitrag #148
@Fernando
At some point in the past, you told me that there are built-in AHCI drivers in the RAID OROM we are inserting in the BIOS files of our motherboards that increases performance of AHCI-based systems. Recently, I read some of your posts and you say that RAID OROM's are only beneficial to systems in RAID mode. Which is more accurate now?

I must admit, that you have a very good memory.

A long while ago I thought, that AHCI systems may benefit from the Intel RAID ROM/EFI Raid BIOS module as well, because the BIOSes of old Intel chipset systems (up to 5-Series) contain a special Intel AHCI ROM module, whereas I couldn't find such module within the UEFI BIOSes of the newer Intel systems (from 6-Series up).
Meanwhile I know, that I was wrong regarding this point: The modern Intel SATA AHCI Controllers do neither need nor use any separate "Firmware" (OROM/EFI module).
So the statement given by plutomaniac is 100% correct. The Intel RAID ROM/EFI "RaidDriver" module version of the mainboard BIOS doesn't matter unless the Intel SATA Controller has been set to "RAID" mode. As long as the system drive is running in IDE or AHCI mode, the Intel RAID ROM/EFI "RaidDriver" will not be used at all.

Zitat von kevindd992002 im Beitrag #152
So what does the AHCI driver in the BIOS do?

There is no "AHCI driver" within the BIOS.
What you probably mean is the BIOS module, which has been named "SataDriver" by Intel. This is the EFI mode "Firmware" for the Intel SATA RAID Controller and has no effect on Intel systems, which are running in IDE or AHCI mode. Recently Intel has internally renamed the module to "RAIDDriver", which may prevent any misunderstandings regarding its functionality.

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#154 | RE: Performance of the Intel RST/RSTe Drivers datum

Tue Dec 23, 2014 1:49 pm

@Fernando

Thank you very much for the information! At least that clears things up once and for all :)

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#155 | New RAID0 benchmark comparison test! datum

Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:57 pm (Last edited: Sat Jan 10, 2015 2:11 am)

Since I succeeded yesterday to get the "classical" Intel RST driver v11.2.0.1006 running with Windows 8.1 from scratch (instead of the generic Win8 Intel RAID driver v12.0.1.1019), I decided to repeat the extensive RAID driver comparison tests I have done last year with my Z77 RAID system.
Big advantage of this new test: I could start it with the lowest Intel RAID driver/ROM version v11.2 and then update both (ROM and driver) step by step up to the highest Intel RAID driver/ROM combo v13.5 (no driver/OROM "downgrade" required).
This time I used my 2x256 GB Samsung 840 Pro SSDs as members of the freshly created RAID0. This way the viewers of my results can compare them with those I got some weeks ago with my Z97 RAID system.

These were my test candidates:

Intel RST RAID driver v11.2.0.1006 (dated 05/30/2012, latest Intel RST driver) in combination with Intel RAID ROM v11.2.0.1527
Intel RST(e) RAID driver v11.7.4.1001 WHQL (dated 03/05/2013) in combination with Intel RAID ROM v11.6.0.1702
Intel RST(e) RAID driver v12.9.4.1000 WHQL (dated 04/07/2014) in combination with Intel RAID ROM v12.9.0.2006
Intel RST(e) RAID driver v13.1.0.1058 WHQL (dated 05/28/2014) in combination with Intel RAID ROM v13.1.0.2126
Intel RST(e) RAID driver v13.2.4.1000 WHQL (dated 08/04/2014) in combination with Intel RAID ROM v13.2.0.2134
Intel RST(e) RAID driver v13.5.0.1056 WHQL (dated 10/09/2014) in combination with Intel RAID ROM v13.5.0.2164

Update of the Start Post

Changelog:

new: benchmark results with my Z77 chipset RAID0 system (2x256 GB Samsung 840 Pro SSDs) running Windows 8.1 x64

Regards
Fernando

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#156 | RE: New RAID0 benchmark comparison test! datum

Wed Jan 07, 2015 9:09 pm

Out of curiosity, do you run the two benchmark tools once or more times? I remember when I was doing some similar tests that two runs could show a completely different result especially at Anvil Tools.

