New Asus X99 MB's - Bootable U2 or M.2 Raid ?

[brighttail]

Saw them come out with four new x99 motherboards for the new Intel processors that are coming out. 

 

I've been looking around for technical specs and haven't found any.  Does anyone know if these motherboards will have the new IRST that allows making U2 or M.2 raid 0 bootable drives like the Z170 motherboards allow?

 

I saw that Asus opted that they would have only one M.2 drive slot but you can still use a PCI-E to M.2 card for your second one.  The Deluxe II version does have two U2 connectors.

 

Thoughts? Predictions? Specifications?

Thanks.

[done12many2]

30 minutes ago, brighttail said:

Saw them come out with four new x99 motherboards for the new Intel processors that are coming out. 

 

I've been looking around for technical specs and haven't found any.  Does anyone know if these motherboards will have the new IRST that allows making U2 or M.2 raid 0 bootable drives like the Z170 motherboards allow?

 

I saw that Asus opted that they would have only one M.2 drive slot but you can still use a PCI-E to M.2 card for your second one.  The Deluxe II version does have two U2 connectors.

 

Thoughts? Predictions? Specifications?

Thanks.

 

I myself have been wanting this, but it's not going to happen.  This is a limitation of the chipset and not the boards.  Should motherboard manufacturers elect to start including more than one M.2 slots on x99, they'll have to control it with a separate controller (non IRST) in order to take advantage of RAIDing them together.

[brighttail]

I had figured that because they did it with the z170, there might be a chance that the include that extra controller on the new x99s.  

[NumLock21]

We have to wait until the official launch to find out. There are no detail specs anywhere.

[brighttail]

I actually got a reply from Asus (a surprise).  They said "None of the new x99s have dual M.2 but deluxe comes with a Hyper M.2 card that lets you put a second M.2 in fullsized PCIe slot. X99 doesn't support hardware-level RAID with PCIe drives. You need to use software/OS RAID, which isn't bootable "

 

Simply put they are too stubborn or lazy to add it on as they did the z170

[done12many2]

1 minute ago, brighttail said:

I actually got a reply from Asus (a surprise).  They said "None of the new x99s have dual M.2 but deluxe comes with a Hyper M.2 card that lets you put a second M.2 in fullsized PCIe slot. X99 doesn't support hardware-level RAID with PCIe drives. You need to use software/OS RAID, which isn't bootable "

 

Simply put they are too stubborn or lazy to add it on as they did the z170

 

The current x99 Deluxe/USB 3.1 comes with the Hyper M.2 card as well. 

[brighttail]

1 minute ago, done12many2 said:

 

The current x99 Deluxe/USB 3.1 comes with the Hyper M.2 card as well. 

I'm currently running my machine with an M.2 in an M.2 slot and another on a PCI-E card like the Hyper.  I can raid them in Windows as a Storage drive using Windows software.  Pretty good and get 4k Reads easily.   I just can't use that RAID drive as a bootable one.

 

Not a huge deal but annoying.

[done12many2]

11 minutes ago, brighttail said:

I'm currently running my machine with an M.2 in an M.2 slot and another on a PCI-E card like the Hyper.  I can raid them in Windows as a Storage drive using Windows software.  Pretty good and get 4k Reads easily.   I just can't use that RAID drive as a bootable one.

 

Not a huge deal but annoying.

 

Ever thought about partitioning the M.2 950 Pros.  You could install two different OSs (one on each M.2) and then RAID 0 the two remaining partitions (one per M.2) via Windows. You'd be able to boot from your M.2, increase the number of OSs, and still have a RAID 0 with 2 x M.2 drives.  Then partition your 512 GB 850 Pro into two equal sizes and RAID 0 one of the partitions with your 256 GB 850 Pro.  Use the remaining partition from the 512 GB on it's own.  

 

In the end you'd be able to boot off of your M.2, still have a M.2 RAID, add a SSD RAID, and go from 4 SSD drives in Windows to 6.  

 

Just having some fun!

