Need help with NCQ

[Fozzik]

All right, gang...going out of my mind here.

I don't know why this kind of thing bugs me so much, but I guess that's probably part of what made me a computer geek. I have sleepless nights when I can't figure out how to do something with my computer.

So here's the deal. I have a motherboard SATA controller that's capable of NCQ (I'm pretty sure I do, at least :confused: ), and I have a hard drive capable of NCQ. I know NCQ doesn't really provide anything special, and in fact can slow things down in a desktop environment...but...

I cannot for the life of me figure out how to turn it on/off...or even where to view what it is set for. It's driving me crazy. Normally you can find this stuff on the web somewhere, or find some freeware utility that will at least show you if it's on/off...but I can find nothing. I can't find anywhere in windows or my BIOS that has the setting, and there doesn't seem to be anything on Nvidia's or Maxtor's websites that is at all useful.

so...HELP?! :)

By the way, I just ran the HDTach benchmark just for fun...and it says my drive is bursting from cache at 137.5 MB/s. Not bad. ;)

[Breogan]

You should be able to do it in the Device Manager: in the SATA controller properties there should be a checkbox for "Enable command queuing". This doesn't work with the regular SATA drivers from MS, you'll need nVidia (should already have them installed).

[Fozzik]

Well, I did check the device manager...that was part of the problem. I can't find a SATA controller in there anywhere. I may not have the nvidia driver installed. *goes to poke around some more*

[Breogan]

Look under IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers: it should appear there as "NVIDIA nForce 4 SATA controller", or maybe "NVIDIA nForce4 ADMA controller". If it's the later or doesn't appear at all, I'd look for the latest Forceware drivers and install them.

[Nubb]

It's in nForce3 drivers as well, at least as far back as 5.10.xxx. Downfall for me when using nForce ATA drivers is that I always have a "remove hardware" tray icon. Windows thinks my HDs are removable drives (I can even set them to autoplay, or "Eject" :p ... yet to try that hehe). That's the only "problem" I've had with nForce, pretty minor.

Interested to see info info you might get once/if you enable NCQ.

[Fozzik]

Well, at least in the case of SATA... they are removable drives. :D

SATA spec includes hot swapping. So at least in theory, it's working as intended...you definitely have to stop a hard drive before you yank it out. Hence the safe removal system tray icon.

I now have that icon as well... I just had a 30 minute adventure with Nforce drivers. Ah, what bored computer geeks do for fun.

The first install of the latest Nforce drivers did not go well at all. I rebooted, and windows got stuck at the splash screen, with the little blue pill going across the screen over and over. I let it go for about five minutes (this is normally the time it detects/initializes hardware devices, so no doubt the hosed mobo drivers were wreaking havoc).

After a bit of fancy fooling around in safe mode, a couple blue screens, and no less than three more installs of the Nforce drivers as well as a fresh install of my video drivers (they got hosed as well)... I now have the #*($$*# little checkbox in my SATA controller properties. :D

Computer 0, Fozzik 1

And... I unchecked the box. My work here is done. Next up... some more HDtach benchmarks to see if my performance improved at all with the proper Nvidia drivers installed.

The truth about NCQ is that the advantages it offers are almost universally server-type access pattern stuff. Much like RAID 0, desktop applications just don't benefit very much (or it's very inconsistant) from NCQ. In heavy multi-tasking, you may see some benefits from NCQ depending on the applications your running...but you are probably just as likely to see decreased performance from NCQ. So... I wanted it disabled, and I wanted to be able to see that it was disabled. All is well with the world. :)

[Fozzik]

So...after installing the latest and greatest Nforce drivers, and disabling NCQ, I tested again with HDtach. No change at all in performance. oh well, at least I have 4 system tray icons now...and I get to see the check box for NCQ. :ninja:

[Nubb]

SATA spec includes hot swapping. So at least in theory, it's working as intended...you definitely have to stop a hard drive before you yank it out. Hence the safe removal system tray icon.
Ahh well then that makes sense! I could have sworn it also listed my ATA(IDE) HD as removable too, but nope it only lists my SATA drives.

Btw, and I'm sure you're aware (and have done this), but just hide (ignore) the HD-Remove system tray icons. Apparently there is no way to remove it.

[Lord_Vyper]

Well, at least in the case of SATA... they are removable drives. :D

And I thank the overcaffinated geek gods that they are!
Replacing drives in general sucks, and having to shut the system down would make it a much bigger headache then it already is.
Hot swap SATA trays (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817123302) FTW!

[tennex]

Vyper, always a step ahead more often than not. In the future I may be interested in purchasing some of those so I have bookmarked it. This would be useful for small server type configurations. Looking at the picture it shows the mount and the shell (for the lack of terminology on my part anyway). Anyway could you just buy 2 of those badboy's and buy 2 extra shells to support 2 drives on standby ready to pop in at any moment for whatever the case may be, and for the sake of not having 2 mounts collecting dust? I really dont need anymore junk to add to my half-working motherboads and other PCBs garden. Can you post a link to the shells if so? I couldn't find anything on this.

On the other side of the spectrum (for anyone who is thinking like me), if it were used to build a real server that was generating profit or whatever, it wouldn't hurt to have spare parts for every component, those of you in the IT field probably know this already and even had to perform replacements. I know I have. Compaq makes some terrible stuff.

[Lord_Vyper]

Unfortunately Athena doesn't sell the drive shells, just the complete kits.
If you're looking for ones for more of a small server arrangement, Kingwin sells both the kits and the shells. Kit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817121172), and shell (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817121175).
I wouldn't recommend Kingwin for serious server usage, as the connectors they use between the rack and tray are kinda flimsy, and will break on you too quick.