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Server board S3420GPLC does not boot after enabling EFI optimized boot

SWrig6
Beginner
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I am trying to setup 2 x WD2002FAEX 2TB drives in RAID 0 to run Server 2008 R2 Enterprise and install the Hyper V role so I can run multiple OS for server labs testing. I have previosly had it setup but it was slow and running out of drive space so I upgraded hard drives and want to setup RAID 0 for performance where I had RAID 1 before but I now want RAID 0.

CPU Intel Xeon X3440

RAM 16GB Kingston KVR1333D3D8R9S.

Hard drives WD2002FAEX 2TB Black Edition

RAID 0/1/10 Intel ESRT2 with embedded software RAID technologyll

Matrix RAID for 0/1/10/5

Happy to use the onboard RAID but I have a Silicon FG-SA3114 4 port RAID card I would prefer to use as it has more funtionality and reading a lot of posts people recommend hardware RAID.

Anyway not using the card at the moment just want to resolve my issue.

The hard drives are blank brand new no data as it's all backed up on backup drive.

Both drives are connected to SATA ports 0 1.

Boot into BIOS

Setup RAID 0 and get total 3723.4GB.

I understand this is the logical drive size of the RAID VD

I want to convert the logical drive to GPT and boot using the EFI optimized boot option so I get the advertised disk space

When I enable this in the BIOS save and reboot system does not boot.

I get all the beep codes but no display. I end up having to use the clear CMOS jumper to get it back up.

What am I doing wrong?

Also when I enable the EFI optimized boot option I go to Advanced > Mass storage controller configuration and the RAID options are gone.

Only see Enhanced, Compatability & AHCI option.

Maybe what I am trying to acheive is impossible.

In the meantime I will download latest BIOS firmware and see if this resolves issue.

Please advise.

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SWrig6
Beginner
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Well I was in a way I just added new larger capacity high perfomance hard drives and decided to try the silicon RAID card but as that was not so successful I decided to go with the Matrix raid as you pointed out I could use different RIADs which worked out well.

I did try to restore the backup image but had trouble booting it I think due to the different RAID controller from that which was saved on the backup image.

Now I have it nearly back to full operation except maybe a few virtuals which are no trouble to restor as I have the vm drives on the backup. I would rather troubleshoot the video card issue than the RAID, at least I can operate the server labs again.

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SWrig6
Beginner
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One last question. What video cards are compatible with this board?

I assume Nvidia as 2 spare Radeon cards I have just don't work.

Actually they seem to install ok and appear as installed in device manager with drivers ok and the catalist control centre appears to work but the system won't detect the monitor that is attached to the card.

Even in the catalist control centre it does not detect the other monitor.

In screen resolution display adaptor it only sees the monitor attached to the onboard display.

"Generic non-PnP monitor on Matrox G200e (serverengines)

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Edward_Z_Intel
Employee
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Unfortunately I don't have a list of tested video card of this board. It's not a workstation board. Did you try to disable the onboard video?

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SWrig6
Beginner
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Yes that was unsecessful. It just messed up the resolution.

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Edward_Z_Intel
Employee
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What exactly do you mean "messed up the resolution"? Do you see POST message with add-on video card?

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SWrig6
Beginner
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Oh you mean disable in the BIOS?

Cant do that otherwise no boot.

Disable in device manager requires reboot then resolution is at very low level and have to reenable.

Then back to square one.

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Edward_Z_Intel
Employee
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Yes I mean disable onboard video in BIOS. If that leads to no boot, you can clear the CMOS via jumper.

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SWrig6
Beginner
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Yes I was doing that at first or if I remove the video card it then boots.

l"ll log into the BIOS and post the PCI settings for the card so you have a clearer picture of whats going on.

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