Firmare Version for Intel SSD's

Hi Guys,

Dumb, dumb question! Without pulling the back off how do I find out the make / model and firmware version of the SSD's fitted to my Lappy? I asked for two new Intel X-25M 160 GB in Raid0 and now I want to be able to check the firmware version for the TRIM support. I have only recently bought it so they should be new.... but.

 

If they're 2nd generation drives they will support TRIM. 1st generation Intel drives will not support TRIM.

 

Yeah, but how do I know what is fitted without pulling the back off?

 

look at disk drives in device manager>right click intel x-25>properties>details tab>hardware ids in drop down window.

 

When I go to Device Manager, Disk Drives it says I have Volume0. The details for it are;
IDE\DiskVolume01.0.00___, etc etc. Is the reason I have no information because I am using Win7 or have two drives in RAID0?

 

yeah, hardware ids isn't showing firmware details because you have a RAID setup. You could try crystaldiskinfo it might be able to read the firmware.

 

Is there a particular reason why you don't want to open your laptop? For most it isn't hard. As an alternative, you can look under Disk Drives in your Device Manager and report back to us what it says. For the Generation 2 Intel X25-M SSDs that support TRIM, you should see "G2" at the end of the Disk Drive name.

 

You can also boot with an Intel firmware CD/DVD, and before it will ask to change the firmware, it will show you what firmware you have.

 

Yeah, and if it doesn't have the latest FW it will when you update it. While TRIM doesn't work with RAID setups Intels SSD toolbox with the latest FW can restore performance.

 

For a non RAID drive CrystalDiskInfo does read the firmware version - for a raided one - no idea. (Haven't got RAID and only have one Intel X25-M)

Intel Toolbox - only if you don't use system restore points or wait for a re-release.

 

Intel just released a new version of toolbox yesterday. It was able to read the firmware on my X-25.

 

And the old one could read the new firmware too... it just ruined system restore points...

I have a feeling they work differently though.

 

Posted this question in the very long SSD Thread, but I"ll post here too:

Wanted to ask you guys for your opinion if I need to have this installed and run the SSD Optimizer as it advises... I am running Windows 7 Ultimate x64 with Turbo Memory (and thus have the Turbo Memory Console/Matrix Storage Manager installed) on an X25-M 80GB G2. Also, is there any way that definitively indicates that TRIM is enabled?

 

download crystal diskinfo and run, if TRIM is not grey, then you get TRIM.

 

Well I understand that the X25-M G2 that I have supports TRIM and has it, but how do I know that it is being utilized by Windows 7? (I did run CrystalDiskInfo and did see that it is not greyed out) What I am asking is that do I need to have the SSD ToolBox installed to take full advantage of TRIM? I remember reading a post somewhere that if I don't have the Intel Matrix Storage Manager installed (I need to for Turbo Memory), then I don't need to install the Toolbox.

 

i guess you don't need to install toolbox for TRIM.

 

Well the Optimizer in Toolbox says "Optimizes Intel's 34nm SSDs including TRIM functionality"

Intel SSD Optimizer use the Windows 7 ATA Data Set Management Command (known as Trim) to help keep the Intel SSD running at continued high performance.

 

I am just a bit worried that I might have gone and done the wrong thing. I now have two Intel X-25m 160GB drives in Raid0 but TRIM won't work in RAID0, and the SSD Tool box won't work in RAID either and while today my lappie is smoking fast I am worried that it will quickly start to slow down. Anyone got any idea's?

PS MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

 

Well, Dave had no problems with his G1.... so you should be OK for posibly at least half a year

 

yep, no problems should arise. espencially on a raid0. my mtrons in raid0 performed great over a year. taking them out, they showed a lot more speed issues (like blocking).

you should have 0 issues. and if you have in a year or so, backup, format, restore. it's not the end of the world.

 

Thanks Dave for the feedback.