SSD Questions

What's a good program for OSX to benchmark a SSD? Also, does anyone know if there's a similar program like Intel Matrix Storage Manager that will let me view all of a SSD drive properties (make/model/firmware/etc.) in OSX?

Unable to run bootcamp, or any xp/vista/7 on my friend's computer.

 

How do I restore performance to a SSD that has been degraded with OSX?

Personally, on a no-GC/TRIM drive in Win 7, I would just manually TRIM it. Is there something familiar in OSX?

Again, unable to run bootcamp or any virtualization software.

 

Since you have a 256GB SSD I know you don't have an Intel drive. Which model number and firmware are you running?

I believe Samsung and Intel's latest firmwares include garbage collection... which cleans things up at idle on the SDD itself. Intel's documentation says it works with OS X. Although you usually have to install these firmware updates using a DOS boot image

Usually the latest firmware update (speaking again about the intel SSD here) automatically cleans up a poor performing SSD, without having to wipe it clean or reinstall anything. Otherwise you could try this "reconditioning" guide...

http://macperformanceguide.com/Storage-SSD-Reconditioning.html

By the way, that's been a great website to me for MAC information.

 

OMG, I should have specified that the notebook in my sig is not the computer that is running OSX SL.

I actually have a mac that I use as well that's not listed in my sig that has a 32GB SSD drive in it. I'm pretty sure the SSD in my mac does not support TRIM (because OSX does not support it) and it doesn't have Garbage collection because its a 1st generation SSD from what I've learned about it.

I can't tell you anything about the Model, Make, or Firmware, since I asked in my 1st post if there was a way I can find out about it. This mac was actually given to me as a gift, and was freshly reformatted with a new installation of SL (previously just Leopard)

 

Intel's latest firmware definitely does not ship with GC, only TRIM. Samsung's drives are an unknown at this point, that are shipping either with GC or TRIM, or neither. They're only consumer available firmware was recently released but uses TRIM.

You might want to browse through OCZ's support forums, regardless of if you have an OCZ or Intel or Samsung or anyone. Try to find out of if some of the third party tools mentioned by OCZ can help. They have, at least, a Windows based method available to use TRIM through RAID arrays using some kind of custom defrag tool. There might be something similar for OS X.

If the SSD does not support TRIM or GC though, the only way to restore performance would be to make an image, wipe the drive, and then write the image back to the SSD. As for performance, check and see if CrystalDiskMark is available for non-Windows systems.

 

Ok, I took the chance and opened up the mac to take a look at its beloved guts...

Samsung 2.5' 32GB SATA SSD, Model# MCBQE32G5MPP MVA

What does that model# mean?

 

You'll have to hunt around in a few forums to find out. You *might* be able to upgrade it to TRIM, or maybe your model already runs GC.

 

I've been doing some quick and dirty google searches and I'm reading conflicting reports that the Samsung GC works with OS X. The firmware can be updated via a dos boot disk/usb drive for most of their newer drives. But not sure if the GC feature will actually work in OS X even if you do update the firmware... some articals are saying it requires NTFS...

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=766&type=expert&pid=11

But that is an old article. The SSD you mentioned is marked as EOL on samsung website. Some of the earlier Samsung SSDs do not support the latest firmware with GC.

Hopefully someone will chime in and clear things up for us in here regarding Samsung and their GC and how/if it work with OS X (and preferably have links to articles). Till then I'd do like Greg recommended and continue hunting down info.