SSD Thread (Benchmarks, Brands, News, and Advice)

Also, what Chipset version do you use ?

I use the latest one, I've uploaded here for you; you might wanna give it a try...

 

Amazing. I get those exact numbers (give or take a mb) in safe mode with my x25m. Something is very fishy with the r2.

 

I have tried all of them with all different combinations (both Dell and Intel drivers)
The results are the same.

 

Yeap, the thing is that I don't know if it is the drivers or the chipset itself. I wish I had performed the tests when I had both R1 and R2. Right now I don't know how to proceed. I hate calling Dell and have a couple of uneducated techs telling me that I didn't install the drivers correctly and that I have to install them again...

 

What about your BIOS ?

IDE or AHCI or RAID ?

And in the SATA Drive 1 (and 2), do you have the 32 BIT I/O enabled ?

 

It's on AHCI but I get the exact same results with the RAID. I did 8 clean windows installations to try every driver combination. The 32bit I/O was disabled in every case

 

May I STRONGLY suggest you ENABLE it ???

 

Intel has an SSD Toolbox with a utility called SSD Optimizer. What does this utility do exactly?

I have a Samsung SSD in my Envy 14, are there any tools that I might need or that would help keep it running fresh? TRIM is enabled (at least in Windows using the fsutil command), and has the TRIM enabled firmware on the drive, at least the MMDOE56G5MXP-0VB is supposed to.

 

I will give it a try and let you know

*EDIT*

Nope, the exact same results with the latest RST

 

It puts back the drive to it's original state.

Some people here may suggest you good programs to do that, like HDD Erase or something like that; however, it's very picky, much easy to brick or screw your drive, done that, been there; already got the T-Shirt

If your TRIM is really working (you're not in RAID, right?), then, there should be no need for such.

Intel Toolbox will only work with Intel drives (not raided neither).

Enjoy your SSD !

 

Yup, lemme know, I'm curious...

 

Unfortunately I got the exact same results, I tried it with both the RST drivers and the default MS ones

 

oh well...

clueless...

speechless...

You got the same cluster size than with your R1 ? I remember you came here to ask a question about the CLUSTER size, and I replied to you talking about RAID STRIPE size

Are you in RAID or not

Just trying to figure out....

 

The cluster size is 64K (I have tried it with the default 4K as well) the setup and the tweaks I have applied are exactly the same with those when I had the R1. I use AHCI in the BIOS with a single SSD the Intel X25-E.
I have performed 8 secure erases and 8 clean windows installations. I have tried every possible driver and so far the best results are in safe mode but even those are like 2/3 of the normal performance of this SSD.

 

Thanks, not RAIDED.

Here's my results of all three SSD's I have:

First is Envy 14 Samsung 256GB
Second is Desktop with Intel 80GB G2
Third is Netbook with Intel 40GB G2

 

Unless I'm half blind, there's only one pic here...

Your numbers are quite Samsung's standard

 

Yeah, Dell in this case will be totally useless.
Not sure how to proceed myself.
Does anybody know of other laptops with the same chipset as the m17x-r2?

 

Hmmmm

8 SECURE ERASES HEY ??? ​

This might explain that... While I did screw my SSDs with such supposed SECURE erase, and while they were my first smsungs and not intel, don't ask me why, but I wouldn't be surprised that's where the problem lies...

Therefore, my only suggestion left is to run the Intel Toolbox on it. And if this doesn't work, quick format→Intel toolbox→re-install windows (yes I know, many hours of pure pleasure for you in sight...)...

For mfractal: Chipset is PM55, ICH9 if I'm not mistaken...

 

Sorry, they're there now. Had to go to each machine and upload it...

Seems the Samsung is lacking with 4k read/writes.

 

They are, but again, this is Samsung's standard numbers...

 

The X25-E is an SLC NAND drive. It doesn't support TRIM. The only way to restore the factory performance condition is secure erase which simply resets the controller not the NANDs so it doesn't do any harm to the SSD.
The toolbox for the X25-E offers only SMART information, nothing else

 

And could that be why you do not see any cache-write option in the controller ?

 

I don't know about that (mfractal could check this out since he has the X25-M) but my numbers are the same with the X25-M which doesn't make any sense so far.

 

Don't get me wrong: I fully understand your numbers are not quite in par to what they should show you, been there too, just trying to dig to find out...

 

Yeah I understand, I run out of ideas myself too. The next step is to run a couple of benchmarks under linux and see what I will get from that chipset with this SSD. I don't know if I should contact Intel either. They will tell me to contact Dell...

 

which would be useless eye agree...

 

Yes, that's the chipset. So any other laptops based on that chipset? If we know of one we could find a user on this forum that also owns either the x25-m or X25-e and compare numbers. If the numbers are the same we rule out R2's fault, if not we investigate further.

From my ssd guide, I do have this option.

 

yes I do have that option as well

btw, I have started a thread concerning this matter at Dell's support forum
Alienware M17x - R2 Killing the SSD performance - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

If more people report related performance issues there, there are more chances for an official answer from Dell, who knows even a possible fix

 

Hey Phil, well, using my official "Clone and Go" process Clone my Corsair to the OCZ and see if it FEELS faster. That is all I care about.

