Gigabyte G1 Sniper 2 Manual

							- 81 -Unique Features
With  GIGABYTE eXtreme  Hard  Drive  (X.H.D)  (Note  1),	users	 can	quickly	 configure	 a	RAID-ready  system  for  RAID  0  when  a  new  SATA  drive  is  added.  For  a  RAID  0  array  that  al -
ready exists, users also can use X.H.D to easily add a hard drive into the array to expand 
its  capacity.  All  with  a  simple  click  of  a  button,  X.H.D  helps  to  enhance  your  hard  drive 
read/write	 performance	 without	the	need	 for	complex	 and	time-consuming	 configurations.	The	following	 procedure	details	the	steps	to	set	up	a	RAID-ready	system	and	configure	it	for	RAID	0.	
B. Using GIGABYTE eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D)
(Note 1)  The X.H.D utility only supports the SATA controllers integrated in the Intel Chipset. (Note 2) It  is  recommended  that  before  you  run  the  X.H.D  utility,  back  up  all  of  your  data  to  avoid  risk  of hardware damage or lost of data. (Note 3) If you manually build a non-RAID 0 array, you'll not be able to automatically set up a RAID 0 array later using the  Auto function. 
1.  To automatically set up a RAID 0 array:
  Click Auto to automatically and quickly set up a RAID 0 array. 
2.  To manually set up a RAID array: (Note 3)
 Click Manual to access the Intel Rapid Storage Technology, with which you can build a RAID 0, RAID 1, 
or other supported RAID array depending on your needs and hardware compo\
nents. 
3.  Exits the X.H.D utility: 
  Click Cancel to exit the X.H.D utility. Instructions:
 (Note 2)
Before  launching  X.H.D,  make  sure  the  newly  added  hard
-
drive has equal or greater capacity than the RAID-ready sys -
tem drive. (To add a new hard drive into a RAID 0 array that's 
been created earlier, make sure the new drive is greater than 
or equal to the biggest drive in the array. )
4-8  eXtreme Hard Drive (X.H.D)
A. Setting Up a RAID-Ready System
Step	1:	Configure	the	system	BIOSEnter  the  system  BIOS  Setup  program,  set  eXtreme  Hard  Drive  (X.H.D)  under  the Integrated  Peripherals 
menu to Enabled to enable RAID for the Intel SATA controllers.   
Step 2: Install the RAID driver and operating system
The  X.H.D  utility  supports  Windows  7/Vista/XP.  Before  installing  the  operating  system,  you  have  to  load  the SATA 	controller	 driver	first.	Without	 the	driver,	 the	hard	 drive	 may	not	be	recognized	 during	the	Windows	 setup	process. (For more details, refer to Chapter 5, "Installing the SATA RAID/AHCI Driver and Operating System." )
Step 3: Install the motherboard drivers and the X.H.D utiltiy
After  installing  the  operating  system,  insert  the  motherboard  driver  disk.  You  can  click  the  Xpress  Install All 
button to automatically install all motherboard drivers, including the X\
.H.D utility. Or you can go to the Applica-
tion Software screen to individually install the X.H.D utility later. 
						

							Unique Features- 82 -
4-9 Cloud OC
Cloud OC (Note 1) is an easy-to-use overclocking utility designed for system overclock -
ing via virtually any Internet-connected device, such as a smart phone, iPhone, note -
book PC, etc. By simply connecting to an Internet browser via LAN, wireless LAN, or 
Bluetooth
 (Note 2) and logging in to the Cloud OC server, you can easily access three major functions of Cloud 
OC, including Tuner (system tweaking), System Info (system monitoring), and Control\
 (system status control).
A. Launching Cloud OC
B. Directions for use (Note 3)
Step 1: 
The	 first	time	 you	launch	 Cloud	OC,	the	system	 will	request	 you	to	set	 up	a	password	 which	will	be	required	 for	login	 to	the	
Cloud OC server.
•
 Tuner (System Tweaking): 
 The Tuner   tab  provides  a  full  range  of  tweaking  options  that  include  CPU, 
memory, graphics, and PCIe frequencies and voltages. Click the  or  but-
ton	 under	 an	item	 you	want	 to	configure	 or	directly 	enter	 a	value,	 and	click	Set 
XXXX to complete.
•
 System Info (System Monitoring): 
  The System Info tab enables real time PC system status monitoring for values 
such  as  CPU  temperature,  cooling  fan  speeds,  CPU  VCore  and  system  tem -
perature.
•
 Control (System Status Control): 
  The Control  tab  allows  for  controlling  system  power  states  with  restart,  power 
off, suspend, and hibernate options.
Step 2:
Find the Cloud OC  icon 
 
