24 replies to this topic

[Jyrba]

So I was bored and desided to move to this century, so I bought the Corsair force series 3 F90 90Gb SSD drive.
At the moment I'm waiting to get back home in 1-2weeks so I can install it and see how big of an improvement it is, so I wondered if someone can tell me what to do, so I can get the most out of it when I get back to my apartment. I remember seeing a guide over here, but I couldn't find it.

Feel free to ask me anything.

Thanks in advance.

Edit. Offtopic: I've started to get bored with the Corsair 600T, and I saw the new Silverstone Temjin TJ04-E which looks very nice to my eyes. Any thoughts on that?

Edited by Jyrba, 15 January 2012 - 10:46 AM.

[dirtylarryuk]

Stick the OS on it (so reinstall fresh is best) then move games onto it or apps that get a big benefit from SSDs (sandbox and MMO games GTA4, Skyrim, Saints row 3, mafia 2 WOW etc or your fav games if level load is slow so BF3 is an example). Lots of guides how to tell steam or origin where to shove files on google. So you can store some stuff on HDD and some stuff on SSD. With 90GB you want to only put games that really benefit from SSD on it and ones your playing right now. SSDs work best when you let them have space to to do there garbage collection and trim functions so leave 20% unused if you can.

Make sure defrag is turned off as well. Win7 is good at turning it off automatically but sometimes forgets. SSD tech works best 'fragged' so defragging them really annoys them.

Edited by dirtylarryuk, 15 January 2012 - 12:53 PM.

[Jyrba]

dirtylarryuk, on 15 January 2012 - 12:52 PM, said:

Stick the OS on it (so reinstall fresh is best) then move games onto it or apps that get a big benefit from SSDs (sandbox and MMO games GTA4, Skyrim, Saints row 3, mafia 2 WOW etc or your fav games if level load is slow so BF3 is an example). Lots of guides how to tell steam or origin where to shove files on google. So you can store some stuff on HDD and some stuff on SSD. With 90GB you want to only put games that really benefit from SSD on it and ones your playing right now. SSDs work best when you let them have space to to do there garbage collection and trim functions so leave 20% unused if you can.

Make sure defrag is turned off as well. Win7 is good at turning it off automatically but sometimes forgets. SSD tech works best 'fragged' so defragging them really annoys them.

Thanks for the tips Larry. Is there any settings I should know about? I remember that AHCI and trim should be turned on?

[Righthooks]

AHCI is configured through BIOS under the options for SATA/IDE etc.

Whereas TRIM is native to the Solid State Drive based on the technology used or the firmware present controlling the device. TRIM is an automated process, and the majority of production SSDs now natively support the technology, as well as garbage collection establishment.

So when you see less capacity shown in contrast to the drive’s size, this simply means it is “reserved” area for proper functionality.

The majority of RAID configurations eliminate both features, as they are operating under different instruction via the stripe.

Simply put, your only concern will be configuring the SATA operation as AHCI via BIOS. All this really means is the allowance for higher level drive control through commands. This proves useful in troubleshooting at an advanced level…if so desired.

Also, perhaps the guide you were referring to was the one I had published using command prompt issued commands, and Windows optimizations? You can locate it at the link below, you may find some useful procedures for the future.

Link to my SSD thread: http://www.trubritar...orage-tutorial/

-Hooks

[Jyrba]

Righthooks, on 15 January 2012 - 09:10 PM, said:

AHCI is configured through BIOS under the options for SATA/IDE etc.

Whereas TRIM is native to the Solid State Drive based on the technology used or the firmware present controlling the device. TRIM is an automated process, and the majority of production SSDs now natively support the technology, as well as garbage collection establishment.

So when you see less capacity shown in contrast to the drive’s size, this simply means it is “reserved” area for proper functionality.

The majority of RAID configurations eliminate both features, as they are operating under different instruction via the stripe.

Simply put, your only concern will be configuring the SATA operation as AHCI via BIOS. All this really means is the allowance for higher level drive control through commands. This proves useful in troubleshooting at an advanced level…if so desired.

Also, perhaps the guide you were referring to was the one I had published using command prompt issued commands, and Windows optimizations? You can locate it at the link below, you may find some useful procedures for the future.

Link to my SSD thread: http://www.trubritar...orage-tutorial/

-Hooks

Sounds pretty straightforward thank you

[Junior Revoltar]

Okay from reading this all, AHCI should be turned on if you have a SSD? Mine is currently set as IDE or something. Because I am 'kinda' on the same boat here except i have the SSD already but seem to not get the most out of it. I have the Patriot Wildfire 120GB edition, from forums and benchmarks i have seen it has gone up to over 500MB with read and write speeds. With mine it only goes to about 350MB read/write speeds. Defrag is turned off already etc, but when i benchmark the damn thing it still comes up with lower rates compared to what others have gotten. Really buggin me for about 2 months cz i don't know what to do...?

[Derbixrace]

Junior Revoltar, on 17 January 2012 - 02:42 AM, said:

Okay from reading this all, AHCI should be turned on if you have a SSD? Mine is currently set as IDE or something. Because I am 'kinda' on the same boat here except i have the SSD already but seem to not get the most out of it. I have the Patriot Wildfire 120GB edition, from forums and benchmarks i have seen it has gone up to over 500MB with read and write speeds. With mine it only goes to about 350MB read/write speeds. Defrag is turned off already etc, but when i benchmark the damn thing it still comes up with lower rates compared to what others have gotten. Really buggin me for about 2 months cz i don't know what to do...?

change to AHCI then you'll get better performance, i think thats why you only getting 350MB/s speeds.

