Quick G73JH SSD update question

got a new SSD that needs a firmware update on it. Says it requires the mobo to be set to AHCI mode.

Is are board set to that by default?

 

Usually, yes, but i'd go into the bios and check that it's set to AHCI to avoid any problems.

 

cool. If its not set to that already will that cause any issues with my boot drive? (laptop is at home currently)

 

yes, if your computer is not already set to AHCI and you just change it to AHCI it won't boot into Windows and typically it results in a BSOD before it gets into the desktop.

If your SSD is out of your computer and you connect it to a different machine that is setup in AHCI already I'm not sure if that would cause any issues.

 

well, this SSD is for a desktop with a non AHCI raid array so I cant put in that right away so i was going to put it into the laptop to update the FW on the SSD first then install and configure it into the desktop once it had the latest FW.

Well here is hoping I have it set to that mode

 

You can change the mode for a firmware update, but you can't boot windows from it if you change mode without making a registry change in windows first. If the drive is empty and all you want to do is flash the firmware, then it should work.

What's the SSD by the way?

 

its a new Mushkin 6gb SATA 3 240GB deluxe edition.

My main computer has a 6gb sata but its on a seperate controller. Although that controller supports ACHI, they recommended that I dont update the FW from that controller. once updated it will work fine but they said there are some buggs when updating the FW from that specific controller.

Its an ASUS Sabertooth X58btw.

My HDD in the G73 is the seagate one that is 500gb with the 4gb of SSD on it. VERY VERY impressed with it. Boots windows into desktop in under 11 seconds from button press.

 

What is the FW version on that chronos deluxe out of curiosity. Mine has been behaving nicely on 3.3.2 so i'm not sure if i'll update, downloaded it and backing the OS now in the event that i decide to do it. The FW revision should be on the drive, if it is 5.0.2, then you already have the latest.

 

Is there an easy way to find out the FW? Will the flash tool tell me? I heard that I ships with 5.0.2 so well see.

Another issue I found is that the computer im hooking this ssd up to has a micron 9xx 6gb sata controller which I guess doesnt support TRIM.. ...

 

The FW should be written on the drive itself or on the box, it was for mine.

EDIT: Quick check on newegg, written on the drive bottom left corner of the label sticker.

 

ahhh cool. Ill check that and report right when I get home. Do you have that SSD in your G73 or your desktop?

 

Desktop, you can see my G73 config in my sig.

 

Ok! So for some reason the FW was NOT written haha. I saw on newegg where it should be and that area was just blank. I checked with the tool and it was on the latest so thats ok.

Now to figure this thing out. I hooked it into my marvell sata III connector which I was advised against on many forums, but got 613 score in the as ssd tester. On the ich10R I got 588. Hmm. Either way, Im thinking in order to take full advantage of this drive you need to have it on a sandy or ivy bridge native sata III. What kind of scored are you getting with it?

 

CDM bench for the Chronos on Intel P67 SATA III:
.

That was on FW3.3.2

 

Yeah seeing that on a native SATA 3 looks great!

I can pull 380 seq read and 250 write on the crappy SATA 6 controller.

Did you know the FW update is NON destructive? I would back up anyway but run that FW. Might get even more speed!

 

The update should be non destructive, but the disclaimer in the readme is pretty clear that you should backup everything before just in case stuff happens. I just don't like flashing from windows, i prefer the way FW updates are handles for the Crucial M4, bootable iso (now works with USB).