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

i introduce you now to a special keyboard feature: it's called the RETURN KEY



nice post anyways. don't tell tiller perfectdisk is useless. he knows better, he tested it and measured it, and spent more time on this testing that he ever would have had gains out of the time reduction he knows how to put priorities

 

LOL, yeah, point taken about the return key.

 

Hey, no need to recreate the wheel each time, right?

See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=441674

 

Do what you must, but even 'reputable' websites can't, or rather, shouldn't be trusted at face value.

I gave you the facts (granted, as I know them - but with no wish or benefit of lying to you), now, it's your turn to go verify them to your own satisfaction.

How is simply ignoring them helping you at all?

 

there is so much bull**** on the web, you have to ignore mostly everything.

your facts are in no way trustable for anyone of us, obviously.

i can type that my windows boots in 2 secs, i have it here, it's a fact. and it cooks my food, cleans my cloths, etc..

doesn't mean anything if one types n the forum..

sadly.

 

davepermen, I agree that we can type anything - simply typing does not make it truthful or factual, but I haven't noticed anybody negating what I posted below either with facts of their own?

If I'm wrong, I too would like to learn more.

I'm not saying I'm unconditionally right, but these facts I've presented are what I've been researching since August this year or know from my business administration studies a long time ago.


I originally said:

 

yeah. and what you said is, afaik, more or less true.

i'm just saying. stating something as a fact without showing f.e. screenshots of before and after alignment is not really a fact..

there's that saying on the web: pics or it didn't happen.



but your statements are to my knowledge true.

one thing: for a clean installation, one doesn't need to delete all partitions. just make sure you install into "free space", not in a "newly created partition". that's mostly for that helper-partition.

but the datapartitions might then still be missaligned of course.

 

You may be right about 'one doesn't need to delete all partitions' to get the small 'hidden' partition Win 7 wants to create, but remember that Win 7 Setup can only create 4 Primary partitions so if there are more than two, it won't be able to. Also, if the partitions you wanted to keep were logical partitions, but were part of the partition you wanted to delete / remove, then it might remove the logical partition too, right?

As far as I know about alignment, all the partitions are aligned, or none of them are. So, if even one partition is non-aligned - then none of the others can be. That is why I recommend deleting all partitions - just to be sure.

Of course, if you did this once (properly), then a future re-install only needs to format the C: partition and installation would be to an aligned disk. Even if you deleted the hidden and 2nd (C: ) partitions, Windows Setup would recreate them aligned - to the best of my knowledge.

Thanks for the support for my 'facts'!

How do I 'rep' someone?

 

no, partitions should be able to be individually aligned (just from logic). but i'm unsure if it DOES it then...

then again, i don't personally care. as a fresh install for me always means killing everything on disk anyways.

not that i actually ever USE partitions


you rep someone by going to the bottomleft part of a post. there are 3 buttons. first shows if the user is on or offline, second is rep. third is reporting post.

 

Can't seem to find the source of my thinking 'delete all partitions or all will not be aligned', could just be going blind, but it could simply mean I'm wrong too.

However, this did catch my eye (again) and thought it would be useful to the people running an Intel SSD and/or cloning with Acronis:

See:
http://www.hardforums.com/showpost.php?p=1034243239&postcount=36


Yeah, I don't care either - I've wasted enough time with cloning attempts to know I'm not going to try another one anytime soon. Clean installs all the way.

Thanks for the 'rep' info! Now I know and you're +1 too!

 

Won't work in my Sony for some reason, tried the Mushkin utility as well and it can't see the drive either

 

Try shutting down your system first, then powering it back up.

Don't restart.

