Support question for FM2A85X-ITX

[Kyle Gilgan]

I'm trying to find out if the PCIe x16 slot on the FM2A85X-ITX motherboard supports non-graphic cards, I would like
to use it for an 'x2' 4 port sata controller from IOCrest, the documentation on the board in not very clear on this and it is a determining factor for purchasing.

If it does not, does anyone know if it supports sata port multipliers?

Thanks you.

[- wardog -]

It's my understanding that the A85X chipset does support FIS based switching. Thus yes.

...... pause

Yes. See the A-series chipset feature/comparison chart HERE, about half way down the page.

[- wardog -]

Better yet. HERE's a review of the FM2A85X-ITX with the same feature chart.

[Kyle Gilgan]

Thanks for the reply and pointing me to those reviews. The motherboard I am going to be replacing contains the intel g43 chipset which also supports 'sata multipliers' (if I remember correctly), but the mother board manufacture(not ASRock) happened to forget to add that support and never implemented it, they also decided it was a good idea to disabled the on-board video anytime any type of card was detected in the PCIe x16 slot so that eliminated the possibility for an expansion controller.

So I am just slightly cautious when searching for a replacement motherboard.

[Kyle Gilgan]

Well finally got the MB in and it does support non video expansion card, however my Samsung HD541UI hard drives freeze the machine anytime I try to boot with them plugged in

[- wardog -]

You're trying booting from an eSata box?

[Kyle Gilgan]

You're trying booting from an eSata box?

oh no, I'm just simply plugging in the hard drive to the on board sata (or an add on sata controller), all other hard drives I have to test work fine with the MB, but none of the 6 identical Samsung HD154UI drives (verified working) I have for this build will allow the MB to post.

[- wardog -]

Those you have, are they Samsung or Seagate? I'm reading there were both.

And I don't at all get why they exhibit the same behavior when connected/controlled to an add-in card. That makes absolutely no sense. And I know you don't have an add-in card that has an A85X controller ;)

What if anything is on these drives? Current format is xXxXx?

[Kyle Gilgan]

Finally resolved the issue, seems it was not a problem with the motherboard after all.

The drives were brand new. It seems that these particular drives suffered from a firmware bug of which no update is avaliable. I know that at least two different versions of firmware were shipped with the same revision number as I did find one drive that worked and forcefully flashed the non working drives with its firmware, all is well now. I only wish the the hard drive manufacture would have been a little more forthcoming on this issue.

[- wardog -]

Care to name the FW revisions, faulting and corrected?

Oh, also what add-on plug in controller card?