 

 

[brighttail]

1 minute ago, done12many2 said:

 

Ever thought about partitioning the M.2 950 Pros.  You could install two different OSs (one on each M.2) and then RAID 0 the two remaining partitions (one per M.2) via Windows. You'd be able to boot from your M.2, increase the number of OSs, and still have a RAID 0 with 2 M.2 drives.  Then partition your 512 GB 850 Pro into two equal sizes and RAID 0 one of the partitions with your 256 GB 850 Pro.  Use the remaining partition from the 512 GB on it's own.  

 

In the end you'd be able to boot off of your M.2, still have a M.2 RAID, add a SSD RAID, and go from 4 SSD drives in Windows to 6.  

 

Just having some fun!

 

 

LOL.  Yeah I'm not that desperate. I have the two 850pros in RAID 0 for the boot drive, the two M.2 in RAID 0 for apps and games and the 512 850 pro as my utility drive and the WD as storage.   It works just fine as it is.  I'm just the type that likes conformity. Right now the biggest bottleneck on my system is my ISP speed. The downsides of living in the country.  But here are the results from the M.2 RAID 0 array.

 

[done12many2]

5 minutes ago, brighttail said:

LOL.  Yeah I'm not that desperate. I have the two 850pros in RAID 0 for the boot drive, the two M.2 in RAID 0 for apps and games and the 512 850 pro as my utility drive and the WD as storage.   It works just fine as it is.  I'm just the type that likes conformity. Right now the biggest bottleneck on my system is my ISP speed. The downsides of living in the country.  But here are the results from the M.2 RAID 0 array.

 

 

Nice.  While not quite as impressive a single 512 GB variant doesn't do too bad on it's own.  

 

[brighttail]

Yeah the 512 is slightly better but I can live with this.

[OddsCrazyStuff]

http://www.overclock3d.net/articles/gpu_displays/asus_x99_refresh_lineup_revealed/1

Its strange that ROG Strix X99 Gaming has slightly worse specs then X99-Deluxe II, when its part of the ROG lineup.

But then again, I'm leaning toward a white build, so it might work out.

[brighttail]

1 minute ago, OddsCrazyStuff said:

http://www.overclock3d.net/articles/gpu_displays/asus_x99_refresh_lineup_revealed/1

Its strange that ROG Strix X99 Gaming has slightly worse specs then X99-Deluxe II, when its part of the ROG lineup.

But then again, I'm leaning toward a white build, so it might work out.

Deluxe is more in tune for business usage while the ROG is more Gaming.  The Deluxe has 2 ethernet ports, the M.2 Hyper and their Safe PCI slots on all four PCI-E lanes.  The Strix has better Audio, more bling and concentrates I think more on the gaming experience.  That plus being ROG they can charge more for it. Rumor has it .. it will be able to overclock better or at least that is how they will market it, but my guess is the Deluxe will be far more stable over the long haul.

[NumLock21]

2 hours ago, brighttail said:

I actually got a reply from Asus (a surprise).  They said "None of the new x99s have dual M.2 but deluxe comes with a Hyper M.2 card that lets you put a second M.2 in fullsized PCIe slot. X99 doesn't support hardware-level RAID with PCIe drives. You need to use software/OS RAID, which isn't bootable "

 

Simply put they are too stubborn or lazy to add it on as they did the z170

It supports intel or firmware raid. No need for software raid.

[done12many2]

3 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

It supports intel or firmware raid. No need for software raid.

 

That's not correct.  x99 does not support M.2 hardware RAID.  Only software. 

[NumLock21]

6 minutes ago, done12many2 said:

 

That's not correct.  x99 does not support M.2 hardware RAID.  Only software. 

It supports firmware raid part of intel matrix storage. Not software. Raid is setup way before windows is installed. When m.2 set to raid, then it will not boot, this also applies to z170. Only way is to add the m.2 to a pcie adapter.

[brighttail]

Bottom line you can't use 2 M.2 drives in RAID 0 as a bootable drive on an X99 motherboard.  You can use it as a RAID 0 drive using software, but it won't boot.

 

Z170 MBs allow PCI-E devices to be put in a RAID 0 format.

 

The z170 i have seen people successfully setup RAID0 with 2 and 3 M.2 drives in  M.2 port only, PCI-e only and a combination of the two.  It has to do with the IRST in the BIOS/chip being able to see the M.2 as RAID capable drives within the BIOS.  The X99 only shows those within the 1-4 SATA ports and not the PCI.