 

That's the process used, not sure why it can't see it

 

heh, yeah, who cares?

at least i know (well, knowing is said too much. but from what i've read and how i understand), windows home server backups restore with correct alignment in mind. afaik, a restore from the home server is a 1:1 thing, 100%.

but i'm actually not sure. as, you know.. i don't care

thanks for the +1.. now i got back what i gave you weeks ago

 

My incentive to at least trying cloning first is that I have way too much time invested in my HDD setup/installation (which the SSD will be cloned with) to have to do a fresh install all over. Further, I don't know whether the Kingston SSD (mine uses Toshiba NAND/controller) will be misaligned for sure using Acronis and if so whether it'll even matter, because I read most reports on OCZ drives and such. The alignment depends of course on the specific NAND architecture and controller, so generalization is dangerous. So after I clone, I'll run Crystal Diskmark, etc. and if the speed is as advertised/reviewed elsewhere, I'll know either it did not get misaligned and/or it doesn't matter. If on the other hand, the speed is a problem, then I'll use this guide to align. Or worse comes to worst, do a fresh install

Oh, just as a note on the credibility angle, my take is that most people/organizations care about it only if they have to gain/lose something from it otherwise (principle of carrot and stick). Call me cynical, but genuine, rational folks/organizations are just hard to find and even when you do, it can be hard to tell So I said I trusted the sites more because they would lose traffic if they published incorrect information. That said, if you had tried a Kingston yourself with Acronis and reported misalignment (or, more importantly, real-world performance degradation), I'd take your word at face value

 

I updated FW on Super Talent MasterDrive SX 64 GB with one from Mushkin, from VBM1801C to VBM1901Q.

Copy-paste of 5.9 GB large folder with 3751 files (where one is 1.2 GB) before update take 7.5 minutes, after update and restoring image 2.5 min. Then I tried to do it 10 times and I it took 5 minutes last time. After that I was typing in Visual Studio and HDD LED was flashing for around 10 minutes and again I tried to copy-paste same folder and it was done after 2 minutes.

 

I'd like to say that I've joined the SSD club! I've got an Intel G2 160GB SSD coming, and I'm going to be using Windows 7 x64 with it. They should be here on Monday.

Just had a question about updating the firmware... I'd like to update the SSD's firmware to the latest before formatting and installing windows 7 on it, so that if the flash goes awry I won't lose anything. Anyone have a guide on how to do it via USB flash drive?

And of course, I'll post benchies when I get everything up and running.

 

You update the firmware via a CD - if you can burn a CD and then put all those files onto a USB drive (bootable) it should work.

No need to format the drive by the way - its already formatted for you if I remember correctly

 

soliton,

I will not do any more 'research' for you - I have already given you enough ideas to verify the findings yourself.

Just want to point out that your logic is wrong; if a website published 'incorrect' information it would gain traffic, not lose it. The people who 'knew' it was wrong would make sure of that by continually linking to the site with the 'wrong info' and debunking it.

Also, your search is too narrow. You do not need confirmation that a Kingston SSD and Acronis give an incorrect alignment. Kingston has no say in how Acronis lays down the image to any drive!

And there are many examples of non-aligned partitions being up to 300% slower in certain conditions - ignore that too, but when you finally verify to your satisfaction that, yes, maybe you should have done a clean install, even with all the 'logic' you're using against yourself, remember that you'll have wasted even more time and just that much more 'life' of your new SSD than if you had just done it once, and properly, the first time.

The benefits with two drives (when we're setting up the second one) is that if/when you need to 'get back to work' you simply swap drives and go to work - no downtime required.

I wish you all the best and I even hope I'm wrong if it helps you in the end, but really, just trying to help as best I can.

Cheers!

 

Wow! Impressive, to say the least. A real world benchmark with improvements in the range that SSD's promised (and here, even over themselves - not mech HD's)!

This kind of improvement is what I love firmware/bios/software updates for - normally this huge jump is not seen with a single update, but cumulatively, the changes from v1.0 of anything is almost as big.

Enjoy your SSD on steroids!

 

I am trying to update the firmware of:

Intel X25-M Mainstream Solid State Drive - 34nm Product Line - Solid state drive - 80 GB - internal - 2.5" - SATA-300

I burned the .iso onto a CD, and then I restarted the computer, but it is not reading the bootable CD?

