SSD install for Precision T7910
Hi. I'm new to GreenPCGamers and really appreciated the list of upgrades you supply us. A lot of great content. I'm not well versed on the computer skills, so please forgive me if i don't know some terminology/functionality.
Background: I was gifted a Precision 7910 with a single E5-2620 v4 2.10ghz processor, 16gb mem. I want to use it for gaming (not high end stuff...just some light-med gaming. I installed a decent Nvidia Geforce card). It had 3 drives in Raid5, each 3tb, running off what seems to be a higher end dedicated Raid card. My goal is to install an SSD just for my win10pro OS and a 2nd SSD for programs and such. For the life of me I couldn't find a power cable to plug my SSD into...just the Raid ports using the slide trays, so that's what I did. I removed the existing three 3tb HD's, used a tray to hook up an SSD, and slid it into bay 0. I did the same thing with the 2nd SSD into bay 1. In bay 2, I put in one of the 3tb HDs. Bay 4 is blank. The 3tb would just be for storage if i wanted. I booted up, went into bios, changed ASA to AHCI (i think that's how the SSD can be seen), kept UEFI instead of Legacy, Boot order DVD drive then Raid card. Afterwards, I went into the Raid card. The Raid card sees only 2 drives...the one in bay 0 as Non-Raid (my OS), and the 3tb in bay 2 as Needed Configuration. I erased the data on 3tb drive and made it into a Non-Raid device....so both the SSD and the 3tb are now in Non-Raid format.
Booted up into windows and i see the SSD in bay 0 and the 3tb HD in bay 2.
Here are my questions. Am I an idiot for doing this or am I on the right track? (have mercy on me please). I basically want to run this machine using SSD with no Raid config, but I can't find power to the SSD outside of the Raid card slots. And...windows isn't showing my SSD in bay 1 at all (not even in creating partition screen). So...
Is there a way to run SSD without using the Raid ports?
Am I still running the SSD efficiently using the Raid ports or did i seriously downgrade it and reduce its life?
Is there a way to make this beast see the 2nd SSD in bay 1?
I really appreciate any help given.
(ps...I don't want to do the original 3 Raid5 hookup because my past experience with Raid is that they fail in time and I don't have back up drives to replace them...and i don't want to purchase new replacement drives. Did that too often on my other machine and i'm kinda over that now).
Thanks again.
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Hi there,
There is no need for the "idiot" thing. We all had our beginnings here. :)
As for your machine, adding a SSD was the wise choice. Depending on which raid card you have, having it in there is a plus compared to using straight sata. Some raid cards can work as a regular controller card with the added benefit of having a onboard CPU and ram to speed things along. If your drives are showing and working, then there is nothing else you need to do or remove. The power cables for that machine's drive bays is supplied by the rails that you slide the drives into. Keeps from having to fumble with cables. That was the design of the machine.