Thing is, I simply have no time to do this right. No fresh installs for me at this time. I did one on the Corsair back a few months, and it was painful. Mainly Dreamweaver was just such a pain. I will be selling one or the other on Ebay. Dave

 

is this a recommended option for SSDs ? i've got the X-25M and this item isn't checked in properties

 

No it's not recommended in every case, you have to try yourself, with and without it, because different chipset and storage driver combinations will give you different results

 

Both the Envy 15 as well as the Dell M6500 (both i7 quad and 16GB capable platforms) have shown the same problem with roughly half random read and write performance on the Intel G2 SSD compared to the previous Intel ICHM generation.

 

This sounds like a big fail for Intel since it is an Intel chipset that doesn't play along with Intel SSDs...

 

Yep. Unfortunately, no one has so far been able to determine if it is a chipset setting (e.g. power saving) or a chipset limitation that is causing it.

Envy 15 users have gotten zero response from HP so far.

Is the M17x-R2 a i7-Quad and 16GB RAM platform?

 

Is there a discussion of this issue on the hp forum ?

 

The Intel SSD Optimizer just sends a trim command to the drive - that's useful for OSes that do not pass trim commands after a delete - i.e. all pre Win7 OSes.

 

Yes I would really like to know that as well

 

See these two threads for the discussions on HP's own forums:

Re: Poor SSD Performance in Envy 4k Read/Write Tim... - Page 4 - The Next Bench

Dual hard drives on the Envy 15? - Page 5 - The Next Bench

See here in the Envy 15 thread at NBR

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...-hp-envy-15-owners-lounge-49.html#post5519041

See here regarding the same problems affecting the Thinkpad W510

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo-ibm/453245-lenovo-w510-owners-thread-42.html#post6398349

 

Thank you very much for the links

 

If anyone is interested, I got 2 brand new Sammys to offer, all details can be found here .


Happy SSD !

 

What kind of REAL WORLD difference can we expect between the Intel G2 and G3 drives?

I know Intel touts their G3s to be cheaper per gig & come in higher capacity drives... but any other benefits of going G3 over G2? The wait is torture .

 

How can we possibly know (REAL WORLD) since they're not out yet ?

Unless someone has a contact deep-deep inside-Intel (and not Intel-inside)

 

Thanks. That clears that up!

 

I'm not asking for exact figures, but perhaps one of the many SSD experts in here has read an official article or something stating what kind of improvement we can expect. ie. +10% sequential read, or even faster access time, etc.

My research skills are basically limited to www.google.com... so i'm just asking for more input here.

 

It will all be pure specualtion.

Frankly the performance differences at the moment are quite small. It may stay that way.

May be the revolutionary thing about G3 will be the price per GB. That's what I think.

 

Thank you very much Phil.

 

I was hoping to tap everyone's SSD brains here. Two of us NBR users got the 256GB Samsung SSD in our Envy 14's. Same firmware, but Crystal Disk Info indicates TRIM is enabled for his SSD, but it's grayed out on mine.

Anyone know how or what would either disable TRIM on the drive or cause it to indicate that it is not?

 

I'm reviewing a couple of SSD drives at the moment. After the review they'll be for sale in Europe.

I've got a OCZ Agility 2 120GB and a Crucial C300 64GB. Offers welcome.

Due to European price levels these drives are only interesting for Europe, not US.

 

i have been entertaining the idea of an SSD for my msi 1719 laptop. the HD in there is one of the slowest you can get, a 5400rpm and small capacity. i was considering going with a 7200rpm drive, but the heat that thing puts out now with the slow, crappy drive makes me not want to. the laptop is very, very slow. ever since i upgraded my desktop to a core i7 @ 3.2ghz with raided HD's, its frustrating to use my laptop. it only has a 1.5ghz cpu and this 160gb 5400rpm drive. i bought this particular computer with the intent of upgrading, then never got around to it because i dont know if it will take the penryn chips or not. id love to put a t9300 in there, but they are still a complete rip off. i found a t7700 and i know it will work, and i plan on buying that.

question is, i have read SSD's are not reliable at all... i cant tolerate that. i have never had a HD fail in over 10 years of messing with computers. i still have 40gb hd's from back in the day that work perfectly. i dont use my laptop for much, browsing the internet, taking on trips to watch movies, or whatever.

i love the fact that the SSD's use less power and no moving parts, big plus there. i am just very concerned about reliability. i was considering a 128gb one and using an external for anything else. i do NOT game on my laptop, so that is not a factor.

what would you recommend in this case? i do not want to spend 500 bucks for a 128gb drive. more like 200-225 tops.

 

I have an hp envy g2 SSD on my alienware m11x, I got the envy for a friend he was VERY happy and he just gave me the ssd I just used an 2.5" adapter for the 1.8" hp intel ssd...

These revisions of the intel ssd are interesting... They seem to be different from the retail ones, these have lower random reads, it is not related to the envy chipset! it is related to the ssd's!.