SATA 3 GB/s only

[Sushi Panic]

Hello Minisforum

I have a brand new internal SATA 3 disk but it does not work at 6.0 GB/s but only at 3.0 Gb/s

# smartctl -a /dev/sda
smartctl 7.2 2020-12-30 r5155 [x86_64-linux-5.10.0-3-amd64] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-20, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family: Western Digital Blue Mobile (SMR)
Device Model: WDC WD20SPZX-75UA7T1
Serial Number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
LU WWN Device Id: 5 0014ee 212811a96
Firmware Version: 12066712
User Capacity: 2,000,398,934,016 bytes [2.00 TB]
Sector Sizes: 512 bytes logical, 4096 bytes physical
Rotation Rate: 5400 rpm
Form Factor: 2.5 inches
TRIM Command: Available, deterministic
Device is: In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is: ACS-3 T13/2161-D revision 5
SATA Version is: SATA 3.1, 6.0 Gb/s (current: 3.0 Gb/s)
Local Time is: Sat Feb 20 19:14:21 2021 PST
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled


root@kodlix:# cat /sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:12.0/ata2/link2/ata_link/link2/sata_spd_limit
3.0 Gbps


The kernel (5.10) tries to talk to the disk at 6.0 Gb/s but fails and falls back to 3.0 Gb/s:

root@kodlix:~# dmesg | grep ata2
[ 2.481337] ata2: SATA max UDMA/133 abar m2048@0xa133b000 port 0xa133b180 irq 127
[ 3.560140] ata2: SATA link up 6.0 Gbps (SStatus 133 SControl 300)
[ 3.564811] ata2.00: ATA-10: WDC WD20SPZX-75UA7T1, 12066712, max UDMA/133
[ 3.568619] ata2.00: 3907029168 sectors, multi 16: LBA48 NCQ (depth 32), AA
[ 3.573291] ata2.00: configured for UDMA/133
[ 3.724000] ata2.00: exception Emask 0x50 SAct 0x8 SErr 0x280900 action 0x6 frozen
[ 3.727019] ata2.00: irq_stat 0x08000000, interface fatal error
[ 3.730070] ata2: SError: { UnrecovData HostInt 10B8B BadCRC }
[ 3.733103] ata2.00: failed command: READ FPDMA QUEUED
[ 3.736134] ata2.00: cmd 60/08:18:a0:88:e0/00:00:e8:00:00/40 tag 3 ncq dma 4096 in
[ 3.742207] ata2.00: status: { DRDY }
[ 3.745216] ata2: hard resetting link
[ 4.343974] ata2: SATA link up 6.0 Gbps (SStatus 133 SControl 300)
[ 4.352039] ata2.00: configured for UDMA/133
[ 4.388676] ata2: EH complete
[ 4.507925] ata2.00: exception Emask 0x50 SAct 0x20 SErr 0x280900 action 0x6 frozen
[ 4.510160] ata2.00: irq_stat 0x08000000, interface fatal error
[ 4.512438] ata2: SError: { UnrecovData HostInt 10B8B BadCRC }
[ 4.514743] ata2.00: failed command: READ FPDMA QUEUED
[ 4.516939] ata2.00: cmd 60/08:28:a0:88:e0/00:00:e8:00:00/40 tag 5 ncq dma 4096 in
[ 4.521366] ata2.00: status: { DRDY }
[ 4.523576] ata2: hard resetting link
[ 5.119933] ata2: SATA link up 6.0 Gbps (SStatus 133 SControl 300)
[ 5.128216] ata2.00: configured for UDMA/133
[ 5.134714] ata2: EH complete
[ 5.283961] ata2.00: exception Emask 0x50 SAct 0x200 SErr 0x280900 action 0x6 frozen
[ 5.290264] ata2.00: irq_stat 0x08000000, interface fatal error
[ 5.296414] ata2: SError: { UnrecovData HostInt 10B8B BadCRC }
[ 5.302469] ata2.00: failed command: READ FPDMA QUEUED
[ 5.308467] ata2.00: cmd 60/08:48:70:88:e0/00:00:e8:00:00/40 tag 9 ncq dma 4096 in
[ 5.320109] ata2.00: status: { DRDY }
[ 5.325835] ata2: hard resetting link
[ 5.863921] ata2: SATA link up 6.0 Gbps (SStatus 133 SControl 300)
[ 5.871448] ata2.00: configured for UDMA/133
[ 5.906433] ata2: EH complete
[ 11.588027] ata2.00: qc timeout (cmd 0x47)
[ 11.594479] ata2.00: READ LOG DMA EXT failed, trying PIO
[ 11.599723] ata2: failed to read log page 10h (errno=-5)
[ 11.605042] ata2.00: exception Emask 0x41 SAct 0x200000 SErr 0x880800 action 0x6 frozen
[ 11.610233] ata2.00: irq_stat 0x40000008
[ 11.615407] ata2: SError: { HostInt 10B8B LinkSeq }
[ 11.620594] ata2.00: failed command: READ FPDMA QUEUED
[ 11.625810] ata2.00: cmd 60/08:a8:d0:84:e0/00:00:e8:00:00/40 tag 21 ncq dma 4096 in
[ 11.636330] ata2.00: status: { DRDY }
[ 11.641039] ata2: hard resetting link
[ 12.124049] ata2: SATA link up 6.0 Gbps (SStatus 133 SControl 300)
[ 12.131642] ata2.00: configured for UDMA/133
[ 12.167102] ata2: EH complete
[ 12.348024] ata2: limiting SATA link speed to 3.0 Gbps
[ 12.354042] ata2.00: exception Emask 0x50 SAct 0x20 SErr 0x680901 action 0x6 frozen
[ 12.359382] ata2.00: irq_stat 0x08000000, interface fatal error
[ 12.364712] ata2: SError: { RecovData UnrecovData HostInt 10B8B BadCRC Handshk }
[ 12.370165] ata2.00: failed command: READ FPDMA QUEUED
[ 12.375543] ata2.00: cmd 60/08:28:38:00:00/00:00:00:00:00/40 tag 5 ncq dma 4096 in
[ 12.386261] ata2.00: status: { DRDY }
[ 12.391596] ata2: hard resetting link
[ 12.931963] ata2: SATA link up 3.0 Gbps (SStatus 123 SControl 320)
[ 12.939647] ata2.00: configured for UDMA/133
[ 12.975418] ata2: EH complete


