"SATA is found running at IDE MODE!"

[12twelve12]

"SATA is found running at IDE MODE!

SETUP option is available to set SATA to AHCI mode
Now is IDE mode, the system can not support Hot Plug
Would you chang the mode Y/N
Do you want BIOS to enable this option?"

That is the message I am getting on a new build, on first post...no OS installed yet. I have a SATA 3.0 HDD and SATA 3.0 optical installed via SATA cable. Does this mean that my SATA HDD & optical are running in IDE? Should I leave it as is or switch to AHCI before installing XP?

I read somewhere about needing RAID drivers installed before switching to AHCI....is this correct or is that when you already have an OS installed and then want to switch.

Found source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance...ller_Interface

Will hold on installing XP until advice given....thank you!

[XenaWP]

Once the OS is installed you probably cannot switch. It usually generates a blue screen.

You can use either RAID or ACHI mode. RAID can be used even when you don't set up an array ... it runs SATA drives in SATA mode and allows you to set up a RAID in the future if you want to. ACHI doesn't allow RAID, but does run SATA drives in SATA native mode.

Whether you leave it in IDE emulation or run in native SATA mode is up to you. It works either way, you just lose some theoretical speed in IDE emulation, and you lose NCQ.