hyper m.2 raid 0 on x299 chipset

[craig5]

Trying to add a raid 0 set-up to my asus prime x299-deluxe. I have the card installed and can see the 4 m.2 drives in the bios but the vroc set-up shows all the drives as unsupported. Can access the drives in Windows no problem (Samsung 980 4tb). Is there a fix for this issue other than the vroc key, which at $400 seems like a bad choice, given I could go to a new amd board and CPU for the same price taking me to pcie 4 allowing the hyper m.2 to run at the full 128 Gbps. Given the age of this x299 chipset you would think there would be a patch to fix this, without needing a key

[Azeem_Intel]

Hello craig5,

Greeting for the day!

I hope you’re doing well. Could you please confirm whether the product was shipped with the system or purchased separately?

Best Regards,

Azeem

[craig5]

Yes the card was supplied with the board, and the manual shows how to configure the bios to make it work. The manual does state only raid 0 is supported without the key, which is OK as that is what I want so I can load/SAVE my CAD files quickly, which often are about 50Gb files

[Pintu]

Hello craig5,

Greetings for the day!

Based on your inquiry, RAID 0 can be configured and used without a key, whereas RAID 5 requires a key for proper support and functionality. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance with RAID configurations or any other technical issues, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to assist you.

Thank you for using Intel products and services.

Best Regards,

Manoranjan.

[craig5]

OK so how do I get the bios to allow the drives to be used in raid zero when it's shows all of them as VMD0 (unsupported). Currently running version 4001 bios. Do I need a specific bios version or can you send me a patch to fix this.

[Pintu]

Hello craig5,

Greetings for the day!

Since you are using an ASUS system, we recommend contacting ASUS directly for the BIOS file, as our support does not cover BIOS issues on Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) devices. 

Thank you for using Intel products and services.

Best Regards,

Manoranjan.

[craig5]

OK so you are passing the problem on to asus, even though Intel coded the lock out on VROC and the x299 chipset. Given the huge problems Intel have at the moment with the 13 and 14th gen CPU failures due to chip corroding inside, I would think the least Intel could do is supply a VROC key free of charge to try and get some good publicity instead of all the bad publicity Intel has been getting for the last few months. email me privately if you want to discuss this further

[Pintu]

Hello craig5,

Greetings for the day!

Thank you for your response. 

Our official statement related to VROC configurations using the X299 chipset is the following:

Intel® VROC is targeted as an enterprise product, mainly for Servers and Workstations. Also, per the details found in the article “Intel® VROC Support on X299 FAQ”, Intel® VROC was enabled on X299 client platforms (see below). This initial decision was made at the time of launch in 2017. Since then, it has become apparent that Intel® RST (and not Intel® VROC) is the better product to support SSD RAID on X299 platforms, partly because of Intel® RST availability, broad SSD support and no need for an extra HW key. Intel® RST is free and it supports Intel® as well as NON-Intel® storage devices.

Intel® VROC will continue to have its HW Key licensing policies, which are more in line with enterprise product expectations. From the above explanation, we hope it’s clear that for X299 / client platforms, our customers do NOT require purchasing Intel® VROC key for RAID 0 (even with NON-Intel® drives). Please use Intel® RST instead of Intel® VROC for RAID 0 and other things.

For more detail, please review the full FAQ; especially answer to question 2 in the below article:

https://www.intel.com/content/dam/support/us/en/documents/memory-and-storage/ssd-software/VROC_Support_on_X299_FAQ.pdf

Please take into consideration that there may be differences in features and configuration even between boards of the same manufacturer and they may require specific hardware and BIOS configuration, this being said we advise you to contact your OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for further information regarding BIOS and hardware configuration to use these solutions.

I hope you find this information helpful. 

Thank you for using Intel products and services.

Best Regards,

Manoranjan.

[Azeem_Intel]

Hello craig5,

Greeting for the day!

I checked the User Manual for your system (ASUS Prime X299-Deluxe), and it indeed states that VROC RAID 0 is supported without a key. However, it also mentions that due to CPU behavior, CPU RAID functions with Intel VROC only support Intel SSD devices. These "Intel SSD devices" refer to the formerly Intel NAND SSDs, now Solidigm SSDs, which we no longer support. There were specific formerly Intel SSD models that allowed setting up RAID 0 without a VROC key in the past. This is no longer available. To properly use VROC in an X299 system, you should use the hardware key.

Even if you had the hardware key, according to the User Manual, only formerly Intel SSDs are supported. That means your current drives (Samsung SSDs) will not be compatible. This is likely why the drives are showing as unsupported.

Best Regards,

Azeem

[Azeem_Intel]

Hello craig5,

Greeting for the day!

I hope you're doing well. This is our first follow-up. Please let us know if you have any additional queries. If not, can we proceed to close the case?

Best Regards,

Azeem

[Azeem_Intel]

Hello craig5,

Greeting for the day!

This is the second follow-up regarding the reported issue. We're eager to ensure a swift resolution and would appreciate any updates or additional information you can provide.

Best Regards,

Azeem

[salma98670]

If you're experiencing a memory leak with the System Management Controller (ISM) or similar system management software, here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:

1. Update Software and Drivers:

   • Ensure that you have the latest version of the Intel System Management Controller software and any associated drivers. Updates often include bug fixes and performance improvements.

2. Check for Firmware Updates:

   • Look for firmware updates for your motherboard or system. Sometimes, BIOS or firmware updates can address issues related to memory management and system stability.

3. Monitor Resource Usage:

   • Use tools like Task Manager or Resource Monitor in Windows to keep an eye on memory usage over time. This can help you identify which processes are consuming the most resources.

4. Review System Logs:

   • Check the Windows Event Viewer for any error messages or warnings related to ISM or memory management. This can provide clues about what's causing the issue.

5. Run System Diagnostics:

   • Use built-in diagnostic tools or third-party applications to check the health of your system's hardware components, including memory and storage.

6. Adjust System Settings:

   • Sometimes adjusting system settings or configuration options related to memory management can help. This might involve changing virtual memory settings or adjusting performance options.

7. Check for Known Issues:

   • Visit Intel’s support website or relevant forums to see if there are known issues or patches related to the ISM software. Other users might have encountered similar problems and found solutions.

8. Reinstall the Software:

   • Try uninstalling and then reinstalling the Intel System Management Controller software. This can sometimes resolve issues caused by corrupted files or settings.

[Azeem_Intel]

Hello craig5,

Greeting for the day!

This is the third follow-up regarding the reported issue. We're committed to ensuring a swift resolution and would greatly appreciate any updates or additional information you can provide.

If we don't hear back from you soon, we'll assume the issue has been resolved and will proceed to close the case.

Best Regards,

Azeem