System Requirements For FuzeDrive

System Requirements For FuzeDrive

Is my system compatible with Enmotus FuzeDrive?
FuzeDrive installation is simple and only takes about 5 minutes.  Remember, always back up your data prior to installation of any new software.  FuzeDrive requires Windows 10, and is compatible with AMD Ryzen™ and Threadripper™ PCs and Intel® Core™ 6th generation (Skylake) or newer PCs.

Pre-Install Checklist
Check the following prior to upgrading your system to FuzeDrive:

  1. Your system is running Windows 10 and meets the minimum CPU and chipset configuration described above.
  2. There are no other SSD caching or software RAID solutions installed.
  3. You have an unused SSD or HDD – see Appendix A for supported configurations.
  4. In your firmware BIOS settings:
    1. Your SATA disk controller is set to AHCI (not RAID).  See this KB article.
    2. NVMe RAID is disabled (if applicable).
    3. Secure Boot is NOT enabled in your BIOS if creating a bootable tier.  See this KB article.
  5. Microsoft’s chkdisk or another third-party disk scanning tool runs error-free on your drives.

If you're not sure what CPU you have:
Go to Settings > System > About, and you should find it listed under device specifications where it says Processor.
Alternatively, open Task Manager.  Click More Details if necessary.  Then go to the Performance tab and click CPU, and it should be visible in the top right. 

Why is FuzeDrive limited to these CPUs and Chipsets?
To support bootable virtual drives, the FuzeDrive client version uses low level AHCI hardware drivers which tie it to the hardware.  Additionally, the EFI firmware on earlier motherboards is limited.  The VirtualSSD Enterprise version doesn't have the bootable requirement and uses a purely virtual driver, so it can be more flexible (i.e., no need to directly support hibernate, etc).  We are considering a beta program for a workstation version that is derived from the enterprise version which may work with older motherboards. No timeframe has yet been set, but if/when we move forward with that product, we will post a sign-up on our support site.

Which drives are compatible with FuzeDrive?
Tiering requires 2 drives.  We support SATA HDDs, 2.5" or M.2 SATA SSDs, and PCIe or M.2 NVMe SSDs.  A performance tier can be created with, e.g., an SSD and HDD, or an NVMe SSD and a SATA SSD.  An endurance tier could be created with 2 similar SSDs, e.g., an MLC NVMe with a QLC NVMe.  One or both of the drives must have no partitions.  See the instructions in the Install Guide if this is not the case.  There are a few different licenses available, where the main difference is the maximum size of the fast tier.  If your SSD is larger than the license's fast tier capacity, then any additional space will be available as a separate, nontiered (always fast) virtual disk.  See the Install Guide section "Expand the Capacity of an existing SSD Boot Drive" for additional information.

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