Latest LSI firmware works with EVGA mobo

[0xdeadbeef]

I just want to tell everybody that latest LSI firmware v12.12.0-0048 for the 9260 series works great with EVGA Classified 759. I know there has been a lot of postings about compatability issues with LSI cards and EVGA mobos.

My 9260-8i had firmware v12.7.0-0007 (v2.70) before the upgrade. Remember to flash latest version of EVGA BIOS (82) before you go ahead. First the new LSI firmware didn't work and I was afraid my 9260 was bricked. After the upgrade from my old BIOS S22D to 82 everything was fine again. I flashed the new LSI firmware in Storage Manager.

[Computurd]

Awesome! thanks for posting and sharing, this was really a long time in the coming. Perplexing to me, and what is really weird is that the 9265 has worked since day 1 with no issues. they are really very similar devices so that was quite strange!

[0xdeadbeef]

Hopefully the 9265 worked from start because LSI and EVGA this time worked together to solve the problem. I remember they just blamed each other in the beginning when the reports start coming in about incompatibility issues. Anyway I'm very happy it works now because all this uncertainty about LSI/EVGA made me wait for this upgrade for more than a year. When I bought 4 Crucial M4s last week I decided I could not wait any longer. With the risk of bricking my controller I decided to try and thankfully everything worked out well.

[Computurd]

Fortune favors the Bold, my friend. Good job!

[0xdeadbeef]

Thanks Comp! I couldn't make my 9260 work with my mobo before I flashed EVGA BIOS 82: the controller just hanged during initialization. I had to physically remove the controller and then flash 82 and after installing the controller again everything worked as normal. BIOS 82 is available for all EVGA X58 mobos so there is a good chance the latest LSI firmware will work with all of them:

E770 - EVGA X58 Classified3
E768 - EVGA X58 FTW3
E767 - EVGA X58 SLI3
E762 - EVGA X58 Classified 4-way
E760 - EVGA X58 Classified
E759 - EVGA X58 Classified
E758 - EVGA X58 SLI
E757 - EVGA X58 SLI LE
E756 - EVGA X58 SLI Micro

[Computurd]

This is actually very heartening, as i have a E760 mobo. I did just receive a 9260 yesterday courtesy of LSI for review of a new feature that i cant talk about yet. (gimme 3 weeks) so knowing it works is a big load off of my mind.

So im clear:

1. flash BIOS 82 (gah am i gonna have to redo my OC? i hate that!!)
2. insert card, flash its bios.

EDIT: i see you say the bios was already on the card?? is that a prerequisite? might need to use my server mobo...hopefully it will work GAH!

[0xdeadbeef]

My controller had firmware v12.7.0-0007 (v2.70) before the upgrade. I'm not sure but I think that release was from early 2010 or late 2009. I had this version for more than a year but I didn't upgrade because of the problems with LSI firmware and EVGA mainboards. Just flash BIOS 82 to your E760 before you do anything else. Then install your 9260 and flash the latest firmware (v12.12.0-0048) on the controller. I don't know what firmware you have on your 9260 but it seems like BIOS 82 fix all compatibility issues with earlier versions.

[hunun]

I think the latest ver v12.12.0-0056 fw can work fine for your motherboard.
I flashed 1094-1242,all boot hang with dx58so and dx58so2,but the latest OK now,
you can try. The link from IBM, compatible 9260-8i
http://www-947.ibm.com/support/entry...d=MIGR-5073015

[Computurd]

yes i forgot to mention, this is working well. no issues with the 9260, 9265 of the 9211, all are working great with the new bios

[0xdeadbeef]

Great news, Comp! Do you have any more info about the new LSI feature?

[Computurd]

its just an update on an old feature, but it has new functionality. it will be official this week and the review will be out on release day (or thereabouts)

[hunun]

LSI just updated it's firmware at 11st August,First release to support MegaRAID CacheCade Pro 2.0 Software Pack,
http://www.lsi.com/downloads/Public/...3-1332.zip,and the bootup speed faster than before! 5 second finished!

[Computurd]

I didnt notice the faster bootup...i have had that bios for awhile now, doing beta on cachecade pro 2.0. there may be some new stuff in the full release though, i am soon to find out review is on the editors desk btw so i will drop a link here when it is posted

[Computurd]

the bootup speed faster than before! 5 second finished!

is this with no devices attached?

[cyrixMII300]

hey guys... just got myself a new lsi 9240-8i card. plugged it in to my evga 770 classified 3 mobo and no go. so i did the following:

1. update evga bios to version 83 - no go
2. update lsi card to latest bios version available from their site which is 0107 - no go
3. downgrade evga bios to version 82 - no go
4. unplug the controller and plug back in - no go

i am almost about to give up and sell the card in replacement for something else (kinda difficult to have the card refunded in europe). anyone with any other ideas? what am i doing wrong? what bios - mobo and lsi card - that everyone is using that it works? if its an older lsi bios, can you give me a link please?

desperate for help here guys...

thanks in advance

cyrixMII300

[cyrixMII300]

bump!

