OCZ Outs Arowana Firmware Update for Indilinx Barefoot SSDs

btarunr · Mar 28, 2012

OCZ released the Arowana Flash Translation Layer (FTL) firmware update for SSDs running Indilinx Barefoot controllers, and 34 nm NAND flash. The update was announced in May, 2011, and released for the OCZ Vertex Plus family, but it's only now that users of the original Barefoot-controlled drives get a firmware to update their drives with. The new 3.55 firmware significantly improves sequential and random-seek performance. The screenshots below (in order) are of a Barefoot-driven OCZ Vertex drive with the old firmware (IDE), new firmware (IDE), and new fimware (AHCI). To learn more about the update, and how to go about do it to your drive, visit this page. Like most other SSD firmware updates, the process erases everything on your drive, so be sure to make a backup.

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techtard · Mar 28, 2012

This is pretty good news for some OCZ users. I had thought this firmware had turned into vaporware.

LAN_deRf_HA · Mar 28, 2012

btarunr said:
Like most other SSD firmware updates, the process erases everything on your drive, so be sure to make a backup.

Huh? That hasn't been an issue for ages. Even old sata II vertex drives don't have that issue.

MrMilli · Mar 28, 2012

I used six 60GB Vertex Plus drives last year with the 3.55 firmware. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised of how good these drives performed. I was pretty sad when OCZ discontinued them because they were so cheap. After that I tried a Corsair Nova 2 and a Kingston V200 as a cheap alternative but these two are just horrendous. Neither manufacturer offers a firmware update to fix their issues. All I can get now as a kinda cheap alternative is the 60GB OCZ Agility 3 or Petrol.

Prima.Vera · Mar 28, 2012

Like most other SSD firmware updates, the process erases everything on your drive, so be sure to make a backup.

What??? You mean you have to backup all drive first on something else?!? HA!

Ferrum Master · Mar 28, 2012

Living with my cheap Crucial M4... no problems so far... and F/W update doesn't erase anything for me... price/performance wise.. still a decent choice.

Velvet Wafer · Mar 29, 2012

would be great if other manufacturers like SUPER TALENT for example, would follow that example, and release an arowana firmware, so other indilinx users could profit too from that

techtard · Mar 29, 2012

OCZ owns Indilinx now, they might not give the new firmware to other manufacturers.
Or the other companies might not thnk it's worth it since they've moved on to the next-gen Sandforce controllers.

Velvet Wafer · Mar 29, 2012

techtard said:
OCZ owns Indilinx now, they might not give the new firmware to other manufacturers.
Or the other companies might not thnk it's worth it since they've moved on to the next-gen Sandforce controllers.

well, thats the difference between good support, and average support :laugh:

devguy · Mar 29, 2012

Lol, I got so tired of waiting for OCZ to release this firmware that I finally sold my SSD drive less than a month ago. Reading the OCZ forum boards, it sounded like a release was imminent 6 months ago, but alas...

largon · Mar 29, 2012

Dang.
I bought my Vertex three years ago in april 2009 and RyderOCZ says drives made only after December 2009 have a chance.

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OCZ Outs Arowana Firmware Update for Indilinx Barefoot SSDs

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