Raid on the P-7811

Ya when i was speaking about the history of bios updates, i wasnt even talking about the 6831/6860 etc. i was talking more general in there whole line up in the history of gateway what is the chance they would add such a feature later on to a bios update . im sure people that have owned LOts of gateways maybe could answer that better then i cause up to this point i had owned 5 dell laptops and a alienware laptop and always built my own desktops so i would really hate to speculate on how much or little i know about gateways history of bios of fixing/adding features. I may actually pickup 7811 in the next week or so if my friend decides he wants my 6860 hes been buggin me about buying it so i may cave . if it doesnt have raid it really wouldnt bother me as much as say Dook but it would be a nice feature to have as a choice.

 

I've decided I'm just going to use my computer like I would normally, and if we somehow someday figure out how to use raid on it I'll just have to wipe it clean and do it

 

Umm, in all honesty, It really wouldn't bother me that much. It's a nice feature with definite benefit, but it's not going to completely inhibit my computing experience without it.

However, seeing as how I do have RAID and there are some who have never used it making questionable statements, I simply try to set the record straight.

 

Oh BTW, if you're thinking of ghosting (acronising, etc) your hard drive and sending it back down if and when RAID becomes available, save your time. I found out the hard way It doesn't work. Vista doesnt like to be changed to AHCI RAID midway, which sucks. The data will transfer just fine, but Windows will bluescreen.

 

ah, i'll just have to store what i need on an external and move it back once raid is setup (can't wait to see this day)

 

+1 You can easily dd your image, but Vista will not allow the change without a new install.

 

Lol i was just pokin at you dook about the raid thing, but lets say one day on capital hill theres a huge rally about adding raid to laptops, i could see you in the audience somewhere holding a sign .

 

LOL. I know you were just goofin. And yea, you probably would see me there, with syn right beside me.

 

I'd be one of the guys that gets arrested and does jail time for assault on a gateway rep

 

I'd just simply keep calling them over and over demanding to speak with someone who can help me. And if I get an idiot who doesn't know anything I'll tell him so and to transfer me to someone who can help me.

But that's just me. I can't stand idiots trying to do a job they're not qualified for.

If I'm going to spend hundreds of $ on some company's product, they better **** well give me the customer service I require.

 

I'm confused here, I thought we had confirmation that someone on the forum here did indeed get the RAID working on their new P-7811. So what, that's now turned out to be a hoax?

 

I wrongly thought so as well.. apparently those who said they "confirmed" raid on the 7811, didn't actually have one...

 

That's just flippin' great. I was going to pick up a 7811 as soon as Best Buy put it on sale. Guess I won't be now. I'll have to wait for a new model that does have the RAID support.

 

Stuff like that really chaps my a$$. Along with riding horses bareback.

 

lord I know how you feel, but you really need raid that much? what you using it for?

 

Yikes. I wouldn't go quite that far. It's a real nice laptop for the money.

 

Everything from school to gaming. I want the RAID in there so I can stripe two
128GB SSDs. For once I want to splurge and get every erg of performance. I also want this rig to last me a few years. I've looked into Sager, Alienware, etc, but they are just too expensive. You're really paying just for the brand name on the Alienware. The Gateway FX model is a good all around value for what you are getting. The only other good latop I've seen RAID on is that desktop replacement machine from Sager and its more than twice the price of the Gateway.

 

Its a bummer there isnt raid but i wouldnt let that sway you one bit from getting this machine plus theres always hope they add it down the line and if they dont oh well its still an awsome machine .

 

Well, I was going to pick up the P-173XL FX until I got on these forums and saw that the new models with the Intel PM45 chipset were just around the corner.

I'm not in any hurry to buy a new laptop. I don't really need one till February. So if worse comes to worse, I'll just see what other new models Gateway has in the works. If they are planning a refresh for the P-173XL FX, I'd snap it up in an instant.

 

Fair enough.

