Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager ???

My first post... so here comes an issue I haven't found discussed before..

I've got a new Lenovo 3000 N200. It's got a single sata hard disk. My question is about the Intel Matrix Storage Manager software that comes pre-installed...

It appears this software is designed to manage RAID configurations and according to Intel the following:

"Intel® Matrix Storage Technology provides improved performance and reliability for systems equipped with Serial ATA* hard disk drives, today's proven storage solution. Intel® Matrix Storage Technology provides support for features that enable lower power consumption. For mobile systems this provides a longer battery life."​

Ok...attempting to dicpher some value from the above marketing fluff... I find. "improved performance and reliability".

and... the technology (not necessarily the product) provides support for features that enable lower power consumption.

hmmmm...


So.. my questions are:

Why do I need this on my notebook that has only a single hard disk?

Am I really getting improved performance? And if so, why do I need a program that only gives me information about the sata interface and hard disk and has NO configurations whatsoever ?

And since it has no configuration options, why is it necessary to take up valuable space on my start menu ?

What possible features could this software have that reduce my power consumption? It seems that Windows Vista includes all the power management capabilities built-in. .

Could it be that the only reason it's installed is that it's simply another venue for Intel to promote itself at the expense of my time and start menu space? Could this indeed be "crapware"?

Is it safe to uninstall considering I don't have a RAID array?

Thanks
Bryan

 

Well this is what Intel says:

Don't count on the LPM being turned on:

I would be interested in being able to verify whether the LPM is enabled or not.

 

Well here are the true to life results.....

I have a M1330 and am pretty much a tweak nut. Recently, after a new installation I realized my hard disk had dropped from over 50 to below 40mb/s. Also there was a great deal more cpu usage.

After digging around to what I had done differently, I realized that I had not installed the Intel Matrix Storage Manager on my laptop...

The difference???? See below. I am impressed.

 

BTW Intel Matrix not allow you to ENABLE HDD write cache feature

Here's the link
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=132611

 

Yes i read the link and your right...disk caching fis not checked off and wont check off. How do we explain such a performance increase then??

 

It doesn't stop me.

 

Interesting. Was write cache enabled in the non-intel matrix test?