Please help.

 

did u change to ide mode?

 

When I go into BIOS and IDE Configuration, it just shows me AHCI HARD DRIVE and AHCI CD RW, when I go into AHCI HARD DRIVE, there is option of AUTO and DISABLE.

It is currently set on AUTO.

So I assume its on AHCI already?

 

what happen if u choose disable?
coz u can only flash the intel in non achi mode.
wat laptop y u have?
sorry about messy typing coz I just finished the impact wisdom teetch extraction and i am still in general anaesthesia period/
just try to choose disable, to usee it is disable ACHI mode or disable your SATA port.
if it is disable ur SATA port, maybe u need to find another computer to do it.

 

ok I got the firmware update, CD burning was currupted.

Now I need to find out how to activate AHCI...

 

Corsair just made the new firmware official, too bad it doesn't work on OEM drives

 

updater detects corsair? maybe try other updater with new firmware files. new firmware has no iastor timeout error so far, no registry tweak is needed for this kind error freezing.

 

Yeah I tried it on my Samsung OEM and it didn't work. It wouldn't recognize the drive no matter what I did. I tried the Samsung flasher posted on the Mushkin site and that didn't help either, it would just lock up. I guess we're at the mercy of Samsung and/or Dell (in my case) to release their own version of the flasher.

 

Same here. No luck updating a VBM15D1Q from Dell. The beta one from Corsair must either be checking for a specific hardware ID identifying the OEM, or a specific firmware version that I don't have. Well in any case kudos to Corsair for taking care of their customers. OCZ still hasn't released anything, they are requiring drives to be sent back to them for any update. And nothing at all from Dell.

Samsung Semi - if you got a working flash utility and TRIM-enabled firmware, just release it !

 

Tried with the Mushkin and the older Lenovo flasher. The Lenovo utility can see the drive but no matter what I add to the fw.pro file it won't find the valid flash

Code:

;***********************************************
;   Firmware Update : Solid State Drive        *
;***********************************************
;       Version
; FWSS  0.1  04/10/2008  SAMSUNG  MCCOE64G8MPP-0VA    PS105L16
;       0.2  05/22/2009  Intel    SSDSA1MH080G1LE     045C8781
;       1.0  10/20/2009  AHCI Support in W700
;                        SAMSUNG  MCCOE64G8MPP-0VA    PS105L16
;                        SAMSUNG  MMCRE64G8MXP-0VBL1  VBM1EL1Q
;                        SAMSUNG  MMCRE28G8MXP-0VBL1  VBM1EL1Q
;                        SAMSUNG  MMCRE28G8MXP-0VBL7  VBM87L1Q
;                        Intel    SSDSA1MH080G1LE     045C8781
;       1.1  10/29/2009  SAMSUNG  MMCRE64G8MPP-0VAL1  VAM0DL1Q
;                        SAMSUNG  MMCQE28G8MUP-0VAL1  VAM0DL1Q
;                        Intel    SSDSA1MH080G1LE     045C8851
;
;
;===========================:
;       S A M S U N G       :
;===========================:
;
;
;   SAMSUNG :  MCC*-0VA
;
; MCCOE64G8MPP-0VA 64.0GB
"SAMSUNG MCCOE64G8MPP-0VA","PS105L13","PS105L16","PS105L16.bin","HFSM10.exe","","","SAMSUNG"
"SAMSUNG MCCOE64G8MPP-0VA","PS105L15","PS105L16","PS105L16.bin","HFSM10.exe","","","SAMSUNG"
;
;   SAMSUNG :  MMC*-0VA*
;
; MMCRE64G8MPP-0VA 64.0GB
"SAMSUNG MMCRE64G8MPP-0VA","VAM08L1Q","VAM0DL1Q","mf_0DL1Q.bin","HFSM20.exe","","","SAMSUNG"
;
; MMCQE28G8MUP-0VA 128.0GB
"SAMSUNG MMCQE28G8MUP-0VA","VAM08L1Q","VAM0DL1Q","mf_0DL1Q.bin","HFSM20.exe","","","SAMSUNG"
;
;   SAMSUNG :  MMC*-0VB*
;
; MMCRE64G8MXP-0VBL1 64.0GB
"SAMSUNG MMCRE64G8MXP-0VBL1","VBM1DL1Q","VBM1EL1Q","mf_1EL1Q.bin","HFSM20.exe","","","SAMSUNG"
;
; MMCRE28G8MXP-0VBL1 128.0GB
"SAMSUNG MMCRE28G8MXP-0VBL1","VBM1DL1Q","VBM1EL1Q","mf_1EL1Q.bin","HFSM20.exe","","","SAMSUNG"
;
; MMCRE28G8MXP-0VBL7 128.0GB
"SAMSUNG MMCRE28G8MXP-0VBL7","VBM86L1Q","VBM87L1Q","mf_87L1Q.bin","HFSM20.exe","","","SAMSUNG"
;
;
;===========================:
;         I n t e l         :
;===========================:
;
;
;   Intel :  SSDSA1MH080G1LE
;
; SSDSA1MH080G1LE 80.0GB
"INTEL SSDSA1MH080G1LE","045C8630","045C8851","rel8851.bin","HFSI044.exe", "", "","INTEL"
"INTEL SSDSA1MH080G1LE","045C8781","045C8851","rel8851.bin","HFSI044.exe", "", "","INTEL"
;

