Downgrade Intel RST version to 9.6?

I have found that my older Z1s, running on RST 9.6 generally benchmarked faster than newer units, Z13s (same 2X128GB config) seem to run a bit slower on the latest RST 10.8. Is it just my imagination, or might it be better to downgrade to 9.6, or the one in between 9.6 and the most recent 10.8 (can't recall the version #)? As the Intel site only seems to have the newest drivers, anyone know how to obtain the older ones?

Thanks

 

The following site carries some older drivers: Intel Rapid Storage - WikiDrivers - Wiki-style resource and guide for device drivers

At the moment, I'm running the Intel RST version that Vaio Update installed which is 'SATA Driver (Intel) (RAID) Update version 9.6.0.1014'. I also manually installed 'SATA Registry Update version 1.0.0.07280' though I'm not sure if it made any difference.

To be honest my 2x64GB benches quite terribly, at times about half of what chroma_cg posted, but it boots quite quickly and feels snappy enough if I ignore the numbers.

Before I was running 10.8, but for now I've gone back to 9.6. Hard for me to say if 10.8 was actually slower as I had something like 4 of 128GB free for a while when I was overseas.

I've actually purchased a 1x128GB drive off eBay. I decided that if I used that that I would be able to get TRIM though I don't really see myself as a person who's bothered to take the time to move off all my files, settings, etc and take apart my Z1 again for something that isn't exactly an upgrade, just more of a side step. That is, unless my current SSDs produce some more bad blocks. In October last year it went from two to three bad blocks and it's stuck to my mind since.

Argh, I really want that Intel RST with TRIM support for RAID 0. I hope it comes before Windows 8 is released.

 

Thank you Namaiki. Your advice ^ as ever appears spot-on. My SSDs are benching about as well as the ones you linked, except my read speeds, which curiously are a bit below the write speeds for each test. I think I will leave well enough alone for now; as you said, if you ignore the numbers, the computer is extremely snappy, and that after all is what matters.

Unless someone has a different idea...

EDIT: re-reading your post I have a question: are you getting the low benchmarks on your single 128GB non-RAID drive, or on the OEM Z RAID0 drives? If the former, you would expect those speeds with a SATA II drive without RAID. If the latter, instead of holding your breath for TRIM for RAID or opening up the computer to fiddle with things, you can break the RAID - after carefully backing up! - re-make the RAID and start with your SSDs set back to day-1 performance, or so I was told when my boot times were going up on a prior machine.

Still, if the machine is snappy enough, forgetting about benchmarks and living well is the way to go.