Z68A-GD80 (G3) RAID 10 (Intel Controller) How to Connect to MB in SATA III???

In the User Guide and in the promo/product description for this MB it says it supports RAID 10 Intel and the minimum number of drives needed is four.
There are only TWO SATA III connectors on the MB(Intel). How do you connect four SATA III SSDs to the MB for RAID 10????
I just bought four SATA III SSDs and they were blister packed and nonreturnable!!
HELP!!

Quote
The MSI Specs do NOT make this clear! Period!
The MSI specifications did never tell you that there are more than 2 SATA ports available via the same controller, which would be the precondition for a 4xSATA-III-RAID-10-Setup. There is no Z68 mainboard out there that has more than 2 SATA-III ports on the same controller.
What you are mad about is yourself not checking the number of available SATA-III ports on the same controller. This information is out there, clearly written on the product page, in the user manual and is even indicated by the coloring of the SATA ports themselves.
All you need to do is accept the fact that it is actually you that did not properly acknowledge this clearly available information.
There is no Intel mainboard out there on the market with 4 x SATA-III ports on the same controller, which means a RAID-10-array of 4xSATA-III drives is completely impossible unless you find an add-on SATA-III RAID controller offering at least 4 SATA-III ports which supports a RAID 10 configuration.
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Period!
Dito.
Since we both said "Period", I am locking this topic.

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Z68A-GD80 vs Z68A-GD65 vs X79 boards

Hello!
I'm building a new computer. I intend to use i5-2500k, OC'd above 4.4GHz.
A google search yielded no results, so I'm asking here.
What are the differences between the Z68A-GD80 and GD65 boards?
How do they affect performance in terms of gameplay?
What are the differences between the Z68A-GD80 and an X79 board?
How do they affect performance?
Thanks a lot in advance!

Quote
That would mean that I can plug in 4 RAM sticks and get the most out of it? Is it a lot better over dual channel?
In terms of memory bandwidth, yes, definately.
Please keep in mind that an i5-2500K won't work on an X79 board (different socket).
Quote
It also supports DDR3 memory at 1600MHz (which is what I'm getting) without the OC tag. Is that any different from the z68 board, which has the OC tag?
Different CPU/Memory architecture.

Z68A-GD80 (B3) Bios problem

Hello experts,
I want to build up a new machine. So I bought the mainboard Z68A-GD80 and an Intel 3570k. This cpu was not supported from start of the mainboard but the seller told me that he updated BIOS to the newest version before selling the board and he ran it successfully with this BIOS. So I installed all componenets and what happened:
- The dual bios LED tells me that primary bios failes.
- CPU phase led showing phase 10 after switching on power and then changing to phase 2
- Screen is dark
- I dont have a case speaker so I cannot hear beeping
What do you suggest du do now?
Thanks so much!!
Florian

The CPU phase lights are first at ten then at two is nominal. Those aren't going to tell you what's wrong unless none of them are on.
If you kept the power disconnected from a power source, grounded yourself before touching the circuitry, carefully put the CPU in, put in compatible RAM in correct slots, then all of the PSU connectors attached securely to the motherboard connectors, double checked the heatsync is attached securely, then connected the power cord, then powered on the computer. If BIOS doesn't appear on the monitor, go back to the sales person.
The heatsync is very important, if the thermal compound isn't carefully applied, or the heatsync itself incorrectly attached; the computer will not boot.

How do I set EFI mode in Z68A-GD80-B3 BIOS?

I am trying to install Windows 7 64-bit onto a Seagate 3TB drive on a brand-new MSI Z68A-GD80-B3 motherboard but Windows keeps insisting on using an MBR style partition. When I connected the drive to another computer and used the Seagate utility to create a GPT partition, Windows refuses to install to it because it thinks the BIOS is in BIOS mode and not EFI mode.
There is a complicated guide to force the EFI installer bootstrap here http://www.insanelymac.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=184349 but having to do all this seems ridiculous for a motherboard UEFI BIOS that is advertised as having 3TB+ support.
So where is the setting (as I have seen on some other motherboards) that tells the bootable DVD/USB device that the BIOS is EFI and not legacy? Thanks!