[Righthooks]

Junior Revoltar, on 17 January 2012 - 02:42 AM, said:

Okay from reading this all, AHCI should be turned on if you have a SSD? Mine is currently set as IDE or something. Because I am 'kinda' on the same boat here except i have the SSD already but seem to not get the most out of it. I have the Patriot Wildfire 120GB edition, from forums and benchmarks i have seen it has gone up to over 500MB with read and write speeds. With mine it only goes to about 350MB read/write speeds. Defrag is turned off already etc, but when i benchmark the damn thing it still comes up with lower rates compared to what others have gotten. Really buggin me for about 2 months cz i don't know what to do...?

You never want a Solid State operating under IDE. IDE is for older Hard Drives or even Optical Drives(in some cases).

-Hooks

[Junior Revoltar]

Righthooks, on 17 January 2012 - 04:16 PM, said:

You never want a Solid State operating under IDE. IDE is for older Hard Drives or even Optical Drives(in some cases).

-Hooks

Thanks mate, although i enabled AHCI, My computer gets the the Windows starting, then quickly goes to blue screen then reboots. I am assuming i should do a clean re install of Windows 7.

[WOLF_TEAM_LEADER]

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services in your registry.
Set msahci to "0"
Restart and It will install the AHCI drivers so you can enable AHCI in your motherboards BIOS/UEFI.

EDIT: You should enable AHCI before going into windows again after changing the msachi value I think.
Or you can do a new windows installation if you can't be bothered with the registry.

Edited by WOLF_TEAM_LEADER, 18 January 2012 - 01:52 AM.

[Junior Revoltar]

WOLF_TEAM_LEADER, on 18 January 2012 - 01:50 AM, said:

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services in your registry.
Set msahci to "0"
Restart and It will install the AHCI drivers so you can enable AHCI in your motherboards BIOS/UEFI.

AWESOME! Great help, i'll try it out when i get home!

[WOLF_TEAM_LEADER]

Yep just remember to turn AHCI back on before the windows ahci drivers have installed just after the registry edit during the first restart (not prompted).
Also you run "regedit" in case you didn't know...
Oh and right click regedit and go run as admin.

Edited by WOLF_TEAM_LEADER, 18 January 2012 - 01:59 AM.

[Junior Revoltar]

WOLF_TEAM_LEADER, on 18 January 2012 - 01:59 AM, said:

Also you run "regedit" in case you didn't know...
Oh and right click regedit and go run as admin.

haha yeah that i already know but thanks for the heads up.

But what you mean turn the AHCI back on? So should i go to the registry first and change it, then restart and go into bios and turn AHCI mode on?

[WOLF_TEAM_LEADER]

Yes.

[Junior Revoltar]

cheers !

[WOLF_TEAM_LEADER]

If your rig bursts into flames it's not my fault
Should be safe as hell but backups are always good when messing with your registry.

Edited by WOLF_TEAM_LEADER, 18 January 2012 - 02:09 AM.

[Junior Revoltar]

haha! i'll let you know

[Junior Revoltar]

WOLF_TEAM_LEADER, on 18 January 2012 - 02:09 AM, said:

If your rig bursts into flames it's not my fault
Should be safe as hell but backups are always good when messing with your registry.

Thanks! all worked great, except... Now my read speeds have bumped up, my write speeds are now Down to 170MB per second. Read speeds are 500MB per second. That is quite a big gap

[Righthooks]

I should also add here as a point of reference, and I will update my SSD/RAID 0 tutorial as well, when RAID is enabled on current motherboards the controller is automatically configured to a higher level AHCI. Often completely disabling the jmicron if present, of which is a tremendously vast improvement in performance over single drive AHCI in terms of performance and controller instruction.

To my knowledge RAID 0 with Solid States is the only way to have the jmicron ignored if it is attached to the PCB, even with advanced command lines and IRQ assignment toggles some instruction (recognition) remains. For those who may not know what the jmicron is…I will make it easy to understand…

It is a cheap lackluster approach to a nominal controller for disk instruction. Normally it carries the weight of the lesser SATA connections as a form of “emergency” adapter, and is the handicapped area of the PCB when it comes to storage devices. It is usually only used if all SATA port are occupied, or if you choose to use the SATA connections it controls, however it still receives instruction unless under the aforementioned configuration.

It is trash, and that of course is one man’s opinion…

EDIT: Word on the street is Intel is packing Solid State Drives as we speak with RAID 0/TRIM native. That kicks a$$! With an even faster brain! I can't wait to get me two of those girls...

-Hooks

[Junior Revoltar]

Righthooks, on 19 January 2012 - 03:01 PM, said:

I should also add here as a point of reference, and I will update my SSD/RAID 0 tutorial as well, when RAID is enabled on current motherboards the controller is automatically configured to a higher level AHCI. Often completely disabling the jmicron if present, of which is a tremendously vast improvement in performance over single drive AHCI in terms of performance and controller instruction.

To my knowledge RAID 0 with Solid States is the only way to have the jmicron ignored if it is attached to the PCB, even with advanced command lines and IRQ assignment toggles some instruction (recognition) remains. For those who may not know what the jmicron is…I will make it easy to understand…

It is a cheap lackluster approach to a nominal controller for disk instruction. Normally it carries the weight of the lesser SATA connections as a form of “emergency” adapter, and is the handicapped area of the PCB when it comes to storage devices. It is usually only used if all SATA port are occupied, or if you choose to use the SATA connections it controls, however it still receives instruction unless under the aforementioned configuration.

It is trash, and that of course is one man’s opinion…

EDIT: Word on the street is Intel is packing Solid State Drives as we speak with RAID 0/TRIM native. That kicks a$$! With an even faster brain! I can't wait to get me two of those girls...

-Hooks

Okay thanks for that, but in other words (sorry if i sound like a newbie here) If i did a clean install of Windows 7, should my motherboard settings be beneficial if it was on RAID or AHCI? I just want to get the most out of my SSD.