Alienware owners with Samsung PM800 SSD - TRIM now available!

Anyone knows if the SSD 128 Gb sells by Dell, is the same controler of the 256Gb, the Samsung PM800 ?

 

I HAVE TRIM!



This was ordered maybe five or six days ago?



Still no reply from my liaison @ Dell about the firmware, though. A little suspicious...

And, would you believe, it is refurbished!

@fr0x

I would assume so, but don't trust me.

~Ibrahim~

EDIT: quick bench.

 

Got my replacement today... I can confirm that I have the VBM24D1Q FW and crystal disk does say I have Trim as well.



--------------------------------------------------
CrystalDiskMark 2.2 (C) 2007-2008 hiyohiyo
Crystal Dew World : http://crystalmark.info/
--------------------------------------------------

Sequential Read : 199.191 MB/s
Sequential Write : 169.590 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 160.008 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 119.609 MB/s
Random Read 4KB : 14.162 MB/s
Random Write 4KB : 6.663 MB/s

Test Size : 100 MB
Date : 2010/01/15 22:44:05

This was the info I copied to my clipboard.

 

Talked to an AW rep about my poor SSD performance and they are sending me a replacement SSD in "3 business days'. Hopefully I got TRIM as well! Do they typically send out refurbs as replacements, and how would I know?

 

Hmm...not sure what the policy is about sending refurbs. Mine had a big sticker on the brown box it came in that said "refurbished" but would have otherwise not have known.

~Ibrahim~

 

Sum, yes Dell does send out refurbs as replacements. It usually says on the side of the box if the item is a refurbished item or not. Good luck!

 

Hi Guys,

I have bought an SSD from eBay yesterday. (I can get it one week later or more)
It looks like the type is: MMCRE28G5MXP-OVBH1
The firmware version is: VBM1AH1Q
Manufactured: 2009.Week34. (REV1)

After the purchasing, I have read this thread, and I'm a little bit worrying about the speed. I hoped this drive could reach the standard 200+ MB/s read and 180+ MB/s write in seq. mode.
After the posts of SumKallMeTIM I'm very disappointed.

Could anyone tell me more about this (VBM1AH1Q) version?

Thanks in advance!

 

Interesting that you have the firmware that's been shipping for a while but it's reporting TRIM is available.

I've attached a copy of my 128gb ssd for reference although I note the name of your drive includes FDE which mine doesn't, not sure if that means anything.

 

Are you sure about that? I though it was VBM19D1Q that had been shipping for a while, and his replacement has VBM9LD1Q. I don't recall seeing this firmware around before...

 

mine is VBM9KD1Q, but can not support trim

 

I Google'd FDE and apparently it stands for "full-disk encryption". So I guess I got an encrypted one?

Apparently, according to Samsung, I need Wave's EMBASSY® Trusted Drive Manager...maybe I'll call Dell to get it. Sounds kind of useless, as far as I can see.

Maybe VBM#xD1Q is for encrypted drives? And VBM##D1Q is for regular drives? Is yours FDE, levyjj?

Is there any way to do like a firmware dump?

@cartman

Hmm, an H instead of a D? I Google'd the firmware and it's here:

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/products/flash/ssd/2008/product/pcOverview.html

So I assume it's Dell? But it looks to be an earlier one? Not sure, though.

 

All right, I've been getting some idiotic stuttering at times with Window 7. I google'd it and it seems to be caused by services like SuperFetch.

I checked. My SuperFetch is ON. I thought Windows 7 was supposed to find these things and turn them off with SSDs?

What the fudge?!

 

I'm sorry but I misread the firmware number and you're right they are different and it's my firmware version without TRIM that has been shipping for a while now.

Hopefully an updated version with TRIM will be available from Dell soon.

 

mine is SAMSUNG SSD PB22-CS3 FDE TM, showing in crystaldiskinfo

 

So it is the encrypted type. Safe to say, I think:

VBM#xD1Q is for encrypted drives
VBM##D1Q is for regular drives

# = number
x = letter

Damn, you're seemingly only one version away from having TRIM.

No news from my guys, I'm sending another email now.

 

Not so fast! I have a Samsung Encrypted Mobility 256GB SSD and the firmware from Dell was VBM94D1Q. Now, I have yet to see that it is encrypted, because I have not used the Embassy Trust software (and don't really intend to!), but the firmware goes against what you are saying.

Can you post a picture of the label side of your Samsung? I'm curious to see if the part and model numbers match mine?

 

I have seen this VBM1AH1Q as official HP Replacement part.

Perhaps the H means HP, the D means DELL

I don't think this so old, since the mfg date is 2009 wk34 (mine) and wk41 (on the linked picture).

What do you think?

 

Is there a FDE in the name under Device Manager?

@cartman

Huh, you're right! That is pretty new. HP makes sense, too. I tried looking on HP's site, but I couldn't find any updates for it.

~Ibrahim~

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a286/ikjadoon/DSC01048.jpg (label)

 

I looked on the drive and it does say FDE/0939/REV 0/FW VBM94D1Q.

But, you appear (according to a Samsung website showing model numbers) that you have the newest model number. Mine is a MMDOE56G5MXP, and yours is a MMD PE56G5MXP. According to Samsung, the "P" model is a 4Q 2009 model. Can't tell what the model difference is as they are both part of the PM800 series.

 

Huh....confusion abound: it's so "new" but refurbished at the same time.

Well, that throws my whole firmware/model theory out the window, though your number (..94...) is a lot higher than anyone else's.

I tried getting the stupid encryption software, but Dell after an hour of switching departments and holding hung up on me. Too frustrated to continue.

No response from my Dell guys again, fourth unresponsive email.

