BIOS setup, IDE vs AHCI and some related queries

[banskt]

Hi,

First I would like to thank everybody on this forum to help me decide on the purchase of my latest PC.

Now, my configuration is ---
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T
Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-US2H

It will be used for CS4 and some video editing... no gaming.

I tried to install Windows 7 Enterprise 64bit in AHCI mode, but it does not recognise the hard drive. Then, I tried Ubuntu, and it installed like a charm. Then, I changed the mode to native IDE, and installed Windows 7, followed by Ubuntu. Presently, it is working flawlessly...

I would like your help for the following things ---

a) Will it be a worthwhile exercise to try and change the SATA mode to AHCI? Does it actually offers any real-time benefit in speed ?

b) If yes, then will it be a wiser thing to install the AHCI drivers and then re-install the OSes? Or, would it suffice to change the registry values as outlined in Microsoft Knowledgebase, and then changing the mode ? Will it have any effect on Ubuntu if I change from IDE to AHCI ?

c) Presently, I have all the BIOS options set to default values (most of which are Auto). What are the things that I need to change for optimum and maximum performance? I have tried to google but not getting any quality info for the model of my motherboard.

Thank you all in advance.