HOW TO: Windows Installation Thread (includes SATA III, SSD Upgrade, RAID0 Discussion)

Thanks bud,

I enabled trimming (hopefully) as per these commands:

fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 0
fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify
DisableDeleteNotify = 1 (Windows TRIM commands are disabled)
DisableDeleteNotify = 0 (Windows TRIM commands are enabled)

No good ??

I had done the part 2 step this time already. Cheers though :thumbsup:

 

You can get max +-40 MB/s with Crystal DiskMark going 'back to back' and 40 isn't 200. The punchline is that 'back to back' shouldn't matter thant match if the benching tool is well written (e.g. Anvil vs. Crystal DM).

 

You can't simply 'enable' TRIM by typing some stuff in the command line when running RAID. (The commands you used check if Windows is ready to support TRIM; they have nothing to do with RST and the array). What is your OROM version? As said, if it is 11.0.x or higher, it is probably operational. I can see you are on A01 BIOS, so I guess your OROM is 10.x.

 

imo CDM isnt very good for checking SSD unless you're checking for 4k/NQC. with files on parts of SSD, that part performance drop about 30-40% so what you getting is the max speed where files do not exist, ie space not used / unallocated space.

HDtune shows the graph where files exist, speed is clearly lowered and thats the actual QD1 compressible speed we're all getting, which is perfect because window usage are mostly QD1-3 with compressible files.

 

Do you know of any copies from any mirrors ? I just joined the site but dont have any priv. to dl those drivers...

 

You'll need to meet the requirements to gain access to them. They should not be hosted anywhere else, as the author(s) haven't given permission for that.

 

Thanks Mr Fox. I'm a little annoyed as I was contributing my thoughts on games in a gaming thread and the mod arbitrarily flagged me as adding useless comments. Not a great start Where's the love these days ehh..

 

btw i found out that setting raid lowers performance for single drive.

i played around today and went alienware raid for bios rather than window7 ultimate raid, gave me better read and write for 2x HDD but for my SSD read drops about 50mb/s. in AHCI mode my intel520 is 520mb/s read while in Raid mode via alienware its at 430-450mb/s, this is for single drive and with 11.5 driver IRST.

edit: the above values are measured in CDM that means unallocated/free space drops in speed. actual speed is in HD tune read measure still around 280-310 mb/s, does this means trim is slower?

edit2: i switched back to 11.0 IRST and did a hard restart, went back to 510mb/s and now im confused. maybe 11.0 is overall a better driver than 11.2? or maybe 11.0 is better for earlier chipset.

 

I think that can vary by SSD. It could be the way your Intel SSD responds, as it was the opposite with the Crucial M4 and OCZ Agility 3 when I tested with AHCI on a non-RAID configuration. The recommended setting from Dell and Intel is to have the BIOS set to RAID versus AHCI and that works better for me. It's always good to test everything on each system. Good investigative work on your part, bro.

 

well im not sure if its just me but ive done several tests runs with this raid thing, my wd 2x 750 black scorpio raid through window 7 seems to give better performance. it doesnt show better with CDM but actual transfer speed is around 160mb/s unlike through the hardware raid by alienware gives around 100mb/s.

both CDM and HDTune shows much higher score than 150 so im little confused.. looks like the hardware raid in alienware is quite old?

 

Interesting unitoyole. I wish I did a benchmark before I raided up my SSD's for a comparison. One thing for sure is TRIM isn't so much of a problem running stand alone.

 

You should start from checking your OROM version, as I said earlier.

 

i for one will be hoping for a hardware raid upgrade if possible in R3. right now im just doing bunch of different set up.

i first changed bios to A05 then changed to RAID from AHCI then set up raid through alienware. im going back reverse to see if i can get the old performance back.

 

My SSD RAID0 setup works just fine. I have no degrading performance issues. Garbage collection seems to do its job. TRIM would be great and it would be my preference to have it functioning, but it is not a deal breaker for me given the sustained read/write performance with GC. The performance is better than a single SSD in a non-RAID0 configuration.