Code:

;   SAMSUNG :  MMD*-0VB*
;
; MMDOE56G5MXP-0VBD1 256.0GB
"SAMSUNG SSD PM800 Series 2.5" 256GB","VBM19D1Q","VBM1901Q","mf_19C1Q.bin","HFSM20.exe","","","SAMSUNG"

Code:

;   SAMSUNG :  MMD*-0VB*
;
; MMDOE56G5MXP-0VBD1 256.0GB
"SAMSUNG SSD PM800 Series","VBM19D1Q","VBM1901Q","mf_19C1Q.bin","HFSM20.exe","","","SAMSUNG"

Code:

;   SAMSUNG :  MMD*-0VB*
;
; MMDOE56G5MXP-0VBD1 256.0GB
"SAMSUNG MMDOE56G5MXP-0VBD1","VBM19D1Q","VBM1901Q","mf_19C1Q.bin","HFSM20.exe","","","SAMSUNG"

 

did you change corsair's original file name into mf_19C1Q.bin?

 

Where do you get the Lenovo flasher from?

 

My guess is it is detecting the D1Q fw and it ain't gonna work.

And I doubt Dell will ever release an update for it, either.

 

I'm running on the 1901Q and it still doesn't work. I think its just a hardware id string.

 

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-69806

It will detect the OEM Samsung (Dell) on XPS Studio 16.

 

Is there a way to extract the files in that iso or at least add to it?

 

First off, I appreciate your replies, and I fully appreciate you're trying to help. However, I stand by my assertion that anything you (or for that matter, I myself) state without "data/measurements" either by yourself or cited, has only a 50 % chance of being correct, at best. In my book, its okay to advise without real data/measurements for little things that involve changing a setting and quickly observing a result, but not for anything that involves a significant investment of time and effort by someone who's inexperienced (such as myself in the case of SSDs). A few notes below just to respond to a few points you make:

AFAIK, you did not do any "research" for me, you simply stated what you've already learned from other forums and possibly by experience with your differently branded SSD/controller. Doing actual "research"thats "publishable" involves taking data/measurements and showing the same, or at the very least citing verifiable work done by non-anonymous people, but I'll stop belaboring that point.

A website that drives traffic by publishing incorrect information is at best driving very, very short term traffic to themselves and forever sullying their reputation. Something like tabloids, entirely forgettable, with zero respect and low long-term survivability.

