AMD SATA AHCI Controller Module 'Unknown'

[isadora]

Hi

I have been seeing this for quite some time now (a few years) and would like to find out if this a problem that is or could be affecting my system performance. I currently have no issues with any hard drives that I know of, however, there should be a module loaded for this...I assume. I am using an Asus 990FX Sabertooth motherboard with the newer UEFI interface.

Below is the output of the MCC Hardware ID information for 'Unknown/Other'

Code: Select all

[b]Identification[/b]

Vendor: ‎Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI]
Description: ‎SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 SATA Controller [AHCI mode]
Media class: ‎SATA controller
Connection
Bus: ‎PCI
PCI domain: ‎0
Bus PCI #: ‎0
PCI device #: ‎17
PCI function #: ‎0
PCI revision: ‎0x40
Vendor ID: ‎0x1002
Device ID: ‎0x4391
Sub vendor ID: ‎0x1043
Sub device ID: ‎0x84dd

[color=#BF0000]Misc
Module: ‎unknown[/color]   ??


Can anyone confirm that this entry should indeed have a module loaded or not?


Tnx

Tim

[ghmitch]

1) The sata controller is in "ahci mode", correct?

2) If ahci was not supported, the controller would not be able to function in ahci mode.

3) But the controller is functioning. So ahci is support even though no ahci module is loaded. How can this be? I would suggest that ahci is probably pre-compiled into the kernel you are using so no externel module is needed. The utility that dumps the information you have provided has no way to know that this hardware has support already compiled into the kernel, so it looks for an appropriate module which doesn't exist because it isn't needed, so it comes up with "unknown module".

I am not certain that this is the correct interpretation, but this is how the situation strikes me.

I have an Asmedia chipped sata controller that runs in ahci mode in my system:

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Identification
Vendor: ‎ASMedia Technology Inc.

Description: ‎ASM1062 Serial ATA Controller

Media class: ‎SATA controller

Connection
Bus: ‎PCI Express

PCI domain: ‎0

Bus PCI #: ‎13

PCI device #: ‎0

PCI function #: ‎0

PCI revision: ‎0x01

Vendor ID: ‎0x1b21

Device ID: ‎0x0612

Sub vendor ID: ‎0x1b21

Sub device ID: ‎0x1060

Misc
Module: ‎unknown



My host (motherboard) sata controller is Intel ahci:

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Identification
Vendor: ‎Intel Corporation

Description: ‎82801IR/IO/IH (ICH9R/DO/DH) 6 port SATA Controller [AHCI mode]

Media class: ‎SATA controller

Connection
Bus: ‎PCI

PCI domain: ‎0

Bus PCI #: ‎0

PCI device #: ‎31

PCI function #: ‎2

PCI revision: ‎0x02

Vendor ID: ‎0x8086

Device ID: ‎0x2922

Sub vendor ID: ‎0x15d9

Sub device ID: ‎0xd980

Misc
Module: ‎unknown



Note the module is "unknown" in both cases.

I also have a BluRay writer that runs in ahci mode perfectly fine with no need of a kernel module.

So the most likely solution that I see is that ahci capability is built into your stock kernel, thus no external kernel module is either needed or supplied.