AMD Threadripper won't come with native support for NVMe-Hardware-RAID at launch

[Nicnac]

Via pcgameshardware.de

 

Original Article on tomshardware.com

 

and documentation about it on mainboard vendors' websites, e.g. gigabyte

 

--

 

while TR will support bootable SATA RAID, it looks like it will not support NVMe-bootable-RAID systems (for now). Support for this feature will be delivered later, though, according to tom's.

 

Quote

Enthusiasts plug more devices into the PCIe bus when they're available. AMD's X399 platform supports a massive 64 lanes (four are dedicated to the Southbridge), and that allows you to use two video cards at full speed, add on a zippy 10-gigabit Ethernet, and even pop in a crisp new sound card if you so desire.

What the X399 doesn't give you is the ability to utilize NVMe SSDs in a bootable RAID. We reached out to a few industry sources and learned that X399 will allow users to build an array with SATA products and boot from it, but AMD hasn't employed a way to boot from NVMe SSDs together in a RAID 0 array like Intel. 

We were also told that AMD is going to enable the feature, but there isn't a firm timeline. It's one thing to talk about booting from an array of speedy next-generation storage devices that can surpass 5,000MB/s with just two drives; it's another thing to actually deliver.

 

 

This seems to be a major disadvantage for x399 systems and users will have to rely on software raid solutions for now. Although tom's doesn't name sources this limitation is mentioned in x399 board manuals. How long will it take AMD to fix this problem and will it be a deal-breaker for any of you? All in all AMD still seems to offer the more attractive RAID solution with "direct" connection to the cpu (unlike Skylake-X where it runs via the x299-pch.). Also, compare the VROC-Key-method intel is going for.

 

 

[manikyath]

bleh. i've yet to find a reason to have bootable nvme raid..

[Nicnac]

Just now, manikyath said:

bleh. i've yet to find a reason to have bootable nvme raid..

I actually agree lol. Nothing I would ever use  

[Morgan MLGman]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

bleh. i've yet to find a reason to have bootable nvme raid..

True, it's really pointless BUT on an enthusiast platform, it should just work at launch

[tom_w141]

Not available at launch might deter some but at least when available its free.

[manikyath]

Just now, Morgan MLGman said:

True, it's really pointless BUT on an enthusiast platform, it should just work at launch

the question is why would an enthousiast need it, other than to just literally throw money out the window?

[Morgan MLGman]

Just now, manikyath said:

the question is why would an enthousiast need it, other than to just literally throw money out the window?

I'm asking myself the same whenever there's an X299 thread here

[manikyath]

Just now, Morgan MLGman said:

I'm asking myself the same whenever there's an X299 thread here

exactly

[tom_w141]

Just now, manikyath said:

the question is why would an enthousiast need it, other than to just literally throw money out the window?

You obviously haven't met too many enthusiasts XD. When you do something for a hobby just because you can it doesn't actually have to yield any meaningful returns/benefits. You are enthusiastic about the subject and therefore are willing to buy things you don't need just like any other hobby.

[Skanky Sylveon]

I would never run a non redundant RAID array as my boot drive.

 

This could be a limitation for some, but I would imagine that it would be a select few.

I'm honestly surprised.  I would have imagined bootable NVME RAID to be available at launch, at least it's coming eventually.

 

 

 

Let's not forget Intel's RAID keys.

[Nicnac]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

the question is why would an enthousiast need it, other than to just literally throw money out the window?

yea it just seems to be the thing for hedt now lol.... just like rgb for everything else lol 

[Asche]

As long as some day, it'll be available for free, it doesn't matter.

[manikyath]

Just now, tom_w141 said:

You obviously haven't met too many enthusiasts XD. When you do something for a hobby just because you can it doesn't actually have to yield any meaningful returns/benefits. You are enthusiastic about the subject and therefore are willing to buy things you don't need just like any other hobby.

the enthousiast in me would rather put everything on nvme than put nvme in raid for my boot disk.

[tom_w141]

1 minute ago, Cinnabar Sonar said:

I would have imagined bookable NVME RAID to be available at launch, at least it's coming eventually.

I would predict it was never intended and they are just capitalising on the opportunity (Intel charging for the same feature), as now they can say that's another thing included in the cheaper platform cost. Otherwise it doesn't make sense why its the only thing not ready. 