[Computurd]

dang cyrix, im just not sure about the classy 3. i really wish i could help here, but the 9240 also never had any widely reported issues, but i am sure that they exist. have you tried the controller in another computer to verify that it is working.
are you hanging on boot?

[mobilenvidia]

I had the same issue with my ASUS P8Z77 WS board, and luckily the latest Firmware fixed the issue.
It's not an uncommon problem, Gigabyte boards also have this issue.

I'm thinking it might be a PCIe timing issue, as highend consumer motherboards suffer from this.
When I had issues I tried everything under the sun to no avail.
Just so glad ASUS updated the BIOS and fixed it.

You best hope in keeping the card is to crossflash it to the LSI9211 in IT mode in another machine
This requires no Option ROM to load, but you loose the ability to have RAID. (other than OS SW RAID)
All the drives will just passthrough to the OS. (ie 8x SATA3 controller)
I've not tried the above it should be possible though, you can flash the LSI9240 backward and forwards between the LSI9211, so you can restore it.

[cyrixMII300]

dang cyrix, im just not sure about the classy 3. i really wish i could help here, but the 9240 also never had any widely reported issues, but i am sure that they exist. have you tried the controller in another computer to verify that it is working.
are you hanging on boot?

actually have only one computer that i can test it on. the rest are all laptops. unfortunately for me...

btw comps, it boots right after the dmi pool check. i tried contacting lsi and they gave me the same answer to try and update the bios elsewhere to disable the option rom. thing is i am not sure how i can do that without losing the raid ability.... primary reason that i got the card for. do i have any other choice?

I had the same issue with my ASUS P8Z77 WS board, and luckily the latest Firmware fixed the issue.
It's not an uncommon problem, Gigabyte boards also have this issue.

I'm thinking it might be a PCIe timing issue, as highend consumer motherboards suffer from this.
When I had issues I tried everything under the sun to no avail.
Just so glad ASUS updated the BIOS and fixed it.

You best hope in keeping the card is to crossflash it to the LSI9211 in IT mode in another machine
This requires no Option ROM to load, but you loose the ability to have RAID. (other than OS SW RAID)
All the drives will just passthrough to the OS. (ie 8x SATA3 controller)
I've not tried the above it should be possible though, you can flash the LSI9240 backward and forwards between the LSI9211, so you can restore it.

on the other hand mobilenvidia, i also tried the option of the 9211 firmware though i got stuck there since the bios files are *.bin files while the megacli only accepts the *.rom file as far as I can understand. the megacli refuses to update the bios with the bin file even with the [noverchk] command. can you perhaps point me towards the right method? preferably some method that doesnt require another pc for me to do it.

in general, i dont mind losing a little of the performance but i do need the raid 10 capabilities. ideas guys? i rather lose the card than lose the mobo.

[mobilenvidia]

The bios files need to be BIN, and the BIOS need to be ROM.

sas2flsh -o -f firmware.bin -b bios.rom

This what you should use to flash the card with IT or IR fimrware and BIOS
BUT you have to remove the LSI9240 firmware first before the crossflash will work.
But this is risky on a computer with the issues you are having.
Do this on a computer where the card works.

Also study the process well before doing it, I did a how to over here

[cyrixMII300]

mobilenvidia.... if you were a girl i would have kissed you... the entire thing worked like a charm and now i can boot my card and go straight into windows. at the moment am in the office and system is building the Raid 10 config.

just 2 things for your info though. in the instruction set the command reads -f2118ir.bin, wanting to be as safe as i can be i copied that entirely and as you can guess it didnt work since there needs to be a space like this -f 2118ir.bin for dimwits like me.

secondly, i agree with the poster 'aluminium' at the nvision site that the original sas2008 file that you have compiled gives me the same error on the device 0x80. i did as he suggested and replaced the file with the latest version from LSI and everything went well from there.

those are just my observations mobilenvidia and once again thanks a gazillion to you and to comps.

will keep everyone posted on the progress.

[mobilenvidia]

Shucks, its what I do best.

Fixed the uploaded file, I thought I had but I didn't, the old case 'I was gonna, I shoulda'

Checked the instructions the spaces are there, I think the forum font makes them look small

[minpayne]

The LSI 9240-8i (with latest firmware) did not work with S1200KP (with 0022 BIOS) or EVGA E760 (with 77 BIOS).

For S1200KP, Linux would boot extremely slowly, and fail to mount the raid card at all. Windows 7 works fine though.

For E760, my memory modules would be unrecognised, and the machine would automatically power on even after the raid card is unplugged. (I fixed this by pressing the reset button of E760)

Then I tried the Intel RS2WC080 (which is essentially the LSI 9240-8i rebranded) on the S1200KP but still the same problem.

Would you guys think the LSI-9260-4i worth a try on the S1200KP?

[mobilenvidia]

You'll probably end up with the same issue.
If you have endless $$ then give it a try, but very good chance you will have another paperweight to add to you collection.
Best get a Mobo thats more friendly to SAS/RAID cards