 

*EDIT*  When I turn off RAID in the BIOS I can see the NVMe drives just fine. Turn it on and they disappear and only the SATA drives on ports 1-4 are recognized. ;(  I was hoping that Asus would have used the same chip technology that recognizes the PCI drives in RAID on the z170 to be some how integrated on the x99.

[NumLock21]

1 hour ago, brighttail said:

Bottom line you can't use 2 M.2 drives in RAID 0 as a bootable drive on an X99 motherboard.  You can use it as a RAID 0 drive using software, but it won't boot.

 

Z170 MBs allow PCI-E devices to be put in a RAID 0 format.

 

The z170 i have seen people successfully setup RAID0 with 2 and 3 M.2 drives in  M.2 port only, PCI-e only and a combination of the two.  It has to do with the IRST in the BIOS/chip being able to see the M.2 as RAID capable drives within the BIOS.  The X99 only shows those within the 1-4 SATA ports and not the PCI.

 

*EDIT*  When I turn off RAID in the BIOS I can see the NVMe drives just fine. Turn it on and they disappear and only the SATA drives on ports 1-4 are recognized. ;(  I was hoping that Asus would have used the same chip technology that recognizes the PCI drives in RAID on the z170 to be some how integrated on the x99.

when raid is enabled, nvme drive disappears, but when i take that nvme drive and install to a pcie card, it reappears and it can be selected as a raid drive. On the z170 it was the same thing.

[done12many2]

8 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

when raid is enabled, nvme drive disappears, but when i take that nvme drive and install to a pcie card, it reappears and it can be selected as a raid drive. On the z170 it was the same thing.

 

This has been covered numerous times.  It's not possible. 

[brighttail]

1 minute ago, NumLock21 said:

whem raid is enabled, nvme drive disappears, but when i take that nvme drive and install to a pcie card, it reappears and it can be selected as a raid drive. On the z170 it was the same thing.

Then what you are saying is I would have to have both my M.2 on a PCI-e card for it to work?  I have to admit I haven't tried this because when I have put both in an PCI-E slot, it slows the lanes from x4 to x2 and halves the speed.  So you are saying that on an x99 you have been able to put both an pci-e card, and make a bootable RAID 0 drive using two m.2s?  I'm assuming you have to have RAID turned off in BIOS.  Any other settings?

[brighttail]

1 minute ago, done12many2 said:

 

This has been covered numerous times.  It's not possible. 

That is what I'm thinking, tho I didn't try it with my m.2's on two pci-e cards just one.  Was trying to clarify.

[done12many2]

1 minute ago, brighttail said:

That is what I'm thinking, tho I didn't try it with my m.2's on two pci-e cards just one.  Was trying to clarify.

It doesn't matter what way you do it, the chipset does not support Intel RAID with these drives.  I as well wanted this to work, but after a lot of research I realized that it wasn't going to happen.

[NumLock21]

1 minute ago, brighttail said:

Then what you are saying is I would have to have both my M.2 on a PCI-e card for it to work?  I have to admit I haven't tried this because when I have put both in an PCI-E slot, it slows the lanes from x4 to x2 and halves the speed.  So you are saying that on an x99 you have been able to put both an pci-e card, and make a bootable RAID 0 drive using two m.2s?  I'm assuming you have to have RAID turned off in BIOS.  Any other settings?

 

3 minutes ago, done12many2 said:

 

This has been covered numerous times.  It's not possible. 

There could be a work around?

2 minutes ago, brighttail said:

Then what you are saying is I would have to have both my M.2 on a PCI-e card for it to work?  I have to admit I haven't tried this because when I have put both in an PCI-E slot, it slows the lanes from x4 to x2 and halves the speed.  So you are saying that on an x99 you have been able to put both an pci-e card, and make a bootable RAID 0 drive using two m.2s?  I'm assuming you have to have RAID turned off in BIOS.  Any other settings?

I don't have any m.2 to try out.

[brighttail]

1 minute ago, NumLock21 said:

 

There could be a work around?

I don't have any m.2 to try out.

That is what I thought.  Thank you for your input but simply put I wish you would have specified earlier.  Bottom line it can't be done.