[tom_w141]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

the enthousiast in me would rather put everything on nvme than put nvme in raid for my boot disk.

We are all different  it's niche for sure, I'm not denying that. I'm just saying an enthusiast needs to be unrestricted in what they can do.

[Skanky Sylveon]

2 minutes ago, tom_w141 said:

We are all different  it's niche for sure, I'm not denying that. I'm just saying an enthusiast needs to be unrestricted in what they can do.

I would like to say that I am an enthusiast, however my PC is for work foremost.  

I have dealt with boot drive failures in the past, and while I have never lost any data from them, they are a royal pain in the ass.

Anything that can increase said drive failure is unacceptable.

RAID 1 NVME appeals to me however.  The reasons are probably obvious at this point.

[Curufinwe_wins]

Ehh I'm a staunch supporter of the "it doesn't make a lick of difference" camp here...

 

 

In fact... unless at literal price parity... I basically never would recommend nvme devices over decent sata drives today.

 

Not with NAND anyways.

 

Also... x99 doesn't have this ability either (regardless of the many attempts to make it work on the platform).

 

X299 probably does, since z270 pretty much got that nailed down, but still. Pointless.

[Curufinwe_wins]

59 minutes ago, tom_w141 said:

We are all different  it's niche for sure, I'm not denying that. I'm just saying an enthusiast needs to be unrestricted in what they can do.

I'd rather motherboard makers stopped puting 1Gb nics on enthusiast mobos and exclusively swapped to 10gb+ if we really want to talk about unrestricted access and something with an actual function...

[tom_w141]

4 minutes ago, Curufinwe_wins said:

I'd rather motherboard makers stopped puting 1Gb nics on enthusiast mobos and exclusively swapped to 10gb+ if we really want to talk about unrestricted access and something with an actual function...

Some boards (the Asus Zenith definitely) come with a 10gb expansion card in the box.

 

Btw that's not restriction you can easily make it 10gb with an expansion card. Restriction would be if you couldn't do that. For example: Bootable CPU raid on Intel. You are restricted from doing so without a key.

[Ezio Auditore]

Quote

Enthusiasts plug more devices into the PCIe bus when they're available. AMD's X399 platform supports a massive 64 lanes (four are dedicated to the Southbridge), and that allows you to use two video cards at full speed, add on a zippy 10-gigabit Ethernet, and even pop in a crisp new sound card if you so desire.

What the X399 doesn't give you is the ability to utilize NVMe SSDs in a bootable RAID. We reached out to a few industry sources and learned that X399 will allow users to build an array with SATA products and boot from it, but AMD hasn't employed a way to boot from NVMe SSDs together in a RAID 0 array like Intel. 

We were also told that AMD is going to enable the feature, but there isn't a firm timeline. It's one thing to talk about booting from an array of speedy next-generation storage devices that can surpass 5,000MB/s with just two drives; it's another thing to actually deliver.

 

[tom_w141]

Just now, Ezio Auditore said:

 

Nice quote. Were you going to... comment?

[mr moose]

I've setup raid boot drives before,  enthusiasts will do anything for better performance.  Mind you this was long before ssd tech came along and the fastest drive on the market was the scsi raptor.

[manikyath]

1 hour ago, tom_w141 said:

We are all different  it's niche for sure, I'm not denying that. I'm just saying an enthusiast needs to be unrestricted in what they can do.

how about the 0.1% of users who want an iLO-like tech on the desktop? should we shun the board partners for not putting that on the enthousiast boards?

 

its a matter of the percentage of people who might possibly care, and the amount of work required to implement it. and taking a fair guess here, this is AMD saying they have other priorities.

[manikyath]

Just now, mr moose said:

I've setup raid boot drives before,  enthusiasts will do anything for better performance.  Mind you this was long before ssd tech came along and the fastest drive on the market was the scsi raptor.

booting of raid SATA is pretty commonplace now, raid NVME tho.. not many uses for that..

[mr moose]

Just now, manikyath said:

booting of raid SATA is pretty commonplace now, raid NVME tho.. not many uses for that..

I don;t know why, last time I looked up the benefits there were none.  Not enough to warrant buying a second ssd that is.