in	the	 notification	 area	and	
right click the icon to select 
Start  Server  to  launch  the 
Cloud OC server. The Cloud 
O C  s e r v e r  w i l l  p r o v i d e  a 
dedicated  IP  and  you  can 
enter  this  IP  address  in  an 
Internet-connected browser to log in to the Cloud OC server 
later.  Step 3:
W h e n   t h e   C l o u d 
OC  web  page  ap-
pears,  click  Login, 
enter  the  previously 
configured  pass -
word, and then click  Send and you will be able to view your 
system status. 
(Note 1)  Supported on Windows 7, Vista, and XP. For Windows XP, be sure to update Internet Explorer to version 7.0 or later. When    using Cloud OC, make sure the Internet connection is normal. Cloud OC will be unable to connect to the remote computer when the Internet is disconnected or when the remote computer is in powe\
r off , standby, or hibernation mode. (Note 2) Bluetooth PAN (Personal Area Network) support is required. (Note 3) Available functions may differ by motherboard model. 
						

							- 83 -Unique Features
4-10 TouchBIOS
TouchBIOS	 allows	you	to	configure	 your	BIOS	 settings	 in	Windows	 environment	 with	a	click	 of	your	 mouse	and a touch of your screen.
The TouchBIOS Interface
Button Information Table
ButtonDescription ButtonDescription
Allows you to change CPU ratio, BCLK, memory 
speed, Vcore and memory voltages.
Allows	you	to	configure	 Integrated	 Peripherals	
settings. 
Allows  you  to  configure  Advanced  BIOS  Fea-
tures.Allows  you  to  configure  Power  Management 
settings. 
Enables  QuickBoost  utility.  Provides  quick  and 
effortless  CPU  overclocking  for  novice  and  ex -
perienced users alike.Loads Optimized Defaults.
Displays system health status, including system
temperature, fan speeds, and voltage values.Sets Supervisor Password.
Enables @BIOS utility to update the BIOS. 
						

							Unique Features- 84 - 
						

							- 85 -Appendix
Chapter 5 Appendix
5-1 Configuring SATA Hard Drive(s) 
To configure SATA hard drive(s), follow the steps below:
 A. Install SATA hard drive(s) in your computer. 
	B.	 Configure	SATA 	controller	mode	in	BIOS 	Setup.
	C.	 Configure	a	RAID	array	in	RAID	BIOS. (Note 1)
 D. Install the SATA RAID/AHCI driver (Note 2) and operating system. 
Before you begin
Please prepare:
 • At  least  two  SATA  hard  drives  (to  ensure  optimal  performance,  it  is  recommended  that  you  use  two  hard 
drives  with  identical  model  and  capacity).  If  you  do  not  want  to  create  RAID,  you  may  prepare  only  one 
hard drive.
 • Windows 7/Vista/XP setup disk.
 • Motherboard driver disk. 
 • A	USB	floppy	disk	drive	(needed	during	Windows	XP 	installation)	
 • An	empty	formatted	floppy	disk	(needed	during	Windows	XP 	installation)
5-1-1 Configuring Intel Z68 SATA Controllers 
A. Installing SATA hard drive(s) in your computer
Attach  one  end  of  the  SATA  signal  cable  to  the  rear  of  the  SATA  hard  drive  and  the  other  end  to  available 
SATA  port  on  the  motherboard.  If  there  is  more  than  one  SATA  controller  on  your  motherboard,  refer  to 
"Chapter  1,"  "Hardware  Installation,"  to  identify  the  SATA  controller  for  the  SATA  port.  (For  example,  on  this 
motherboard,  the  SATA3_0,  SATA3_1 
(Note  3),  SATA2_2,  SATA2_3,  SATA2_4  and  eSATA  ports  are  supported 
by the Z68 Chipset.) Then connect the power connector from your power supply to the hard driv\
e.
(Note 1)  Skip this step if you do not want to create RAID array on the SATA controller.
(Note 2) Required when the SATA controller is set to AHCI or RAID mode.
(Note 3) When  a  RAID  set  is  built  across  the  SATA  6Gb/s  and  SATA  3Gb/s  channels,  the  system  perfor -
mance of the RAID set may vary depending on the devices being connected.\
 
						

