SSD Speeds Really Slow

[error_f0rce]

I just put together this new rig and my OCZ Agility 2 is running at a fraction of what is should be. I've tried enabling AHCI (Windows 7 was originally installed in IDE mode) and enabling TRIM, but with no serious improvement. Here's AS SSD benchmark with Marvel 9128 and ICH10R (tried both):

AHCI with Marvell 9128


AHCI with ICH10R


Here is the review by our own fearless leader: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/O..._120_GB/5.html

Looks like my speeds should be significantly higher. Alignment looks good from AS SSD and I've also used Paragon Alignment Tool to varify this. I'm currently running the OS from this drive if that makes a difference. I have not tried the sanitary erase prog mentioned in the other thread yet.

What gives?

[t_ski]

Start with SSD Tweaker:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ssdtweaker/

[error_f0rce]

Thanks for the tool, love it. Unfortunately it didn't do anything for my speed though. I thought I'd post this SS from HD Tune Pro 4.6 just in case AS SSD was giving bad readings... but this thing looks all over the place. Is that normal?




EDIT: I did format this drive when I was installing W7, not sure if that makes a difference, but read somewhere it might.


EDIT EDIT: Now I ran ATTO and the speeds look respectable, I don't know what utility to trust. Help!

[v12dock]

I heard you should only use ATTO for SSDs but still the HD tune looks a little wack

[BazookaJoe]

Originally Posted by error_f0rce

Thanks for the tool, love it. Unfortunately it didn't do anything for my speed though. I thought I'd post this SS from HD Tune Pro 4.6 just in case AS SSD was giving bad readings... but this thing looks all over the place. Is that normal?

http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/5...er20102220.png

You must remember that if the SSD is the ONLY drive in the system (Or the main boot Drive) , this pattern of the speeds appearing to be high and low allover the place are actually quite normal.

Whilst you are benchmarking, windows (especially windows7) is still raping your drive allover the place running its indexer for that Start Menu Search, & fiddling with its swap file, and just doing all sorts of prefetch and other BS in the background - the OS does NOT stop farting with your drive just because you want to benchmark it.

What makes it LOOK worse is that an SSD sweeps across the drive far faster than a mechanical drive in the HDtune test- so what may have appeared to be a simple "blip" on a mechanical drives test graph, may begin to look like a wide patch of poor performance on the SSD test, but its really just the OS competing with the Benchmark in the background - a 3 second read during the benchmark may hardly even show up on a mechanical drive test, as its so much slower to progress along the graph, but that same read would look like a major fault in an SSD - its just an illusion.

I'd trust the ATTO results - as it benchmarks in such a way that it manages to average out these erratic readings caused by windows.

[error_f0rce]

Thanks BazookaJoe, that makes a lot of sense the way you put it. There is nothing more frustrating than spending money on a new system and thinking it's running like crap.

[Completely Bonkers]

While Bazooka mentions some very valid points, I have never seen an HD Tune chart look like that with an SSD. It certainly doesnt look like that on my machines, whether desktop or even Atom netbooks. I do believe there is a fault somewhere. I would suggest using LATCHED SATA cables and also turning off things like indexing services and antivirus... and try running the test again.

[HTC]

Try reading this post: it may help!

Need help with SSD alignment

[error_f0rce]

Originally Posted by Completely Bonkers

I would suggest using LATCHED SATA cables

Yep, got these.

Originally Posted by Completely Bonkers

and also turning off things like indexing services and antivirus... and try running the test again.

I used that tweaker tool, it said it turned off indexing. I did have Microsoft Essentials running at the time, I'll try deactivating that and run it again.

Originally Posted by HTC

Try reading this post: it may help!

Need help with SSD alignment

Yep I had read that, but I've confirmed that my alignment is good.

[HTC]

Originally Posted by error_f0rce

Yep I had read that, but I've confirmed that my alignment is good.

In that case, i have no idea what's wrong: sorry, dude

[AsRock]

Maybe you should try installing this http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Deta...=2101&lang=eng

As you have a intel chipset..

[error_f0rce]

Originally Posted by AsRock

Maybe you should try installing this http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Deta...=2101&lang=eng

As you have a intel chipset..

I'll give that a shot, although I'm not sure which of those 2 to download or what it is exactly that the .exe there does.

[t_ski]

iata96enu.exe <- that looks really familiar, as it probably was one of the files I used. Give that one a go.

[error_f0rce]

Turning off the virus protection didn't seem to change any benchmark. I did notice a diagnostic indicating some type of error (see below):



However when I ran the error-check it came up clean:



Does this mean I should RMA it?

[erocker]

It's possible it could be defective.

Have you tried:

Disabling SuperFetch, indexing, Windows Search, Defragmenting, System Restore and all that stuff?

[error_f0rce]

Originally Posted by erocker

It's possible it could be defective.

Have you tried:

Disabling SuperFetch, indexing, Windows Search, Defragmenting, System Restore and all that stuff?

Yep, using the Tweak prog listed above. I also installed the iaStor driver from Intel listed above and this did not alter the benchmarks either.

[t_ski]

Sounds like at least contacting OCZ Tech Support is in order. They'll let you know if the best course of action is an RMA.

[n-ster]

my Vertex 2 says it has damaged sectors and the benchmarks suck except for ATTO... its normal IMO, though I don't have 912 damaged, it says something like 84

I know the Sandforce OCZ drives dont like HD tune

[EarthDog]

A couple of things here...

First, testing repeatedly on sandforce based drives with as ssd/CDM will cause lower scores. Second, HD TUne/Tach are for MECHANICAL drives and sometimes can be inconsistent and inaccurate so they shouldnt be used for benchmarks (I think techrepository mentioned that a year or so ago but many sites still use it sadly). Last, ATTO is what will show the drives advertised speeds as that is what ocz uses.

That said... it looks about right to me..maybe reads a little low??

EDIT: Also, indexing should be automatically disabled by W7 for an SSD no? It was on mine (Vertex 2)... I think... LOL