Adjust Overclock Parameters While Maintaining RAID 5 Performance
Adjust Overclock Parameters While Maintaining RAID 5 Performance
I recently applied the Asus EZ Tuning Wizard, which is included in the Asus z170-a BIOS, to increase the speed of my Intel Core i7-6700k. The temperature changes from this overclock aren’t satisfying, so I’m considering reverting everything to the original BIOS settings. Restoring the default BIOS will reset all drives to ACHI mode. I’m worried that doing this might make my RAID 5 array unrecoverable. Is there a method to safely restore the defaults without damaging the array?
I’ve looked into this topic and haven’t found much success. I don’t want to reset the CMOS, as that would also revert all drives to ACHI mode. Some users claim you can clear the CMOS and then have the system automatically recognize the drives again, but that seems unlikely to me. Why isn’t the EZ Tuning Wizard offering a straightforward way to undo this?
System Specs:
Intel Core i7-6700k
Asus z170-a
Samsung 850 PRO SSD (for OS, not part of RAID)
Western Digital Black Performance Drives [x3] (all in RAID 5)
G.Skill Ripjaw V DDR4 RAM (4x8GB at 2133Mhz)
ASUS Strix GEFORCE GTX 970
I assume you're using software RAID, and that your system is stored on the array.
This is not advised for reasons that you are discovering.
You can reset to defaults, load up the bios and set your storage settings as you'd like before the system ever even attempts to boot, just save & exit, and enter BIOS on restart.
Additionally: it will fail to boot, not destroy your array. No action will be taken by the PC without you telling it to.
I believe you're working with software RAID and your system is connected to the array. This isn't recommended based on what you've noticed. You can revert to the default settings, restart by saving and exiting, then enter BIOS during startup to adjust storage preferences. Just don't initiate a boot without your permission. Thanks for your reply. It's accurate—most of the time a dedicated RAID controller isn't necessary unless you have many drives or enterprise needs. My array functions purely as storage, with Windows 10 running on an SSD outside the array. I know I can reset to default and change settings in BIOS, but will that generate a new RAID array that overwrites the existing one?