Putting the system into RAID mode wasn't too bad since I was only experimenting with the setup anyway. However, after doing some research on how to use the EFI console it appears it is currently not possible to boot into a GPT disk when the ICH controller it set to RAID mode. :(
I tried wiping the drive, I tried installing the GPT boot and then installing Windows to it. Interestingly, the error message isn't a showstopper - it is merely a warning unlike the other error messages. If you click on the GPT partition and say install Windows will indeed go ahead and install to it. But when the BIOS tries to boot to it, it cannot. My investigation with EFI console shows that when the controller is in RAID mode the hard drive doesn't even show up in the list of available devices in the console. Also when using the console to list the available EFI drivers, they only have 2 IDE drivers (one Intel, one Marvell) and 2 AHCI drivers (same deal) - no RAID.
Furthermore, we appear to no be alone. I also have a Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 for evaluation and it too has the same problem, both confirmed by my own tests and a message thread much like this one that states the EFI BIOS manufacturers have not written the EFI RAID driver for the Sandy Bridge architecture yet. (I don't know if this is true for any other mobo manufacturers besides MSI and Gigabyte.)
Anyway, I'm giving up for now on GPT and have formatted the 3TB drive as MBR. I am then using a special driver from Seagate that makes the remaining space appear as a separate drive. I suppose it would still be possible to combine this space if one were to create a spanning volume in Windows or Linux and combine the real 2TB volume with the virtual drive that contains the remaining space. But I'm going to just leave it as a separate volume.
The only troubling thing is when or if MSI finally releases a BIOS with an EFI RAID driver I'll feel compelled to format the whole system as GPT and start again. *grumblegrumble*
Isn't being on the bleeding edge of tech fun?

Random crashing - MSI Z68A-GD80 Intel Z68

Hi All,
I bought the following recently from Aria - Gladiator Z68 Core i7 2600K 4.60GHz 8GB Overclocked Bundle, however when purchased it the deal included the MSI Z68A-GD80 B3. Now before i start i have never had anything over clocked before and thus have no clue at how it all works, therefore apologies for my newbieness in advance!
My rig:
Mobo: MSI Z68A-GD80 Intel Z68
Chip: i7-2600K Overclocked @ 4.60GHz
Cooler:Be Quiet! Dark Rock Advanced CPU Cooler.
Ram: 8GB Mushkin Ridgeback #996987 (2x4GB) DDR3 1866MHz 9-11-9-27
GPU:MSI GeForce GTX 580 Twin Frozr II
PSU: Cant remember the name but its 1200w
SSD: Crucial 256GB RealSSD C300
HDD: 2TB Samsung
OS: Windows 64 bit ultimate
When it works it works excellently, but every now and again the system will just shut off. A couple of seconds will pass and it will restart itself, I don't press a thing or touch anything. It wont boot as it keeps restarting. The only thing that will work is if i keep the power button presses, boot in safe mode, shut down and restart the system.
The only thing i have done regarding the above is change the CPU speed as in it was set to run at 4.6GHz permanently so I changed it so that when its idle the speed reduces to around 1.6GHZ. Outcasst thought about doing the same with the voltage but the only options in the BIOS are to either set it to a fixed voltage or Auto. When i set it to Auto to see if that helped the computer wouldn't boot so i changed it back again immediately.
It has been formatted in the last week if that makes a difference. But it was happening before i formatted it too.
Has anyone seen this before? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I haven't contacted Aria as yet, thought i would post here first.
Thank you in advance
Mark

Quote from: HU16E on 27-June-11, 10:31:28
Ah, ok. Thanks for the screenshots. Helps a lot. Recommend setting Internal PLL Overvoltage from 'Auto' to 'Enable'. CPU Core Voltage, raise a step to 1.360v's. The voltage loss reading at the BIOS is telling. 1.645v set, only 1.616v is applied. This can be checked & confirmed for accuracy using a digital multi meter at the V-Check Point. For now, if we presume the 1.616v is accurate, your X.M.P. for 1866 RAM speed is 1.65v's. 1.616v is a long way from 1.65v's. With that 0.034v loss, BIOS setting would have to be raised to 1.685v range to give a true 1.65v's. I am a little reluctant to recommend that setting without a multi meter being attached to the V-Check Point. You don't really want to exceed the actual applied DRAM V. of 1.65v if at all possible.
Added: Just as an FYI, CPU V. recommended maximum is not to exceed 1.400v's.
I changed the above. Not sure if its coincidence or not but its crashed more in the last 24 hours than ever! Trying to eliminate all possibilities now.

