New firmware for Intel X25-M is out

[jor8888]

I ran the optimizer and it only took like 1 sec is it suppose be this fast or it didnt optimize at all?

 

[CEK15]

You should of enabled ahci before installing win7, try again.

Yep, finally got it working after enabling and installing the Win7 AHCI drivers in the registry. Now, I've got a problem of disappearing secondary hard drives (Samsung F1 and F2 750GB/1.5TB) whenever my computer wakes from sleep. Googling around led me to setting the sleep timer to 999, which worked for a bit buy my HDs still intermittently disappear.

Is there an updated AHCI driver out there from Microsoft? I've had conflicting google searches saying using the Intel Storage Manager update doesn't support TRIM.

 

[xypus]

Yep, finally got it working after enabling and installing the Win7 AHCI drivers in the registry. Now, I've got a problem of disappearing secondary hard drives (Samsung F1 and F2 750GB/1.5TB) whenever my computer wakes from sleep. Googling around led me to setting the sleep timer to 999, which worked for a bit buy my HDs still intermittently disappear.

Is there an updated AHCI driver out there from Microsoft? I've had conflicting google searches saying using the Intel Storage Manager update doesn't support TRIM.

I´ve got the exact same problem on my computer after fresh Win7 X64 install.. Kinda annoying, perhaps you could apply Intel drivers to only the SATA drives?

Also I´m not sure I´m getting correct speeds from my SSD, I´ve just installed, no tweaks whatsoever, any tips for improving speeds? I´ve seen many people getting over 400 total score.

 

[Voo]

People who are getting >400 are using the 160GB drive with the firmware update - the 25mb/s sequential write improvement does help with the score, but it's not that useful in real life.

Other than that, your 4k write is really low - I get ~40mb/s with my 160gb G2 drive. Did you use the drive some time before upgrading the firmware? I had to run the manual TRIM tool once after I upgraded to get the full performance.

 

[zuffy]

I would assume your PC has to be fast enough to push the SSD over 400. I get 396 with my 80GB G2 in a QX6700 OCed to 3.2GHz and I get 419 with my 160G2 in an i7-975.

 

[Seven]

Here is what I get.

 

[pcslookout]

People who are getting >400 are using the 160GB drive with the firmware update - the 25mb/s sequential write improvement does help with the score, but it's not that useful in real life.

Other than that, your 4k write is really low - I get ~40mb/s with my 160gb G2 drive. Did you use the drive some time before upgrading the firmware? I had to run the manual TRIM tool once after I upgraded to get the full performance.

You were saying?

http://img121.imageshack.us/i/asssdbenchintelssdsa2m0.png/

 

[PUN]

You should be getting over 400 with 80GB, and over 430-40 with 160GB

 

[zuffy]

QX6700 OCed to 3.2ghz with 80GB G2

i7-975 OCed to 3.73ghz with 160GB

Are you getting over 430 because you OCed to 4ghz?

 

[pcslookout]

QX6700 OCed to 3.2ghz with 80GB G2

i7-975 OCed to 3.73ghz with 160GB

Are you getting over 430 because you OCed to 4ghz?

I have a much less powerful machine there you and get well over 400 score with my 80 GB Intel G2 SSD. Intel Dual Core 2.13 ghz, 8 GB of ram, Geforce 8800 GTS 320, Gigabyte motherboard.

 

[Voo]

You were saying?

http://img121.imageshack.us/i/asssdbenchintelssdsa2m0.png/

It seems the benchmark really favors the 4k results, 8mb/s more 4-threaded write, 26mb/s more sequential write, but 4mb/s less 4K write and I get 5 points more.

http://img269.imageshack.us/i/asssdbenchintelssdsa2m1m.png/

The results vary quite a bit from run to run, I also had some with 44mb/s..

 

[zuffy]

Don't know why the scores are lower then. Both machines are running in AHCI mode using Microsoft driver, running in Windows 7 Enterprise 64-Bit. Both SSDs are using approx. 35GB of space.

