GA-965P-DS3

[kopierkatze]

I want my motherboard (GA-965P-DS3) to support my new SSD.
The motherboard has an onboard Intel ICH8 SATA-controller (VEN_8086&DEV_2824) with Intel AHCI Bios v1.20E.

It won't detect the SSD, so I hope this could be fixed with a modified BIOS.

Can the oROM mentioned above (v1.20E) be replaced with an INTEL-RAID-ROM? Or is there any other version newer than v1.20E?

If yes, please help me to patch my BIOS (F14):
http://kopierkatze.net/GA-965P-DS3_BIOS.zip

This Zip-File includes the original BIOS and a modified BIOS with SLIC-support for Windows 7. If possible, please add the new RAID-ROM to the BIOS with SLIC-table!

Thanks in advance!

[Dansolo]

I am looking at your BIOS in MODBIN6, and it seems that you should already have an option "Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode." Right? If not then do not use the BIOS that I posted. I used MODBIN6 to allow you to set it to just RAID and I added a RAID BIOS 7.6 for the maximum chance of compatibility (with the ones I have, anyway). If it works then we can try an 8.x release, which you would want for SSD.

Additional disclaimer over the usual: I usually do not use MODBIN6 for my mods here, and there is a much higher chance of MODBIN corrupting a BIOS, so use this at your own risk!

I also updated your JMicron BIOS t o 1.08.01.

(Edit: File removed from this post... there's a new one a few posts down to try)

[kopierkatze]

Thanks for your work so far, really appreciated!

I am looking at your BIOS in MODBIN6, and it seems that you should already have an option "Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode." Right?

Right, but as far as I know this setting is only responsible for the JMicron-controller and NOT for the ICH8-controller.

I used MODBIN6 to allow you to set it to just RAID and I added a RAID BIOS 7.6 for the maximum chance of compatibility (with the ones I have, anyway). If it works then we can try an 8.x release, which you would want for SSD.

The BIOS works (it boots up the computer), and the new JMicron ROM also works.
When I set the JMicron-controller to "RAID"-Mode (which you unlocked), the systems hangs on disk detection.

I'd rather want to use the SSD on the ICH8-ports, as they offer much more performance, than the JMicron-ports.

So how can we get the Intel RAID BIOS to boot? I'm willing to do some experiments :-)

[Dansolo]

Oh, that option is for the JMicron controller? It wasn't specific from what I saw in MODBIN. I will take another look, but I don't know if I will discover anything. I may be able to try and copy some of the BIOS code from the closest board to yours that does have RAID...

---

Okay, I found that SATA AHCI Mode actually had an option to be enabled for RAID, so I made it selectable. I changed the name to just SATA Mode, because the AHCI in it was confusing me . This has the same JMicron 1.08.01 and Intel RAID 7.6. If it works this time then, again, we can try a later Intel RAID ROM.

[kopierkatze]

Oh, that option is for the JMicron controller? It wasn't specific from what I saw in MODBIN.

Yeah, it took me several years to find out... ;-)
Maybe the original BIOS programmers should have named one "Intel" and one "JMicron"...

Okay, I found that SATA AHCI Mode actually had an option to be enabled for RAID, so I made it selectable. I changed the name to just SATA Mode, because the AHCI in it was confusing me . This has the same JMicron 1.08.01 and Intel RAID 7.6. If it works this time then, again, we can try a later Intel RAID ROM.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work properly. When set to "RAID" mode, the screen just goes blank after the initial BIOS screen and systems hangs, if any drive is connected to the ICH-ports.

Does Intel RAID v7.6 support the hardware?
I searched for some hardcoded Device IDs, but I couldn't find any. (It's little endian byte order, right?)
Maybe you can find the Device ID in the ROM:
VEN_8086&DEV_2824

[Dansolo]

Inside the ROM is the label ICH9R, but some ROMs labeled ICH10R do work with ICH9, so likely some ICH9 ones work with ICH8... It's the earliest ROM that I have on hand. Normally, too new a version will just result in the RAID ROM being skipped and the system attempting to load anyways (usually resulting in it complaining about a lack of a boot drive). A hang sounds like the ROM is not programmed to deal with the RAID option. I might have to copy a couple of items from a RAID version of the ROM. That's risky, but it has been done successfully from time to time. Let me know if you want to be a guinea pig for that. Or I can try to source an older Matrix RAID ROM if you want. Actually, I have a version of 8.0 that's meant for ICH8M which is mobile - not sure if it'll work with ICH8...

[Dansolo]

Since 6.0 was on the resources site, you can try this, but 6.0 isn't going to work with SSDs well if it at all. This does not have DS3P code in it, and that'd be our next step if you want to try it.

[kopierkatze]

I'm afraid your last BIOS ("965DS3-SLIC-IMR6-JM10801.zip") won't work properly either. Issue: ICH-RAID-ROM won't show up and won't detect drives.

I might have to copy a couple of items from a RAID version of the ROM. That's risky, but it has been done successfully from time to time. Let me know if you want to be a guinea pig for that. Or I can try to source an older Matrix RAID ROM if you want. Actually, I have a version of 8.0 that's meant for ICH8M which is mobile - not sure if it'll work with ICH8...

I am willing to do some experiments :-)

You obviously have lots of experience, and if you see any chance it might work, I'm happy to try.

[Dansolo]

These experiments are much more likely to brick your board because it would just be me taking certain parts of the BIOS from the DS3P and inserting it into yours. If you want to try it than let me know that you're really, really sure. Personally, I wouldn't do it unless you're willing to potentially have to buy a new board... though P35 boards can be had quite cheap, and P45 isn't too expensive...

You can also try to simply crossflash a DS3P BIOS. Supposedly the older flash utility that came with these motherboards on the CD let you crossflash, but crossflashing can also brick your board. The hardware should be compared between the two boards e.g. the clock generator and all of that sort of stuff. Everything has to be pretty much the same for crossflashing to work.

[kopierkatze]

OK, in this case...

This motherboard has always been rock solid, in fact it's the best motherboard I ever had.
I realize that I have to upgrade it some day, but I'll have to replace almost everything then (MoBo, CPU and RAM...). It'll need lots of money and plenty of time to build a new PC that works as good as the current one (despite of the SSD trouble).

I don't want to brick my system, so I guess I'll just sell the SSD or try to make in work in slow IDE-mode on the JMicron-Controller.

Thank you for all your work and for all this time you invested in this project!

There's just one little favour I ask you to do:
Could you apply your magic to the following BIOS?
http://kopierkatze.net/GA965PDS3_F15C.zip
Just upgrade the JMicron-ROM and insert the SLIC-Table from the other BIOS, please.

Thanks again a thousand times, and Happy Holidays!