How to install the driver of the 'SCSI and RAID Host Controller'

Hi,
I have two Windows XP(32Bit) installations:
•Windows XP SP2(32Bit) which is old and it seems as if it is infected by some viruses.
•I have installed another fresh clean Windows XP(32Bit) SP3. However, I have found that there is no category named with ''SCSI and RAID Host Controller'. However, when checking out the old version of Windows XP, I found 'SCSI and RAID Host Controller'
is there. (Screen shot below)
The new Windows XP(32Bit) SP3, there is no 'SCSI and RAID Host Controller'
My motherboard is:
My Desktop Computer(Intel P 4, 512MB of RAM, and Graphics Card with 256MB of RAM.
]I am seeing that most computer doesn't has the scsi / raid controller . in the old Windows XP on my computer that SCSI and RAID controller exists, and it it has not a yellow mark on it.
When I installed a new windwos XP 32Bit SP3, no SCSI/RAID in divice manager .
My computer sound on new Windows XP doesn't work , however, on old Windows XP SP2 works well. I have a buitl-in sound card. SCSI and RAID controller category in the device manager on the old Windows xp SP2 is realted to sound card,I don't think.
Thus, What drivers would let the 'SCSI and RAID Host Controller' added in the device manager?
A man should convert his anger and sadness into strength to continue living in this life.

If you open the case and shine a light on the motherboard you can usually see both the manufacturers name and the model printed on the pcb somewhere. You should also normally see this information on the first POST screen when you turn on the PC.
Otherwise Google "775i65G" like I did.
Here are the driver downloads (assuming it is an Asrock 775i65G R2.0 and not an R3.0)
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/775i65G%20R2.0/?cat=Download&os=XP
You should install the inf driver first. Hopefully after you do that you will see your desired listing in Device Manager.
With regard to the AMR driver and the HDMR driver, you can find some information about these here :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio/modem_riser
Unless you actually have something plugged into these risers, it is probably not necessary to install the drivers.
However, the drivers for the integrated C-Media audio chip and the Realtek Lan chip may prove useful.
It looks like the motherboard has integrated video but if you are using a graphics card it will not normally be necessary to install the VGA driver.
You can download both the manual and the installation guide here
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/775i65G/?cat=Manual
And if "SCSI and RAID Host Controller" is still not shown in Device Manager, don't worry - because these functions are not supported by your motherboard (again assuming it is an Asrock 775i65G)
Thanks a lot,
First of all, when saying that I have multi-operationgs systems, I mean there are two operating systems installed on my PC(SP2, SP3) both are 32Bit. The first Windows SP2(NOT installed by me) has all multimedia audio card installed
well, and has SCSI and RAID Host Controller shown the device manager. However, only the VGA is not installed on Windows SP2. However, the second one Windows SP3(Installed by me) has VGA not installed, Multimedia audio NOT installed, and there is no SCSI and
RAID Host Controller in device manager.
First: Why did the CPUz, specy didn't detect motherboard name, and only detect the model. IF I need to open the case and shine a light on the motherboard you can usually see both the manufacturers name and the model printed on
the pcb somewhere, then what benfit would be there from hardware detection software?
Second: Yes, my motherboard has integrated video, and integrated audio card
However, this doesn't mean that I don't need to install them since the Vidoe controller is not properly installed (it is a default VGA ) Also, Multimedia audio controller is not functiong at all.
Finally: if And if "SCSI and RAID Host Controller" is still not shown in Device Manager in Windows XP SP3, because these functions are not supported by my motherboard, then why is 'SCSI and RAID Host
Controller' installed/shown in the device manger in Windows XP SP2 on the same PC???
A man should convert his anger and sadness into strength to continue living in this life.

MSI Z68A-GD80 (B3) and (G3) intel vt-d support?

Hello guys,
I would like some information....
the MSI motherboard Z68A-GD80 (G3) or (B3) in both its variants supports Intel VT-d?
I am thinking of buying a 2600 I7....
Thanks in advance!

It shows in CPU Features submenu on the Z68A-GD80(B3), so would expect it to be included in the (G3) as well. Download the pdf manual from the Global Website for the (G3) & have a look.