							Appendix- 86 -
The  BIOS  Setup  menus  described  in  this  section  may  differ  from  the  exact  settings  for  your  moth
-
erboard.  The  actual  BIOS  Setup  menu  options  you  will  see  shall  depend  on  the  motherboard  you 
have and the BIOS version.
B. Configuring SATA controller mode in BIOS Setup
Make	sure	to	configure	the	SATA 	controller	mode	correctly	in	system	BIOS	Setup.
Step 1: 
Turn  on  your  computer  and  press    to  enter  BIOS  Setup  during  the  POST  (Power-On  Self-Test). To 
create RAID, set PCH SATA Control Mode  under the Integrated Peripherals  menu to RAID(XHD)  (Figure 1)  
(IDE by default). If you do not want to create RAID, set this item to  IDE or AHCI.
Step 2: 
Save changes and exit BIOS Setup. Figure 1
CMOS Setup Utility-Copyright (C) 1984-2011 Award SoftwareIntegrated Peripherals
 
eXtreme Hard Drive (XHD)    [Disabled] PCH SATA Control Mode    [RAID(XHD)] OROM UI and Banner     [Enabled] SATA Port0-3 Native Mode    [Enabled] USB Controllers       [Enabled] USB Legacy Function     [Enabled] USB Storage Function     [Enabled] Onboard Audio       [Enabled] Onboard H/W LAN     [Enabled] R_USB30 Controller     [Enabled] F_USB30 Controller     [Enabled] GSATA3 Controller     [Enabled] GSATA3 Ctrl Mode     [IDE] Onboard Serial Port 1     [3F8/IRQ4]
higf: Move Enter: Select  +/-/PU/PD: Value  F10: Save ESC: Exit F1: General Help F5: Previous Values  F6: Fail-Safe Defaults    F7: Optimized Defaults
Item HelpMenu Level	 
						

							- 87 -Appendix
C. Configuring a RAID array in RAID BIOS
Enter	the	RAID	 BIOS	 setup	 utility	to	configure	 a	RAID	 array.	 Skip	this	step	 and	proceed	 with	the	installation	 of	
Windows	operating	system	for	a	non-RAID	configuration.		
Step 1:
After the POST memory test begins and before the operating system boot begins, look for a message which 
says	"Press	 	 to	enter	 Configuration	 Utility"	(Figure	 2).	Press	 	 +		 to	enter	 the	RAID	 Configura-
tion Utility.
Figure 2
Step 2:
After you press  + , the  MAIN MENU screen will appear (Figure 3). 
Create RAID Volume
If you want to create a RAID array, select  Create RAID Volume in MAIN MENU  and press .
Figure 3
Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology - Option ROM - 10.6.0.1091 Copyright(C) 2003-11 Intel Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
RAID Volumes :
None	defined.
Physical Devices :Port  Device Model  Serial #     Size Type/Status(Vol ID)0   ST3120026AS  3JT354CP     111.7GB Non-RAID Disk1   ST3120026AS  3JT329JX     111.7GB Non-RAID Disk
Press				to	enter	Configuration	Utility..
Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology - Option ROM - 10.6.0.1091 Copyright(C) 2003-11 Intel Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
4. Recovery Volume Options5. Acceleration Options6. Exit
RAID Volumes :None	defined.
Physical Deivces :Port  Device Model    Serial #   Size Type/Status(Vol ID)0   ST3120026AS    3JT354CP    111.7GB Non-RAID Disk1   ST3120026AS    3JT329JX   111.7GB Non-RAID Disk
  [hi]-Select   [ESC]-Exit [ENTER]-Select Menu
[ DISK/VOLUME INFORMATION ]
[ MAIN MENU ]
1. Create RAID Volume2. Delete RAID Volume3. Reset Disks to Non-RAID 
						

							Appendix- 88 -
Step 3: 
After  entering  the 
CREATE  VOLUME  MENU  screen,  enter  a  volume  name  with  1~16  letters  (letters  cannot 
be  special  characters)  under  the  Name  item  and  press  . Then,  select  a  RAID  level  (Figure  4).  RAID 
levels  supported  include  RAID  0,  RAID  1,  Recovery,  RAID  10,  and  RAID  5  (the  selections  available  depend 
on the number of the hard drives being installed). Press  to pro\
ceed.
Step 4:
Under  Disks item, select the hard drives to be included in the RAID array. If only two hard drives are installed, 
they  will  be  automatically  assigned  to  the  array.  Set  the  stripe  block  size  (Figure  5)  if  necessary.  The  stripe 
block size can be set from 4 KB to 128 KB. Once you have selected the st\
ripe block size, press . Figure 4
Figure 5
Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology - Option ROM - 10.6.0.1091 Copyright(C) 2003-11 Intel Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
RAID0: Stripes data (performance).
  
