Gigabyte 7N-400 Pro2 / SiI 3512A /Win Xp Problem

SiI3512ASiI3512A
edited June 2006 in Hardware
Hi folks,

I have some problems with my S-ATA mass-storage-controller, that is an Silicon Image 3512A onboard chip. I have a Samsung SP1614C HDD in ATA base mode on this controller and RAID is turned off.
At the installation of Windows XP Home I included the lates driver for the controller by floppy disc.
everything went fine and the S-ATA controller and the harddisk drive are working ok.
But I have a yellow questionmark in my device manager complaining abaout an unknown mass storage controller with not available drivers. When I install the lates drivers for the SiI 3512A from Gigabyte or directly from Silicon Images the device gets recognized and installed correctly, but on the next WinXp boot up screen the computer hangs. I only can go on with the "last working configuration" and then the drivers are gone and the questionmark is there again.
Could it be, that this mistake is because of the BIOS version of the onboard controller? I have the latest mainboard BIOS version FJ, that includes the SiI 3512A S-ATA BIOS 4.3.33. On the Silicone Image Homepage there is a newer version 4.3.47E version available, but they say you should not flash an onboard controller.
How could I fix this problem? Does anybody have the same problems or expierience with the Gigabyte comment about that?

Thankx a lot!!!

Comments

  • Mr-MajestykMr-Majestyk
    edited December 2004
    I have very similar problem. If I install XP on SATA drive, then system keeps hanging either before OS loads or shortly after. If I use IDE instead it is very stable, but as soon as I try to launch something on SATA drive again system hangs. I would like to know if someone knows of the FJ bios combined with the latest SI bios as well.
  • Simon6795Simon6795
    edited December 2004
    Check out this thread guys http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20543
  • SiI3512ASiI3512A
    edited December 2004
    WOW, thanx a lot, great thread!!!
    Many modded up to date SiI 3x12 - mainboard BIOS versions available! ;)
    Will try the modded FJ Bios for my Ga-7N400 Pro2 Rev.2 and will post the result!
  • Mr-MajestykMr-Majestyk
    edited December 2004
    I have solved the problem. The new bios did not help. It turns out that if you have a pci sound card installed it can conflict with the sata controller. As soon as I removed my sound card a weeks frustration evaporated as the system was immediately stable.

    I have a Snata Cruz sound card and I have heard of other cards causing the same problem.

    It's disappointing as the Gigabyte does not use the excellent Soundstorm chipset but the average Realtek ACL 650 chip. I would have preferred to use my Santa Cruz, but for now I'm just happy the system is stable and working very well.

    Hope this helps those with this motherboard having SATA issues.
  • sixsix
    edited December 2004
    Maybe my post will give a bit more info on the issue as well. Your soundcard issue is a new perspective! It can quickly get complicated!
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited December 2004
    Mr Majestyk wrote:
    I have solved the problem. The new bios did not help. It turns out that if you have a pci sound card installed it can conflict with the sata controller. As soon as I removed my sound card a weeks frustration evaporated as the system was immediately stable.

    I have a Snata Cruz sound card and I have heard of other cards causing the same problem.

    It's disappointing as the Gigabyte does not use the excellent Soundstorm chipset but the average Realtek ACL 650 chip. I would have preferred to use my Santa Cruz, but for now I'm just happy the system is stable and working very well.

    Hope this helps those with this motherboard having SATA issues.
    Yes, a few soundcard and SATA issues are starting to crop up, see: http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20543&page=2&pp=20

    I have to point out though that Gigabyte boards seem to be the only mobo's really plagued by such wide spread SATA issues. Just do a search around the forums and you'll see that 99% of all the SATA problems people experience are on Gigabyte platforms.

    Gigabyte motherboards are awfull for SATA problems. It's not the SI chipsets, it's not the soundcards, it's Gigabyte's inability to produce good motherboards.

    Don't buy consumer level Gigabyte stuff, period!
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited December 2004
    SiI3512A wrote:
    WOW, thanx a lot, great thread!!!
    Many modded up to date SiI 3x12 - mainboard BIOS versions available! ;)
    Will try the modded FJ Bios for my Ga-7N400 Pro2 Rev.2 and will post the result!
    How ya getting on mate?
  • SiI3512ASiI3512A
    edited December 2004
    Spinner wrote:
    How ya getting on mate?

    Hi there,

    sorry for posting my results so late.
    I tried both modded FJ BIOS', the one from Spinner and the one from TMOD (thankx to both of you!!!).
    They worked fine and also updated the SiI3512 BIOS from 4.3.33 to 4.3.47.
    But the question mark in my device manager stayed. As I installed the latest drivers from Silicon Image or Gigabyte the WinXP boot up screen hang again.
    I also tried to remove my SBLive soundcard but this didn't help either.

    I don't know what to do now...
  • Tikal769Tikal769
    edited December 2004
    i still have the same problem you do, but i jus fixed it. Yup i ordered and new msi board. Im gonna keep my gigabyte board for jus ide drives. Gigabyte and Sata were not meant to be.
  • SiI3512ASiI3512A
    edited December 2004
    I hope that isn't the only way to solve this problem. I just bought my new hardware, it's brandnew. And I don't want to spend money in replacing a brandnew part...
    If I had known about the problems of Gigabyte and S-ATA I would never have bought a SATA device and stayed at he good old IDE!!!

