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Intel's Smart Response Technology caching

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g725s

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Dec 16, 2011
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I am seeking help and input from anyone with actual experience with the Intel Smart Response Technology caching with an SSD and HDD paired under Windows 7.

I'm helping a friend build a new PC and decided to give the Intel Smart Response Technology SSD caching feature a try.

So I found this article that made setting up a PC with this caching feature fairly easy to do. This was the article: How to Set Up Intel Smart Response SSD Caching Technology

We followed the above instruction and something appears to have not gone as planned. We entered the BIOS prior to install of Windows and set the SATA to RAID. Then when we installed Windows I'm pretty sure we were able to select the HDD for installing the OS. However, it appears that the OS got installed on the SSD. It's weird when you check the drives from withing Disk Management the OS got installed on the SSD (128gb) with it having the "System Reserve" (System, Active, Primary) portion of the install, and the HDD in it's entirety (1tb) having (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition). And also an unallocated portion on the SSD.

When we try to install Intels Rapid Storage Techology software obtained from here: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?ProductID=2101&DwnldID=21852&lang=eng It will not install giving us a message that our system is not capable of installing it.

Parts that we have are....
Asus P8H77-V
Intel i5 3450
16gb of G.Skil 1600 memory
Western Digital Caviar Black 1tb
Samsung 830 128gb
 
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I have no experience with SRT but the problem is a classic windows screw up. Windows installer will install its boot on the first drive (according to BIOS order) even if you tell it to install the OS on another drive.

So you could start again but making sure the HDD is first, or better with the SSD unplugged (if that isn't a problem for later SRT usage).
 
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Yup, as the poster above me said it's a classic Windows quirk.

1. Make sure the SSD is listed SECOND in the BIOS, especially the Intel RAID BIOS. If it's not then re-arrange the SATA cables until it is listed SECOND.
2. Once you've done step boot to your Windows 7 installer (USB or DVD) and when you get to the partition select part, click advanced and then DELETE all partitions on the SSD.
3. Now choose the mechanical drive (should be the first drive listed in the installer) to install windows on.
4. Once you've got Windows installed make SURE the Intel Chipset INF drivers AND the RST drivers are properly installed.

Now you should be able to run the SRT app and continue setting up the SSD caching feature.

[EDIT: Updated with better procedure]
 
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The other two posters nailed it, since SRT is a software feature you have to enable it AFTER installing Windows onto your hard drive. That's all there is to it I think.
 
Blue Falcon said:
Yup, as the poster above me said it's a classic Windows quirk.

1. Make sure the SSD is listed SECOND in the BIOS, especially the Intel RAID BIOS. If it's not then re-arrange the SATA cables until it is listed SECOND.
2. Once you've done step boot to your Windows 7 installer (USB or DVD) and when you get to the partition select part, click advanced and then DELETE all partitions on the SSD.
3. Now choose the mechanical drive (should be the first drive listed in the installer) to install windows on.
4. Once you've got Windows installed make SURE the Intel Chipset INF drivers AND the RST drivers are properly installed.

Now you should be able to run the SRT app and continue setting up the SSD caching feature.

[EDIT: Updated with better procedure]
Click to expand...

You mention Intel RAID BIOS. I'm thinking that we did not enter the "Intel RAID BIOS", only the motherboard BIOS. I will need to look into this.

Also I think you might be right in your stating order of the SATA cables. The SSD is Disk 0 and the HDD is Disk 1.
 
g725s said:
You mention Intel RAID BIOS. I'm thinking that we did not enter the "Intel RAID BIOS", only the motherboard BIOS. I will need to look into this.

Also I think you might be right in your stating order of the SATA cables. The SSD is Disk 0 and the HDD is Disk 1.
Click to expand...

Well you don't really need to enter the Intel RAID BIOS, just watch the order of the drives as they are listed by the RAID BIOS as it goes through POST.
 
Just wondering if anyone also might know this...
Since we have a 128gb SSD. We have to partition this so as to make the cache portion we will be using only 64gb before we setup SRT right?

Also we installed the H77 chipset driver off the ASUS DVD that came with the motherboard. How do we find out what version we installed and if there might be a better chipset driver than the one off that ASUS DVD?
 
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OK to report back those instructions worked.
Thanks for your help!
 
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