Very slow boot times for SSD

[nanaki333]

Short version:

2x 256GB M4 raid0 boot drive takes almost a minute to boot. Reinstalled on new mobo/cpu and problem persisted. Swapped to a single Plextor M3 and STILL the same problem. WTF!?


LONG version:

So I used to have 2x 256GB M4s in raid0 as my OS drive, and you would think they'd boot super fast.... NOT! After POST, and the Windows 7 loading screen comes up... It takes a good 20 seconds to get past it and in to the desktop. That was with my 2600k system. I upgraded to SB-E and reinstalled in the same SSD configuration. Thinking a new install will bring it back. Nope. Even after reinstalling fresh on a completely new system, it still took forever to boot. My old mechanical raid0 boots faster!

Now, I know TRIM isn't possible with raid SSDs. Knowing that, I run the TonyTrim to keep it clean. My OS array is barely 30% full, and I run FancyCache with deferred write set to 3600 seconds to limit the random writes to the drives. I learned to live with it since I usually just sleep my PC, and that at least comes out quick.

Fast forward to the 7970 launch. I got 2 to replace my 2 6970 cards and was having motherboard issues. BIOS update fixed it, but I just happen to nab me a Plextor M3 (yes, Plextor, not Crucial) and said screw it... Let me get off the raid BS. My wife's computer has a 240GB Vertex 3 for OS and a 2TB mechanical with a 64GB X-25E as a cache, and her machine makes mine look like a Dell netbook! So... What happens when I put this new Plextor in? The same freaking thing! Cold booting my PC still takes a good 20 seconds on the Windows loading screen. If you add in the POST, then it's close to a minute. I kept the M4s in there as my steam and app drive.


OK, so now my question... Anybody have any idea wtf is going on?

 

[beginner99]

Probably Motherboard issue. Do you use the native SATA Ports from intel controller or some additional ones?

I assume you do not connect to a central server for roaming profile or other enterprisey stuff?
(that would certainly explain it)

Can only say that my parents PC with a single 64 GB crucial m4 boots ultra fast after POST and lso a lot faster than mine with a intel g2 drive.

Personally I don't believe it is worth it to raid ssds. I don't assume you host your own website/databases.

 

[KingFatty]

Were you using an optical drive (DVD?) throughout this ordeal? I've heard that an optical drive can slow your bootup, depending on how it interacts with your motherboard and how it's configured in BIOS/Windows etc. Sorry I don't remember the details.

But just as a quick test, can you disconnect your optical drive (e.g., unplug the SATA cable from the mobo), and see if the boot up happens much faster?

 

[wpcoe]

Lots of apps & services auto-starting at Windows boot? Try unchecking just about everything in MSCONFIG or AUTORUNS, and seen if that changes anything?

 

[nanaki333]

beginner, i thought it was a mobo issue... but this happens on 2 completely different platforms. i don't do any roaming profiles or folder redirection at home. the drives were always connected to the intel 6G ports.


kingfatty, the optical drive is only a problem before the windows loading screen when it tries to spin up to boot from a disc. i changed it so it's after my OS, so not even that is a problem anymore. i also tried it unplugged and plugged in to the marvel ports with the first mobo when i was first having this problem, but no luck.

i thought going to a completely new platform would make the problem go away, but it's still here. even when i have a single SSD!

 

[Burner27]

Any USB devices attached during bootup? Could it be a bad KB or mouse? Could it be some other device that is plugged in via USB?

 

[nanaki333]

i thought about that. i've had issues like that in the past where the machine doesn't even boot with an ipod plugged in. only the essentials are plugged in and i've gotten a new keyboard/mouse during the whole ordeal too. i've also tried with no sound devices plugged in and only 1 monitor. the bare essentials. still slower than crap!

EDIT: in case anyone asks. i've updated my BIOS to the latest on both boards that i used.

 

[Burner27]

Just try booting without KB and mouse and see what happens....

 

[Arsynic]

Which driver are you using?

 

[nanaki333]

i was using the microsoft driver.


i'll try rebooting with nothing but the monitor and power plugged in to see if that's the problem. going to kick myself in the nuts (i'll find a way!) if that's what the problem was.

 

[NumericalMethods]

Are you using the same sata cables for your testing?

You should try quality certified sata 3.0 (6G) cables to rule that out as a potential issue in your trouble shooting steps.

 

[nanaki333]

i am not using low quality cables. i had some really nice ones that came with my s1155 mobo, and the P9X79 Pro came with some nice cables as well. i swapped the cables to those for shits 'n giggles when i upgraded.

 

[=Wendy=]

If the optical drive is connected to the Intel SATA ports, try un-plugging the SATA cable to the optical drive and see if it boots faster. If it does, move the optical drive to the Marvell SATA ports or whatever is used on that board. You will need to switch the Marvell to IDE mode, and just use the standard MS IDE driver for the Marvell, and the optical drives should work fine.

 

[nanaki333]

i'll probably just unplug my optical drive completely. i don't ever uses it. steam installs my games at 18MB/s at home and is faster than installing from disc

 

[jhansman]

On a cold boot, my mobo takes more time to get through its POST than my M4 does to load up Win7. From a warm boot, 20 sec. tops. You could run down every variable known and probably still not find the one that is keeping your system from making the most of your M4.

 

[kbp]

Try boot racer and see what your "post times" and "windows" load times it reports.

 

[nanaki333]

25 seconds

my wife's computer was almost half that.


correction. i did not see there were 2 different fields. 45 seconds total...

 

[kbp]

Well thats better than almost 1 minute.
I'll bet you've got lots more loading than you wife.....
Run task manager and take a peak at whats loading-up.

 

[nanaki333]

nope. i'm not running much at all. i never even run an AV suite. i only have 32GB of ram. don't want to run out of resources!

my zenbook, which has a slower ssd, boots up in probably 15 seconds total. it actually booted slower when i had my M4s in raid0 though.

 

[groberts101]

you never said if you did a fresh install on that raid/single config.

If you haven't?.. then you have software related problems. Which, IMO and experience so far, usually account for about 90+% of these types of issues.

so which is it?.. fresh or existing image?

 

[Burner27]

I guess my suggestion didn't yield any positive results?

 

[tweakboy]

NO body knows the reliability of SSD,, they are prone to die , which is why you gotta get the right one and flash it too. gl

 

[Engineer]

Try boot racer and see what your "post times" and "windows" load times it reports.

I don't see the "Post times" report from that program but my Windows boot time is 14 to 15 seconds (Win7 64). Login time of 8 seconds + 6 seconds to desktop.

Edit: I see you have to purchase a version to see the post time.

 

[wpcoe]

I just ran BootRacer nine consecutive times and the "Time from logon to desktop" varies quite a bit, making the "Total Time to Desktop" range from 19 sec to 33 sec. (Average was 22 sec.)

That is with an old Kingston 64GB SSD. So 45 seconds IS unusually slow. (But, you knew that already. )

Did you disable all your startup items and do a "clean" boot? There might be a rogue service or an app that is timing out causing a delay the process?

@Engineer: JOOC, what is your boot drive?

 

[beginner99]

Are the drives properly aligned?

In the new article about the ocz octane someone commented that crucial m4 can have issues with intel rst 10.x drivers. Maybe you need to google for that as I assume you use it (raid0).