At first, I would like to blame the sata controller and not the hard drive. What is your understanding of this problem?

 

[joey]

This could be the cabling to the drive -- either the cable doesn't pass the 6Gb testing from the controller; or it isn't seated well (try unplugging, replugging it). Or if the drive's in a hot-swap caddy, it may not be seated well, or there may be a defect in the connector that causes the slower speed.

 

[Sushi Panic]

Just to confirm that it's not a harddrive problem: I tried two SATA 3 drives. Neither works on the GK45 at 6Gb/s. Both work on another laptop at 6 Gb/s.

It's a "pure" 2.5" SATA drive plugged in the internal bay (see the sysfs path from my previous posting).

The cable is the one that came with the GK45:

• It sits firm on the side towards the motherboard. This side is diffcult to reach and can't be easily reseated. From my judgement, it does not seem to be necessary.
• It sits firm on the side towards the SATA drive. I was reseating it a few times with both SATA drives.

 

[spikerguy]

There seem some problem in negotiation.
Do you have any other device to test the same drive? Or do you have any other drive to test on this device?
Ssd config can vary from every disk manufacturer.
Can you share more about the linux distro and its kernel version?
Can you try to update the kernel?

 

[Sushi Panic]

There seem some problem in negotiation.

Do you have any other device to test the same drive? Or do you have any other drive to test on this device?

Yes. See first sentence from my first reply.

Ssd config can vary from every disk manufacturer.

Can you share more about the linux distro and its kernel version?
Can you try to update the kernel?

Knoppix 8.2 with kernel 4.16 - a linux distribution that boots from usb. With this linux distribution, I observed what I wrote as my first sentence of my reply, e.g. the same linux distribution and kernel talks with both SATA drives with 6 Gb/s on my other laptop, but only with 3GB/s on the GK 45. This rules out a kernel problem.

For the sake of completion, I also booted Debian 11/Bullseye with kernel 5.10.

 

[Sushi Panic]

Hello Joey,

To me, it's a defect. Either in the cable (provided by the minisforum) or motherboard.

I received the GK 45 a week ago and it's still within the Amazon warranty. Is Amazon warranty the way to proceed?

 

[joey]

I'm very sorry, GK45 can adapt to windows well, you can choose to return it to Amazon. Regarding your feedback, I will test it. @Sushi Panic

 

[Sushi Panic]

Hello Joey,

BTW, the two tested drives which run at 3Gb/s are (smartctl output):

Model Family: Western Digital Blue Mobile (SMR)
Device Model: WDC WD20SPZX-75UA7T1
Firmware Version: 12066712
User Capacity: 2,000,398,934,016 bytes [2.00 TB]

Model Family: Seagate Samsung SpinPoint M8 (AF)
Device Model: ST1000LM024 HN-M101MBB
Firmware Version: 2BA30001
User Capacity: 1,000,204,886,016 bytes [1.00 TB]


I just noticed on the Windows forum the thread "GK45 recognizes SATA HD but not SATA SSD":

• This posting https://bbs.minisforum.com/threads/gk45-recognizes-sata-hd-but-not-sata-ssd.1298/post-9028 reports "I tried multiple SATA 2.5" HDD and none of them were recognized by the bios or by windows when connected via the internal drive cable, but they worked fine whole connected externally.
• And this posting https://bbs.minisforum.com/threads/gk45-recognizes-sata-hd-but-not-sata-ssd.1298/post-9536 reports "i've bought my GK45 3 days ago at amazon europe. i've tested 3 sata HDD's, but only one is working. the other 2 don't get recognised, but work externally. (usb docking station)"

These reports are more than one year old. Have these issues been investigated?


Overall, I like the GK 45 a lot and I intended to buy the same model after a return. Now, I worry that the problem is not with my particular GK 45 but with GK 45s in general.


The Amazon Description states that Linux is supported. Anyway, when you say, "GK45 can adapt to windows", did you also make sure it communicates to internal SATA drives at full speed of 6 Gb/s?

 

[Sushi Panic]

One more remark. I like your first posting of a potential cable issue.

I don't have a replacement cable ... and it would de difficult to unplug from the motherboard side. Could it be that you changed the cable type after initial testing? Can you redo your testing with a recent GK 45 model?