RAID 10 Z68A-GD80 (G3) What Does it Mean?

This MB supports RAID 10. Does this mean RAID 0 +1 or RAID 1 +0 or both? In SATA III for SSDs

Quote from: Wyrobski67 on 12-January-12, 03:54:58
This MB supports RAID 10. Does this mean RAID 0 +1 or RAID 1 +0 or both? In SATA III for SSDs
RAID 10 means mirrored & striped blocks. It's also called stripe of mirrors.
It's the best RAID mode (performance & redundancy).
But you have to waste 4 HDDs for it.
RAID 10 is useful for critical applications with huge databases.
Are you a home user?
Why do you want to waste 4 x SSDs on RAID 10?

Z68A-GD80 (G3) and Port 7/esata port

Hallo everyone, please give me a little help here, I have a Z68A-GD80 (G3) MB and I connected a hard drive er 2 or 5 how and sata port 1 -> 6 is running 100% ok but port 7 doesn't show and I have a drive connected also if I connect a external drive to the Esata port it doesn't show. I installed the marvell 88SE9128 drivers bit no sata controller shows. I have the intel side set to raid mode because I have striped volume with ssd enhanced acceleration option on it does this make a difference to the marvell side ? how do I get the marvell port 7 and esata to show and work ?

Sometimes the Drive Letter for the device your trying to plug in is trying to use the same letter of another drive currently in use for example D: drive or F: drive etc if you goto the drive management see if your drive shows up there and if it shows an error you can right click the drive letter or Volume and allocate(change) the letter to one that is not in use. maybe this will work i had similar issue with an previous computer, and as Always if you do not know what you are doing then dont do it , i am not responsible for any mistakes that you may cause. Hope this helps if your comfortable doing so!
02/01/12 3:22 P.M. Edit: btw this may not fix your issue worth the look into!
1. Click the Windows Start Orb and then Right-Click Computer and Click Manage from the context menu.
access the device manager from windows 7 start menu
2. Click Storage > Disk Management from the left panel. Next Right-Click the drive letter that you would like to change and Click Change Drive Letter and Paths…
use the disk management feature to enter the change drive letter dialog in windows 7
3. Select the drive letter you would like to change then Click Change. In the pop-up dialog use the drop-down box to Select a new drive letter. Click OK to save and exit both windows.
assign a new drive letter to your windows 7 hard disk
Now your drive should have the new letter you just assigned to it.

[newbie] overclocking i7 2600k / MSI z68a-gd80

Hi everyone,
I'm new here and I have no experience in overclocking. I've always build my own PC's but never touched overclocking because I always found all the options very confusing and was afraid of damaging something. But the time for change has come!
Goal
4,2 Ghz - 24/7 stable overclock (manual - don't want to use OC genie)
I don't want to do a hardcore overclock, just a small increase for gaming and more importantly videorendering.
System information
- i7 2600K @3.40Ghz
- MSI z68a-gd80
- 16GB ram @ 1600MHZ wit latency 9-9-9-24
- 1x 128GB SSD (OS)
- 2x 2TB raid 0 (storage)
- 2x GTX580 LE edition @ stock values
- Scythe Mugen Revision 3 cooler @100%
- 2 extra casefans @ 100%
- Windows 7 64-bit
Help
Main problem is that I have no clue what settings do change in the bios, also I don't really understand what they mean / do. I mean low vdroop what does that even mean?
What I know:
- Multipliers (is now at 34) - this is used for overclocking / increasing ghz.
- Baseclock (100Mhz) - this can also be used for overclocking but is little headroom - so rather leave this alone
- I have to do an Intel Burn Test do see if my system is stable
- I must use HWmonitor to make sure tempatures don't get to high (what are normal tempatures and what's max?)
My question:
What settings do I have to change / turn on or off to start overclocking. (e.g. I have no clue what the hell "low vdroop" means or does)
I hope I posted this in the right subforum and made everything clear and ofcourse I hope you guys can help / walk me through it.
Huge thanks in advance!

