How to keep Gen 1 SSD running at peak efficiency?

[Skiracer]

I have an 80 GB Intel (Dane Elec) 1st generation SSD and since it doesn't support TRIM, what is the best process to use to keep the drive at peak efficiency? I know not to run a defragmenter, but without TRIM how do I get rid of garbage etc? It is the boot drive in a Win 7 Pro machine. TIA!!

 

[allthatisman]

I have the same drive, and from everything I've read the only thing yu can do is sweep the drive and reinstall windows. The ocz drives use "Tony trim" but I have read in multiple places that it doesn't work right for gen 1 intel drives. I plan on stepping up to a 160gb gen2 when the right deal pops up... Not sure what I'll do with this one. Mostly I want to see how long I can make it on 80 gigs and how long I can retain his level of performance. So far after 3 weeks my crystal disk mark is still really fast... So we'll see.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

I thought there was some utility you could run manually that did essentially what the automatic TRIM command does? Have you looked into that and found it doesn't exist? I don't know what it is off the top of my head, just the thought that you could "trim" your drives long before TRIM was out there.

 

[coolVariable]

i thought ccleaner might do it - even on a full ssd (of course only on the empty parts)

 

[skid00skid00]

You first run CCleaner: Options, settings, wipe free space (to your SSD drive). Then check Wipe free space in the Cleaner/Windows tab. This will take quite a while.

Then run AS-cleaner / Freespacecleaner.exe.

This will improve your AS SSD benchmarks. I don't notice any difference in actual PC responsiveness, though. I'm still getting fantastic performance with my Gen 1 80 GB'er.

 

[allthatisman]

You first run CCleaner: Options, settings, wipe free space (to your SSD drive). Then check Wipe free space in the Cleaner/Windows tab. This will take quite a while.

Then run AS-cleaner / Freespacecleaner.exe.

This will improve your AS SSD benchmarks. I don't notice any difference in actual PC responsiveness, though. I'm still getting fantastic performance with my Gen 1 80 GB'er.

Everything I have read makes you an exception... most people attempt this (again, from what I have read...) and it either makes their drive worse, or it doesn't do anything. The only REAL solution seems to either be re-installing windows, or cloning the drive to another, secure-erase the drive and copying the image back to the SSD. I would love to be wrong on this one... really. I now regret spending even $150 on this Dane-Elec drive, since they occasonally run the G2 160gb drive for $399...

 

[razel]

Just leave your Intel SSD be. Check the pcper review april 09-ish about the current firmware. I own two of the same drive as you and when brand new with no data at all the benchs are through the roof, BUT that is not the real performance. As soon as you write data then run the bench again is when you see get the real rating.

 

[Hacp]

Reserve a bit more free space.Turn your 74.5gb into 70gb.

 

[Mark R]

Reserve a bit more free space.Turn your 74.5gb into 70gb.

Wouldn't make any real difference for a Gen 1 (or Gen 2) for that matter. It would just mean the drive operates at 'new' performance for longer, before dropping down to 'normal' performance.

The only way to optimise a Gen 1 is to secure erase the drive. Nothing else will return the drive to 'new' performance.

 

[F1shF4t]

My G1 80gig drive benchmarks slower than my x25-v one. Since I couldn't be bothered to secure erase it all the time, I just moved it to my acer ulv laptop where the perfomance loss won't matter much.

I get sequantial write speeds drop as low as 20MB/s in AS SSD benchmark. Would be great if it was possible to "Trim" it.

 

[Hacp]

Wouldn't make any real difference for a Gen 1 (or Gen 2) for that matter. It would just mean the drive operates at 'new' performance for longer, before dropping down to 'normal' performance.

The only way to optimise a Gen 1 is to secure erase the drive. Nothing else will return the drive to 'new' performance.

Yes it will. It has to do with how garbage collection works.As an example, You limit your partition to 10gb and it will perform like new not matter how much you use it.

 

[Hacp]

My G1 80gig drive benchmarks slower than my x25-v one. Since I couldn't be bothered to secure erase it all the time, I just moved it to my acer ulv laptop where the perfomance loss won't matter much.

I get sequantial write speeds drop as low as 20MB/s in AS SSD benchmark. Would be great if it was possible to "Trim" it.

As I said, perform one secure erase and limit the size of your os partition. The more free space the better. 70gb partition is good to start with, 65 is even better. Every gb you decrease the partition by, you get twice the effect because:
1) windows will overwrite deleted sectors faster
2) You create more of a buffer for garbage collection.

 

[skid00skid00]

Here are my Gen 1 AS SSD benches, graphed and 'optimized' whenever I felt the need. The gaps in the graphs are where I 'optimized'.