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Problem with TRIM Intel SSD320/Intel SSDToolbox/Windows 7/HP -AMD controller

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lawrenman

Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
When trying to run Intel SSD Optimizer...
Error: RAID array detected. If RAID array not present, reboot and try again.
Checked BIOS. It is running ACHI. No RAID array.
AMD SATA Controller.Driver 1.2.1.296
How do I know if TRIM is running?

Will AMD controller allow TRIM pass?
 
I don't know jack about AMD, but can you try plugging the SSD into your MoBo's 3rd party chipset and see if it works then? I thought I recalled hearing something about this.

I'd probably leave the PC setup "as-is" - enable the 3rd party chipset in BIOS in "AHCI" mode (if it's not already enabled), reboot, and let Windows install the Driver. Then power down, and swap the SSD to the 3rd party port. Change the Boot Order to select the SSD on this new controller, and see what happens when you try to Trim it (I'd reboot once more after the initial boot before trying to Trim it).

:chair: One more reason I'm fairly partial to Intel - Killer chipsets! :chair:

:cool:
 
Its an older laptop built in 2009. I only see the AMD SATA Controller available under IDE ATA/ATAPI. I am typing on right now as a laptop converted to desktop with the Intel SSD 320's. I put $600 in it to get it here (from XP to Win7Pro, 4gig RAM to 8 GIG, HDD to SSD320). To be honest it flies, but I am wondering how I can get TRIM support.

As a side note, I am a cost accountant turned IT guy. I am buying Intel 320 SSD's as replacement for my absolutely terribly designed (not by me) SATA Servers running really slow 7200 RPM consumer grade drives that fail often and are very slow. I know currently the motherboard on the Servers was built in 2009 but it freaking rocks and uses Intel SATA controllers. It just has crappy drives, processors and RAM, but it server 2003 R2 so its not really worth upgrading to 2008/RAM/Proc. As a SQL Server, now with the SSD drives it rocks. Using consumer Intel 320's. Unfortunately as RAIDED, I know they do not have TRIM support, but overall they are no longer a bottleneck concern for our ERP system.

Also as a side, I am having my local guy build using Intel motherboards. He was using Gigabyte, but I would like to make sure I can use Intel's RST and mix in RAID0 for my run-of-the-mill data entry folks. Its too bad I took his advice but they are using Intel Chip and Intel Z68 availability so they are not bad to use. But I will have him build new machines using Intel MB. I had him build my home desktop last week, and it supports TRIM.

Wondering...is RAID10 4 drives without TRIM likely to be faster than a TRIMMED non-RAID drive?
 
The Optimizer won't run because you're running the AMD SATA controller driver instead of the generic MS AHCI driver.
 
How do I change the controller driver?
It does not look to be installed.
Will I see any noticable performance increase from using MS via TRIM over AMD without TRIM?
 
Open Device Manager and expand IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers--> Double-click the controller to open the Properties window--> Driver tab-> Uninstall button. You can check TRIM status by typing fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify at an administrative command prompt. It will give you one of two results, either a 0 or a 1. A zero indicates that TRIM is enabled correctly, a one means that it is not.
 
Problem is, when I go to device manager I only see the AMD SATA controller available.
 
I don't understand what the problem is. Is the AMD SATA controller listed when you expand IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers, w/ the current driver version being 1.2.1.296?
 
How do I install a generic MS AHCI driver?
Its not on my list of controllers.
 
Click the Uninstall button under the Driver tab, and then reboot. Windows will automatically install the generic AHCI driver for you.
 
OK I will test after I finish benchmarking my servers. The file server uses the old SATA 7200 RPM drives still. The SQL uses SSD320's RAID 10
Interesting notes here:

7200 RPM 3 disk RAID 5 (old setup on file server)
Seq writes 75 MB/reads are 150 MB,
4k random writes/reads 0.6 MB
4k-64K random write: 0.6 read 2.16
Access time: read 14.63 ms write 4.468 ms

SQL Log files using 10,000 RPM Velico Rapters RAID 1 (although RAID0 would make more sense to me-as they are just log files not data):
SEQ writes are 123 MB reads are 120 MB
4k random writes 1.63 MB reads 0.86 MB
4k-64K random write: 1.75 MB read 4.27 MB
Access time: write 2.340 ms

My installed 4 drives 120 GB RAID 10 SSD 320 (50% filled)
SEQ writes are 200 MB reads are 500 MB
4k random writes 38 MB reads 14 MB
4k-64K random write: 86 MB read 166 MB
Access time: read .185 ms write .067 ms

My laptop converted to desktop (40% filled):
SEQ writes are 130 MB reads are 260 MB
4k random writes 27 MB reads 15 MB
4k-64K random write: 50 MB read 100 MB
Access time: read .149 ms write .134 ms

2 custom built desktops using RAID0 40 GB SSD (60% filled):
SEQ writes are 80 MB reads are 356 MB
4k random writes 36 MB reads 18 MB
4k-64K random write: 63 MB read 187 MB
Access time: read .132 ms write .102 ms

All I can really say is yes! This is why I am having all my workstations/servers converted to SSD. Even Intel's versions are more than sufficient to relive the data bottleneck. The servers are only SATAII anyway.

The log files being SEQ writes, make sense to keep on the V-Raptors IMO, since it is costly read/write and I can keep the server SSD's in virgin shape longer (without TRIM).

Would be nice to see TRIM enabled on other motherboards than Intel for RAID...the two 40's RAIDED is perfect for space/speed.
 
Bad news...on restart, it just found the AMD controller and reloaded it. Any other ideas where I can get the MS version?

I take that back!

Good news. After I unistalled and check boxed to (delete the driver data) as well as unistall, it forced a new load of drivers.

I re-ran the benchmark testing.
I tested TWICE as fast for random 4k-64K reads.
Overall score went from 304 to 430.

Now testing after TRIM.
Overall score 404

Looks like TRIM was not needed, because the box is relatively new.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE HELP.
Especially Redduc900
 
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Geez...my home laptop was also not configured properly. It was set to IDE instead of ACHI. My random read performance improved to 123 MB/s from 20 MB/s.
 
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