Hi guys,
I'm back with some more results. I've downclocked my DDR3 back to stock values again and tested X43. It worked. I moved on. Now I'm at X45. My results are as followed:
CPU X45
- ITB test "standard" 1 (2nd run of 10 failed, gave me instability error)
- ITB test "standard" 2 (10 out of 10)
- ITB test "standard" 3 (10 out of 10)
- ITB test "standard" 4 (10 out of 10)
Temps
According to RealTemp 3.0 my max degrees with test was for each core: #0 = 74 #1 = 84 #2 = 84 #3 = 81 (These temps were from the ITB test "standard" 4).
Test did it in 154 seconds.
Voltage
According to CPU-Z max voltage (auto CPU V) = 1.384
Rendertest
Rendering video in Vegas (clip 5 minutes @1080p) rendered by both GPU and CPU. Load CPU was about 65%. Max temp measured in low 70's.
Biossettings
- Adjust CPU Ration in OS = Disabled
- Internal PLL Overvoltage = Enabled
- EIST = Enabled
- Intel Turbo Boost = Enabled
- DRAM Frequency = DDR-1333MHz (for now )
- XMP = Disabled
- DRAM Timing Mode = Auto
- Spread Spectrum = Disabled
- VDroop Control = Low VDroop
- CPU Core Voltage = Auto
- CPU I/O Voltage = Auto
- DRAM Voltage = Auto
- System Agen Voltage (SA) = Auto
- CPU PLL Voltage = 1.8V
Under CPU features:
- Hyper-threading = Enabled
- Active Processor Cores = All
- Limit CPUID Maximum = Disabled
- Execute Disable Bit = Enabled
- Intel Virtualization Tech = Enabled
- Power Technology = Custom
- C1E Support = Enabled
- Overspeed Protection = Disabled
- Intel C-State = Enabled
- Package C State Limit = Auto
- Long duration power limit (w) = 200
- Long duration maintained (ms) = 1000
- Short duration power limit (w) = 250
- Primary plane turbo power limit (w) = 0
- Secondary plane turbo power limit (w) = 0
- Cores (all 4) = 45
Advice?
So the X45 I'm happy with. I don't feel the need to overclock it further. Only two questions left:
1) How should I now overclock my memory? (put it on @1600MHz and with voltage of 1.579 and then test it? ***I can't choose 1.575 )
2) Are there any settings I have to change in my bios overall for stability or something else?
Thanks in advance for all the help. Almost there!

PCIE 3.0 test with MSI Z68A-GD80 G3 :)

The Z68A-GD80 G3 is MSI’s first motherboard with PCIE 3.0 connectivity. Currently there are no PCIE 3 devices available yet but later on we can test its performance by using a PCIE SSD. Aside from this, the board has also a new UEFI Bios named “Click Bios II” which for me is way better than the previous version.
Before we take a closer look on the board, let’s check out the package first.
Box design is a bit the same as the GD80 B3 version before. Once you open it up, all main features of the said board are enumerated
Extreme Power Design, Military Class II Components (SFC, Hi-C Caps, Multi Bios), 3 PCIEx16 Slots, Super Charger and OC Genie II
For the bundled accessories, you have the same old story – Manual, Software Disc, four SATA cables, two Molex to SATA power connectors & SLI Bridge. Then for some extras - PCI USB 3.0 two ports bracket, guide headers for faster and easy connectivity and lastly voltage check points.
Next, the “Mainboard”. By physically looking at it and by comparing it side by side against the Z68A-GD80 B3 motherboard. You won’t find any difference except for the PCIE X16 locks. It has also the same black and blue color theme, two vrm heatsinks connected by a flat heatpipe and V-Check points.
Moving closer to the board you have 8 Power Pins to power up the processor, 2 PCI slots, 2 PCIE x1 slots for devices such as TV Tuners or Audio Cards. 2 PCIE Gen3 & 1 PCIE Gen2 x16 Slots. With one VC connected at the top most slot, speed will be @ x16. If both top and middle are used, it will be @ x8/x8. Lastly, by using the 3rd PCIEx16 Gen2 slot. You have x8/x8/x4. It would also disable certain onboard devices such as eSATA Port, Sata 7, one onboard front USB 3.0, two PCI Slots and firewire. So if possible avoid using the last VC slot.
At the top most PCIE x1 area. You will find a 6-pin power connector. This will provide more juice/power for multi-GPU setups.
Next, at the bottom part of the board. You have the Easy Buttons (Power and Reset) and the popular one button “OC Genie”. The red colored USB header is for the Super Charger while the blue is a regular USB 3.0. For the SATA Connectors you have a total of 7. 4 regular SATA 3GB/s, 2 SATA 6GB/s controlled by Intel chipset and another SATA 6GB/s by Marvell.
Wrapping things up, we have now the IO terminal ports. Starting from the left we have combo PS2 port and SPDIF Optical Out. Clear CMOS Button, e-SATA port running under Marvell, 2 USB 2.0 and Firewire ports controlled by Via. Moving across, 2 Gigabit Lan by Realtek 8111E, 2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 run under NEC D720200 controller. Next, we have DVI and HDMI output connections and 6 analog audio ports by Realtek ALC892.
Once you are into the bios, you will find the new and improved Click Bios. Nice and professional looking, faster navigation and easier to use.
To test the performance of the new PCIE Gen3 technology, we will be using this Photofast PCIE SSD device http://www.photofast.tw/comboproducts.asp?pid=1.
We will be connecting the PCIE SSD device on the GD80’s Gen3 and Gen2 slots and compare the results using the disk benchmark software ATTO. I ran the benchmark 9 times for the two set of tests.
System Configuration as follows:
Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K at default stock speed
Memory: Kingston HyperX Genesis Grey 2x2GB DDR3 2133MHz
SSD: OCZ Vertex 2
Motherboard: MSI Z68A-GD80 G3
Softwares: CPU-Z 1.58, Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit with SP1, Latest Atto Software 1.47 I think.
First test, Photofast running on Gen2 (third VC slot). One screenshot from the 9 tests made
Second, using the Gen 3 connectivity. One screenshot from the 9 tests made
Below is the summary of all the tests done on the board with the Photofast SSD PCIE.
That’s probably it. More forum posts to come 

