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Asus P4C800 Deluxe ATA SATA and RAID Promise FastTrack 378 Drivers and more.
The Asus P4C800 Deluxe Promise RAID OEM implementation .
I hope that would be some Pro that would clarify once and for good for the masses with some computer knowledge which I consider part of myself. Many thanks in advance for that. Useful Links related to my questions (so nobody would answer the clasical: "Go and read the Manual"): Overview P4C800 Deluxe: http://www.asus.com/products/mb/sock...d/overview.htm Specs P4C800 Deluxe : http://www.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=...eluxe&langs=01 Drivers for P4C800 Deluxe: http://www.asus.com.tw/support/downl...xe&Type=Latest Related non-OEM products from Promise's website: Serial / ATA Card - FastTrak S150 TX2plus http://www.promise.com/product/produ...107&familyId=2 Serial /ATA Card (non-RAID) - SATA150 TX2plus http://www.promise.com/product/produ...=97&familyId=3 1.) From the Specs and Overview and reading the Manual we get the following info: ""The P4C800 Deluxe offers the most complete RAID solution. A Promise SATA controller offers RAID 0, 1 and 10 functions with Max. 2 UltraATA 133 ports and 2 SATA HD ports, enabling users to build a RAID array with any 2, 3 or 4 of the ports. With unique multi-RAID function, RAID 0 and RAID 1 array can co-exist." ""Promise 20378 RAID controller: 1 x UltraDMA 133 support two hard drives 2 x Serial ATA RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, Multiple RAID" My question: Does it mean that we can use the following cominations?: 1.1 - two SATA HDDs connected to the SATA ports, in RAID 0 1.2 - two ATA HDDs connected to the ATA ports, in RAID 0 1.3 - one SATA HDD connected to a SATA port and one ATA HDD connected to the ATA port, in RAID 0 1.4 - one SATA RAID array and one ATA RAID array in the same time 1.5 - two (one SATA + one ATA) RAID arrays 1.6 - one SATA RAID 0 array mirrored on a HDD of equal or larger size connected to an ATA port (RAID 0+1) 1.7 - one SATA RAID 0 array mirrored on a RAID 0 array connected to ATA (RAID 0+1) 1.8 - SATA or ATA HDDs, maximum four, used independently on any port 1.9 - one RAID (0 or 1) array and one or two independent HDDs (lets say for storage etc) 2.) Second question is related to the DRIVERS I have to use for my Promise FastTrack 378 (chipset PDC20378) integrated (OEM) controller. On ASUS's website I found three types of drivers for download: A - 378raid_100137.zip that is explained as : "Promise FastTrak 378 RAID Driver V1.00.1.37 for Windows 98SE/NT4/ME/2000/XP/2003" or "FastTrak 376/378 Driver" in the README file. B - 378ata_100104528.zip that is explained as : "Promise SATA378 Driver V1.00.0.26 (ATA Mode) " or "Promise SATA378 Driver" in the README file. C - 378ATA100130.zip that is explained as : "Promise FastTrak 378 ATA Driver V1.00.1.30 " or "Promise SATA378 Driver" in the README file. On the original ASUS CD that came with my motherboard I found the following drivers: A (CD) - 378ATA explained as "Promise SATA378 Driver" in the README file B (CD) - 378RAID explained as "FastTrak 376/378 Driver" in the README file There are also two .doc files "FastTrak 378 Quick Start Guide v1.0_OEM" and "SATA 378 Quick Start Guide v1.0_OEM" There is NO clear explanation in the Manual, README files or other docs on why are two or three types of drivers for the same chipset. It seems that this Promise FastTrak 378 controller OEM card can be used as a RAID controller (see SATA150 TX2plus) or as SATA/ATA simple ports (see S150 TX2plus) extention card, but not both in the same time (is my question 1.9 valid then?!?). Why Promise creates two non-OEM (FastTrak S150 TX2plus and SATA150 TX2plus) cards and one "two in one" sollution for OEM then? Why there are two SATA drivers ('B' and 'C') on Asus web site, one branded as "ATA mode"?!? Related to these questions above I found some answres in Google\Group, but none very clear. 3.) Third question: Is the Promise OEM BIOS integrated with the motherboard BIOS? I think I've seen in one of BIOS update ROM file related README file that the "Promise FastTrak BIOS will be updated together with this file". What does it mean? 4.) Fourth question. For the moment I'm using two 80Gb Seagate SATA HDDs in RAID 0 with Windows XP Pro SP1 installed. Under Device Manager \ SCSI and RAID Controllers tab I can see the following: A. - SCSI\RAID Host Controller B. - Win XP Promise FastTrack 376/378 (tm) Controller C. - XMASSCSI SCSI Controller I can understand what 'B' is, but not 'A' and 'C'. 5.) Fifth question: The SATA connectors controlled by the ICH5 chipset. Where are the drivers for them? I read somewhere that SP1 introduced them. What about Win XP before SP1. There is now download link on Asus website. Or maybe is the Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation Utility that provides some SATA support? Correct me if I'm wrong. Under Device Manager \ IDE ATA/ATAPI ontrollers I have the following: A. - Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers B. - Primary IDE channel C. - Secondary IDE channel Is 'A' the SATA driver for the two SATA (ICH5) ports on my motherboard? Many thanks in advance, Julian |
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