Intel RAID Mode SSD Caching Option Missing

[tolagarf]

I wanted to use the 'Accelerate' option of the Intel Rapid Storage Technology to use one of my excess available SSD's as a caching option for my RAID 1 array, however I simply cannot get this to work. I'm just not getting the option in the software to do it.

Mainboard: ASUS X99-WS/IPMI (lastest BIOS version)
CPU: Intel i7 5930K
Windows 10 Enterprise (latest build)
RAID mode enable in BIOS of course.
Cache SSD is located on the Intel SATA controller, IRST detects it.
Boot drive is a NVMe Samsung PM981 (not sure if that's a conflict?)

Some Youtube video made the following claims to get it working:

Claims the OS has to be on a spinning drive. I call BS on that one, as I've done this before with an older X99 board and a SATA SSD boot drive.
Disable Secure Boot in BIOS by unloading the Platform Key, did that, checked the BIOS reported Secure Boot disabled (oddly enough I still get the ASUS logo on boot up instead of the blue Windows logo).
Install latest IRST driver and software, check (oddly enough it claims my chipset isn't supported. Only from 100 series and up, however the driver and software works).
Install latest version of Intel Management Engine, and here some problems occur. The one ASUS lists on their support site does not work, I get a "Critical Error" on install and it fails. I can't for the life of me find a version that works, when I google it all I get is versions for NUC PC's.

Any ideas what's causing this issue?

 

[grec]

If it determines the caching drive is slower than the RAID 1 array it probably won't give you the option, I can't say for certain but I'd assume that's the most basic check they implement for it

 

[tolagarf]

If it determines the caching drive is slower than the RAID 1 array it probably won't give you the option, I can't say for certain but I'd assume that's the most basic check they implement for it

No I'm more inclined to believe it has something to do with the M.2 being present (which is my boot drive). As I mentioned I've done this before with two SATA SSD, one had the OS and the other one was clean. Maybe it's the ME drivers, not sure, but the BIOS uses the latest ME firmware anyway I just can't find any drivers for my motherboard that works.

 

[grec]

IRST is supposed to work with PCIe/M.2 drives nowadays, not sure I've ever seen a config that way round though. Many consumer boards started to get updates to disable most of IME a couple of years back, it's a massive security vulnerability with no real useful features for consumers(Unless you need/use it though), though parts of it are still necessary for boot, latest updates will likely just remove stuff or try to patch vulnerabilities.