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I have a eSata hdd Seagate Freeagent Xtreme 1,5tb which cannot be recognized by win7
Did you have your previous board's BIOS set to AHCI or IDE ? You need to set this BIOS the same.
Firstly only insert one RAM module in the slot closest to the CPU. Remove the rest. Then do full CMOS clear >>Clear CMOS Guide<< also remove the MB battery.
What BIOS do you currently have ? The initial BIOS releases were plagued by CPU throttling which have been fixed in the cyrrent beta BIOS releases.

Problematic Motherboard MSI Z68a GD80 (B3) and bad customer service

I opened a support ticket at MSI's support site (http://support.msi.com/index.php?mod=questions&dop=reply_list&question_no=102573) and still waiting for a response since last week. Not only that, but there is no way you can talk to customer support and you can only submit tickets online. What if your PC is not working because of the MSI motherboard? How is then the customer able to talk to customer support?! eh!!!?!?!???
To describe the issues I experience I will copy-paste some of the info from my existing support ticket....
Recently I noticed that my new PC's performance degraded considerably, without me having made any changes to its settings, software or hardware. After extensive testing I realised that the RAM was faulty so I replaced it with new DIMMs which I tested again and work correctly. However after replacing with new RAM (memeory is in the "approved" list of the motherboard) the PC's performance is still very slow, especially when it comes to hard disk access. So I tested all, memory, hard disks (checkdisk, defrag, and also used WesternDigital utilities to check all disks) and all tests came back fine. I also checked all BIOS settings and re-installed all Motherboard drivers to ensure that the issue was not due to a damaged driver file. But none made a difference. So given that everything appears to be working correctly and all tests for individual components come back as normal, I uspect that it's the motherboard to blame.
In addition to the above the PC has now started behaving strange too: when rebooting pc restarts..and then turns off and then on again and off again. ...or it restarts but then does not boot at all. Just now i turned it off and then on again and the pc behaves as if it boots up but nothing is showing on the screen. not even the bios.
Once, when i turned on the PC and when logged into windows I got a popup saying "you have booted from your second BIOS rom. Please update your BIOS using Live Update". I then went to live update and it said i am running the latest BIOS.
The issues exist also outside the OS. I also tried to boot from Norton Ghost DVD and take a backup from there and see the backup speed (which normally takes an hour). It took 2-7 times more, depending on the PC's "mood". I also tried booting from a DVD into Windows PE (pre-installation environment) and tried to take a disk backup from there too. Same issue everywhere.
I did various tests with Western Digital to eliminate the hard disk, and all come out fine. I even formatted the hard drive (low level format) and reinstalled a fresh OS. The problem was still there and the mouse pointed would stutter when the disk was active.
Another thing I noticed which might help: sometimes disk to pc/disk-over-network file copying works at a reasonable speed. But local-disk to local-disk copying is very slow and affects the mouse pointer and overall pc performance.
I use this PC for business so it's critical that this is fixed asap or that I am sent a replacement motherboard promptly before I send this one back so that I am not left without a working PC.
Any suggestions?
My spec:
   * CPU brand, model and speed: Intel i7 i2600K 2.5 GHz
   * Motherboard model: MSI Z68a GD80 (B3)
   * Memory brand, type/speed, size, number of sticks: Kingston KHX1333C9D3B1K2/4G (2 sticks x 2 Gb each. total of 4gb)
   * Video card brand, chipset type, memory size: XFX 7600GT 256MB
   * Hard drive(s) brand, size, type, speed: Westerd Digital Velociraptor 600Gb
   * Operating system and version (including if 32 or 64bit!): Windows XP SP3 32bit
   * Power Supply Unit brand and output in watts and DC output (amps) - OCZ 650W

