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    L521X - How to Re-enable MSATA Caching mode?

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by Earlyflash, Jul 10, 2012.

  1. Earlyflash

    Earlyflash Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi all

    I've switched my HDD for an SSD with a fresh install of Windows 7. As part of this I installed the iRST software from Intel, but it wouldn't allow me to use the existing msata partition as it was 'paired' with the HDD which was now missing.

    i selected an option in the iRST to set the drive to 'available', but it's now showing up as another disk drive, and the 'accelerate' option no longer appears in the iRST software.

    I'd like to be able to re-enable this functionality, but google searches have come up null so far.

    Perhaps someone can kindly help me, and we can leave the instructions here for anyone else foolish enough to do what I did!

    Thanks!
     
    Earlyflash, Jul 10, 2012
    #1
  2. dorekk

    dorekk Notebook Consultant

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    If you installed an SSD in place of the HDD that came with the computer, the caching feature couldn't possibly make your computer faster.
     
    dorekk, Jul 10, 2012
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  3. Earlyflash

    Earlyflash Notebook Enthusiast

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    Except the cache runs at 6Gb/s (SATA III) and my SSD only runs at SATA II (3Gb/s).

    Regardless, it would be useful to know how to re-enable the functionality.
     
    Earlyflash, Jul 10, 2012
    #3
  4. exaltare

    exaltare Notebook Enthusiast

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    The caching feature may have been disabled after detecting your drive setup. It's unlikely that your mSATA SSD is faster than your SATA SSD. It's also unlikely that either drive can saturate their respective interfaces with throughput. Enabling the function with your specific setup would probably yield no gains while shortening the lifespan of your mSATA drive. The SRT option might only show back up if you put an HDD back in. However, this is purely conjecture on my part.
     
    exaltare, Jul 10, 2012
    #4
  5. Earlyflash

    Earlyflash Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hmm, that's certainly possible, it's not a situation that I'd considered, that it's detected the ssd and disabled it.

    I might try putting the HDD back in and see what happens.
     
    Earlyflash, Jul 10, 2012
    #5
  6. drowsydpl

    drowsydpl Newbie

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    Can anyone tell me how to change a mSata from caching mode to a normal hard drive?
    I want to use my mSata as a normal hard drive and install the OS in it. :)
     
    drowsydpl, Jul 12, 2012
    #6
  7. Risco

    Risco Notebook Deity

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    Risco, Jul 12, 2012
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  8. peidekun

    peidekun Notebook Guru

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    You can't cache an SSD with a msata ssd.
     
    peidekun, Jul 12, 2012
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  9. peidekun

    peidekun Notebook Guru

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    peidekun, Jul 12, 2012
    #9