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M4E SATA 3 and hotswap HDD issues

Retired
Not applicable
This will be long so I'll just get started by listing the components.

2600k stock speeds
2133 g skill ripjaws 8gb
Evga hydro copper gtx 590
Max iops vertex3 120gb ssd
600gb velociraptor
Corsair obsidian 800d case

2 loop liquid cooling

The problem(s):
•i first set up and started the system with the ssd as boot drive. Windows installed on it, but system was unstable and would hang and hang harder after restarts. After I put the velociraptor as boot drive and installed windows, same thing happened. Sometimes the Bios would see both drives, sometimes not. These drives are installed in a hotswap bay in the 800d case, so I had swapped their positions in the bay before installing win7 to the 2nd hdd. When the 2nd hdd showed the same symptoms of hanging like the first, i pulled the ssd out of the hotswap, and immediately all problems were fixed. Im thinking that the hdds arent getting enough power since the hotswap bay and her 4 hdds are powered by a single sata3 cable.
So my questions are: does this hotswap bay only need power from the one cable? And if so, what could be causing the hangs etc?
I would like the ssd to be the boot drive. Does it matter which sata3 plugs i plug eah device into? Marvell or intel... And what about the optical drive as well...

On a side note, when I installed drivers for LAN, usb 3.0, marvell ahci sata3, bluetooth, and hd audio, computer failed to load windows after the restart. Tonight i will install the drivers one by ome to find the culprit.

Hopefully somebody that has experience making ssd's work will read this... I've heard they can sometimes be difficult.

Thank you for reading.
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6 REPLIES 6

Praz
Level 13
I have run a Max IO on the M4E for a month or so now without issue. The SSD should be connected to one of the Intel SATA 6Gb/s ports. Also set hot-plugging to enabled for the port the SSD is connected to and for the Velociraptor if it has issues.

Kipper
Level 10
Depending on when you got the 800D the backplate PCB for the hotswap bays might not be SATA II 6G capable.

Corsair has the new backplate for sale to upgrade all four bays to SATA 6G.

Retired
Not applicable
Kipper wrote:
Depending on when you got the 800D the backplate PCB for the hotswap bays might not be SATA II 6G capable.

Corsair has the new backplate for sale to upgrade all four bays to SATA 6G.


I have the newest version 800D. The backplane is sata3, but unlike the previous sata3 backplane, mine only has one power connector. This was changes by Corsair because of the issues with connecting sata power to all 4 hotswaps, however I fear multiple hdds would be underpowered with just one cable... I would think this couldnt be the case because why would Corsair design a backplane with such an obvious flaw?

I will try the Intel sata3 connector when I get off work... Should the velociraptor also be connected to the Intel?

Kipper
Level 10
I did the upgrade and I am running an SSD and 2 spinners off the front hotswap bays without any problem whatsoever. I agree, Corsair would not have putout an upgrade that was not thoroughly tested and worked as intended.

Retired
Not applicable
Kipper wrote:
I did the upgrade and I am running an SSD and 2 spinners off the front hotswap bays without any problem whatsoever. I agree, Corsair would not have putout an upgrade that was not thoroughly tested and worked as intended.


Which backplane do you have, the one with just one power connector? And if so, what kind of power cable do you use?

Dennisphere wrote:
Which backplane do you have, the one with just one power connector? And if so, what kind of power cable do you use?


Yep, the upgraded PCB only has the one power plug which is just above the top SATA connection. I am using an angled SATA extension cable.