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My new SSD underperforming... help!

Zeze

Zeze

Lifer
My system & benchmark result

I have Crucial MX100 256GB. It's advertised as 550/300 for sequential read/write. The real world performance should be 481/316~ based on 403 user samples.

I get a mere 370/324 instead.

The system should be already optimized because:
  • Flashed to latest BIOS
  • Enabled AHCI on BIOS from IDE
  • Then put a clean install of Win7 on the SSD with nothing else on it.
  • The drive is clearly attached to the SATA 3 port
  • Installed Intel Rapid Storage Technology v10.2 (for some reason I can't install the latest 13.x, I get an error)

Many different attempts were had to improve this:

I used different SATA cables (new & old), different SATA port, used former/updated BIOS (and painstakingly format/installed Win7 between), disconnected other HDD, and etc.

What's going on? What am I missing here?

It can't be my system, because my other components perform beautifully against their respective samples (HD, GPU, CPU, etc). It's only the SSD that's lagging behind.
 
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My guess is that since the H61 motherboards don't have native Intel Sata 3 ports that maybe it's a third-party controller that is just not that great. Just a guess for now.
 
Like i said in my post above, it's most likely the inferior Sata-3 third-party controller they are using on that board: ASMedia ASM1061

The H81 chipset boards use the Intel Sata-3 controller which is much faster.
 
daveybrat said:
Like i said in my post above, it's most likely the inferior Sata-3 third-party controller they are using on that board: ASMedia ASM1061

The H81 chipset boards use the Intel Sata-3 controller which is much faster.
Click to expand...

Charlie98 said:
Try updating your SATA controller driver...
Click to expand...

Excuse my ignorance here, so both of you are talking about the same thing?

I already updated the SATA driver via mobo's website:
3/8/2011 Windows® 7 64bit
3.02MB ASMedia SATA3 Driver ver:1.1.7.110

Before we go in deeper, let's not focus down this path as the cause of the problem. Anything else I need to explore? Also, Rapid Storage Technology made no difference, installed or uninstalled.
 
The Asmedia ports are not designed for boot drives. You will want to use the Intel ports or maybe it's upgrade time!
 
Zeze said:
Excuse my ignorance here, so both of you are talking about the same thing?

I already updated the SATA driver via mobo's website:
3/8/2011 Windows® 7 64bit
3.02MB ASMedia SATA3 Driver ver:1.1.7.110

Before we go in deeper, let's not focus down this path as the cause of the problem. Anything else I need to explore? Also, Rapid Storage Technology made no difference, installed or uninstalled.
Click to expand...

No, he is talking about the ASMedia driver, I'm talking about the Intel SATA driver.
 
Yep, problem is ASMedia SATA6G controller. Not as good as a real Intel SATA6G controller. Shouldn't have gone cheap on the mobo.
 
daveybrat said:
Why would the Intel sata driver matter? He has it plugged into the ASMedia Sata3 port. The Intel ports on that board are only Sata2.
Click to expand...

It's not in his manual, but almost every board with an Asmedia controller says not to use it for the primary OS. There have also been quite a few threads about folks switching from the Asmedia SATA 3 to the Intel SATA 2 and noticing the speed boost (not to mention crashing going away).
 
The intel h61 chipset it's not ahci capable!
Keep the drive connected to the asmedia controller!
Even if it is a little slower, the OS can at least pass trim commands to the SSD, so SSD performance should not degrade while time passes.
I wouldn't bother that much with max sequential speeds. If you do not move large files you've got nothing to lose. Just make sure ahci is on in BIOS and that trim is functioning properly!
 
Zeze said:
My system & benchmark result

I have Crucial MX100 256GB. It's advertised as 550/300 for sequential read/write. The real world performance should be 481/316~ based on 403 user samples.

I get a mere 370/324 instead.

The system should be already optimized because:
  • Flashed to latest BIOS
  • Enabled AHCI on BIOS from IDE
  • Then put a clean install of Win7 on the SSD with nothing else on it.
  • The drive is clearly attached to the SATA 3 port
  • Installed Intel Rapid Storage Technology v10.2 (for some reason I can't install the latest 13.x, I get an error)

Many different attempts were had to improve this:

I used different SATA cables (new & old), different SATA port, used former/updated BIOS (and painstakingly format/installed Win7 between), disconnected other HDD, and etc.

What's going on? What am I missing here?

It can't be my system, because my other components perform beautifully against their respective samples (HD, GPU, CPU, etc). It's only the SSD that's lagging behind.
Click to expand...


Thats because your SATA 3 ports are driven off the Asmedia controller.
From the manual
This motherboard adopts ASMedia ASM1061 chipset that supports Serial
ATA3
(SATA3) hard disks
Click to expand...
Those number are about right for Asmedia. I know...I accidently connected my MX100 512mb to the asmedia ports on my Z77 and those are around the number I got.

Don't worry to much about. Stop running benchmarks and call it a day.
 
Cerb said:
Yes, it is. All of them from ICH9 up are capable of it. Page 5 of his mobo's manual even recommends using it.
Click to expand...

I just checked the asrock manual. You are right, but ...

But I knew this to be true:
Please check page 51: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/chipsets/6-chipset-c200-chipset-datasheet.html

But there is also this "*The PCH provides hardware support for AHCI functionality when enabled by appropriate system configurations and software drivers." ?? It is a little vague. I guess only intel knows what this means.

Something seems a little fishy. Maybe only Zeze can clarify if asrock's manual is generic and wrong by verifying if ahci is actualy working if the bios can enable it on the native h61 sata 2 ports.
 
AHCI has to be allowed and then also turned on. Lenovo and HP seemed to like selling SB/IB machines with no AHCI option, for instance (whether it was a choice in firmware only, or a way to save pennies per chipset by having Intel turn it off, we'll never know). Of course then you still need a supporting OS driver, and for it to load.
 
It might be worth checking if there are any firmware updates for the actual SSD too. I doubt it will help in your case, but there are some bug fixes for certain SSD's that correct certain speed issues.

That having been said, it most likely is your MB that's the issue.
 
I get super low speeds on my SSD just bought recently. I am upgrading to H97. Makes sense to go for a better chipset. SSD performance differ with chipset to a great extent.
 
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I know from experience that SSD's don't work as well from non-Intel ports.

But you won't notice the difference in the real world anyway IMO.
 
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