    I'm still hoping to fix the problem...
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited December 2004
    SiI3512A wrote:
    If I had known about the problems of Gigabyte and S-ATA I would never have bought a SATA device and stayed at he good old IDE!!!

    I'm still hoping to fix the problem...
    If you're running your controller in RAID mode use this driver: http://www.short-media.com/download.php?d=326

    If you're running your controller in BASE mode use this driver: http://www.short-media.com/download.php?d=285

    Try both modes, with both drivers, uninstalling the controller driver after each test, making sure your use a good old fashioned restart after each install or uninstall before doing anything else.

    RAID mode however would be my recommendation for the mode to run your controller in. You don't need to be running 2 disks in a RAID setup to use this mode. RAID mode is essentially the controller fully turned on.

    Try all of the above then post back.

    Cheers
  • SiI3512ASiI3512A
    edited December 2004
    SPINNER is the B E S T ! ! ! :thumbsup::);)

    I uninstalled the controller, turned my controller in BIOS to RAID mode and tried your SiI3512 RAID driver and it WORKS!!!
    Controller is installed and shown correctly in the device manager, booting is no problem anymore and the system runs stable and fast!!! ;)

    I thought I have to use the BASE mode, when I have only one HDD.
    But the RAID mode works fine.
    Does RAID have any advantages to BASE?

    Apart from one HDD I have three optical drives. Now I'm running them on my two IDE-channels. Would it be better when I connect them to IDE3 and 4 in RAID mode?

    THANX A LOT!!!
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited January 2005
    SiI3512A wrote:
    SPINNER is the B E S T ! ! ! :thumbsup::);)

    I uninstalled the controller, turned my controller in BIOS to RAID mode and tried your SiI3512 RAID driver and it WORKS!!!
    Controller is installed and shown correctly in the device manager, booting is no problem anymore and the system runs stable and fast!!! ;)

    I thought I have to use the BASE mode, when I have only one HDD.
    But the RAID mode works fine.
    Does RAID have any advantages to BASE?

    Apart from one HDD I have three optical drives. Now I'm running them on my two IDE-channels. Would it be better when I connect them to IDE3 and 4 in RAID mode?

    THANX A LOT!!!
    You're optical drives won't work on the RAID controller sadly, if my memory serves that is. So I would leave them on the standard PATA.

    My understanding of the difference between RAID and BASE mode is a little cloudy, but I imagine BASE mode just uses the SATA inferface as a conduit rather than piping it through the actual SI chip. RAID mode is with the SI controller fully turned on and with the SATA devices attached properly piped through it and using it.

    Like I said, I've never been able to get a definitive understanding of the difference, I wish someone would make it crystal clear for me, (and correct me if my presumptions are incorrect about BASE mode) but one thing I do know however is that in RAID mode the controller is fully turned on.

    Glad you got it sorted. Let us know if you have any more trouble.
  • karlosovickarlosovic
    edited June 2006
    Spinner wrote:
    If you're running your controller in RAID mode use this driver: http://www.short-media.com/download.php?d=326

    If you're running your controller in BASE mode use this driver: http://www.short-media.com/download.php?d=285

    Try both modes, with both drivers, uninstalling the controller driver after each test, making sure your use a good old fashioned restart after each install or uninstall before doing anything else.

    RAID mode however would be my recommendation for the mode to run your controller in. You don't need to be running 2 disks in a RAID setup to use this mode. RAID mode is essentially the controller fully turned on.

    Try all of the above then post back.

    Cheers

    Wow ! thank you very much, this fixed my problems up instantly.

    about 12 months ago i upgraded my system drive to a 200gb seagate sata and I have been running it on the onboard sata controller no problems. Around christmas time I got 2x 200gb seagate pata drives and have been running them in RAID 0 for my storage, to replace the collection of smaller drives I used to use

    All of this had been without difficulty

    Then 2 days ago I decided it was time for my annual format->re-install windows... and that's where the trouble started
    In those 2 days I think I reinstalled windows about 8 times, using all sorts of different combinations of drivers because the problem i got was only intermittant and had never occured before, even though I haven't added any new hardware recently.
    Sometimes my system would just lock up for 10-15 seconds before resuming. Mostly after the lock-ups i would return to normal use, but if it occured during certain operations (like installing other drivers, software etc or file transfers) the system would either lock up completely or the operation I was performing would become corrupted

    hardware profile is:
    GA-7N400 Pro 2 (rev 2) on FJ bios
    althon 2600 XP
    2x 512mb PC3200 generic ram
    128mb Asus R 9600 XT
    SB Audigy 2 value

    200gb Seagate SATA on Sil 3512a controller (onboard)
    2x 200gb Seagate PATA in RAID 0 on IT8212 onboard RAID controller

    Pioneer DVR-108 + Asus 52x24x52 CD/RW on 2nd main onboard IDE controller

    Onboard sound & LAN also both active (I do some mucking about audio mixing and use 2 sound cards)

    I had been using all the most recent mobo drivers listed on the Gigabyte website, plus Catalyst 6.5 and whatever the most recent version of audigy drivers are

    over the last 2 days Ive also tried a variation of different old drivers of different dates, including the default ones off the install CDs

    switchiong the SiI controller to RAID mode and using the driver you posted seems to have worked a charm

    thanks again :)
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