256GB eDrive versus 240GB OPAL

[bhendric]

On the PSREF sheets, some models list "eDrive" and others state "OPAL".

My understanding is that an eDrive is an OPAL 2.0 capable drive for hardware encryption and that in Windows 8.1, Windows recognizes an OPAL 2 drive when properly configured.

So isn't "OPAL" basically the same thing on the new laptops? Isn't an Intel OPAL drive just as capable of being an eDrive as a 256GB Samsung "eDrive" on the PSREF sheet?

Am I missing something?

[someotherguy · Accepted solution]

eDrive = OPAL 2.0 + IEEE 1667

In other words, they are both OPAL 2.0 drives.  The eDrive adds the additional capability of BitLocker in HW mode (IEEE1667).  Windows itself does not know how to manage OPAL 2.0.

Having said this, the current Intel RST driver has a bug and does not support eDrive.  So even if you order eDrive, there is no way to get it working with BitLocker with the Lenovo preload that includes Intel RST driver.

[LeendertvD]

In the PSREF for the X1 Carbon I encounter both mutually exclusive OPAL2 and PCIe.

I understood that performancewise PCIe is preferred.

So the question is: is the OPAL2 also PCIe-based?