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#157 | RE: New RAID0 benchmark comparison test! datum

Wed Jan 07, 2015 9:21 pm

@ plutomaniac:

All benchmark tests were done twice, but the results were close together (possible reason: absolute similar procedure between each test and no other working on the machine during the whole test period).

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#158 | RE: New RAID0 benchmark comparison test! datum

Sat Jan 10, 2015 2:10 am (Last edited: Sat Jan 10, 2015 2:11 am)

Changelog:

new benchmark results with my Z97 chipset RAID0 system (2x256 GB Samsung 840 Pro SSDs) running Windows 8.1 x64

Regards
Fernando

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#159 | RE: New AHCI/RAID Benchmark Comparison Tests datum

Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:12 pm

If AHCI doesn't use the RAID OROM and it is generally recommended to install the Intel RST Driver that is most compatible with the RAID OROM version in the BIOS, what then is the best Intel RST Driver for my AHCI system? Does this mean that we can install any of the Intel RST Drivers without considering the RAID OROM version of the BIOS?

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#160 | RE: New AHCI/RAID Benchmark Comparison Tests datum

Mon Jan 12, 2015 8:17 pm

Yes, exactly. For AHCI you can try whatever you want.

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#161 | RE: New AHCI/RAID Benchmark Comparison Tests datum

Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:02 pm

In that case, is it just generally best to install the latest one?

Mainboard: Asus MAXIMUS X Code , CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K, Disks: Samsung 970 EVO 500GB SSD + Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD + Samsung SATA3 1TB HDD, Graphics: Intel Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti, RAM: 2x8GB G.Skill Trident Z (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW), OS: Windows 10 Enterprise x64

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#162 | RE: New AHCI/RAID Benchmark Comparison Tests datum

Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:29 pm (Last edited: Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:30 pm)

Zitat von kevindd992002 im Beitrag #162
In that case, is it just generally best to install the latest one?

No, not generally. For AHCI systems I recommend to look at first for the latest development branch, which natively supports the related Intel SATA AHCI Controller.
If this development branch has just been started by Intel (only 1 version recently released), I would take the latest driver version from the development string before.
For your Z68 AHCI system I would take the Intel RST(e) driver v12.9.4.1000 WHQL.

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#163 | RE: New AHCI/RAID Benchmark Comparison Tests datum

Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:31 pm (Last edited: Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:43 pm)

Zitat von Fernando im Beitrag #163
For AHCI systems I recommend to look at first for the latest development branch, which natively supports the related Intel SATA AHCI Controller.
If this development branch has just been started by Intel (only 1 version recently released), I would take the latest driver version from the development string before.
For your Z68 AHCI system I would take the Intel RST(e) driver v12.9.4.1000 WHQL.

When you say "development branch", are you referring to the starting number of the version like 12, 13, etc?

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#164 | RE: New AHCI/RAID Benchmark Comparison Tests datum

Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:42 pm (Last edited: Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:44 pm)

Zitat von kevindd992002 im Beitrag #164
When you say "development branch", are you referring to the starting number of the version like 12, 13, etc?

No, Intel RST drivers development branches are v12.8, v12.9, v13.0 etc.
If you look into the list of the Intel RST driver versions, you will see, that the Intel RST drivers of the development branches v12.8 (with 13 different drivers) and v12.9 (at least 4 versions) have been well developed and the big majority of the bugs were fixed at least.
Each new development branch starts with new bugs, which have to be eliminated as long as the manufacturer works on that branch. This is a fact, which the users do not realize, when they just want the newest driver.

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#165 | RE: New AHCI/RAID Benchmark Comparison Tests datum

Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:48 pm (Last edited: Mon Jan 12, 2015 9:49 pm)

Gotcha. In that case, why aren't the 13.0/1/2/3/4/5 considered? Is that because all of those development branches have only one version in them? Or is it because 13.x does not natively support my AHCI system?

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