[hi]-Change  [TAB]-Next  [ESC]-Previous Menu  [ENTER]-Select
[ HELP ]
  Name : Volume0  RAID Level : RAID0(Stripe)  Disks : Select Disks Strip Size : 128KB  Capacity : 111.7 GB  Sync : N/A   Create Volume
[ CREATE VOLUME MENU ]
Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology - Option ROM - 10.6.0.1091 Copyright(C) 2003-11 Intel Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
           The following are typical values:           RAID0 - 128KB           RAID10 - 64KB           RAID5 - 64KB
   [hi]-Change  [TAB]-Next  [ESC]-Previous Menu  [ENTER]-Select
[ HELP ]
[ CREATE VOLUME MENU ]  Name : Volume0  RAID Level : RAID0(Stripe)  Disks : Select Disks Strip Size : 128KB  Capacity : 111.7 GB  Sync : N/A   Create Volume 
						

							- 89 -Appendix
Step 5:
Enter the array capacity and press . Finally press  on the Create Volume item to begin creat-
ing	the	 RAID	 array.	 When	 prompted	 to	confirm	 whether	 to	create	 this	volume,	 press		to	confirm	 or		 to	
cancel (Figure 6).
When completed, you can see detailed information about the RAID array in\
 the  DISK/VOLUME INFORMA-
TION section, including the RAID level, stripe block size, array name, and a\
rray capacity, etc. (Figure 7) 
To exit the RAID BIOS utility, press  or select  6. Exit in MAIN MENU.
Now,  you  can  proceed  to  create  the  SATA  RAID/AHCI  driver  diskette  and  install  the  SATA  RAID/AHCI 
driver and operating system. Figure 6
Figure 7Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology - Option ROM - 10.6.0.1091 Copyright(C) 2003-11 Intel Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
Press	ENTER	to	create	the	specified	volume.
  
[hi]-Change  [TAB]-Next  [ESC]-Previous Menu  [ENTER]-Select
[ HELP ]
  Name : Volume0  RAID Level : RAID0(Stripe)  Disks : Select Disks Strip Size : 128 KB  Capacity : 111.7 GB  Sync : N/A   Create Volume
[ CREATE VOLUME MENU ]
WARNING : ALL DATA ON SELECTED DISKS WILL BE LOST.
Are you sure you want to create this volume? (Y/N) :
Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology - Option ROM - 10.6.0.1091 Copyright(C) 2003-11 Intel Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
RAID Volumes :ID    Name     Level    Strip Size Status Bootable0   Volume0    RAID0(Stripe)  128KB 223.6GB Normal Yes
Physical Devices :Port  Device Model    Serial #   Size Type/Status(Vol ID)0   ST3120026AS    3JT354CP    111.7GB Member Disk(0)1   ST3120026AS    3JT329JX   111.7GB Member Disk(0)
  [hi]-Select   [ESC]-Exit [ENTER]-Select Menu
[ DISK/VOLUME INFORMATION ]
[ MAIN MENU ]
4. Recovery Volume Options5. Acceleration Options6. Exit
1. Create RAID Volume2. Delete RAID Volume3. Reset Disks to Non-RAID 
						

							Appendix- 90 -
Recovery Volume Options
Intel Rapid Recover Technology provides data protection by allowing users to easily restore data and system 
operation  using  a  designated  recovery  drive.  With  the  Rapid  Recovery  Technology,  which  employs  RAID  1 
functionality, users can copy the data from the master drive to the recovery drive; if needed, the data on the 
recovery drive can be restored back to the master drive.
Before you begin:
 • The recovery drive must have equal or greater capacity than the master d\
rive.
 • A recovery volume can be created with two hard drives only. A recovery volume and a RAID array cannot 
co-exist  in  the  system  at  the  same  time,  that  is,  if  you  have  already  created  a  recovery  volume,  you  are 
unable to create a RAID array. 
 • By default, only the master drive can be viewed in the operating system;\
 the recovery drive is hidden.
Step 1:
Select Create RAID Volume in MAIN MENU  and press  (Figure 8).
  [hi]-Select   [ESC]-Exit [ENTER]-Select Menu
Figure 8
Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology - Option ROM - 10.6.0.1091 Copyright(C) 2003-11 Intel Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
Recovery: Copies data between a master and a recovery disk.
  [hi]-Change  [TAB]-Next  [ESC]-Previous Menu  [ENTER]-Select
[ HELP ]
  Name : Volume0  RAID Level : Recovery   Disks : Select Disks  Strip Size : N/A  Capacity : 0.0 GB  Sync : Continuous   Create Volume
[ CREATE VOLUME MENU ]
Figure 9
Step 2:
After entering the volume name, select 
Recovery under the RAID Level item and press  (Figure 9).
Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology - Option ROM - 10.6.0.1091 Copyright(C) 2003-11 Intel Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
RAID Volumes :None	defined.
Physical Disks :Port Drive Model    Serial #   Size Type/Status(Vol ID)0   ST3120026AS    3JT354CP    111.7GB Non-RAID Disk1   ST3120026AS    3JT329JX   111.7GB Non-RAID Disk
[ DISK/VOLUME INFORMATION ]
[ MAIN MENU ]
4. Recovery Volume Options5. Acceleration Options6. Exit
1. Create RAID Volume2. Delete RAID Volume3. Reset Disks to Non-RAID