Why AHCI driver Used When Sata Controller is in IDE mode?

dman777 · Veteran Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 1004

If my Sata Controller is in IDE mode, why is the ahci driver being used?

Jaglover · Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 1:03 am Post subject:

Because you are lucky? I have a box here that has no AHCI choice in BIOS because of some stoopid patent issue (although hardware is AHCI capable).
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dman777 · Veteran Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 1004

That's good to hear

But I'm trying to figure out the logic/contradiction in this....the mode is IDE and the driver is not IDE...the driver being used is ACHI. Shouldn't the ATA driver be applied and used?

Jaglover · Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:58 pm Post subject:

Basically, it may be possible your BIOS tells the controller is IDE (needed for Windows installs) but still leaves AHCI mode available.
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NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:11 pm Post subject:

dman777,

Switch the BIOS to use AHCI mode. IDE mode is intended to be used once only, by Windows users that need to install the AHCI driver.
As such, the performance in IDE mode is often dreadful. e.g, no DMA.
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PrakashP · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2015 6:39 pm Post subject:

I know this thread is old..., nevertheless as far as I saw the kernel contains a quick to switch the controller (AMD southbridges) from IDE to AHCI mode. lspci still shows IDE mode as the device id isn't affected by the quirk.