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

Yep. Ask for another SSD with TRIM feature or return the whole unit for a refund like you mentioned on your previous post.

But you can do SE while waiting for the replacement to enjoy your Envy 14 instead

PS: Not sure how often one would need to SE his SSD w/o TRIM with light use (haven't tried a SSD w/o TRIM feature)

 

Is it okay to run the intel ssd toolbox full diagnostics on your primary hdd within windows while everything is running?

 

That's the only way to run the Intel SSD Toolbox - while Windows is running.

 

But is it okay to run it from the drive you're checking? Or is it better to run on a secondary (non-primary) hdd without windows?

 

Yeah well the Envy 14 is going back anyhow I've decided. I was going to sell my Sager, but realized I couldn't part with the better GPU and CPU and portability isn't as big an issue as I envisioned it to be. Battery life on the Envy 14 is quite nice, but I bought a netbook instead that will work fine for what I need. It would be nice to game on the go more, but not gonna happen very often, so I'd rather save some bucks and wait for Sandy Bridge next year.

 

Install it anywhere, run it from anywere. the SSD won't mind a bit.

 

@ htwingnut: my SSD, even on SATA-1 never had so low writes. I think that sequential writes never went under 60-70 MB/s with FW that hadn't GC/TRIM.
Must be something wrong with SSD of FW.

BTW: sequential read on SATA-2 is always around 220 MB/s.

 

Question regarding updating the firmware for the Intel 80GB G2: is it still the case that running the update will NOT wipe the drive? Unfortunately I didn't notice that the firmware on mine is not the latest version until after reinstalling everything. >.<

 

It did not wipe the drive on mine.

 

Hello everyone. Waoh this is a huge thread. I will almost go nuts if i read the entire thread. Just need some advice. I am thinking of getting the Vertex2E 120gb SSD for my M17xR2 but availability is a problem. How does it perform in this machine?
Any other alternatives to this SSD which gives same performance?
What firmware should i flash it with which ever is most stable?
I will be installing it in the 2nd bay and keep that as my main windows and games hard drive and the other 500gb will be for movies, music etc.
What do you all recommend and what things must i consider before i buy it?
I am a noob. Any bios settings i need to do before and after i install it?

 

Pal,

I am with you on this one: Never would I have accepted such poor performance, especially considering the price you paid. Strangely enought, Dell are selling those Samsungs in their systems for $500 USD, while HP is charging you $565... But $65 more is not the point; I bet you wouldn't bother about that if the drive would have shown you great performance, right ?

Now, obviously, something's wrong with your drive. As a matter of fact, you should see something like 180 ~ 200MB/s sequential writes, 100 ~ 120MB/s 512K writes, and 6 ~ 10MB/s 4K writes. Your reads seem to be on par with what a single Samsung can deliver. So my guess is that your particular drive is screwed for a reason or another, and HP would then HAVE TO replace it for you should you have chosen to go that way. But you can surely go with the Total Refund road as well !

I personnally had 5 pairs of Sammys twins-in-RAID in my M17X (that's 10 SSDs total) and, never ever did I see such degradation on them, and being in RAID, even if the drives did support the TRIM command, they could never benefit from it because I was in RAID. Thus why I say that your particular drive must be a lemon, a mistake, a bad guy among the good ones. Not saying Sammys are the best, but they surely aren't as bad as the one you got shows you.

I have a favor to ask you: Could you run HWInfo32, and post a screenshot like this one below ? I would like to see what this guy tells you about TRIM, see last line of the screeenshot... Reason I'm asking is that if you just bought that laptop (or say you bought it in the last few months), the SSD inside should be TRIM enabled, and Crystal Disk Info is a piece of crap when it comes to SSD as this stupid program don't even SEE my two Intels in RAID, it says No Drives found, even when I check the Advanced detection setting, so I can't rely on what this clown says...

I am sorry you had to deal with this weirdo drive, but rest assured that anyone coming from a traditionnal HDD to a Samsung SSD like yours would really feel the difference; however, siht happens and here, it seems to have happened on you. Again, I wouldn't be happier than you if I was in your shoes and HP would have noticed it pretty fast thank you.

Maybe your best move at that point would be to get a full refund from HP, buy another/the same lappy with a regular HDD and then, buy the SSD of your choice and go ahead this way?

