My nF4 SLI-DR has problems to detect SATA HDDs

[RPGWiZaRD]

I've had this problem for a while now, if I shut the computer off I usually have a hard time booting it up as it stops at the point "Detecting IDE devices" when it's about to detect the SATA HDDs, the IDE ones is detected just fine though. Also there's usually one red led on, the one furthest to the left I think.

 

It doesn't matter how I switch them between the sata ports 1 - 4. Also I noticed now when I sent in one of me 3 SATA HDDs for RMA check I have even more problems to get the motherboard to detect the 2 HDDs, almost impossible to get it to detect them it seems, I've managed once or twice after a couple of shutdowns and restarts etc. but having 3 HDDs I can usually get it booting after one reset or so or a shutdown and power up. Sometimes clearing CMOS can help too.

 

Once it detects them it runs fine with no probs whatsoever though. Any ideas why it could be like this?

 

Couldn't get em detected this time so I just plugged out the SATA hdds so I would be able to boot fine.

[smolt]

Witch one you booting from?

[RPGWiZaRD]

Witch one you booting from?

 

My OS is installed on a IDE disk, dunno if that's what you want to know though.

[smolt]

In the bios set first boot to your OS Drive. disable second and third boot and disable boot other device

[RPGWiZaRD]

In the bios set first boot to your OS Drive. disable second and third boot and disable boot other device

 

I don't see why this would cause the mobo not to detect the hdds tho. But I'll take a closer look in the BIOS I guess.

 

Currently got HDD as first boot device and the HDD that OS is installed on is of course set as 1st HDD boot device. and 2nd and 3rd boot device disabled and boot other devices enabled.

[smolt]

you dont list the drives in sig

[RPGWiZaRD]

you dont list the drives in sig

 

Because it would take all the space lol. Alright but here they are:

 

Maxtor DiamondMax 9 160GB PATA/IDE-133

Maxtor DiamondMax 9 200GB PATA/IDE-133

Maxtor DiamondMax 10 300GB PATA/IDE-133

 

Maxtor DiamondMax 10 300GB SATA-150

Maxtor DiamondMax 10 300GB SATA-150

Western Digital SE 320GB SATA-150 (currently RMA'd due to some extra noise coming from it)

 

LaCie Big Disk 500GB USB

 

 

Can say it happens both to the WD drive and the Maxtor SATA drives.

[smolt]

HaHaHa you think the bios is confused lol you need another OCZ PowerStream 520W to run just your drives

[RPGWiZaRD]

HaHaHa you think the bios is confused lol you need another OCZ PowerStream 520W to run just your drives

 

Hope that was a joke, peak for OCZ PowerStream 520W is around 600W anyways. Also HDDs on idle use like 5 - 10W depending on manufacturer and slightly more on load, like up to 15W. So around 70W prolly goes for HDD usage. FYI, I know a person with a mighty 38x HDD setup and powered em all with ONE Antec TruePower 550W but yea his other hardware was quite old tho. The power consumption can't be that high, 7900GTO overclocked prolly draws around 95W or so if 7900GTX stock is around 85W (this isn't the non powerefficiency ATI X1xxx series ) and my Opty 165 prolly a bit over 100W, but there's no way I can get the power consumption near 520W, more like maybe 350 - 400W.

 

No that's not it, if that was the case my system would be totally unstable when I had plugged in my 3rd SATA HDD. But it isn't, it's perfectly stable when it finally detects the HDDs. Both these 2 maxtor HDDs boots up just fine if I plug in one of them but when I plug in both, it doesn't work. Seems like this sata controller only likes odd numbers or sth as 3HDDs worked but not 2.

 

I've seen similiar problems before somewhere. BTW does BIOS 406 contain any fixes for this cuz I think I've seen something regarding SATA hdds but I can't find a changelog of that BIOS version atm.

 

Some1 with same prob:

 

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread...=sata+detection

 

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread...=sata+detection

 

Hmm... actually I haven't tested swapping the cables yet, might do that. In my case it's not a Maxtor + old firmware issue as it has worked fine before so.

 

EDIT: nope swapping cables doesn't help. Might try download Tmods BIOS cd and install bios 406 tho, last time I used Winflash to flash to Tony's 704-2BT which has worked wonderfully for me overclocking wise.

 

EDIT2: YES, it booted up and detected both SATA HDDs on the 1st power-on. Can't say if it's the BIOS or that I flashed with Winflash the other BIOS last time (I think it left some parts unupdated doing it that way but this time it flashed it entirely) or if this was just a lucky shot but it's a good sign.

 

Just hope this BIOS doesn't lower my RAM overclock which was at a nice 255MHz 2-2-2-5-1T 3.3v among other very tight timings stable with the other BIOS.

[Sharp]

The Peak power output does not mean 600W for the +12v rail.

It means the totally peak power output for all the rails combined.

 

Nearly everything in your PC takes from the +12v rail which OCZ rate 396W.

How did you get your power ratings?

 

When your power your pc everything takes MAX power possible.

There is no power saving modes / all CPU and GPU units are active.

 

Your PC not overclocked and excluding the motherboard/fans/anything else you have that runs from the +12v rail.

 

gfx card = ~120W

opteron CPU = ~160W

Hard drives = ~72W

 

Total for the above = 352W

 

OCZ 520W PSU = 396W @+12V

 

Now what you need to consider

- No power supply is 100% efficient

- And when you draw from the other Rails it reduces the efficiency of the other rails.

- You have an overclocked pc.

- You have other bits taking from the +12v rail

- Your PC has a "hard time booting up"

 

 

So based on that you should take msmolt's comment very seriously.

[RPGWiZaRD]

The Peak power output does not mean 600W for the +12v rail.

It means the totally peak power output for all the rails combined.

 

Nearly everything in your PC takes from the +12v rail which OCZ rate 396W.

How did you get your power ratings?

 

When your power your pc everything takes MAX power possible.

There is no power saving modes / all CPU and GPU units are active.

 

Your PC not overclocked and excluding the motherboard/fans/anything else you have that runs from the +12v rail.

 

gfx card = ~120W

opteron CPU = ~160W

Hard drives = ~72W

 

Total for the above = 352W

 

OCZ 520W PSU = 396W @+12V

 

Now what you need to consider

- No power supply is 100% efficient

- And when you draw from the other Rails it reduces the efficiency of the other rails.

- You have an overclocked pc.

- You have other bits taking from the +12v rail

- Your PC has a "hard time booting up"

 

 

So based on that you should take msmolt's comment very seriously.

 

Well I guess you're right about that part but does Opteron S939 really draw that much power? This bootup issue is not due to insufficient power though. Now if I decided to upgrade the PSU, would it be any point choosing a OCZ PowerStream 600W as I need adjustable rails so I can adjust 3.3v rail to provide 3.3v for my RAM not having to use the 5v jumper on the mobo. Are there any other better option for a PSU with adjustable 3.3v rail? I'm not a vmodder so I won't start doing that ..

 

About how much does case fans draw running at 12v btw? I also have a few such...

[Sharp]

depends on the fan, low rpm/silent ones will take ~1W, high rpm ones will be much more.

 

Look on the back of the fan, it will show the Current rating, eg 0.2a

voltage x a = power.

12v x 0.2a = 2.4W

 

Thats in windows.

http://techreport.com/reviews/2006q1/opter...0/index.x?pg=14

 

Dont know how the 600W would be, it has dual 12v rails and if one is dedicated to the CPU it would mean the other rail is left to power everything else.

 

Davidhammock or OCZ would know the answer to this.