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NVMe Questions for Clean Win10 Install
I have an XPS 13 9360 that is over one year old. I will be replacing the original 256 GB Intel NVME ssd with a new Adlink S70 1 TB NVME ssd. I understand that the RAID configuration must be enabled and the Intel RST driver (from Dell) loaded during my clean install of Windows 10. Should there be any compatibility issues with this drive if those conditions are used? If there were any issues, could I set the BIOS to AHCI and would this NVME drive still be detected and be able to be loaded with a clean install of the OS?
jphughan
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September 7th, 2019 12:00
@Voyager22 there won't be any compatibility differences with a given SSD depending of whether you use RAID or AHCI. If you're performing a clean install of Windows, I would strongly recommend switching to AHCI beforehand in your case. The only reasons to use RAID on modern systems are if you'll actually set up RAID (in laptops that support multiple internal disks) or if you want to use something like Intel Optane or Smart Response to have a small flash memory cache accelerate a spinning HDD. In the past, using RAID also allowed Windows 7 to be installed on NVMe SSDs even though Win7 didn't natively support NVMe, because the Intel Rapid Storage controller abstracted the NVMe interface from the OS. The downsides of RAID mode are that you can't use vendor-specific NVMe drivers if your SSD offers one (Samsung offers an NVMe driver for their retail SSDs, for example) and you can't use Linux while the system is in RAID mode.
Dell uses RAID as the factory default because it offers the most functionality when using Windows, with the only drawback being that you have to provide the Intel RST driver during OS installation, but that's easy to do when you've got factory automated installation routines. The only exception is on the small handful of systems that Dell offers with Linux from the factory, which use AHCI. But again, for what you're doing you may as well switch to AHCI. You won't lose any functionality that you need, you'll gain the option to use other NVMe drivers if available, and you won't have to deal with providing a driver during OS installation.
U2CAMEB4ME
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September 7th, 2019 07:00
Welcome to the Dell Community @Voyager22
As long as you are installing W10 you should have no compatibility issues.
NOTE: RAID SATA support in the BIOS Settings menu is only available on computers supporting Windows 10.
Best regards,
U2
Saltgrass
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September 7th, 2019 08:00
I don't know about your particular drive but if you are installing Win 10 with the RAID configuration, you need to add the F6 floppy drivers during the install. That will allow the system to finish the Win 10 install.
You can change the controller on the drive after it is installed but you need to use the special procedure of setting the system to reboot back into SAFE mode after that change has been made.
For some reason, in the Microsoft forums, there are a couple of folks who try to boot into SAFE mode and they cannot get their password to work. You can get out of the Safe Mode option is you have a Bootable copy of the Win 10 install Media or a Win 10 Recovery drive.
Voyager22
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September 7th, 2019 09:00
so, you are saying that if I had to change to AHCI mode in the BIOS, that would work if I booted into Safe mode?
darylzero46
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September 7th, 2019 10:00
What he was talking about is if you already have Windows installed and you want to change from RAID to AHCI without reinstalling you can do that.
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=change+to+ahci+mode+from+raid+mode
Also, you don't need to use the Intel RST driver/software if you are not using 2 hard drives in a RAID array.
If you are going to install Windows on the new drive you can change the BIOS setting to AHCI before you install and then you are all good.
U2CAMEB4ME
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September 7th, 2019 10:00
@Voyager22
What is you SATA Configuration set to now?
AHCI or RAID?
Regards,
U2
EDIT: If your installing a fresh copy of W10 just set it to AHCI and install.
There is no reason to have RAID on a single drive system.
And why Dell sets RAID as default I have no idea???
Voyager22
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September 7th, 2019 11:00
Currently with the original Intel MVME ssd, it is set to RAID with the Intel RST driver. My new drive will be an NVME PCIe 3 (1 TB) and I just wanted to know if I should keep the RAID and install the Intel RST with the OS install or change the BIOS to AHCI. Will the new NVME ssd work with the BIOS set to AHCI if I have to go that way?
Voyager22
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September 7th, 2019 13:00
Thank-you. I think you explained it well.