 

No offense to the poster above but if you want raid then you can just get the previous version of the gateway fx and just get the p173 version for the upgraded screen. Sure the 7811 has the newer chipset but I can assure you that new processor line only offer better battery power and with a system like this, who really cares about battery right? Same thing can be said for DDR3, due to it being farely new, DDR3 is barely an upgrade from DDR2 because of its higher latencies(sans the battery efficiency).

The GPU is practically a rebranded 8800gts with higher clocks which the 8800gts from the previous gts can reach easily.

Not to mention the previous has a better wireless card and bluetooth.

Sure, you're not going to get the latest chipset but if you care about having everything, then the previous models of the fx are right up there.

 

Yeah, I've thought about all that. But since I don't need a new laptop right now, I don't need to make a decision yet. Thanks for your input.

 

And not to mention getting an extreme processor for the 965 chipset is really cheap nowadays, I've seen some ES X9000 chips go for 320$ on ebay and some brand new x9000 chips going for 380$.

Then compare buying it to a brand new extreme montevina processor... These things usually come out to be 1k when they are released.

So why wait on that? Unless of course you think 2.22ghz is enough for you. Just a little fact atm the p8400 is the lowest end of the new montevina processors. It's what you can say... the t5450 of the 965gm chipset =D.

 

I'd thought about the processor upgrade options too. If I was going to dump one of the new extreme processors in it, it wouldn't happen for a year at least anyway. By then maybe they will have come down from Intel's lofty 1k price point.

Kinda like what I did with my Asus Socket 939 motherboard in my desktop. Waited till the Athlon FX-60 came down to $400.00 and then snatched it up.

 

back on topic: one of the statup programs that is default on the 7811 is "Raid Event Monitor" and its classification is "not yet classified" while all others on the list are "permitted". one thing to remove raid another to remind us lol

 

Can anyone with a 6860FX check Device Manager for a the ICH8M Raid Controller please? Or use Everest if you have it. the 7811 has a SATA AHCI Controller and I really cannot recall if the RAID functionality was built in or its own controller. The answer to that will determine if it is even possible for Gateway to "enable it".

 

There is indeed an ICH8M RAID Controller in Device Manager.

 

But I wonder if that's because you loaded the drivers during the Windows setup. Someone who has a stock 6860 needs to confirm.

 

Umm, this is a STOCK 6811. The processor and hard drives make no difference. It's still the same driver loaded.

 

Not necessarily, or at least not from my experience with desktops. If you don't enable RAID in the BIOS, then you don't need to install the RAID driver. Since you have RAID enabled, that could explain why you have it showing up in Device Manager.

 

Ok. I see what you're getting at. Makes sense.

 

Yeah, its actually designed to use the same controller. The BIOS dictates how the controller operates. Here is from the ICH9M Technical Document:

The Intel Matrix Storage Manager RAID Option ROM is a standard PnP Option ROM that is easily integrated into any System BIOS. When in place, it provides the following three primary functions:

• Provides a text mode user interface that allows the user to manage the RAID configuration on the system in a pre-operating system environment. Its feature set is kept simple to keep size to a minimum, but allows the user to create & delete RAID volumes and select recovery options when problems occur.
• Provides boot support when using a RAID volume as a boot disk. It does this by providing Int13 services when a RAID volume needs to be accessed by DOS applications (such as NTLDR) and by exporting the RAID volumes to the System BIOS for selection in the boot order.
• At each boot up, provides the user with a status of the RAID volumes and the option to enter the user interface by pressing CTRL-I.​

The document make several references that ICH9M-Enhanced (used by the 7811FX) includes raid support specifically. But as far as I can tell, any laptop with 2+ bays and the ICH9M chipset should allow raid with a simply PnP BIOS Option.

Unless I'm missing something, Gateway has no excuse to not include this functionality. If they do not, it could be to boost sales of the to-be-released replacement of the P-173 series. Nonetheless, this means if Gateway turns their back on the issue, raid could be born from a little bit of reverse engineering on future Montevina notebooks and a Plazmic with nothing better to do.

