Intel 510 SSD bouncing back and forth between SATA2 and SATA3

[Ryomitomo]

Since Anandtech is one of my most trusted sites to read up on SSDs. Maybe Anand can help me with this weird issues I am having.

Here is my setup.

CPU : i7-2600 w/ Thermalright Archon
Mobo : Asus P8P67 Pro w/ 1850 BIOS
RAM : 4 X 4GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 1.5v
SSD : Intel 510 SSD 120GB + Intel 510 SSD 250GB
GPU : 2 x Asus GTX460 1GB DCU TOP
PSU : Coolermaster Silent Pro Gold 800W

I have two Intel 510 SSD in my computer, 120GB with firmware PPG2 and 250GB with PWG4. I noticed the SSDs are jumping back and forth between SATA2 3gbps and SATA3 6gbps randomly. It is not a system detection error, as the speeds of the drives do actually decrease when detected as SATA2 mode. For example, in SATA3 mode, I can get reads of around 400+MB/s and only 200+MB/s when detected in SATA2 mode.

The two drives are connected to the Intel SATA3 ports (not the Marvell ones). I am running iRST 10.6 and I have the latest INF driver installed.

I have written to Intel about this issue and so far has received no replies. In the Intel forum, there are several others who are experiencing the same issue. It is my understanding this problem affects computer with drives that have 2 different firmware versions.

120GB has PPG2 and PPG4 firmware
250GB has PWG2 and PWG4 firmware

If you mix firmware PxG2 and PxG4 together, you get this weird problem. Intel hasn't released a firmware patch tool for PxG2 to PxG4.

I think Intel will be forced to confront with this issue if a notable site such as Anandtech can identify and replicate the problem. Can you help confirm this is a replicable issue?

 

[e-drood]

your description does not state asus bios file used

pls install asus bios update beta 1850 for your mb

pls disable marvell controllers to isolate this issue

 

[Ryomitomo]

The Asus P8P67 Pro is already running 1850 BIOS firmware.

The Marvell SATA3 controller chip is already disabled in the BIOS.

 

[e-drood]

next, inf reinstall followed by irst reinstall & restart 2 times

 

[e-drood]

there is also small possibility that 1 0f 2 sata3 cables has higher impedance - shutdown & install new sata3 spec'd cables (both ssd's) - and there may be cold/crystalized solder connection @ sata3 socket/mb resulting in slightly different impedance of 1 of the 2 ssd's... no-lead rohs solder is of varying quality...

 

[Ryomitomo]

I will try the INF and iRST reinstall when I get home. However, I don't think this is the cause, since it worked fine for 7 months when I only had one 510 SSD 120GB. The problem only started when I added the 510 SSD 250GB last week.

I have tried the SATA3 cable that came with the Intel 510 SSD (made by Amphenol). I have tried the SATA3 cable that came with the Asus P8P67 Pro motherboard. I have tried SATA3 cable I bought from Vizo. They are all experiencing this problem.

I have multiple pieces of each type of the above cables, so I have tried swapping the cables, interchanging different cables, but the issue is random. One hour it is identified as running 6gbps, maybe next hour it's identified as running 3gbps.

The power profile is set to max performance and sleep timer set to 0. The win7 is fully optimized for SSD, as confirmed by Intel SSD Toolbox.

 

[=Wendy=]

Also check in the Intel toolbox for "unsafe shutdown" (power loss) that you can't account for. For example, by cutting the power from the PC, rather than the PC shutting down normally.

If you find any in the Intel toolbox, you are most likely suffering from the P67/Z68/H67 chipset power management bug, that some folks don't like to admit exists.

 

[groberts101]

If you find any in the Intel toolbox, you are most likely suffering from the P67/Z68/H67 chipset power management bug, that some folks don't like to admit exists.

wow!.. you mean Intel is not flawless?

I don't know if I can made to believe such a thing. It's gotta be OCZ inflicted somehow. errr wait.. this isn't an OCZ SSD is it? :sneaky:

sorry OP.. just teasing a bit. Sounds like you have a pretty decent handle on the matter if others are seeing this same issue. Good luck with it

 

[ianpugh]

Hi Ryomitomo,

I thnk we may have posted on the same thread over at Intel. Just a quick question - does IRST report bth drives at 6gb/s after a cold start?

With mine a cold start sets them both up as 6gb/s and then the next restart one or both will go back to 3 gb/s.

I've been posting about this problem at a few sites and I too hope that Intel might get their finger out and do something.

This was their most recent reply after 7 weeks:

"Good afternoon Mr. Pugh.

Your case is indeed with me as the person responsible for investigating the issues at hand, and those investigations are in progress.

As soon as I receive the required information regarding your case from our legal department and the engineering suite, I will contact you accordingly.

Kind regards."

They mention the legal department because after 7 weeks of being given the run around I went and sought advice form the UK Trading Standards Office. I don't think they liked that.

It is truly pathetic the speed at which they are moving. There are now at least 5 very detailed cases of this around the forums and the firmware difference is always the common factor. Someone went and replaced the PWG2 drive with a PWG4 and the problem went away. I can't understand why it is taking them so long to just release a firmware update that addresses this.

What really pi&&ed me off was the way they automatically blamed the motherboard manufacturer (Dell) until they noticed how many non-Dell systems were having the same problem. Very lame but unfortunately not surprising for a company of this size.

 

[ianpugh]

I still haven't heard anything more from Intel. It's now been 8 weeks since Intel were first informed of this problem. I guess they just don't give a sh*t?

8 weeks?

It looks like they don't think it's important enough or not enough people have the problem for it to be worth the effort. I recommend just taking the drive back to the retailer and asking for an exchange. It's been proved that there is an issue so they shouldn't give you too much trouble. Howeber, I thought the same of Intel but they've turned out to be utterly useless!