Cheers !


eYe

 

The thing is, it's not just my drive, but anyone that got at least an initial launch drive that didn't have TRIM. HP confirmed that TRIM was not part of that firmware, but the newer one does. It basically took threatening to kill someone for them to send me a new drive, because there is nothing "wrong" or no "error" I'm getting. They wanted me to either order a new machine or send my laptop in for "repair". Well I'd be out the laptop for a month now if it went in for "repair". And if I ordered new my Bing Cashback would have been cancelled.

 

From HWInfo32 for my SSD: "TRIM Command: Supported (Indeterminate Read After TRIM)"

What is the difference between "Indeterminate Read After TRIM" and "Deterministic Read After TRIM, Words = 0"

BTW: I'm not happy how TRIM works on my SSD, so and TRIM is disabled and GC does it's magic

 

@htwingnut...

Thing is that if your SSD's specs state that reads and writes should be Y or Z, and you can only reach X, well, THERE is indeed an error, something wrong. I fully understand that HP's Tech Support Team seems to be misinformed, or only go by the rules, and so on. However, I think that debating with them as to whether or not TRIM should be there is not the proper way to handle the problem/situation, simply because we don't give a flying puck HOW they make that happen... I would try something like this...

ME: Samsung states that this drive should drive XXMB/s while I can only get TTMB/s, which is wrong.

THEM: What You See Is What You Get / This drive is not defective / Any other BS...

ME: Dude, say you buy a brand new car. Say it states it can reach up to 200miles/hour. Say you're only able to reach 150miles/hour. Say you paid premium bucks for this car. Would you be satisfied?

THEM: Most likely not, but that's not the point.

ME: Well, that's exactly the point; I paid an overcharge of $565 out of the total cost of $XXXX.xx for my envy; and the SOLE reason I paid that premium is to get the performance advertized by the manufacturer, Samsung/HP, so there's no way you're gonna screw me like that on this one. There might be naive customers out there who might swallow that BS (garbage) you're shooting at me, but I won't, and if you guys really wanna play that game with me, I can assure you that on the long run, at the end of the day, not only won't you win in the end but much worse, you will have make me a so unhappy customer of yours that I swear to God, I will not be holding myself to let everyone interested to know about it that HP offers a poor, if not a pathetic customer service. Tell me, who's gonna benefit from that?

THEM: Not like me to tell....

ME: Well, exactly buddy, now, transfer me to your supervisor, someone responsible who can make a decision about it.

THEM: I'll have to see if he/she's available, may I put you on hold?

ME: Sure pal, put me on hold, but don't forget me because I will not forget you. What's your name/employee badge number by the way?


If this doesn't work, simply return the unit for full refund and never buy that brand again.

That's my best advice considering all the trouble you had to deal with so far.

eYe

I think it has to do (in my case at least) with the fact that:


1. My drives DO support TRIM;

but...

2. Because I'm in RAID, TRIM won't work...


Just a guess though...

 

Well thats why SSD makers got wise to that and on products they now say "Max Read speed ..."

 

Is it ok to move my laptop (x25-m SSD & 750gb HDD) while it's doing tasks and running? Sometimes I fold it up and walk to another room with it on and virus scanning etc. Is this ok?

 

As long as the bumps and jostling it absorbs are within it's limits, the HDD is not being accessed during your walk and, when those limits are exceeded, it happens on a part of the HDD platters that have no data, then it is okay.

But, personally, I make a point to turn off or put into standby any notebook that I'm going to move even a few feet.

 

I'm not sure if it's the SSD itself or some other component, but I'm hearing a faint, but distinct, electronic whine or hum coming from about where my SSD is.

Could it actually be the SSD itself, or some other component in the vicinity? I'll try to get a recording of the sound.

 

I know exactly what you mean as I can hear that since the first time I used SSDs (October 2009, when I joined here).

To hear it more clearly, give it a run of benching with 4K READS; that's where you can hear it most !

So, when they say SSDs are completely silent, this is a lie; but not everyone can hear it though, and I wish I was one of them but such is life...

 

Ok this is a disgrace.. i take back my words.. Samsung SSD's are junk...

Thi is standard for hp.. take this or that but nver what u want.. not to mention 25% of their products fail.. after what's happened to my Dv5t , not buying another hp untill they improve quality.. screen's just not working after 20 months although i am a rough user...

