X220 and Samsung 830 SSD [ Edited ]

[motomandk]

To finish off the story - i have received the Samsung 830 128GB today - cloned the standard disk with Acronis - mounted the SSD drive ....... and MY GOD!!!!! It is fast - i am very impressed, boot time is about 20 sec. and experience index say disk performance = 7.9.

I am a very happy man today!

[orion9727]

on a b575 brazos i got 7.6 wei and 26 secs best.
but i am on sata 2 mode....grr lenovo.
very happy with this ssd.
the toolbox is really sweet too check that out it has a a few tweeks in it and disk clone as well as over position that kinda helps out too but cost space.
samsung is used alot in the sony Z series for there raid setups and in a few custom notebooks and boast the best speed ever seen.
i am so glad samsung release this model because normally they go for the enterprize market only.
such a better choice over sandforce.

[twotoneblue]

Hi all,

I also have the Samsung 830 SSD (128 GB) with Ubuntu 11.10 in my X220 (BIOS 1.21) and I am so far very happy with it. There are two things I want to ask/point out though;

SSD SPEED

When I am docked (Mini Dock 3 Plus, 90W PSU) I get read speeds (hdparm -t) between 260 - 350 MB/s depending on my power scheme (Powersave < On Demand < Max performance) - the variation in speed with power scheme is strange, but not as strange as:

When I am on battery, I get (the expected) read speeds of 450 - 530 MB/s

(again depending on the power scheme; Powersave < On Demand < Max performance)

What do you make of this? I am baffled - when docked, the system should have all the power it needs... why slow down?

SSD NOISE

Now that you have put SSDs in you X220s, they should be very quiet. However, if I put my ear to the keyboard I can hear a noise very much like the seeking noise of spinning hard drives, only more quiet - it is definitely coming from the area of the SSD and I can reproduce the sound by running hdparm -t.

Can you guys please listen closely to your disks and tell me whether they make this sound ?

(run Crystalmark or some other HD test software if you are using Windows)

What is more, I can hear the processor squealing when doing the same tests - a noise that gets lower and then disappears on the more conservative power schemes (On Demand and Powersave)

Thanks!

-ttb

[orion9727]

sounds strange.
set up the windows power advanced mode.
dont just set it to max you have to set it up beyond that.

trun ssd off TYPE never.
samsung uses so little power i do this to the batt as well.
set cpu min -max 100 for cord.
if your on sandy i might lower the batt say around 85% (not exact) to get somewhere in the range of 1.6 -18 max.
no need for more there.
look at all the little settings.
also there a disable tweek for idle in the registry that open a new box in advanced for that.
i dont think sandy needs that but the older chips do.
set disable for cord only.

bios - make sure your set to ACHI mode.
driver.-make sure you use msachi driver it be in the device manager sata controller.the microsoft driver.
this is what i would use over the RST intel driver.

ssd dont make noise.
some do run hot-wrong driver.
DONT BENCHMARK THE BAG OUT OF IT!!!!!!!!!!
grand slam reason ssd fail.
benches and firms.

run the fine toolbox samsung gave you.
it do a list of os tweeks.
it do a garbage colection as well-not needed if trim is working and trim DONT work with older achi driver (yes i looking at you intel)

it has a overpostion -extra space un used so the ssd can clean itself and do it thing.
use the recomened setting NOT the max.

for ubuntu i have no clue if it surports trim probley not.
so you need to clean it reg like 1 time a week.
ssd opt.
the file system may not great for a ssd i dont know i dont test ubuntu.
it just too much for me to work on.
you really have to go to ubuntu surport forums and look at all the stuff on ssd.

mine latop the B575 is a really super quite model unlike most so i am positve the ssd is silent cause i would know for certin.
some ssd do make noise thats allways wrong driver bad issue.

dude you paid alot for that ssd go get win 7.
win 7 surports ssd hand down like no other os.
the way the file system is set up.
the way it offsets on the disk file system.
the way it turn off defrag and prefetch and superfetch.
the way it has trim.
the way it intel the msachi by default with no input needed.

unbuntu is nice i tested it but driver wise it a huge pain in the neck.
i would say dont run that samsung if it acting funny with ubuntu.
you probley end up smoking it or your laptop.
linux surport is like congress surport.
it barely exists if it dose at all.
most pc makers refuse to spend the time and those that do kinda half A it.
i not speaking bad of ubuntu infact i love the idea of it most of all in the thrid world where people dont have deep pockets.

sorry i cant be of more help on ubuntu i just dont have the time to leave windows.

