SSD and Intel ICH8M

I've got a Portege M700 with a Torqx 128gb SSD installed running at ~150mb/s (benchmarked with HDTune). Per the manufacturer I should be running ~100mb/s faster than this. Now, I know that there have been some problems with manufacturers forcing the ICH8M chipset to stay in SATA I mode, especially if there is a modular bay that utilizes a IDE-SATA converter for older DVD ROMS (which the M700 has). After reading THIS thread I thought my problem was with my BIOS, and I was about to let it go as something that I was destined to be stuck with... but then I remembered the speed that I was able to transfer the drive at using Paragon. When I copied the drive it was running at about 220mb/s (read and write on average) and hitting as high as 280mb/s. Now, the thread that I posted above makes it seem that Lenovo crippled the BIOS for the sake of compatibility, but I don't think this may be the case in my situation (and perhaps others) as I am getting better speeds outside of Windows 7(Paragon uses a Linux). With this in mind I'm trying to figure out if this is a Windows 7 problem, a Intel driver problem, a Torqx problem, or if I'm just going nuts over something silly (benchmarks being what they are do not reflect real world use... I am on the internet in 35 seconds from a cold boot).

I'm wondering if anyone else is having (or has had) a similar issue. Most of my specs are in my signature, I will add that I have ACHP enabled in BIOS and have updated the Intel Matrix driver to the latest version.

Is this even worth worrying about?

 

I'm not sure if this is the case, but transfer speeds rarely reach max specs when they are running an OS at the same time. the drive is busy running the os and doing whatever else you want it to do. Possibly it was reaching max speeds when you copied the drive, because that is all it had going on.

 

Check CAP.ISS to see if you've been bios limited to 1.5Gbps mode. Same link shows how you can confirm AHCI mode by the VID/DID of the SATA controller.

 

I was having a hell of a time figuring out how to use baredit, and since there isn't a tutorial I could find I'm worried that I'm going to screw something up.

When I opened up the info from the Intel Matrix manager I get this:
System Information

Kit Installed: 8.9.0.1023
Kit Install History: 8.9.0.1023, Uninstall
Shell Version: 8.9.0.1023

OS Name: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate
OS Version: 6.1.7100 Build 7100
System Name: JASON-PC
System Manufacturer: TOSHIBA
System Model: Portable PC
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Extreme CPU X9000 @ 2.80GHz
BIOS Version/Date: TOSHIBA Version 1.70, 03/25/2009

Language: ENU



Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager

Intel Serial ATA Controller: Intel(R) ICH8M SATA AHCI Controller
Number of Serial ATA ports: 3

Driver Version: 8.9.0.1023
Serial ATA Plug-In Version: 8.9.0.1023
Language Resource Version of the Serial ATA Plug-In: 8.9.0.1023
ISDI Library Version: 8.9.0.1023

Hard Drive 0
Status: Normal
Device Port: 0
Device Port Location: Internal
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 2
Model: Patriot Torqx 128GB SSD
Serial Number: DC2709320E5850005
Firmware: 1571
Native Command Queuing Support: Yes
Size: 119.2 GB

Hard Drive 1
Status: Normal
Device Port: 2
Device Port Location: Internal
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 2
Model: WDC WD3200BEKT-22F3T0
Serial Number: WD-WXMY08L68107
Firmware: 11.01A11
Native Command Queuing Support: Yes
Size: 298 GB

Unused Port 0
Device Port: 1
Device Port Location: Internal

Which I would imagine means that I am actually running @ SATA II speed (as indicated by SATA Gen 2). I'm trying to post a screen shot from baredit, but at this point I'm still trying to figure out where to start with that program (my screen does not look like the Lenovo screen, but that's not unexpected).

*edit*



**edit**
FYI, I am getting these same speeds with both the 64gb Torqx and the 128 Torqx SSDs. If I am indeed running @ SATA II speeds (according to what I posted above) my slowdown I don't think it is related to the SSD itself.

 

The way I see it, you have no problem. You said you reached 150MB/s and is thinking of the possibility of SATA-150 interface speeds? Well think about it for a moment. NO interface reaches 100% of the theoretical speeds. Meaning there's only one explanation. Your laptop indeed supports SATA-150, but its throttling. After all, its a laptop and its made to conserve more power compared to desktop variants.

When devices throttle, it doesn't throttle at speeds the eyes can see. It throttles at many of times per second at least, if not dozens and hundreds. If its throttling between 300MB and 150MB, the amount of time its residing in lower power mode turns out to be your final speed. If its doing that 50% of the time than your speed will be right in between, or 225MB/s.

Some manufacturers go beyond what the original specs say to reach the battery life they want. Which is why some laptops are able to do form factors with components that are normally not supposed to reach that size. They shouldn't do that cause the users eventually find out its intentionally "crippled" by the manufacturer to make their products look better.

More importantly: Your sequential speed shouldn't matter. Intel drives are the fastest even with mediocre sequential write speeds. The single best reason for SSD is the access time.

 

I realize that it will be throttling, but what I am seeing that when running HDTune the SSD is locked in at 150. I know that I will likely not hit the 260mb/s that the drive is rated at, but it seems to me that it appears that I am stuck at SATA I speeds vs SATA II.

HDTune:


Paragon:


Something is going on in Windows, but I just can't figure out what.

 

I hate pre-configured systems with their locked BIOS and software that only installs on their system.

No, deep inside your system is something that limits your throughput to 150MB/s, which is something between SATA150 and SATA300 as the measured limits on the SATA150 is really about 120MB/s.

Probably reason it doesn't happen on Linux is you aren't bound to whatever software settings the manufacturer put when they assembled the system. It could be the driver too but you never know. Have you read posts about users having difficulty installing Intel video drivers on a Brand PC since the driver is customized to run on theirs? Same thing...

I know that the Lenovo laptops limit throughput. Only the very high end and relatively new laptops don't have this problem(still slower than desktop, around 180MB/s).

 

Bah... Well, thanks for our help. +1 Rep

 

Don't despair. If you can find the way you might be able to raise it.

You shouldn't have to worry as the #1 benefit about SSD is access times not throughput. Like I said Intel drive is #1 even with 1/3 the sequential write speed.