SSD or Motherboard issue?

[Shou Miko]

My Intel SSD 530 Series 480GB has been acting up every since I got my Gigabyte Z270X Gaming 7 board with Windows 10 freezing and lagging a lot and then I decided to speak with Intel and a nice fella named Manuel from Intel Customer Support, called me from a UK number to explain things I needed to do, like running IPDT (Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool) for 2hours in burn-in to test if I might had a processor issue but no my processor passed the test.

Logs from Intel Toolbox and more shows it shouldn't be the SSD at fault here, well I tried another sata cable and port same speeds.

If I do the same test with my Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB it runs fine and almost shows the rated speeds.

The two SSD's runs off the same SATA Express corrector on my board:

SATA Port 0: Intel SSD 530 Series 480GB (This one is empty at the moment no data on it)
SATA Port 1: Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB (My SSD for gaming)

Rated speeds of the SSD's:
Intel SSD 530 Series 480GB is rated for 540/490 MB/s r/w (Intel ARK) and firmware is fully updated.
Samsung SSD 850 EVO 1TB is rated for 540/520 MB/s r/w (Samsung) and firmware is fully updated.


I also got in touch with the ppl over at Gigabyte no names since they never say that, they asked me to update my bios to F7a (Beta bios) and this still gives me the same result so do I have a SSD or Motherboard problem here?

I am basically tried of this my Intel SSD is still under warranty to 2019 or smth so RMA won't be an issue but I don't want to waste money if it's ain't my SSD so a little help here would be nice.

I have used CrystalDiskMark5 for all the tests I done with speeds of my SSD and HDD's:

Intel SSD:

Samsung EVO:

IPDT:

 

[Ebo]

Let me see if I understand your problem correctly.

1. You have your Intel 530 SSD on sata port 0, and windows freezes up during use

2. If you plug in your other SSD the Samsung then everything works fine, eventhough testprogrammes dosent show any problems at all, with any of your SSD's

Question:

1. When you installed windows on your Intel SSD, was that the only SSD plugged on to your system ?

2. Have you tried to run both SSD's from the same sata port ?, and if so, does the problem still exist ?

 

[Shou Miko]

1. I cloned my Windows 10 to my 960 EVO and it got no problems.

2. Yes I tried my Intel SSD in port 1 and it still have the same write issue/bottleneck can't go past about 220 in all tests.

 

[95Viper]

1. When you installed windows on your Intel SSD, was that the only SSD plugged on to your system ?

1. I cloned my Windows 10 to my 960 EVO and it got no problems.

Did you do a clean install on the Intel 530 or clone/migrate it off another drive (hard disk)?
The reason I ask is... Windows will install to the correct offset of the partitions; however, some cloned/migrated systems, from a hard disk to SSD will have the incorrect offset (alignment) and cause problems.

This may help explain it...

Quote from How to Geek article, How to Speed Up Your Solid-State Drive by Re-Aligning Its Partitions

A typical mechanical hard drive generally starts its first partition after 63 empty blocks, while a solid-state drive starts its first partition after 64 empty blocks.

The Windows installer knows how to handle this properly, so most people shouldn’t have a problem. If you bought a computer that came with Windows installed on an SSD, your partitions should be correctly aligned. If you installed Windows on your SSD from scratch, your partitions should be correctly aligned. The installer does it all automatically.

However, if you migrated an existing Windows installation from an old mechanical hard drive to a solid state drive, the software may not have accounted for this. Some do, some don’t. If it didn’t, your partitions won’t be correctly aligned, and which can slow down your SSD. How much slower performance depends on your specific SSD.

 

[Shou Miko]

@95Viper the SSD has been formatted a couple of times and no it's not running Windows or anything it's just in the system.

*EDIT*

Just formatted the SSD with "MiniTool Partition Wizard 10" that they wrote about on the Geek page and align isn't possible bcs it's already aligned even after format.

 

[EarthDog]

Did not read one post past the first....

Op... run atto. That should reach their rated speeds. I dont really see a problem so far...

Or, make sjre write back cache is disabled on the intel ssd.

 

[Steve-007UK]

Not sure if it will help but i noticed my SSD was running a bit slow after a format but after installing the Intel RST driver everything is back to normal.

Might be worth giving it a try
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/55005/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-

 

[Shou Miko]

Not sure if it will help but i noticed my SSD was running slow but i fixed it by installing the intel RST driver.
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/55005/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-

I tried that already and not helping but thanks for the shot @animal007uk, did a lot of things on advice from Manuel from Intel Customer Support and nothing really helps and he says logs don't show any errors.

 

[DRDNA]

I tried that already and not helping but thanks for the shot @animal007uk, did a lot of things on advice from Manuel from Intel Customer Support and nothing really helps and he says logs don't show any errors.

I would just for kicks seeing as how the questionable harddrive is already bare, install the OS on the questionable harddrive fresh then install all motherboard drivers from motherboard website and retest that questionable harddrive.........This will give us a fresh look at the problem if it still exist. If that works then you can run from a back up to get you were you were.

Edit remember to take out the Samsung first tho.

 

[Shou Miko]

I would just for kicks seeing as how the questionable harddrive is already bare, install the OS on the questionable harddrive fresh then install all motherboard drivers from motherboard website and retest that questionable harddrive.........This will give us a fresh look at the problem if it still exist. If that works then you can run from a back up to get you were you were.

Edit remember to take out the Samsung first tho.

I just updated to Creator Update today bcs my Mirror's Edge Catalyst was a bit laggy and stuttering and that's gone now sadly didn't fix the SSD test.

 

[eidairaman1]

Send the drive back

 

[Shou Miko]

Send the drive back

it's a used drive, but Intel still provides RMA, but I doubt Intel will accept it since they say logs from Intel Toolbox doesn't show errors.

Warranty for the SSD:

 

[Final_Fighter]

intel ssd toolbox has a deep format function specific to their ssds. try that and see what it does.

 

[Shou Miko]

intel ssd toolbox has a deep format function specific to their ssds. try that and see what it does.

You mean the "Secure Erase" in the Toolbox?

 

[eidairaman1]

You mean the "Secure Erase" in the Toolbox?

Yes, try that, i used that function once on my samsung drive. If still no dice, it maybe time to use that drive as an external only

 

[DRDNA]

I just updated to Creator Update today bcs my Mirror's Edge Catalyst was a bit laggy and stuttering and that's gone now sadly didn't fix the SSD test.

Maybe its time to RMA....bummer

it's a used drive,
View attachment 88378

Hey you sure its authentic?

 

[Shou Miko]

Maybe its time to RMA....bummer



Hey you sure its authentic?

Yeh, I have the box somewhere I just don't remember were it came in a brown box with all the numbers on, I just masked the Serial Number bcs I don't want it out, it's like U don't public your security number or Windows product key right?