Quote
Well on the MSI UK website that is the only support which is listed for motherboards! Global or not, that's the one listed there.
Yes, I know. But there is an E-Mail Contact listed for RMA procedures. When you go to the Global support site:
http://ocss.msi.com.tw/
... you'll find the same E-Mail contact address listed under the heading
Quote
If you live in the following country and have any request about RMA, please go to Online RMA Request:
Quote
Ok, I will contact both the reseller and send an email to the email address you mentioned and see what happens.
Quote
In fact the reseller has an online system specifically for returns and as per UK distant selling regulations their system does not accept any returns and won't allow you to make a returns request after 28 days from the date of purchase. ..and given that I've been dealing with these issues for 10-14 days weeks now I am not sure they will allow a returns request. But I will contact them and see what they will say.
Yes, contact them.
Quote
But have a look at the returns policy anyway: http://www.ebuyer.com/help/returns#1
Look:
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Items Faulty in Warranty Period
If any of your purchases develop a fault, and it's more than 28 calendar days since receipt, then provided your item is within its warranty period, you are entitled to a warranty repair.
... more:
http://static.ebuyer.com/customer/help/index.html?action=c2hvd190ZXJtcw==&type=personal
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9. Our refunds policy
9.1 When you return a Product to us:
   9.1.2 for any other reason (for instance, because you have notified us in accordance with clause 21 that you do not agree to any change in these terms and conditions or in any of our policies, or because you claim that the Product is defective), we will examine the returned Product and if you are entitled, we will notify you of your options to either repair, replace or refund via e-mail within a reasonable period of time. We will usually process your elected repair, replacement or refund as soon as possible and, in any case, within 30 days of the day you confirm whether you opt for repair, replacement or refund for the defective Product. If you elect a refund of a Product returned by you because of a defect it will be refunded as per our refunds policy, including a refund of the part of the delivery charge which related to that defective Product for sending the item to you and the cost incurred by returning the defective Product to us. If you elect a repair or replacement of a defective Product we will not charge you for redelivery of the repaired or replaced Product.
   9.1.3 If you elect to return the defective Product to us using your own method of delivery, we will refund up to £4.00 of the costs incurred by you. This will only be refunded upon the receipt of proof of the carriage costs.
Just for your record:
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and still waiting for a response since last week.
MSI Technical Support has responded to you giving you the following advice:
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Dear sir/madam
Thanks for contacting MSI technical support.
Regarding your concern,if the issue appears when loading windows,we suggest you reinstall your os for a try.If it appears when post,we have to suggest you contact your reseller (The place you bought this MB from) and have them test the MB completely for you to check if this MB is faulty or not, then ask for some help.
If the reseller for some reason cannot help, we have to ask you to contact MSI distributor or MSI office near your place to seek further help.
Thanks for your cooperation in advance!
Best Regards,
MSI Technical Support Team
... and as I said before, this is precisely the next logical step in your situation.

