Samsung PB22-J 128GB SSD - TRIM upgrade

I've ordered my notebook and have gone for the Samsung SSD drive as an upgrade. I was just wondering if it'd be possible to upgrade the firmware on the drive to support TRIM.

I'll be using the drive with Windows 7 pro, doing a fresh install myself.

I've read somewhere that these drives are basically the same as what's inside the Corsair drive and Samsung has released a new firmware for those models to add TRIM support or at least some form of garbage collection - would i be able to use that same firmware or is it Corsair specific?

Any help would be appreciated

 

Can you possibly cancel the Samsung SSD order and configure it with just the cheapest mechanical HD they offer?

If you could, I would order the Intel G2 160GB model separately to install after you get your notebook. Not only will you get a better SSD, but you will also have a HD to throw into the notebook if/when you sell or it needs to go back for service (with no data of your own on it, btw).

I would not recommend flashing the Firmware with another manufacturer's offerings; these things are not comparable; a higher firmware number may even be an earlier firmware between different manufacturer's and/or add or subtract many other things internally that could eventually lead to you having issues with it in your notebook.

Hope you are able to buy the Intel (even if it takes a week or two longer to get it), it is the best SSD experience going right now, from all accounts I've read.

Cheers!

 

I still stand by my first post above, but I should have read the SSD thread before I replied.

For the Samsung updated firmware, see the following link:

See:
http://www.samsung.com/global/business/semiconductor/products/flash/ssd/2008/business/business.html


Hope this works for you, although I would still go with an Intel G2 myself.

Cheers!

 

Thanks for the link

Out of interest, why do you recommend the Intel G2 over the Samsung? It'd work out around $100 more - granted I get an extra 32Gb of space but that's a lot of pay for not much gain right?

 

You're welcome.

I have used the Samsung, an Intel G2 and a Torqx extensively and am least impressed with the Torqx and Samsung iterations of the SSD theme. The Intel, while no doubt a little more money, is 'the' SSD that seems to most faithfully give the SSD experience that we have read so much about. It not only is fast, it 'feels' fast and as long as you're not doing video encoding with it, it is the fastest in a typical workstation environment.

Also, I trust Intel the most of all current SSD makers. I trust them with my data, I trust them to issue firmware when appropriate and I trust them to do the right thing when/if the firmware or other software they issue related to SSD's cause any possible disruptions. All companies make mistakes - but Intel's handling of their mistakes shows me a grown up attitude that makes OCZ seem like a fickle teenager and Samsung seem like an old timer on their deathbed. Sorry, a little dramatic - but that is how I view them (I have been reading about an Samsung firmware update for over a year! Glad to see its finally here).

Now, how much you would have to gain? Strictly performance speaking, maybe not much (depending on your actual SSD usage), but if you're going to be depending on the reliability and availability of your system, then what you'll stand to not lose is worth much more than a hundred dollars is worth. At least to me.

To be fair, Samsung is reliable too, from all accounts I've read. But that reliability is related to the fact that firmware updates were not released freely as the situation mandated, but rather, new models were released which incorporated this new firmware (but you still didn't know what you would be receiving when you ordered a 'new' Samsung SSD). A little too restrictive for my tastes and definitely a show stopper when the SSD became effectively slower than a mechanical HD.

See:
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3631&p=19


Hope this explains my position a little better?

Cheers!

 

Hi mate, thanks for the reply. As long as I can get a decent enough price from the reseller im getting my laptop from i'll go for the G2

 

HI, could you explain why its not a good idea to do video encoding on a SSD. I have a intel ssd 80gb G2 and one of the reason why I got an SSd is for video encoding. Stupid question but does it wear out the drive?

Thanks

 

dazz87,

No, just that on the Intel SSD's they have a write limit of 100MB/s for the 160GB G2 version with the updated 1.5 firmware and a 70MB/s write limit for the 80GB G2 version. The 40GB version is too slow (rated at 35MB/s for the Intel branded one; the Kingston branded 40GB version is rated at 40Mb/s) for video editing.

I wouldn't be worried about wearing out the drive - you'll be able to by a much better one for a lot less money (and more capacity) by the time it does. Think in years of use, if not at least a decade, for workstation app's.

Cheers!

 

The samsung quotes up to 200mb/s for write speed?

 

Yes, the Samsung and the OCZ drives have a faster sequential write speed, but like I mention in the posts above, only for video editing applications would those sequential speeds be needed.

The Intel's at half and less than half, respectively (160GB and 80GB model G2's) sequential writes are still faster overall in a workstation setting.

Oh! And remember the 'up to' part of 200MB/s.

Cheers!

 

Well, I ended up going for the Intel G2 160Gb drive even though it blows the budget out of the water. I do get a bit more storage which will be very nice (as i'm going for a pc setup with 2tb of storage) so that's kind of how im justiftying the expense as I doubt in real life application there's very little difference from this and the Samsung. I just couldn't not have it though knowing that it's available and better than the Samsung