 

UPDATE: Intel specs also list eSATA as a feature ONLY for the ICH9M Southbridges that support RAID. It's most certainly a function that the 7811FX Motherboard would allow, it simply appears, like many guessed, the option is missing from the BIOS.

 

i am almost certain it gateway who didn't put a menu in the bios, hopefully it just like the vt support on the p-68xx. it is there they just didn't enable it.

i will post a picture of my device manager once i get to my notebook.

 

If I am ignorant please be kind when you tell me so, but what are the chances of a bios upgrade from the company that makes that laptop for Gateway or Phoenix, or is it a just not gonna happen due to something specific about the 7811?

 

here it is:

 

Sorry to get off topic but is there any official notice of a refresh to the 173 series, or are you just inferring that it's likely? I would be heartbroken if the refresh comes out in the next month or two since I just got the 7811...

 

There is no official notice, but when Gateway sells their current Santa Rosa inventory, they will either pull the 173 entirely or upgrade it to Montevina.

The SI SATA Controller in that screenshot is for the eSATA port, which is now controlled by the ICH9M-E on the 7811. Depending on the BIOS configuration, the 6831/6860 owners will either have a RAID or ACHI controller, not both. Gateway has not included the RAID ROM that is required to enable such, or at least not made it possible to activate it. In attempting to reverse the ROM, I haven't found evidence to support either of the above possibilities yet though.

Phoenix will release updates, but to Gateway only, it is there responsibility to customize and ensure functionality for their products.

 

$10 through paypal to anyone who gets raid working lol

 

For $250 i will think about that...

 

lol no ty, get 24 others to join in! lol

 

We need to get ahold of BIOSMAN and see if he'll be interested in doing a custom BIOS for us. I would love to have VM ability and possibly a higher OC. As i'm also sure the 7811 peeps would kill over RAID, obviously. I'll email him and see if he would be interested.

EDIT: Created a post on the biosman msg board containing the following:

Hello,
I hope this is in the correct place, as I wasn't exactly sure where to post it. At any rate, I am among a large group of Gateway FX laptop owners over at notebookreview.com. As you may or may not know, Gateway has released a new laptop model, the 7811FX, that for some reason(unlike the 6860,6831) shipped with RAID disabled. The chipset definitely supports it, so it seems Gateway just left if out for reasons unbeknown to us. Is there any way that you could possibly look into creating a custom BIOS for this model? Also for the 6831/6860s, as well as the 7811, it would be nice if VT was available, as well as the ability to OC past 3.0ghz. Thank you for your time.

I guess we'll see if it's something he finds feasible.

 

Never heard of him. How will he go about creating a bios, wouldn't he need the laptop in question so that he knows what settings for such things as fans etc to make. I'm sure gateway won't have the greatest support documents available to him. Would be awesome though, the guy must be a superhero.

 

There may be a way to dump the bios and send it to him, I don't know. But it's worth a shot at least.

 

Others have tried to dump the bios in the past and were successful in dumping it i believe, but could not reflash it because it was always a couple bytes bigger which wont allow a reflash .

 

Gooooo figure. Well, it was worth a shot.

 

it still may be worth a shot and its nice you took the time to go over there and post on our behalf even if there are no results.

 

No problem. I just find it incredibly stupid that Gateway disabled RAID to begin with.

 

did you guys read we were able to enable vt on our p-68xx using symcos ?
seems kinda odd paying a guy to do what gateway should have done in the first place.

 

It sounds like they just didn't know what they were doing. The BIOS is compressed and with a compressed size of 2048KB on the 7811FX. Changing certain things like the logo can be pretty simple. Adding a drop in ROM such as the Intel may just be a simple on / off in this version of the Phoenix BIOS while the actual RAID ROM is on another EEPROM chip.