Z68A-GD80 (G3) - Win7 x64 clean install - which drivers as minimum?

hi guys, have just bought this board and would like to do a clean install. have checked the driver website (http://www.msi.com/product/mb/Z68A-GD80--G3-.html#/?div=Driver&os=Win7%2064) and wanted to check a) if there is any particular order I should be installing these drivers in (from the old days i remember this to be chipset drivers first, restart, then anything else - still correct or irrelevant now?) and b) which ones are indispensable? please see my comments below, would be grateful for input.
Intel Management Engine Driver for P67/H67
do i still need this if it's a z68 board?
Intel SandyBridge Chipset Driver
guess i'll have to install - using i7-2600k processor
Renesas USB3.0 Drivers
guess i'll have to install
Intel TPM Device Driver
heard this is security related - do i really need if disabled in bios?
Realtek PCI-E Ethernet Drivers
guess i'll have to install
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver
guess i'll have to install
Intel Rapid Storage Technology Floppy Driver (F6)
needed if i want to install win7 on SSD in ahci mode (but not raid) - correct?
Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver
needed
Lucid Virtu Driver
have a separate graphics card - do i really need if disabled in bios?
Intel SandyBridge VGA Driver
have a separate graphics card - do i really need if disabled in bios?

Intel Management Engine Driver for P67/H67
do i still need this if it's a z68 board? This is a must have
Intel SandyBridge Chipset Driver
guess i'll have to install - using i7-2600k processor This is a must have
Renesas USB3.0 Drivers
guess i'll have to install This is a must have
Intel TPM Device Driver
heard this is security related - do i really need if disabled in bios? Don't need unless planning on using this device someday
Realtek PCI-E Ethernet Drivers
guess i'll have to install This is a must have
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver
guess i'll have to install Optional. Depends if using the onboard sound or an add-in sound card
Intel Rapid Storage Technology Floppy Driver (F6)
needed if i want to install win7 on SSD in ahci mode (but not raid) - correct? Not this one. Use the other one below
Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver
needed Yes. Use this one
Not needed Lucid Virtu Driverhave a separate graphics card - do i really need if disabled in bios? Not needed
Intel SandyBridge VGA Driver
have a separate graphics card - do i really need if disabled in bios? Not needed

Z68A-GD80 (B3): "virtu cannot run on this iGPU"

I have the following system specs:
Motherboard: MSI Z68A-GD80 (B3), bios 17.5/20120111
CPU: i7-2600K
Win 7 x64
Intel iGPU drivers 15.26.8.64.2696 (latest version for win 7 64)
2 MSI nvidia GPU cards (1 580 and 1 570) in SLI
I run folding at home on the graphic cards of this system most of the time when not running graphics intensive programs, and the hit on the system is not so bad most of the time, but after nearly a year of it, I decided to try running the IGPU, so that the system could use that for web browsing, videos etc, while the folding processes could churn away on the discrete GPUs.
I enabled i mode in the bios, and loaded an old set of virtu drivers I had downloaded when I first got the MB (1.2.102). The Virtu control panel loaded without error. The panel has an update check feature, which I used and then downloaded the most recent version, 1.2.114. When the system rebooted after the installation, virtu would not run, instead displaying the message "Virtu cannot run on this integrated graphics processor. Disabling Virtu, and exiting. (Remember to enable Virtu after the problem is fixed.)"
What's the problem that I need to fix? What really puzzles me is that 1.2.102 worked, but 1.2.114 wouldn't.
Thanks
Mark

Have you retested with 1.2.102 and does that still work ?
If it does, then I would report the anomaly with the latest driver to Lucidlogix. I don't quite know how to interpret the expanded release notes of Virtu, but one of the known issues with the latest version states:
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Known issues in this driver version
The following are the open issues with current driver release:
General
 Antivirus and firewall may popup a message box – the user should approve ‘Virtu Control panel’ access the net
 Control panel may flicker when switching between Tabs
i-Mode (display connected to integrated GPU output)
 3DMark Vantage may crash with FRAPS
 Virtu control panel may show some artifacts when system’s desktop background is configured to Windows Classic theme.
 When Dual GPU optimization (SLI/Crossfire) is enabled, performance may stay unaffected.
The very last known issue may be the problem

Z68A-GD80 (G3) RAID 10 (Intel Controller) How to Connect to MB in SATA III???

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