 

maybe i got a laptop with faulty raid?
i just went back to window 7 ultimate software raid and write speed is average 155 mb/s, which is 55mb more than built in raid. i wish i have two agility 3 240gb in raid right now to compare with you mr fox so i could check if its my built in raid..

alienware doesnt have a raid card insdie right?

 

I have been extremely keen. Its taking a little longer than expected to retrieve svl7's file.
I'll give it a crack when I finally get hold of it.
Do you know of any good bios flashing guides ?

Mr Fox, I've read the garbage collection does a pretty decent job anyway too.

 

heh S301 SLC SSD maybe going on sale next week. 120gb for 250-275/drive.
write erase cycle is 100k compare to most 240gb MLC drives which is at 3k.
review is here: SuperSSpeed S301 Hyper SLC 120GB Solid State Drive Review :: TweakTown USA Edition

I'm gonna grab 3 of these and test them in the alienware, although i was let down with the built-in hardware raid, these drives should easily go over 1gb/s read and write both compressible and incompressible data.

 

As littleone562 noted in the M18x Sub-Forum, RST 11.6.0.1030 is now available from Intel.

 

Just to make sure I have this right, when i get my 2nd ssd, I install Windows 7 in RAID mode in the BIOS then download and install the latest version of Intel RST.Then I configure the RAID 0 setup using RST right? Then I go to Computer/manage/diskmanagement and extend C dirive to its full capacity. Do I need the Intel Matrix program or is that part of RST? After installing Windows 7 should installing RST be the 1st thing I do or can I go ahead and install all drivers and Windows updates? Is it true that it takes several hours for RST to set up RAID 0?Sorry for all the questions, I'm quite the novice at this. Thank you

 

I am not sure but you might be able to convert your current win7 to raid 0 within windows using rapid storage technology with their built in migration tool. I know this allowed me to add a 3rd drive to my 2-way raid 0 array without reformat needed. Matrix is not needed it is an outdated version of irst.

 

Yes, what littleone562 said works flawlessly. Please refere to the opening post: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...llation-questions-troubleshooting-thread.html

I am moving this into the same thread that a link to was previously provided in a earlier post. Please continue discussion in the appropriate thread versus creating new threads to ask questions.

 

Hey Guys, great guide Mr. Fox!, I updated to RST 11.6 and it brought back the 3gb bug on both my drives (it used to be only one of them), I tried the LPM Fix, tried reseting the BIOS but no dice, in the past simply doing the LPM fix would get both my SSDs @ Sata 3 speeds...

Any quick pointers how to resolve this issue?

 

Hey stranger! Welcome back... we missed you, buddy.

I believe the issue is a bug somewhere in the InsydeH20 BIOS. Once I get the problem corrected it stays working correctly unless or until I re-flash the system BIOS, then I often end up having to jump through hoops again to eliminate the problem. Sometime doing a blind flash corrects it. I had not posted that because I don't want to have to explain how to do that and have someone mess things up by not following instructions.

Two additional things you can try, both of which have helped my buggy OCZ drives return to SATA 3.0 6GB/s speeds:

• Try re-flashing the SSD drives to reset them using the latest firmware
• Reinstall Windows and use the latest RST F6 drivers during Windows setup

I had trouble with my OCZ drives dropping to 3GB/s after flashing the modded BIOS that svl7 had injected with the 11.5 OROM and had to do the above to correct it. That BIOS would not work because the drives were write-protected using the 11.5 OROM with the HM67 chipset. I still have to change the RST service to "Automatic" versus "Automatic (Delayed Start)" to avoid the speed drop.

 

I think the drop in speed adversely affects sandforce based drives, predominantly. I have the 11.6 RST running and my non-sandforce drives are maintaining their sata performance @6gbps without tweaks. I don't recall seeing anyone with non-sandforce having the issue, but I could be wrong.

 

Steve, I think as a general rule you are correct about that. In 20/20 hindsight, I will never purchase another Sandforce-controlled SSD in a situation where having the best performance possible is desirable. On an older machine that only runs at SATA 2.0 speeds it probably makes sense to save money on buying the cheaper drives that use Sandforce.

While I am getting fairly decent results from my crappy OCZ Agility 3 drives, it was not without jumping through a lot of hoops to make them work right. It's simply not worth the effort to save a few bucks when better alternatives are available that do not employ Sandforce technology.