[orion9727]

ps if the system is docked and getting extra juice and running slower i would say your heat cliping.
the cpu is running to hot and go into FORCED idel.
get a cpu id program that for ubuntu and look at the cpu speed and voltage and throw a load on it and look what it dose.

if it running to hot it will heat clip and the cpu or power scheme or mobo or combo may force it down.
not only the cpu but the bus speed as well.
normally a bus drop is a huge performace drop and when idel states evoke so will advanced chipset states with it.
that mean sata bus will drop like a rock.
the hard drive will go into idle as well.

sounds so much like heat cliping to me.
check the temps check the voltages and cpu as well as bus speed.
and make sure hiber is off and defrag.

[twotoneblue]

Hi again,

Thanks for your reply orion9727 - I think I have eliminated most of the eventualities you mention, and the X220 has had some power issues before, which could explain the stranger SSD performance behaviour.

On a side note; I do not share your opinons on Linux capabilities regarding SSDs and such (e.g. TRIM is supported, although best manually at this point), at least as long as they are not substantiated by yourself or the community. You are right though that SSDs have been well integrated into Win7.

Could anyone who has the X220 with the Samsung 830 SSD or any other SSD please have a close listen to their motherboards/disks - You will need a dead quiet room and to put your ear to the keyboard, as well as to control your fan speed/noise to be able to distinguish.

Thanks in advance, it is much appreciated!

[psychopomp1]

I've just bought & installed a 256gb Samsung 830 SSD for my new X220. My power scheme is "energy saver" and i've not changed any factory default settings. The only sound i can hear is from the fan and even then i have to put my ear right next to it in order to hear it.....ie its a low whine. There is DEFINITELY no noise coming from the SSD drive area.

On a slightly different note, when my notebook boots up, Samsung Magician v3.0 displays a pop-up message saying that "magician update available" and yet when i click on this, it just takes me to the samsung ssd website and i can't find any newer versions that 2.0. Anyone else get this?

Cheers 

[orion9727]

yea mine did that alot.
updates.
updates what?
i just wish i could open this baby up -dam it my B575 wont do sata 3 -must not be a A50M chip like in the x120e.

i really like to see what this baby can do on a sandy bridge.
24s boots real good for a E-350.
the verion of magician is 3.
thats what you should have.
wait a week and see mine did a bunch of updates first week.

i hear there a special deal x1 series comming in the spring with ivy sub 1000 price thats what i am waiting for that gonna take the wind right out the samsung 9 series laptop.
thats what i be moving this baby to.

[nibs Guru]

I have read that RAM sometimes makes noise. If you have >1 stick try removing one at a time and see if that helps.

[orion9727]

ram dont make noise ever.
however two sticks can equal dual band mode and that effects the chipset.
makes it run hot.
nooise is caused mostly by bad caps.
feedback emi rfi radio waves in other words.
anything part of the electromatic spectrum makes noise.
space,light,radar,infra red all do but you cant hear them.
pc noise is normally RFI.
thats normally well tested and gets a special govt stamp.
all new electronics get tested by the FCC to make sure they wont do this and cause problems with radio.
bad caps will do this.
RFI is a big deal with the us govt.
it can cause a host of probelms thats even why you need a special lic for a ham radio so you wont disturb the peace.

if it making noise it has to be leaking from soemwhere.
caps is the most commen.
ram is a sealed solid state device.
it wont leak.
cpu do a bit but not alot most other things on the board produce more rfi.
but again caps are the grand slam place they do leak most of all if there not solid state.
some newer ones are.

a warped board can leak sure mayby if it was very overheated or some part broke away but unless you droped it this is not normal.

fans are motors.
they are natural RFI makers.
that why the vac or the blender makes the tv go nuts.
any motor will do this.
now if the fan is defeative it could do this but latops have sheilding to prevent RFI leaving them.
the x series has a roll cage lots of protection most of all cause it a buisness model that going to get used in a confined spaced with lots of devices it has to be better then some cheap palstic acer pile of junk.

get a compass put it near.
see what happens.
easy way to fing it.
turn on a DVOM set it to millivolts.
even works for thunder storms.

these are science lab kinda thinking but they do work i used them to find all sorts of shorts and things that dont belong.

or mayby you have a buzz in ur ear.
just see the guys in white coats with the butterfly nets for that.
joke.