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Does which SATA port you use effect boot time?

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Dec 31, 2009
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Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
I saw something on the web (a user - cannot seem to find a reference) that said to be sure you put your sata drive on sata0 (first port) for the fastest boot times. The logic behind this statement was that the bios searches that port first.

AFAIK, the native ports are initialized first and then any third party controllers. So it makes sense the native ports can boot faster (negligibly), but isnt the boot order determined by what the user has set in the bios? Meaning I can put a drive in sata4 (so long as it is native controller) and the boot time remains the same than if I put it on sata0, right? In other words, the bios doesnt 'look'for boot drives...you TELL IT where to look.

Thoughts and links, please!
 
you tell it where to look.
 
BIOS doesn't advance until it enumerates all of the ports so SATA0 or SATA9, it doesn't matter--time is the same because it's checking them all.

In regards to extra controllers...if you don't intend to boot from it then simply remove it from the boot order so the BIOS just initializes the card and doesn't scan the drives for a boot information. Even if you do boot an extra controller, the time isn't in actually booting, it's in waiting for user input on configuration. If you disable the boot config screen then its boot time is also negligible.


Simply culling the boot list is the smart thing to do. If the machine has Windows 10 only on it, make the first and only boot item Windows Boot Manager.


If POST is taking more than a few seconds (assuming no RAID card with a 10 second timer) then there's a problem. If it's not doing that, it's fine, fuhgeddaboudit.
 
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BIOS doesn't advance until it enumerates all of the ports so SATA0 or SATA9, it doesn't matter--time is the same because it's checking them all.

In regards to extra controllers...if you don't intend to boot from it then simply remove it from the boot order so the BIOS just initializes the card and doesn't scan the drives for a boot information. Even if you do boot an extra controller, the time isn't in actually booting, it's in waiting for user input on configuration. If you disable the boot config screen then its boot time is also negligible.
Typically, you need to disable the controller for the second part, otherwise it still initializes/adds time to POST.

The thread isnt so much about how to lower boot times (but thanks!) as it is the concept of if there is a difference in boot times between native ports as this person asserts. :)
 
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Typically, you need to disable the controller for the second part, otherwise it still initializes/adds time to POST.
My motherboard allows for partial initialization where only devices necessary for boot are done at POST time. I forget what the setting itself is called though.
 
Fast boot, I believe?
No, mine doesn't support that. It's near the setting for the boot order and whatnot. Give me a moment and I'll see if I can find it.
 
...if there is a difference in boot times between native ports as this person asserts. :)
The only way there would be is if there's something physically wrong with one of the ports. Of hundreds of computers, I've only seen that happen twice. The problem was only obvious because of erasing drives so I had 1:1 machines to compare erase times: outliers stand out like a sore thumb. Under normal circumstances, the outliers would have gone unnoticed.

If the ports are all functionally normally, there is no difference (again, because POST queries them all before moving on)
 
That is what I thought but wanted to crowd source some knowledge. I feel even more confident in what I shared then. :)
 
I lied. It’s an option inside of Fast Boot. I thought it was called something different.
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Most motherboards don't have that kind of specificity with Fast Boot. :x
 
I'm surprised X79 had it. When I said it earlier, I didn't look at your hardware. I don't recall when fast boot was first used in BIOS'.
 
I'm surprised X79 had it. When I said it earlier, I didn't look at your hardware. I don't recall when fast boot was first used in BIOS'.
This is what happens when you spend $380 on a motherboard. The P9X79 Deluxe has been a great board.
 
Bios Scans hardware for devices (enabled).
then hands over to OS
OS bootstraps (checks Bios) and loads Devices ( software settings)
OS loads to desk top
 
Depending on the board the location Port can matter...
Take the Intel Z77 for instance.
It has 2 built in SATA controller's..
SATA 3 on ports 0 and 1 and ports 2-5 are SATA 2

Ports 0 and 1 are always faster. Because they are under a faster controller.
Many many stupid ASRock and cheap MSI boards have done this to.
 
Depending on the board the location Port can matter...
Take the Intel Z77 for instance.
It has 2 built in SATA controller's..
SATA 3 on ports 0 and 1 and ports 2-5 are SATA 2

Ports 0 and 1 are always faster. Because they are under a faster controller.
Many many stupid ASRock and cheap MSI boards have done this to.
This is correct, but not the point :).

I specifically mentioned native vs. 3rd party earlier and port/controller speeds are assumed to be the same, of course.
 
This is correct, but not the point. I specifically mentioned native vs. 3rd party and port/controller speeds are assumed to be the same, of course. :)
Oh yeah.. Lol
It wouldn't matter on the same controller.
The same process takes place regardless of which Port is used.
All ports initialize at the same time then it happens exactly as @dorsetknob explained
 
then it happens exactly as @dorsetknob explained
I think that is missing a step... ;)





Anyway, these are the assertions made which brought me here....
The first SATA drive port will give the fastest OS boot up......

Yes on some motherboards BIOS looks for the OS on the first SATA1 port and has a delay timer so it won't miss the OS drive boot, before BIOS searches for the next SATA 2 port to boot the OS drive, then the BIOS keeps looking through the rest of SATA ports for the OS boot drive.........

However, most modern motherboards on each POST the BIOS automatically searches for the boot sector on a drive to find the boot order and will take more time searching through all the drives starting at the first SATA port. Nothing on a computer is done all at the same time except parallel processing, it's done with steps on a programming tree.

and one reply...
My understanding is the bios will find the device on whatever native port in the same time regardless. As in, as soon as the integrated SATA controller on the chipset is initialized, it will boot from whatever the boot order is you set in the bios. It doesnt wait to 'see' a drive or search for one in any order... its TOLD where to pull boot info from by what the user sets in the bios. Either windows manager (which is not a sata port if you look in your bios and boot order) or the actual drive (older windows). It's not like they come online in any order
 
On my server board it has a red sata and rest are black. I always thought it was required to boot from that but it isnt in reality.

Bios controls boot order basically.
 
I think that is missing a step... ;)





Anyway, these are the assertions made which brought me here....


and one reply...
The first is just wrong.
It doesn't do any searching it just does what it's told and goes there.
Even if it didn't we're talking about .000000000001 seconds...
I guess if the OS drive was missing it's MBR it would go looking but that's different altogether.
 
Depending on the motherboard and its age, the time difference is in [less than] milliseconds for the more recent motherboards vs motherboards from say 2004.
 
On my server board it has a red sata and rest are black. I always thought it was required to boot from that but it isnt in reality.

Bios controls boot order basically.
This may be how the board shows you which are on what controllers.

The first is just wrong.
It doesn't do any searching it just does what it's told and goes there.
Even if it didn't we're talking about .000000000001 seconds...
I guess if the OS drive was missing it's MBR it would go looking but that's different altogether.
It would go looking to the next drive in the boot order... still what YOU/BIOS tells it to do.

Depending on the motherboard and its age, the time difference is in [less than] milliseconds for the more recent motherboards vs motherboards from say 2004.
So, are you saying there IS actually a difference??????????????????????
 
Bios takes nano-seconds to scan/load Devices
Boot order is Determind by Bios (subject to OS setup).
System Boots to OS on defined Drive ( if no OS then it proceeds's to next Drive).
BOOT Order is not necessarily same as Bootable Drive.
 
Bios takes nano-seconds to scan/load Devices
Boot order is Determind by Bios (subject to OS setup).
System Boots to OS on defined Drive ( if no OS then it proceeds's to next Drive).
BOOT Order is not necessarily same as Bootable Drive.
that's better...

Though what is "(subject to OS setup)"?
 
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