 

Thank you Mr. Fox, I tried re-flashing the BIOS and oddly enough it worked for 15 seconds and Port1 reverted back to 3GB (on the fly! so weird), after a reboot, now both drives show 3GB. If I re flash/reset the BIOS it will again show up as 6GB for a few seconds and then the cycle repeats leaving me with 3GB on both ports after a reboot.... very strange. I'm probably just going to wait for Windows 8 to be released and then do a fresh install.

 

In addition to the registry LMP fix you have already implemented, have you turned off LMP in the Power profile and disabled "aggressive" link power management in the unlocked BIOS? Maybe those tweaks will help.

 

That did the trick!! You tha man Brother Fox! + rep!

 

SWEET! I'm glad it solved your dilemma, Bro. Don't be a stranger so much. Check out the benchmark thread if you haven't already done so.

 

How much of this would I need to doing if I'm not going with a RAID setup up, meaning where would I start? If I'm using a Samsung SSD would I need Intel RST? Also would I follow this with the HOW TO: Clean Windows 7 Install (Driver Install Order) Guide for Alienware Systems and the HOW TO: Restore the Alienware 'Look and Feel' after a clean install of Windows 7 guide?

 

You may choose to use some of the tweaks in this thread, certain ones are more applicable to getting the most out of SandForce based drives and aren't required 100% for Non-SandForce drives such as the Samsung. They can be implemented if you like and you can test to see if they make any difference to performance - if they hinder it, you can revert the changes.

If you are installing one SSD, it is still advisable to do so under the Raid setting in Bios - just incase you wish to add a second drive and create a Raid array in the future....a lot simpler than having to re-install the whole operating system if you installed under AHCI.

As far as Intel RST goes, I would recommend using it. You can use Windows own built in Raid/AHCI drivers but again, they may not perform as well as Intel's...I think most people elect to install RST over Microsoft's standard drivers. Once the drive is physically installed in the laptop, yes....the thread you linked to is ideal for allowing you to create a clean installation to your new drive.

 

Agree with Steve's comments. As always, great advice. +1 Rep

Definitely recommend having the BIOS set to RAID rather than AHCI. Not only does it provide flexibility in the event you want to install a second matching SSD for RAID0 without having to do an OS reinstall, most systems perform better with the BIOS set to RAID. It is the default setting from the factory even on single-drive Alienware systems and that is also the configuration recommended by Intel for best results.

lilone21804, if you need help with the new installation, the third and fourth videos can be followed. (You will not need to delete partitions on a new SSD because there will not be any, but everything else applies.)

 

Hey steviejones,

me again! got myself some 830's, running ok but low read speeds, under 800 in raid0. looked through the posts and applied a few tweak which gave great write speeds but no effect on the read. any ideas?

ps. dell are refunding 2 of the 4gb 1600 sticks! will be going for the hyperx when i have these drives up to speed.

thanks,
bakesy

 

So I am now finally upgrading my m18x with an SSD. I already have the 750gb 7200rpm hdd in there with the os installed (windows ult)

I now want to install my SSD and reinstall windows into that os. I also have already backed up all the files contained in my 720gb hdd which I want to use as a secondary so I can now format it.

So Now I install my SSD and move my secondary hdd to the next bay. Then I do a fresh install of windows 7 via DVD.

Ok....done...BUT

Doing this I know I will lose the Alienware related programs such as command center apps like alienfx which I really need. Also alienrespawn...

I was thinking of doing an alienrespawn back up now on my hdd and then after installing my SSD and making it my primary, reinstall alienrespawn somehow and restore the image...BUT I heard its a bad idea to restore an image from an HDD to an SSD.

So what do I do in order to maintain all my Alienware programs as well as install my SSD and make it my primary/os drive?

 

Cc is on the Alienware disk that came with you system.

Dont know how to keep alienrespawn.

 

You need to install all the drivers in the correct order to have your M18x back on track.

Here's the complete list of drivers with the correct installation order.

M18x R1
M18x R2

It's better to download them instead of installing from the Resource DVD provided as you will be downloading the latest version of each driver.