 

[pcslookout]

Don't know why the scores are lower then. Both machines are running in AHCI mode using Microsoft driver, running in Windows 7 Enterprise 64-Bit. Both SSDs are using approx. 35GB of space.

The more space you use the lower your scores go.

 

[zuffy]

I understand that but 35GB is not exactly a lot. Anyway, I am not crying over the score.

 

[jimhsu]

Depends on the amount of free space. The difference between a nearly empty drive (fresh OS install) and a drive with 20% free space is ... very significant. ESPECIALLY for writes. My scores are considerably lower (but still incomparable to mechanical hard disks) than those posted here because I only have 13GB free right now (and I have already tried increasing this figure several times).

 

[taltamir]

I ran the optimizer and it only took like 1 sec is it suppose be this fast or it didnt optimize at all?

it is that fast.

 

[taltamir]

So here are some basic installation questions...

I have a new G2 drive with nothing installed on it. I plan to install Windows 7 x64.

Should I first install Windows 7 then do the Intel firmware update? -or-

Should I install the firmware update first, then install Windows 7?

For people burning the ISO to a CD, is this the only way to update the firmware, or can this be done in the Windows environment?

always, always, always update firmware first... regardless of the hardware involved (mobo, SSD, whatever)... first you upgrade firmware THEN you install OS.

Although it often doesn't HURT to do it the other way around, it is smarter and safer to do firmware first.

 

[xypus]

Yep, finally got it working after enabling and installing the Win7 AHCI drivers in the registry. Now, I've got a problem of disappearing secondary hard drives (Samsung F1 and F2 750GB/1.5TB) whenever my computer wakes from sleep. Googling around led me to setting the sleep timer to 999, which worked for a bit buy my HDs still intermittently disappear.

Is there an updated AHCI driver out there from Microsoft? I've had conflicting google searches saying using the Intel Storage Manager update doesn't support TRIM.

Did anyone have a solution for this problem? I´ve got the exact same..

 

[dMachine09]

always, always, always update firmware first... regardless of the hardware involved (mobo, SSD, whatever)... first you upgrade firmware THEN you install OS.

Although it often doesn't HURT to do it the other way around, it is smarter and safer to do firmware first.

Is there any way you can buy a new Intel SSD with the updated firmware already on board? I know the Vertex drives shipped after late October all have the proper TRIM on board but I really would like 80GB and OCZ doesn't make that size.

 

[xypus]

Installing the INF gave me a boost. CrystalDiskinfo still reports TRIM as active, hoping this is the truth...

 

[capeconsultant]

Um, I have the latest Intel firmware. Is there an additional INF that I should get? thanks, Dave

 

[skid00skid00]

Installing the INF gave me a boost. CrystalDiskinfo still reports TRIM as active, hoping this is the truth...

Xypus, you're well within normal variation from day-to-day (at least as far as what I saw when benching my Gen 1's).

 

[taltamir]

Is there any way you can buy a new Intel SSD with the updated firmware already on board? I know the Vertex drives shipped after late October all have the proper TRIM on board but I really would like 80GB and OCZ doesn't make that size.

Buy from a high volume of sales merchant. One that has recently been out of stock and got the item back in stock after the new firmware was release... wait a few months, and check the customer reviews to see what firmware they say they had on theirs. (chances are you will get the same version or later, not an earlier version)

 

[Nomgle]

Installing the INF gave me a boost. CrystalDiskinfo still reports TRIM as active, hoping this is the truth...

What INF are you talking about ?

 

[Nomgle]

Also I´m not sure I´m getting correct speeds from my SSD, I´ve just installed, no tweaks whatsoever, any tips for improving speeds? I´ve seen many people getting over 400 total score.

I'm seeing similar results to you - our 4K Write speeds are around half what other folk are seeing.

No idea why