11-08-2010, 04:36 PM
This ROM is tested working by me on a friend's PC, but before anyone uses it, let me explain what went into it.
I found an ICH9R version of the option ROM version 8.7.0 (which is different than the ICH10R version if it). I tried this on 1.0.16 with my friend's PC but it would not load the OROM at all and thus RAID mode didn't work. I forget the specifics, but some people had problems with 1.0.18 so I didn't use it at first. But since the stock RAID (7.5) and also 7.6 didn't show his SSD in his BIOS, he couldn't use it in RAID mode (which means no TRIM for him, which means degraded performance over time).
I tried 1.0.18 and 8.7.0 and it worked. I also got rid of Phoenix AHCI and integrated Intel AHCI, which I didn't expect to work. As expected, the AHCI screen did not show up, meaning the BIOS itself would have to be rewritten to use the Intel AHCI ROM instead. However, even without it, the RAID BIOS loaded and took care of everything including a DVD-ROM. So this ROM is tested working as-is. I could dump the Intel AHCI ROM and put the Phoenix one back in, but there is the potential for that to 'unfix' the problem. So I am not going to do that unless I find a reason that it needs to be done. If anyone needs Phoenix AHCI put back in for some reason, let me know and I can provide an untested version of the ROM with Phoenix AHCI.
Anyway, again, this ROM is tested working as-is by me. It contains Intel Matrix Raid 8.7.0 and Intel Boot Agent 1.3.10. Cliffnotes: If you want an SSD in RAID mode on this PC then you need this BIOS (from my experience). RAID mode will improve performance even when not in RAID due to TRIM and NCQ support.
Note: You do not have to reinstall Windows to switch to RAID mode. Look for a free utility called RAIDFix. Run it, then reboot and change to RAID mode, and then go into Windows and install the latest Intel Rapid Storage drivers. You may need to fix your boot order after enabling RAID mode (and rebooting). Also note that RAIDFix does not FORCE you to use RAID mode. IDE mode will still work.
I found an ICH9R version of the option ROM version 8.7.0 (which is different than the ICH10R version if it). I tried this on 1.0.16 with my friend's PC but it would not load the OROM at all and thus RAID mode didn't work. I forget the specifics, but some people had problems with 1.0.18 so I didn't use it at first. But since the stock RAID (7.5) and also 7.6 didn't show his SSD in his BIOS, he couldn't use it in RAID mode (which means no TRIM for him, which means degraded performance over time).
I tried 1.0.18 and 8.7.0 and it worked. I also got rid of Phoenix AHCI and integrated Intel AHCI, which I didn't expect to work. As expected, the AHCI screen did not show up, meaning the BIOS itself would have to be rewritten to use the Intel AHCI ROM instead. However, even without it, the RAID BIOS loaded and took care of everything including a DVD-ROM. So this ROM is tested working as-is. I could dump the Intel AHCI ROM and put the Phoenix one back in, but there is the potential for that to 'unfix' the problem. So I am not going to do that unless I find a reason that it needs to be done. If anyone needs Phoenix AHCI put back in for some reason, let me know and I can provide an untested version of the ROM with Phoenix AHCI.
Anyway, again, this ROM is tested working as-is by me. It contains Intel Matrix Raid 8.7.0 and Intel Boot Agent 1.3.10. Cliffnotes: If you want an SSD in RAID mode on this PC then you need this BIOS (from my experience). RAID mode will improve performance even when not in RAID due to TRIM and NCQ support.
Note: You do not have to reinstall Windows to switch to RAID mode. Look for a free utility called RAIDFix. Run it, then reboot and change to RAID mode, and then go into Windows and install the latest Intel Rapid Storage drivers. You may need to fix your boot order after enabling RAID mode (and rebooting). Also note that RAIDFix does not FORCE you to use RAID mode. IDE mode will still work.
