Intel - 34nm G2 - TRIM f/w update

[Earzz]

Alright, thx man.

[modboxx]

G3y that these have been out for so long and still nothing for raid.

[Anemic]

Alright, gonna try it out tomorrow!
No one have had to reinstall cuz of the update?

[SimpleTECH]

I know it doesn't support RAID setups but I figured I'd update since it'll probably "refresh" my drives.

Before firmware




After firmware

[Earzz]

Nice SimpleTECH, my scores went down after the FW upgrade.
Thinking to break my raid array and go single drives untill its fully supported.

[Ao1]

I’ve just updated the f/w on a new install of 7/64 in ACHI mode with Windows ACHI drivers. No problem with the update, but despite fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify returning a 0 defrag etc have not been disabled by default. (??)

I copied a 47.5GB folder full of mp3’s and a few avi movies from a G2 80GB drive to a G2 160GB drive (OS) and the transfer speed stuck all the way between 103MB/s & 106MB/s.

A manual TRIM takes seconds.

AS Benchmarks before and after: (160GB G2 with OS - No surprises really... )

Old FW, fresh drive.
AS SSD Benchmark 1.2.3577.40358
------------------------------
Name: INTEL SSDSA2M160G2GC ATA Device
Firmware: 2CV102G9
Interface: IDE
Size: 149.05 GB
Date: 26/10/2009 18:36:14
------------------------------
Sequential:
------------------------------
Read: 255.38 MB/s
Write: 83.64 MB/s
------------------------------
4K:
------------------------------
Read: 23.13 MB/s
Write: 45.95 MB/s
------------------------------
4K-64Threads:
------------------------------
Read: 154.58 MB/s
Write: 57.60 MB/s
------------------------------
Access Times:
------------------------------
Read: 0.077 ms
Write: 0.091 ms
------------------------------
Score:
------------------------------
Read: 203
Write: 112
Total: 420
------------------------------


New FW, fresh drive
AS SSD Benchmark 1.2.3577.40358
------------------------------
Name: INTEL SSDSA2M160G2GC ATA Device
Firmware: 2CV102HA
Interface: IDE
Size: 149.05 GB
Date: 26/10/2009 20:00:15
------------------------------
Sequential:
------------------------------
Read: 254.24 MB/s
Write: 101.62 MB/s
------------------------------
4K:
------------------------------
Read: 21.94 MB/s
Write: 48.75 MB/s
------------------------------
4K-64Threads:
------------------------------
Read: 154.91 MB/s
Write: 66.38 MB/s
------------------------------
Access Times:
------------------------------
Read: 0.062 ms
Write: 0.089 ms
------------------------------
Score:
------------------------------
Read: 202
Write: 125
Total: 432
------------------------------

New FW, used drive, freshly TRIMed
AS SSD Benchmark 1.2.3577.40358
------------------------------
Name: INTEL SSDSA2M160G2GC ATA Device
Firmware: 2CV102HA
Interface: IDE
Size: 149.05 GB
Date: 26/10/2009 20:15:24
------------------------------
Sequential:
------------------------------
Read: 254.32 MB/s
Write: 100.53 MB/s
------------------------------
4K:
------------------------------
Read: 21.22 MB/s
Write: 49.28 MB/s
------------------------------
4K-64Threads:
------------------------------
Read: 156.76 MB/s
Write: 64.73 MB/s
------------------------------
Access Times:
------------------------------
Read: 0.098 ms
Write: 0.089 ms
------------------------------
Score:
------------------------------
Read: 203
Write: 124
Total: 432
------------------------------

EDIT: Hey Ourasi.....Looks like I can claim the 2nd position in the hall of fame for your Single AS benchmark

[tuanster1119]

From the Readme:

3. RAID Configurations
ISSUE: The SATA SSD Firmware Update Tool cannot execute a firmware
update when the SSDs are in a RAID configuration.
WORKAROUND:
Go into the BIOS and disable RAID mode, using "Legacy" or
"Compatibility" mode for the firmware update. If the system
is using IMSM, it is important that you do not disable RAID
within IMSM or other software configuraiton utility.
After configuring BIOS to "Legacy" or "Compatibility" mode,
reboot the system following the update instructions below.
Once all RAID drives have been updated and verified, enable
RAID in BIOS reboot to complete the process.

Has anybody tried this yet? This is my first run with Raid0 and I just want to make sure I won't run into any problems with this.

[Ender17]

SSDSA2MH160G2
Storage setting is RAID (HDDs are in RAID array, SSD is not)

Before


After

[Ao1]

^ does the trim tool work from the toolbox on a non raid member drive? I think I read in the anandtech review that TRIM would not work with that config (?)

[Earzz]

From the Readme:

3. RAID Configurations
ISSUE: The SATA SSD Firmware Update Tool cannot execute a firmware
update when the SSDs are in a RAID configuration.
WORKAROUND:
Go into the BIOS and disable RAID mode, using "Legacy" or
"Compatibility" mode for the firmware update. If the system
is using IMSM, it is important that you do not disable RAID
within IMSM or other software configuraiton utility.
After configuring BIOS to "Legacy" or "Compatibility" mode,
reboot the system following the update instructions below.
Once all RAID drives have been updated and verified, enable
RAID in BIOS reboot to complete the process.

