# SATA III drives at 3.0 Gbps only [Solved]

## lexming

Hi, I just got a pair of SATA III (6 Gbps) drives and tried to plug them in a SATA III capable mobo. However, the SATA link is established at 3.0 Gbps only. 

Here is the hdparm output of the first drive showing that it supports SATA Rev 3.0:

```
# hdparm -I /dev/sda

/dev/sda:

ATA device, with non-removable media

   Model Number:       OCZ-VERTEX3 MI                          

   Serial Number:      OCZ-9Q5Z55N0TXEEZI0I

   Firmware Revision:  2.06

   Transport:          Serial, ATA8-AST, SATA 1.0a, SATA II Extensions, SATA Rev 2.5, SATA Rev 2.6, SATA Rev 3.0

Standards:

   Used: unknown (minor revision code 0x0110) 

   Supported: 9 8 7 6 5 

   Likely used: 9

Configuration:

   Logical      max   current

   cylinders   16383   16383

   heads      16   16

   sectors/track   63   63

   --

   CHS current addressable sectors:   16514064

   LBA    user addressable sectors:  234441648

   LBA48  user addressable sectors:  234441648

   Logical  Sector size:                   512 bytes

   Physical Sector size:                   512 bytes

   Logical Sector-0 offset:                  0 bytes

   device size with M = 1024*1024:      114473 MBytes

   device size with M = 1000*1000:      120034 MBytes (120 GB)

   cache/buffer size  = unknown

   Nominal Media Rotation Rate: Solid State Device

Capabilities:

   LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)

   Queue depth: 32

   Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, no device specific minimum

   R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16   Current = 16

   Advanced power management level: 254

   DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6 

        Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns

   PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4 

        Cycle time: no flow control=120ns  IORDY flow control=120ns

Commands/features:

   Enabled   Supported:

(...)

      *   Gen1 signaling speed (1.5Gb/s)

      *   Gen2 signaling speed (3.0Gb/s)

      *   Gen3 signaling speed (6.0Gb/s)

(...)
```

Second drive also reports SATA Rev 3.0 support:

```
# hdparm -I /dev/sdb

/dev/sdb:

ATA device, with non-removable media

   Model Number:       ST2000DL003-9VT166                      

   Serial Number:      5YD16014

   Firmware Revision:  CC32    

   Transport:          Serial, SATA Rev 3.0

Standards:

   Used: unknown (minor revision code 0x0029) 

   Supported: 8 7 6 5 

   Likely used: 8

Configuration:

   Logical      max   current

   cylinders   16383   16383

   heads      16   16

   sectors/track   63   63

   --

   CHS current addressable sectors:   16514064

   LBA    user addressable sectors:  268435455

   LBA48  user addressable sectors: 3907029168

   Logical/Physical Sector size:           512 bytes

   device size with M = 1024*1024:     1907729 MBytes

   device size with M = 1000*1000:     2000398 MBytes (2000 GB)

   cache/buffer size  = unknown

   Nominal Media Rotation Rate: 5900

Capabilities:

   LBA, IORDY(can be disabled)

   Queue depth: 32

   Standby timer values: spec'd by Standard, no device specific minimum

   R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16   Current = 16

   Recommended acoustic management value: 254, current value: 0

   DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 udma5 *udma6 

        Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns

   PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4 

        Cycle time: no flow control=120ns  IORDY flow control=120ns

Commands/features:

   Enabled   Supported:

(...)

      *   Gen1 signaling speed (1.5Gb/s)

      *   Gen2 signaling speed (3.0Gb/s)

      *   Gen3 signaling speed (6.0Gb/s)

(...)
```

And here is the output on boot. The kernel reports that the AHCI host is SATA 6 Gbps capable but the SATA link is established at 3 Gbps:

```
# dmesg | grep SATA

[    1.532680] ahci 0000:00:1f.2: AHCI 0001.0300 32 slots 6 ports 6 Gbps 0x3c impl SATA mode

[    1.593726] ata3: SATA max UDMA/133 abar m2048@0xfa305000 port 0xfa305200 irq 47

[    1.593729] ata4: SATA max UDMA/133 abar m2048@0xfa305000 port 0xfa305280 irq 47

[    1.593732] ata5: SATA max UDMA/133 abar m2048@0xfa305000 port 0xfa305300 irq 47

[    1.593735] ata6: SATA max UDMA/133 abar m2048@0xfa305000 port 0xfa305380 irq 47

[    1.941869] ata5: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 300)

[    1.941889] ata6: SATA link down (SStatus 0 SControl 300)

[    1.941913] ata4: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 300)

[    1.941931] ata3: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 300)
```

I tried both a 2.6.35 and a 2.6.38 kernels with no difference at all. Should I just wait for an ahci driver update (because the hardware is quite new) or is there something I could do to force the link speed?

Thanks in advance!Last edited by lexming on Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

----------

## bjlockie

Does SataIII use the same cables?

Is the motherboard BIOS the latest?

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## drescherjm

 *Quote:*   

> Does SataIII use the same cables? 

 

Yes, there is no special SATA III cable. Although some advertize as SATA III ready or similar there is no difference.

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## s4e8

Did you plug it into correct ports? only port 0-1 support 6Gbps signal.

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## lexming

The cables I'm using are new so I think they should be OK. Respect to the ports, the first ata1 and ata2 are reported as dummy ports so the drives are plugged in ata3 and ata4, the first available. Anyway I will check on the mobo for the sata connectors.

The box is a Shuttle SH67H3. A couple of days ago appeared a new BIOS so I will report back once I update it  :Smile:  (a pain in the ass without windows   :Confused:  ).

Thanks for the replies  :Smile: 

----------

## Arnaudv6

Hello Lexming,

I just replaced my old laptop with the same Shuttle as you : did you successfully upgrade the bios ?

 - What method did you use ?

 - What was your previous version ?

 - What are the outcomes ?

Thanks!   :Cool: 

----------

## Arnaudv6

... also did you check intel regarding this ?   :Shocked: 

----------

## lexming

Well, the only working method I found for my box is burning a FreeDOS liveCD with the bios flasher from Shuttle and boot from that. Once booted on the FreeDOS you only have to change the drive to C:, locate the flasher and execute the appropiate ini script.

I tried flashrom without success and installing a crap OS on other partition is not an option  :Wink: 

The current BIOS I have on the Shuttle box is the SH67H000.107 which solved a problem with RAM detection. Now my DIMMS are correctly detected as 1333 MHz. However, the issue with the SATA speed is still present. I just have seen that there's a newer version   :Very Happy:  will have to try it   :Rolling Eyes: 

----------

## lexming

I finally solved this some weeks ago. Dumb me connected the drives to the wrong sata connectors. s4e8 was right, the good ones are ports 0 and 1. I had to wait for the summer to end before opening the box, but now is fixed.  :Very Happy: 

Cheers

----------

