This document provides a guide to the installation of SATA hard disks and RAID configuration. It includes instructions for installing SATA hard disks and precautions for RAID configuration, as well as steps for configuring RAID on Windows operating systems. It also introduces the basic knowledge of RAID and different RAID configuration options.
This guide explains how to install Serial ATA (SATA) hard disks on a motherboard using the Intel Q77 chipset and how to set up various RAID configurations (RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, and Intel Rapid Storage). It covers installation precautions, BIOS settings, and operating‑system installation with RAID enabled.
Detailed instructions are provided for entering the BIOS, configuring the Intel RAID BIOS, creating and deleting RAID volumes, and selecting stripe sizes. The document also includes notes on drive compatibility, minimum drive requirements, and recommended practices for data safety.
| Supported RAID levels | RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel Rapid Storage |
|---|---|
| Number of SATA channels | 4 independent SATA channels |
| Minimum drives for RAID 10 | 4 hard disk drives |
| Minimum drives for RAID 5 | 3 hard disk drives |
| RAID 0 stripe size options | 8 KB – 128 KB (default 128 KB) |
Enter the BIOS setup (press F2), go to the Advanced screen, and set "Configure SATA" to [RAID] for the desired ports, then save and exit.
After reboot, press Ctrl+I when prompted, select "Create RAID Volume", choose a name, RAID level, and stripe size, then confirm the setup.
You can select stripe sizes ranging from 8 KB to 128 KB; the default is 128 KB.
Yes, select the "Delete RAID Volume" option in the RAID utility and follow the on‑screen instructions.