ASRock Z77E-ITX manual What is Hot Plug Function?, What is Hot Swap Function?

2.11 Serial ATA (SATA) / Serial ATA2 (SATA2) / Serial ATA3 (SATA3) Hard Disks Installation

This motherboard adopts Intel® Z77 chipset that supports Serial ATA (SATA) / Serial ATA2 (SATA2) / Serial ATA3 (SATA3) hard disks and RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel Rapid Storage and Intel Smart Response Technology) functions. You may install SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 hard disks on this motherboard for internal stor- age devices. This section will guide you to install the SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 hard disks.

STEP 1: Install the SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 hard disks into the drive bays of your chassis.

STEP 2: Connect the SATA power cable to the SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 hard disk.

STEP 3: Connect one end of the SATA data cable to the motherboard’s SATA2 / SATA3 connector.

STEP 4: Connect the other end of the SATA data cable to the SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 hard disk.

2.12 Hot Plug and Hot Swap Functions for SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 HDDs

This motherboard supports Hot Plug and Hot Swap functions for SATA / SATA2

/SATA3 in RAID / AHCI mode. Intel® Z77 chipset provides hardware support for Advanced Host controller Interface (AHCI), a new programming interface for SATA host controllers developed through a joint industry effort.

NOTE

What is Hot Plug Function?

If the SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 HDDs are NOT set for RAID configuration, it is called “Hot Plug” for the action to insert and remove the SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 HDDs while the system is still power-on and in working condition. However, please note that it cannot perform Hot Plug if the OS has been installed into the SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 HDD.

What is Hot Swap Function?

If SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 HDDs are built as RAID 1 or RAID 5 then it is called “Hot Swap” for the action to insert and remove the SATA / SATA2 / SATA3 HDDs while the system is still power-on and in working condition.

34