NCQ and motherboards

[djnes]

So how does one enable NCQ on a compatible motherboard? I am thinking of getting a Seagate NCQ drive, and I have an IC7 that's listed as being compatible. I don't recall seeing it in the BIOS, as an option. Is it supposed to be there...or is it the kind of thing that is enabled, if the drive and motherboard is compatible?

[xonik]

Okay, first you need Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) enabled in your BIOS before you install Windows XP. I think for the IC7, the feature is labeled "SATA AHCI Mode" in the Drive Configuration menu of the BIOS. Next, you can install the OS, or if you enabled AHCI before installing XP, then you're okay.

Now you need to download and install Intel Application Accelerator 4.0. Using the Intel Storage Utility 4.0 app, you can see if NCQ is enabled, or change it if it's not.