AMD Enables NVMe RAID on X399 Platform

Raevenlord · Oct 2, 2017

AMD has delivered on its teased promise, and today introduced a software-driven NVMe RAID driver that enables users to, you guessed it, create bootable NVMe arrays on their X399, Threadripper platform. The new solution demands that users download the appropriate drivers from AMD (follow the source links), and that you backup and dismantle your puny SATA RAID - note that you won't be able to use dual SATA and NVMe RAID on your platform. Any X399 motherboard will support this, there are no restrictions on the models of the NVMe drives, but your OS will have to be Windows 10 (build 1703).

The installation can be done via BIOS (which depends on manufacturer's BIOS releases and QA schedules - or via software with AMD's own RAIDXpert2 software. You can also opt for either of three RAID modes: RAID0 (striping), RAID1 (mirroring), and RAID10 (striping with mirroring). RAID10, by design, requires four or six NVMe devices. AMD is quoting scaling values that are close to 100% for RAID read scaling, and somewhere around 90% write scaling with up to 6 NVMe drives (1-6x Samsung 960 Pro NVMe SSD with 512 GB each). That amounts to almost 21.2 GB/s read, and 11.53 GB/s writes for a 6x NVMe SSD RAID. If you want the ultimate storage system performance for us mortal consumers, now you know where you can get it.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

EarthDog · Oct 2, 2017

Are there boards that have 4 m.2 slots?

StrayKAT · Oct 2, 2017

I'd like to know too. I have 2 m.2s and... 2 (useless?) u.2's.. but I might be able to convert the u.2 to m.2 . Still not sure.

That said, you could use PCI as well. I guess it qualifies for this.

EarthDog · Oct 2, 2017

PCIe would, PCI, not so much.

StrayKAT · Oct 2, 2017

hah.. I'm just lazy. Even for one extra letter

BadFrog · Oct 2, 2017

Asus makes one

https://www.asus.com/Motherboard-Accessory/HYPER-M-2-X16-CARD/

Hyper M.2 x16 card has 4 slots

bonehead123 · Oct 2, 2017

ever heard that quote from that Keven Kostner movie- "build it and they will come"

'nuff said

Chaitanya · Oct 2, 2017

No, but you can add one of these MSI M.2 cards into PCI-E slot plus 2/3 M.2 slots on motherboards get those 4xM.2 RAID.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/11508/msi-demos-prototype-hybrid-storage-card

TheLaughingMan · Oct 2, 2017

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...5124170&cm_re=PCIe_M.2-_-15-124-170-_-Product

You just need something like this. Not this one, but I am sure several co. make better quality ones.

EarthDog · Oct 2, 2017

Yes, well aware of AICs... just asked about BOARDS.

eidairaman1 · Oct 2, 2017

Field of dreams

Rehmanpa · Oct 2, 2017

This is awesome! Definitely gives it an edge over Intel's x299 platform, with their pay to enable bootraid from only Intel based nvme ssd drives.

eidairaman1 · Oct 2, 2017

Now only if AMD would merge the thread Ripper and Epic lines under one physical and electrically compatible socket

Sihastru · Oct 2, 2017

No one has any problem with this?

jaggerwild · Oct 2, 2017

The Z170 GIGABYTE SOC force board had 4 of them. Opps only three....

Steevo · Oct 2, 2017

No as anyone who might need it would be using dedicated hardware cards, meaning the RAID engine could support boot and cache subsystems on the M.2 drives and primary storage on a dedicated hardware backed, cache protected, huge array, while running some huge datasets on Radeon Vega based Pro SSG with dual M.2 directly accessed by the GPU.

Welcome to the future https://pro.radeon.com/en/product/pro-series/radeon-pro-ssg/

CheapMeat · Oct 3, 2017

Get an adapter? I'm fine with mATX and mini-ITX getting more than one M.2 slot in the PCIe area but I'm SICK of ATX and EATX boards giving up that region to 2 or 3 M.2 slots now. You can add WAY more M.2's with an adapter. There's more and more solutions coming out or already exist. ATX and EATX are losing their purpose with their PCIe slots. We finally get CPUs with more PCIe lanes and we have to give them up PCIe slots now for dinky x1 and x4 slots for M.2 connectors that only allow one kind of solution; huge shame. At least some boards do the right thing by putting the M.2 slots by the PCH, near RAM or even underneath the board.

Anyway, this is great news.

jigar2speed · Oct 3, 2017

The big story, plus unlike Intel, AMD is giving this driver for FREE.

Prima.Vera · Oct 3, 2017

4x256GB EVOs here I come!!

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Processor	Ryzen 5800x
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AMD Enables NVMe RAID on X399 Platform

Raevenlord

News Editor

EarthDog

StrayKAT

EarthDog

StrayKAT

BadFrog

bonehead123

Chaitanya

TheLaughingMan

EarthDog

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

Rehmanpa

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

Sihastru

jaggerwild

Steevo

CheapMeat

jigar2speed

Prima.Vera

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