Intel Rapid Storage Technology, or Intel RST, is a storage solution provided primarily to improve the performance as well as the reliability of systems equipped with SATA-based drives, such as hard drives and solid-state drives. It is one of the most commonly used components by a modern PC user in order to allow RAID configurations. If you’re a newcomer to Intel RST or even have queries specific to it, this guide will let you know what it is, how to extract its driver, whether it does encryption, and if you even need it for a setup.
1. What is Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST)?
Intel Rapid Storage Technology is a software and driver package that enables advanced features on Intel chipset-based platforms, mainly focusing on RAID setups. It supports the following:
- The performance of data is enhanced by combining multiple drives into a RAID.array, which can either speed up read/write operations or mirror
data to protection.
- Improved redundancy through RAID 1 (mirroring), where your data is copied on multiple drives, so that in case of failure, you will not lose data.
- In striping RAID 0, data is divided between a number of drives with much faster system response times.
For most home users with a single SSD or HDD, Intel RST may not be necessary, but it can be quite beneficial for advanced users working with RAID arrays or multiple storage devices.
2. Is Intel Rapid Storage Technology CC62 Encrypted?
No, Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) does not use the encryption feature. The Intel RST is essentially a RAID management utility and holds no encryption features.
However, if you utilize SEDs or use software-based encryption through some other utilities, like BitLocker in Windows, then Intel RST can manage such drives, although the encryption would be handled at a hardware or OS level rather than being a feature of Intel RST itself.
3. Do You Need Intel Rapid Storage Technology?
This depends on how you use your system and storage. Here’s a breakdown of situations where Intel RST might be useful:
- To Setup RAID: If you have more than one drive and you want the setup of a RAID configuration for data redundancy (RAID 1) or performance, then this is a good use for Intel RST in configuring and managing the setup.
- Improving SSD Performance: One area where users claim slight performance improvement when using Intel RST on their SSDs would be older machines that support SATA SSDs.
- Handling Large Storage Arrays: If there are several drives connected to the system, Intel RST can simplify the handling of large arrays and volumes in a coherent manner.
When You Don't Need Intel RST:
- Single Drive Installation: If you are working on a single hard drive or SSD on your computer and you don’t plan to create any RAID, then you wouldn’t need an Intel RST. Your operating system is capable enough for storage management on its own.
- Most Advanced Systems: Most of the current high-performance NVMe SSDs and motherboards are very efficient that even Intel RST will not make that much difference.
How to Extract and Install Intel Rapid Storage Technology Drivers
The process of installing and extracting Intel RST drivers is simple. Below are the steps you can follow:
Step 1: Download the Intel RST Driver
Visit Intel’s official Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver download page. Choose the latest driver version that is compatible with your operating system and download it.
Step 2: Extract the Driver Files
- Compressed archive (.zip) – save it, right-click the file and select “Extract Here” or “Extract to [folder name]” using WinRAR or 7-Zip.
- Executable file (.exe) – just double click, at installation select extract into folder (can save wherever you want).
Step 3: Manually Install the Driver (if needed)
- If for whatever reason the driver did not automatically load you can do it manually:
- Locate your storage controller (usually under “IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers” or “Storage Controllers”).
- Right-click on it and select Update Driver Software.
- Select the option: Browse my computer for driver software, then point to where you extracted your RST drivers.
Step 4: Reboot Your System
After the installation, reboot your system to ensure the driver works correctly.
Important Link:
- Intel RST Driver Download Page: Intel Download Center
Does Intel Rapid Storage Technology Support NVMe Drives?
Intel RST is more focused on SATA drives, but the newer versions of Intel RST, version 16.x and later support NVMe drives but mainly in RAID configurations. The majority of motherboards offering RAID for NVMe drives can utilize Intel RST to control those drives.
With NVMe drives, however, that gap is just so big that RAID configurations may just not be distinguished unless some people are using high-end storage configurations in professional environments, say video editing, 3D rendering, etc.
Conclusion
Intel Rapid Storage Technology is one of the best options for users who want RAID setups or enhanced management of multiple drives. Though it does not have support for encryption, it can manage drives even if they are encrypted and works well with SATA and NVMe setups. Most users will not need the Intel RST with a single SSD, but if you wish to have enhanced system performance, you will use multiple drives or RAID configurations to set up, then the Intel RST is what you need.
Follow the steps outlined above, and you’ll know you’re setting it correctly for all the users who want to install the Intel RST drivers. Don’t forget to check their official download page for the latest drivers.