 

Thank you Luis!

+rep

 

What exactly types of side/negative-effects should one expect if one would simply use ALIEN RESPAWN image from a stock HDD onto a newly installed SSD?

I mean, there could be certain things that you'd have to look into such as making sure TRIM is enabled, but other than that, what could really go wrong?

Yes, a fresh install is a guaranteed problem-free though more time-consuming method. But who says that respawning from an HDD to SSD WILL cause problems? As a matter of fact, there are a number of users here who have done so with no issues whatsoever.

Overall, if you've got the time and patience, go ahead and do a clean install and download and install all necessary files/drivers accordingly. If you want the faster process, go ahead and respawn onto the newly installed SSD.

I honestly think this misconception of "z0mg dont respawn from HDD to SSD or else maximum breakage!" is getting out of hand.

 

I think the only real issue would be correct drive alignment. If it works correctly, which it has done for me in the past, then I son't see any harm trying it out. It's not a total clean install and as such, a proper clean install would always be recommended over a resapwn - simply because you get a total blank canvas to build up from. It's down to preference I guess - if the individual in question is too scared of a clean install then they would be best sticking to cloning/respawning.

 

I have done it several times and the end result has always been lower read/write performance. Nothing was "broken" and there were no errors. When a clean install is performed, Windows recognizes the SSD and automatically configures itself from best performance with SSD versus HDD.

 

actually i think this holds true. it's really not restore an image work or not, i can simply enter a registry telling my window to run in raid mode while bios is set to AHCI, and restore an AHCI image with registry edited on a raid0 array and will run window fine, but with slower performance, maybe about 5-10%. then i tested with reinstall fresh window on the new raid array and speed is completely fine.

also i have been reading some raid array drives comparing different review websites, usually yields to different results because test machine are different so i asked them, why performance differ so much. they told me Orom 11+ gives better results (maybe trim?) and mobo is a huge factor.

 

Yes, that's right. There are many factors that can affect performance. There is more to it than just buying a fast SSD and being done with it.

 

Thanks a lot for the Directions. I used this guide, and a couple other guides, a couple of tweaks and some good old trial and error. But I have successfully able to set up Raid 0 (Dual Samsung 830 256 SSD) @ Sata III Speeds on my M17xR3. No Blue screens or Crashes! Awesome! Finally both Ports @ 6GB with no changing speeds!

 

hello
i have problem sata 3 drop to sata 2 like this

after download Latest version of Intel RST [Download Intel RST 11.6.0.1030]

????
i try LPM Fix and Reset the BIOS to optimal defaults
i need help

 

my laptop alienware M18X R2

 

Not quite sure why you need help? - if, after applying the LPM fix and resetting Bios to default, your getting Sata III 6gbps speeds on both drives - where's the problem? - your picture on the right shows 6gbps so does this now randomly change or is it solid?

 

hello

6gbs in Intel® Rapid Storage Technology is solid
but problem on wirte speed

 

Hmmmm. Your drives may not be properly aligned. Was this a clean install? - what you could do is download AS SSD tool and run it. In the top left of the AS SSD window, it will show if your drives are correctly aligned. See the pic below of my Raid AS SSD test and if under the Intel Raid 0 Volume (mines called M18x_Raid 0), the text is red and no "OK" sign, your drives aren't aligned correctly. ATTO might have a way to check alignment too - not sure. Also, it looks like you might be able to update the firmware on your drives - both of yours show 000F - I think the latest is 010G. Have a look at this from the Crucial Forums: http://forum.crucial.com/t5/Solid-S...m4-firmware-010G-is-now-available/td-p/107936 and if you DO decide to update, make sure you use the SSD firmware and NOT the mSata firmware that are both discussed on that thread.

 

this is sacend alienware m18x r2 i buy it have same problem

and i buy the new sata cable nothing change
i doing Clean Install Windows
i have Samsung Electronics 840 Pro Series 2.5-Inch 256 x2
and in the first alienware m18x r2 Corsair Force Series GT x2 (i update it)

 

Well, in the last screenshot posted, there is something wrong with one of the drives indicated by the yellow exclamation mark.....