Has anybody tried this yet? This is my first run with Raid0 and I just want to make sure I won't run into any problems with this.

Yep, did it twice already.

1 - Burn ISO.
2 - Reboot and go to BIOS, set IDE compatible mode, save exit.
3 - Boot CD and flash drives, reboot.
4 - Return to BIOS and set RAID again, save exit.
5 - Return to BIOS for last time and set boot priority, save exit and your done

[Ourasi]

EDIT: Hey Ourasi.....Looks like I can claim the 2nd position in the hall of fame for your Single AS benchmark

Post it there, and I'll add you to the list.. Allthough, I'm in a bit of a bad mood today, since Intel didn't even bother to let the Gen. 1 owners be able to use even the TRIM Toolbox, friggen ass*****.. If there was any SSD out there in the same ballpark price performance wise, I'd recomend my readers to screw Intel out a lot of $.. But hey, what can one really expect from Intel, I should be used to it by now.

The other so called trimmable drives out there seems to have failed to deliver the benefits of TRIM, and even here Intel does way better then the rest, so what choise do one have but to buy from the "devil" himself.

[Ender17]

^ does the trim tool work from the toolbox on a non raid member drive? I think I read in the anandtech review that TRIM would not work with that config (?)

it works from the toolbox, not automatically

[alfaunits]

Just an FYI, on Areca cards even when drives are as pass-through it detects them as RAID, so the Toolbox doesn't work.

[Lu(ky]

Guys I have a couple of questions on this new FW update with toolbox..

1. I am running one 80Gb G2 now on W7 Beta should I update FW then clean drive before I do a clean install of W7 Ultimate with a new 2 x 80Gb G2 raid -0- setup?

2. After doing the above do I reformat the ssd drive using W7 when reinstalling W7 in a raid -0- setup?

Thx...

[SimpleTECH]

Guys I have a couple of questions on this new FW update with toolbox..

1. I am running one 80Gb G2 now on W7 Beta should I update FW then clean drive before I do a clean install of W7 Ultimate with a new 2 x 80Gb G2 raid -0- setup?

2. After doing the above do I reformat the ssd drive using W7 when reinstalling W7 in a raid -0- setup?

Thx...

1. Update the firmware first (on both drives) and then erase the drive that has Windows 7 beta. Use HDDErase 3.3.

2. Windows 7 will automatically setup your configuration for you. After you erased the SSD using HDDErase that I mentioned above, setup your RAID configuration and then proceed to install Windows.

[Lu(ky]

1. Update the firmware first (on both drives) and then erase the drive that has Windows 7 beta. Use HDDErase 3.3.

2. Windows 7 will automatically setup your configuration for you. After you erased the SSD using HDDErase that I mentioned above, setup your RAID configuration and then proceed to install Windows.

So the one drive I have been using should not get a cleaning before I use HDDErase? I was thinking of updating FW on current installed drive then use the toolbox to clean. Then use HDDErase to clean the one drive I been using then do a clean W7 install?

Thank for your help SimpleTech

[AuDioFreaK39]

Does anyone want to explain to me why the firmware 02HA update does not enable TRIM on the 80GB 34nm models?

I was really looking forward to a sequential write speed boost when I grab one of these next weekend.

[Ao1]

Does anyone want to explain to me why the firmware 02HA update does not enable TRIM on the 80GB 34nm models?

I was really looking forward to a sequential write speed boost when I grab one of these next weekend.

The firmware update does enable TRIM on G2 80GB drives but it does not increase the sequential write speed specs over the pre-f/w update specs. (As it does for the 160GB drives).The 160Gb drives are also faster at 4K IOps but that was the case prior to the fw update. Bottom line is that the 160GB drive is faster than the 80GB version. It was faster before the fw update and it is even faster now. Logically the 320GB version will be even faster when it comes out.

[v0dka]

So is the firmware destroying drives or not?

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...3&postcount=25

[firestarter.pt]

There's many reports of dead X25-M 10 mins after the firmware update and it seems you can't download it from intel anymore so I'll hold back and wait before updating my drive...

[Earzz]

There's many reports of dead X25-M 10 mins after the firmware update and it seems you can't download it from intel anymore so I'll hold back and wait before updating my drive...

Yeah i just saw it on hardforum, happy that i dont have any issues with the new FW.

[Ao1]

Whoop..Intel have pulled the update whilst they investigate the reported problems. http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/27/i...der-windows-7/

EDIT: Where is Rhys when you need him It seems that 7 tries to install a driver after the update. This prompts a reboot which then causes the drive to fail. Mine are OK but if I see drivers being installed I will not be rebooting in a hurry.

[SimpleTECH]

So the one drive I have been using should not get a cleaning before I use HDDErase? I was thinking of updating FW on current installed drive then use the toolbox to clean. Then use HDDErase to clean the one drive I been using then do a clean W7 install?

Yup that is correct. When you run HDDErase, it's erasing everything on the SSD including the blocks - basically resetting it back to 'peak' performance.

Though with TRIM, you shouldn't have to worry too much about that.

[Lu(ky]

There is a new information on AnandTech site about the TRIM and RAIDS of these drives -----> H E R E

[CrimInalA]

There is a new information on AnandTech site about the TRIM and RAIDS of these drives -----> H E R E

Thanks for the link but i couldn't find any RAID info in the article