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3991
January 19th, 2020 06:00
Optiplex 7010mt no raid options
Hi I'm currently testing some different storage setups for a friend's server and I'm using my 7010 to simulate. I wanted to test using a SSD as cache using Intel rst. I've been using ahci and uefi since I set this desktop up and I need to set it to raid. However in bios under sata operation my options are disabled, ata, ahci. I should also be able to hit F12 and go to a menu called device configuration. This is also missing. I went ahead and checked my latitude e6430s and I have both options available on it. Both machines running latest bios. So I downgraded the bios on the 7010 to rev a21 no difference still missing any option to enable raid. I do have Intel rst installed within windows 10 but obviously I can't do anything with it until my data mode is changed. What am I missing. I refuse to believe that I have no option to enable raid on this machine.
savvy2
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2.5K Posts
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January 20th, 2020 05:00
you want hardware RAID in the PC, that takes first the right RAID chip do that, not just firmware/software.
this PC is not a sever, and you can not simulate that on a PC
the 7010 spec page does not mention RAID at all.
this 7010 has , fully opted these parts
Intel® Core™ i7 3770 / 3.40GHz, 8M, VT-x, VT-d, TXT (vPro™), 77W
GEN 3 CPU.
2x SATA II ports
2x SATA III port
NO RAID chip
but does have the intel Q77 Express Chipset
which version of @Q77, DELL is silent
why not scan this chip first and learn which one it I s, like q77MK, if this is present it does 0,1,5,10 mode RAID.
only use the intel driver to do that from Intel.
there is n o RAID in the BIOS and flashing it like that is very very bad.
RST is here, and only works on some q77 variants and is vary buggy on w10.
for sure bios must support this
if and only if the Q77 version has it
frankr2994
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January 19th, 2020 10:00
Well I am continuing to look manuals for the 7010 show raid options and I found no mention of raid being removed. I'm tempted to roll back to the original bios but I am unsure if windows 10 will boot off of it and I don't have a flash bios option using F12 so I assume I can only start a bios flash from within windows? I found that some hp home computers got raid pulled from them because consumers kept screwing things up. This is a business class machine they surely wouldn't pull it from this.
frankr2994
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January 19th, 2020 16:00
Ok well I'm going to try reverting the bios some more, reset the bios, disconnect all my drives and attach 2 raw ones and maybe one of those things will make the raid option show up??? I just thought as many as these systems are out there someone may have chimed in on something. Never the less though I'll post back if I get it to work or not.
frankr2994
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49 Posts
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January 19th, 2020 19:00
ok so steps I took. I upgraded my bios back to the newest version. I then reset to defaults. no raid options. I pulled the cmos battery and reset everything. no raid options.I removed all cards/drives so no more gpu,wifi/bluetooth card, cdrom drive or any ssd or hdd drives. I made a bootable freedos flash drive with rufus and loaded bios a16 no option. I then went way back to a04 and again no option.So to the oldest bios revision I can download A01. no difference. One thing I did notice when trying to downgrade the bios is that I get a message saying ME firmware update failed. I read that you can't downgrade ME firmware on dells I guess. Looking at the manuals for the 7010 it shows a raid on option in the bios that apparently was never there......why would this be excluded from a desktop when my laptop from the same period of time has it.
savvy2
3 Apprentice
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2.5K Posts
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January 20th, 2020 05:00
on the 790 book it is setup like this, first in BIOS. under DRIVES + SATA operation.
if not there is not a feature.
also you Friends sever runs a windows server OS< and you run none server, w10.
as seen here, So Dell told me in the end I cannot do a normal RAID array, and that all the RAID-On and Intel Storage manager are for is to use the Optane drive acceleration. But thanks to everyone for their help.
dell specs are weak here, very weak.....
RST + OPTANE, H3LL
frankr2994
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January 20th, 2020 15:00
like I said I was only testing. My confusion was in looking at the owners manual for the 7010. It is the 7010/9010 owners manual. Both of those machines are almost identical except the 9010 has raid. In the manual they make no note of the 7010 doesn't have this option just that it is an option for either machine. So I've accepted that my machine does not have raid however I still find it very stupid that I have in on my dell latitude e6430s and not an optiplex tower. anyways because its very cheap I'm most likely going to get a Precision T1650 motherboard and toss it in my 7010. I can transfer all the parts and I think 35 bucks is worth having a little bit more capabilities. I will never on either machine use raid with any real purpose other than testing and my own self knowledge.
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
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17.1K Posts
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January 20th, 2020 22:00
If you are trying to build a HTPC or Kodi box on the cheap, fine I guess.
But no RAID. Just install a SSD as C-Drive and be done.
If you want RAID, get a Synology-NAS (4 bay or greater) and setup a RAID-5 (with one disk tolerance).
frankr2994
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January 21st, 2020 02:00
For myself it's a SSD boot drive for sure. First thing I do on anything I get my hands on lol. For my friends system I still really like the idea of the storage spaces two way mirror array. I already know the disk will be fast enough to flood 1Gb Ethernet I just wanted to see how SSD caching would work when added.
speedstep
9 Legend
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47K Posts
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January 24th, 2020 07:00
INTEL Raid isn't getting any performance boost vs standard SSD. WIN10 works fine and can use your windows 7 coa key to activate later. When you install you just tell windows 10 " I don't have a key and then choose home or pro depending on what key is on the COA sticker.
Raid is NOT RECOMMENDED for SSD drives because it literally writes them to death.
7010 works secure boot OFF with standard Windows 10 OEM system builder DVD.
There is a single Driver cab file for all of the hardware.
WIN7 cab file
https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER02076369M/1/7010-win7-A06-799FV.CAB
https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/04/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=gr1xm
WIN10 cab file
https://dl.dell.com/FOLDER03631140M/1/7010-win10-A01-GR1XM.CAB
You set SATA to AHCI not INTEL RAID or ATA
You then Set Secure boot to OFF if available in bios.
You F12 boot from an OEM system builder DVD and install windows clean.
You then download the cab file and move to the my documents folder.
You extract the contents of the cab file using 7zip
https://www.7-zip.org/download.html
Once thats done and WIN10 is there you can right click on any yellow ! in device manager and say install drivers from my PC instead of from the internet.
Category DeviceDescription