PCI I/O Subsystem
Intel® Server Board SE7505VB2
The baseboard ships with the Silicon Image controller set to Base ATA mode. To switch the
controller to RAID mode, a utility needs to be downloaded from the SE7505VB2 support website
or run from the resource CD. This utility switches the controller from one mode to the other.
Appropriate drivers need to be loaded, depending on the mode the controller is set to.
This method was chosen over a BIOS F2 setup switch to allow the controller settings to be
maintained in the event of a Clear CMOS operation. If the RAID drivers were loaded and a
Clear CMOS operation was executed, but the device was not reset to RAID mode, the operating
system would not load. Refer to the SE7505VB2 support website for details on which operating
systems support RAID mode.
Note:
The onboard NICs need to be enabled for the ATA mode/RAID mode utility to properly
program the device. The utility toggles the Sub-System ID (SSID) in the NIC EEPROM between
two different values. The BIOS will load the appropriate Silicon Image Option ROM based on
the SSID that is set in the NIC EEPROM. The NICs need to be enabled for the BIOS to know
which SSID is set and subsequently which option ROM to load.
When in RAID mode, the Silicon Image controller can support the following RAID levels:
Table 14. sATA RAID Level
RAID Level
Performance
Capacity
# of
Drives
RAID 0 (Striping)
Highest
Number of drives multiplied
by the smallest drive size
2
RAID 1
(Mirroring)
Normal 50%
min
2
RAID 0 configurations are primarily used for high performance applications, as it doubles the
sustained transfer rate of its drives. RAID 1 configurations are primarily used for data protection.
RAID 1 creates an identical backup of the primary drive to a secondary drive. Whenever a disk
write is performed, the controller sends data simultaneously to a second drive located on a
different data channel.
5.3 Video
Controller
The baseboard provides an ATI Rage XL PCI graphics accelerator, along with 8 MB of video
SDRAM and support circuitry for an embedded SVGA video subsystem. The ATI Rage XL chip
contains a SVGA video controller, clock generator, 2D and 3D engine, and RAMDAC in a 272-
pin PBGA. One 2Mx32 SDRAM chip provides 8 MB of video memory.
The SVGA subsystem supports a variety of modes, up to 1600 x 1200 resolution in 8/16/24/32
bpp modes under 2D, and up to 1024 x 768 resolution in 8/16/24/32 bpp modes under 3D. It
supports both CRT and LCD monitors with up to 100 Hz vertical refresh rate.
The baseboard provides a standard 15-pin VGA connector at the rear of the system, in the
standard ATX I/O opening area. The video controller disabled by default in BIOS Setup when an
off-board video adapter is detected in either the AGP or PCI slots. Optionally, the video
controller can be set to support dual monitor mode when an off-board AGP adapter is detected.
The onboard controller would act as the primary video controller and the AGP adapter becomes
the secondary adapter under an operating system that supports this functionality.
Revision
1.2
Intel part number C32194-002
36
