7710 performance problems

Thank you Aaron, that is very helpful. Since I am getting a USB DVD drive for other uses, I will give it a try for the OS install.

 

I ordered a HDD also. After installing the 950 Pro, then installed the Samsung cloning software, I deleted the stuff I didn't want (it's really not much), then cloned to the 950, shut the computer down, removed the HDD, and was able to boot to the NVMe no problem. Then, I put a SSD in to replace the HDD.

 

That's an interesting procedure. It may be quicker too.

One drawback is that it keeps the Dell software that I usually do not install.

 

Well, you can usually uninstall those properly and cleanly with the exception of McAfee which is one of the worst pieces of software I've ever seen. You can get to something pretty close to a clean install with not too much effort on Dell systems. If you think it's bad, try Asus or Acer, those are just so full of bloat.

 

You can uninstall them before doing the clone! Although, I'd use Dell Precision Optimizer. ..

 

If not running RAID, should you still leave the bios setting to RAID On instead of AHCI mode with doing a clean install of Win 10 Pro to a M.2 drive using the USB media you can download from MS (opposed to Dell DVD)?

thanks

 

You can leave it on RAID. Windows is smart enough to figure out that if there is no RAID array, it has to load the NVMe driver or AHCI SATA driver depending on how your Windows install is configured rather than the RAID driver. Windows 7 for example would default back to AHCI in RAID mode if no RAID array was present.

 

Thanks. Is there any advantage to using the Dell Win 10 Recovery Media over the download from MS? The MS Download includes the latest build, where I think the Dell does not (did not on one I tried with a M6800). Also, I believe if you get the system with Win 7 with the 10 upgrade license, the 10 will not ask for a separate key when installing. That also worked on a M6800 I recently got with Win 7 and pulled the drive and installed win 10 with MS Download on a new drive.

 

I had to change from RAID to AHCI in order for the Win 10 installer to see my M.2, then I had to change it from GPT to MBR. The Win installer will not see an unformatted SSD set to RAID without installing the RST drivers to the USB or DVD ior whatever you are installing the OS from.

 

If you boot Windows install media using legacy boot you have to set the boot drive to MBR.
If you boot Windows install media using UEFI boot then you have to set the boot drive to GPT.
If you press F12 to get the boot menu, it might offer you both options, so you have to be careful which you pick.