Can I use NCQ?

[raptorx]

I would like to know if I can use the AHCI mode and NCQ on my WD Raptor.  If so, How would I go about setting it up?  When I select the option in BIOS I can't boot-BSOD.

Any advice on using NCQ ?

-Jim

[NickN]

Not exactly sure which bone-head web site posted it was best to enable NCQ but they are wrong

NCQ is a good feature for a file server on a network. NOT for a game machine

I dont care what you read, they are wrong if they post NCQ works better for games or other media of that nature. NCQ pulls resouces from the drive and in a file server situation that can increase productivity greatly but is a raw file read situation, you want NO bottlenecks running.

If you are looking at drive speed benchmarks, if you dont know what you are reading, seeing higher numbers in tests does NOT mean a feature is correctly suited for the use.

As for whats wrong.. you cant boot because NCQ must be enabled for the install drive in the BIOS BEFORE you install Windows. After that, you can disable/enable the feature without issues but Windwow must install the support for the feature when the HAL is configured during initial installation, otherwise you cant enable it.

Some motherboards enable it by default which is why you will read some can switch it on and off without any problems.

[raptorx]

I was just curious.  I read about it in the motherboard manual and knew I had the feature and I tried to enable it once and it didn't work so I left it alone.  Then this past weekend I was reading some more and wondered.

No one made a recommendation, in fact the general feeling I read was that nobody seemed to care much about it.  You just put my mind at ease as to how to handle it.

I have another question:  I have my SATA in native mode, not legacy, because Microsoft recommended that for XP and newer HW.  Is this correct?

-Jim

Not exactly sure which bone-head web site posted it was best to enable NCQ but they are wrong

NCQ is a good feature for a file server on a network. NOT for a game machine

I dont care what you read, they are wrong if they post NCQ works better for games or other media of that nature. NCQ pulls resouces from the drive and in a file server situation that can increase productivity greatly but is a raw file read situation, you want NO bottlenecks running.

If you are looking at drive speed benchmarks, if you dont know what you are reading, seeing higher numbers in tests does NOT mean a feature is correctly suited for the use.

As for whats wrong.. you cant boot because NCQ must be enabled for the install drive in the BIOS BEFORE you install Windows. After that, you can disable/enable the feature without issues but Windwow must install the support for the feature when the HAL is configured during initial installation, otherwise you cant enable it.

Some motherboards enable it by default which is why you will read some can switch it on and off without any problems.