I never said Kingston and Acronis interact on how the image is laid down. I said its an open question and we don't know even if it matters. For example, here are reports that Intel SSDs are agnostic to alignment. So I was looking for any reports that Kingston (Toshiba) SSDs actually are not. I couldn't find any, not even forum postings about people talking about it. 300 % speed degradation wasn't reported in the same controller/architecture that I care about, simply asking me to believe that it'll be that way because OCZ's does and reminding me of "consequences otherwise", sounds a lot like religion, and thats not my kinda thing.

In the end, it may just be philosophical differences in yours vs. mine approaches and operation, lets just leave it that.

 

Of course.

Just get something like imgburn or isobuster and extract, add files, then recreate the iso.

 

I tried magic iso and it didn't show any visible files. I'll give imgburn a try and see if that shows anything.

 

Installed the Intel Matrix Storage Manager yesterday....
Another speed boost on my Intel when using it - but bootup is 10 Seconds slower?

 

Unless you're running a RAID (and I'm assuming you don't) the IMSM is a step backwards from the MS default drivers if you're running Win 7 as the IMSM drivers will block the TRIM commands from ever reaching the SSD.

You might want to try the IRSM drivers, but they're not 'official' from Intel yet. I see that there is a new version of these released, but have not tried them yet (v9.5.4).

If you want you can try the Intel SSD Toolbox (again, released but pulled again by Intel) just note that it may corrupt System Restore points on your system (or you can simply disable System Restore to try this tool out). What this offers is the manual (daily) running of the TRIM command - not sure though if it supports the IMSM drivers.

BTW, your numbers seem to be the best I've seen on a running system - must feel great!

Oh! For the longer reboots - is that one reboots or more? I know that they seem to 'settle' after a few reboots (for both IMSM and the IRST drivers).

 

Your 'logic' astounds me!

Just one 'hole' in it? Notice how tabloids are out of business? lol

But we do agree on something; let's do just leave it at that!

All the best.

 

Ironically, the question of whether a site that publishes WRONG information would be more popular or less popular is kind of actually interesting

 

I'm actually on Vista - not Win7 - so the Intel Matrix Drivers should be better.
I have the toolbox, and I did run it

System Restore Points - I disabled them on my SSD.

Edit:
And I don't get RAID in my 13,3" Vaio SZ.

 

DetlevCM,

Cool! (Running the SSD Toolbox and disabling System Restore).

Just curious if an Intel SSD user like yourself would notice a performance difference moving from Vista to Win 7 (when your disk performance is so high anyway). Also what the battery life difference might be?

See:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/windows-7-performance,2476.html

and
See:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/windows-7-notebook,2485.html

 

I don't think I'd gain a lot going from Vista to Win7 - maybe a slightly quicker boot up - but that's it.
Battery life - don't think I can squeeze much more out of my battery.

 

In the first link above, Win 7 managed 28 minutes longer (with a 7200.2 160GB HD) on an almost 6 hr test.

Just hoping that if you do jump to '7, you might time the battery life before/after - might be interesting to know what a difference an SSD makes to those Tom's results.

 

The thing is though - I won't get Win7 installed easily ...its a Vaio...
On the other hand - I use a Vaio power managment to get about 4 hours out of 80% (with 7,2% wear) - maybe even 4,5 hours.

With just the Windows Power managment I'd get about half of that.

So on Win7 I'd need to use the Vaio Power managment again...

It also allows for me to switch off Aero, and some devices - so I've got a pretty aggressive power saving scheme - my CPU is locked in the lowest multiplier too - for battery saving.

 

Wow, you really need runtime over performance, huh?

I too use a VAIO and Win 7 seems like miles ahead from Vista which last ran on this system almost 6 months ago.

See:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=379870

See:
http://esupport.sony.com/CA/perl/support-info.pl?info_id=507&template_id=1

 

When I head to university - yes.
If I need performance I'm around a socket.

Also: the Vaio SZ is officially not supported in 64Bit or Win7 - so I need to read up on it on NBR...fiddle around... and the only Win7 license I get via MSDN-AA is in use on my old laptop.