 

My Intel G2 was silent in my G51vx.

It turns out it's probably not the SSD, though. I switched SATA ports and I still hear the hum from the same location.

 

Ok, I understand.

Still, I've always been able to hear both my sammies and my intels, both more precisely while reading 4Ks.

Cheers !

 

How to prevent SSD degradation without TRIM... ​

 

So the cure is to use a 60GB SSD like a 30GB SSD?

 

Well, as far as I can understand what I said, the cure would be, for those using SSD with no TRIM, to do their very best to not fill it/them at more than 70% of their capacity.

But maybe I got myself wrong, happens sometimes...




PS: Always a pleasure pal !

 

eYe, I agree with you - anything over 50% and the SSD's struggle to keep their performance up - TRIM or not.

 

Not the Vertex 2 on my sig

 

How full are you using it?

 

Tried filling it up to 79% and got same performance

 

For how long?

 

What do you mean "For how long"? Is there any difference having it that filled for longer period?

 

Of course there will be a difference. Did you do actual work on it that involved writing to the SSD? Or did you simply fill it up with random data and benchmark it?

 

It was 50%+ then I tried adding random data to reach 79% then ran some bench test.

What are the difference between the 2 methods mentioned above?

 

The difference is that just running the benchmarks at 79% when it is just filled is still allowing the clean nand to be benched.

If you actually use the notebook/SSD at the 79% level it's performance will slowly degrade. Especially if your 'use' is writing to the SSD daily and the nand is eventually all used up (even though you might stay at the 79% filled, on average).

 

Good point too. But don't other brands SSD (ie, Sammy) performance suffer right after filling the drive around 60% or more?

 

Well, from what I know of 'Sammys', their performance is non-existent from the start.

Seriously, they're supposed to be pre-stressed and the performance on day 1 should be the same as any other day after that (regardless of % filled level) - but I have seen them behave differently.

 

In fairness to Sammy SSDs (256GB) the performance is excellent before its gets filled past the 60% mark from my experience on my 1st Sammy SSD

 

Which is exactly my point:

If you care not filling your non-TRIM-supported-setup, be it because you 're in RAID, because you don't use W7, or simply because your SSD does not in se support the TRIM command, well, you will remain an HAPPY-SSD-BUDDY until you fill it more than say 60 ~ 75%.

Else, you're looking for troubles

 

Read this and be shocked

Budget Sub-$150 Solid State Drive Round-up > Final Thoughts - TechSpot

 

Wonder what this means for the 60GB Vertex 2 compared with Kingston 64GB though? Since I was seriously considering the 60GB Vertex 2, but if results are same as the 40GB, then maybe I'll save a few bucks and go for the kingston.


I have one question regarding gaming performance. I have an Intel 80GB G2 SSD in my desktop. I use it mainly for an OS and boot drive, but also install a couple games on it that would benefit from quicker load times (Battlefield 2, Bad Company 2, Starcraft 2 - sheesh, all sequels). Problem is Starcraft 2 I seem to always be the slowest to load the game levels, by a good 15-20 seconds. What could be the cause of this?

 

Source

 

Look at my before and after results from applying the tweak. Wow.
Before tweak:


After tweak:


Source: http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...-full-advantage-fast-ssds-53.html#post6685288

 

Even your sequential speeds went up, not only the 4K...

 

Yes that makes it even better. It seems to be a timeline problem.

 

What tweak did you apply Phil?
In case you applied mine, please check except from the temperatures, the battery life as well. I don't know if it will be shorter or not and I am really curious to find out.

 

Yes yours. I will check later. It does feel kind of warm.

 

Can you provide link to tweak?

I guess starting with this?

http://forum.notebookreview.com/har...-full-advantage-fast-ssds-51.html#post6684748

 

That's the only tweak I used.

 

most likely but a link would really help.. that thread is so long with 2-3 different tweaks so its quite hard to know which one.

 

Found it..

Quoting stamatisx

The fastest tweak you can apply right now with pretty good results is this:

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Processor
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Intelppm

Change on both the "Start" from 3 to 4

Only side effect is the increase of temperatures by 2-3 C


The other tweaks are too many for me to trace, maybe JJB, LOUSYGREATWALLGM and others that tried them will make a single post will all the steps

I better take note of this.