SSD configuration - Intel RST acceleration or not

[my sobriquet]

Hello,

How to configure SSD in my sistem?
1. Intel rapid storage with acceleration on SSD
or
2. windows on SSD?

I recently bought an 250 gb samsung evo to increase speed of my system.
The main reason for this is music production - lot of huge virtual instruments. When starting musical applications, some take minutes to load, filling up to 7 gb of RAM memory.

I have following system: win7, Asus H87 mb., core i5 Intel proc., 2 640 GB WD caviar black's from 2009 in RAID 0, 2 TB caviar green, samsung EVO 840 (250 Gb), 16 GB Ram DDR3 1666 MHz

Currently, my system is on RAID 0 (I know the danger

- I am backing up often)

How should I configure SSD?
Firstly, I configured Intel Rapid Storage Technology acceleration to accelerate my RAID 0 field. However, Intel RST can use only maximum of 64 GB SSD space. I can use the rest of SSD space (250 GB - 64 GB or maybe less, if I should left some space free for overprovisioning?). Furthermore, Samsung tools which came with the drive do not work when SSD is configured in RAID. I do not know if overprovisioning works, and should I enable or disable windows superfetch and prefetch and other things wearing SSD drive.

The other option is not to use SSD caching with Intel RST. However, it seems that Samsung tools for SSD fully recognize only AHCI mode, while SSD on my system is currently on RAID controler. Although a separate volume if I turn off acceleration. In that case, I would migrate windows to SSD, and set the most frequently accessed files (incl. virtual music instruments) to SSD, leaving other data on HDD drives.

Any clues?

 

[razel]

When starting musical applications, some take minutes to load, filling up to 7 gb of RAM memory.

I would start there with your RAM before fiddling with the storage system anymore since you already have an SSD. I would also save your money for enough primary storage in an SSD instead of fiddling with caching. $100 for 256GB is becoming a common hot sale price. I think I saw the 1TB Samsung 840 EVO for $440 last week.

It could be worth your money since creativity sometimes can't wait.

 

[h9826790]

I think I saw the 1TB Samsung 840 EVO for $440 last week.

Wow, $440 is really cheap, I should buy another one to run dual OS.

 

[Cerb]

Can your software and media all fit on the SSD? If yes, then have it all on there, and use the HDD RAID 0 to hold mostly streaming data.

You do not need to use the Samsung software, so don't worry about it. Intel's drivers will pass TRIM to RAID 0 or 1, as well.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Can your software and media all fit on the SSD? If yes, then have it all on there, and use the HDD RAID 0 to hold mostly streaming data.

You do not need to use the Samsung software, so don't worry about it. Intel's drivers will pass TRIM to RAID 0 or 1, as well.

I think it depends on which version of the Intel drivers and IRST software you're using. I think the user is safe to assume that IRST v.11 or later and a Z77 board or later guarantees TRIM operability in those circumstances (i.e., the SSD is part of a RAID array).

I feel pretty sure that TRIM works with an ISRT setup, even for Z68 and versions 10.x.x.nnnn of the software. It wouldn't make sense otherwise from Intel's perspective. Or -- you'd notice degradation in ISRT performance: I've been running it now for about 3 years, without any perceptible change.

However, I think it's a mistake to assume that the Samsung Magician software is superfluous or inconsequential. Magician offers "RAPIDMode," and the CrystalDiskMark software shows scores almost double what you would expect given an 840 Pro or EVO's specs.

If you want the best of all worlds, or -- like me, you have a Z68 board, you're reluctant to update the BIOS and install the latest IRST version -- best bet is to convert your "RAID-Mode" boot-disk to AHCI and likely expect the Magician software to work properly. But then, you can't "RAID" hard disks on the same controller. As I said -- you likely can with combinations of (a) BIOS update, (b) IRST driver upgrade and (c) Z77 or later.

For me, I want the simplest path to certainty. Too many things can be adversely affected by fiddling with my old Z68 system that way. One of us -- Z51CAM, I think -- went through all this last year with his Z68 board. Let's say "he made it!" Me: I just don't want to face any possibility of reinstalling Windows and my software -- if I can help it.

And over and above all that -- you may not get full Magician functionality if the SSD is part of a RAID array.

Am I wrong? I would love to hear it, as I try and sort through what I want to do, what I can do, and what I should do with my sig rig.

 

[G73S]

Usually, the IRST driver/controller gives better results. but with the Samsung EVO 840 and RAPID enabled, it gave me way worse results so I wouldn't even touch IRST if I were you.

Here are my Benchmarks for my C: Drive using the Intel Chipset Drivers v9.4.0.1022

Then I benchmarked after installing the Intel Rapid Sotrage Technology Driver v.12.8.0.1016 and notice the huge performance drop.

I guess the Samsung Magician Rapid doesn't like the IRST Controller oy maybe because the drivers are not setup in RAID

 

[Cerb]

I think it depends on which version of the Intel drivers and IRST software you're using. I think the user is safe to assume that IRST v.11 or later and a Z77 board or later guarantees TRIM operability in those circumstances (i.e., the SSD is part of a RAID array).

With an H87 board, it'll support it.

I feel pretty sure that TRIM works with an ISRT setup, even for Z68 and versions 10.x.x.nnnn of the software. It wouldn't make sense otherwise from Intel's perspective. Or -- you'd notice degradation in ISRT performance: I've been running it now for about 3 years, without any perceptible change.

The cache should usually stay full, so whether it passes TRIM or not shouldn't make a difference.

However, I think it's a mistake to assume that the Samsung Magician software is superfluous or inconsequential. Magician offers "RAPIDMode," and the CrystalDiskMark software shows scores almost double what you would expect given an 840 Pro or EVO's specs.

In a synthetic benchmark using a limited number of limited-size files, all very recently written.

http://techreport.com/review/25282/a-closer-look-at-rapid-dram-caching-on-the-samsung-840-evo-ssd/7

Like RAID 0, it will palpably help some users, but mostly it helps synthetic benchmarks, and large sets of SSD to SSD small file copies.