I guess we'll wait until the datasheet for the "other" PM800 comes out on Samsung's website.

~Ibrahim~

 

Thanks alot for all the info on flashing the drive

I flashed my Dell OEM drive which now supports TRIM ..

Could not be happier....

 

Hi Quadzilla,

which was your previous firmware version?

Thanks!

 

Dell liaisons responded: didn't know about it, but they're chatting with a storage engineer now.

When I say "didn't know", just these two individuals. I'm sure Dell as a company is aware.

 

VBM19D1Q i do believe..

 

How did you do it exactly?
I have another 128GB with VBM19D1Q and I'd like to try the method what you did.

Thanks in advance!

 

Hi Cartman,

I just purchased the exact same drive as you with the same revision (MMCRE28G5MXP-OVBH1 F/W: VBM1AH1Q). I'm currently waiting for it in the mail and hoping that it can be updated to support trim. Let me know how things go!

 

I just got an email from samsung, I thought my drive was samsung but samsung rep just emailed me that the previous instructions that I was given by the other rep were wrong, he said my drive firmware is specific for dell oem firmware, and the samsung tool will only see the original samsung ssd firmware, he said my problem lies there, he basically told me that if and when dell releases the firmware update form PM800 drive I should be able to flash it with their firmware. It doesn't matter a whole lot to me but I just wanted to pass on the info with people with VBM15D1Q firmware, assuming that the samsung rep was telling the truth.

 

I been told, and read the same thing

We have to (or should) wait for Dells release. I am fairly positive flashing a Dell OEM drive with a different firmware will invalidate the warranty

 

Many of us have been told it is coming soon for 15d users, so I think we are less than 2 weeks away. In the meantime Tony Trim is working just fine for me.

 

Followed the instructions that Joker posted .. It was pretty much a no brainer..

Funniest part was i couldnt find my flash drive so i used my Sony PSP as the boot drive .. Worked like a charm ...

I used my desktop to flash the drive which im pretty certain you need to use a desktop but i could be mistaken... Connected to Sata port 1 and i removed all other Sata connections during the process so they would not interfere ..

Mother board i have is a Asus P6T Deluxe i7 board ....

 

Thanks!
Unfortunately I don't have any desktop computer
Currently I'm using a Lenovo X200s.
What is your opinion? Should I try it on this notebook?

 

finally the postman was here now, and I have got the purchased VBM1AH1Q version.
Here are some informations which are very strange for me


Both of them were connected via USB (with same Hitachi USB/SATA interface)

What I don't understand:
- Health status in percentage is missing with 1AH1Q (why??)
- The "standard" protocol is different (the 1AH1Q is higher??)
- The AAM feature is not supported in 1AH1Q (what means this AAM??)

 

Is it possible to flash the Samsung MMDPE56G5MXP 256GB (VBM19d1Q) using my desktop (Pentium 4 3.2GHz core solo + P5AD2-E deluxe)?
Thanks in advance!

 

Interesting...what's the date of manufacture on the drives? It's on the sticker.

AAM is like acoustic management something: I don't really know what it does for SSDs because it mainly deals with rotation/spin-up, etc.

~Ibrahim~

 

I wrote that with red on the screen-shots

 

Honestly i could not tell you if your Lenovo would do the the trick or not but in the end its either going to let you do it or it wont... If its not getting the connection it needs then its going to tell you..

You could always try to find a friend with a desktop to flash it or just mail the drives off to someone if its that important to get it done..

 

I've tried all the various flashers with my Dell 256gb drive (VBM15D1Q) from Mushkin, Lenovo Samsung, Corsair, OCZ all to no avail, both on my SXPS16 laptop and several desktop PCs including one at the office that does have a functioning IDE compatibility mode. Thought I'd post my experiences with each them for others in a similar situation.

1) Lenovo utility (fw2.exe) will see the drive on my SXPS16 laptop in AHCI mode but will cannot update firmware, even after modding the fw.pro config file; must be checking for a specific firmware version or OEM microcode that is not there

2) Mushkin utility (maindiag.exe) will see drive on a generic desktop PC in IDE but gives an error after failing to write the firmware. Clear NAND option does work, however.

3) Samsung, Corsair, OCZ utilities (DSRD1_0.exe) never find the drive; must be checking for a specific firmware version or OEM microcode that is not there


Guess at this point only options are to sell the drive or wait for Dell....

 

LOL.....I saw those but only read "HP" and "Dell". See where my head is really looking, lol.

The HP one must have a really wacked firmware, the name isn't even PB22-J any more.

Is that drive updated or does HP not have any updating things? I looked once and couldn't find them.

 

I haven't updated that, this is the original fw.
I didn't find any HP update till now

 

Huh...interesting.

Tried emailing/contacting HP?

 

Not yet...

 

Guys we are trying to push dell to bring out that firmware for us. Please sign and spread this petition!

http://www.petitiononline.com/dellssd/petition.html

If enough people have signed we present this to product management of Dell and try to negotiate that they bring out the firmware.

Spread this arround on every forum u could think of... lets bundle our customer power.

 

great!
did it!

 

Hi guys, is it possible to flash the Samsung 256GB MMDOE56G5MXP-OVBD1 (firmware fVBM15D1Q)?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Its Samsung not DELL

 

then you should be able to go to samsungs web site they now have up and dl the firmware update there

 

Can you give the link? Seems I can't find it (new to SSD F/W) Thanks!

 

Signed up! Hope this works!

 

my adamo i just got in today has trim enabled according to crystal info.

PB22-CS3

VBM24D1Q

 

see they just need to give us the vbm24d1q firmware update....Shouldn't be a big deal..

 

here it is

http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/products/flash/ssd/2008/business/business.html