Thinkpads Forum

A question to SSD owners.

I'm setting up an SSD (Intel 320, 160GB) in my X200 at the moment. I opted for a fresh install of Windows 7 Professional x64. I've already pulled everything from Windows Update including SP1.

Now I'm installing stuff using System Update. It suggests an Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver 8.9.2.1002 (no version currently installed).

I paused here because I saw multiple discussions on web about this driver killing the TRIM support of Windows 7 (while being more performant than the default driver from MS).

Then there's the Intel Rapid Storage driver which is supposed to be superseeding the Matrix Storage Manager driver and some sources say that newer versions of this support TRIM.

TBH, I'm confused by all this. All I want is to get the most performance I can and keep the TRIM support. I don't want any of this RAID functionality that these drivers supposedly provide.

How should I proceed? Install the driver from System Update? Install the Rapid Storage driver from Intel's web site? Or just leave what came with Windows?

Thanks for your help.

PS. The hardware manager shows this driver installed (not sure if this matters):
Intel(R) ICH9M/M-E Family 4 Port SATA AHCI Controller - 2929
Version 7.0.0.1013

I've found an answer in Intel's SSD Toolbox User Guide:

If your computer uses Microsoft* Windows* 7 and the standard Microsoft AHCI driver (the default setup for normal configurations without RAID), the Intel SSD Optimizer works; however, you do not need to use the Intel SSD Optimizer because Windows 7 implements the Trim functionality natively.

If your computer uses Windows 7 and Intel Matrix Storage Manager version 8.x or Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver version 9.5 or earlier (which can be used in place of the Microsoft AHCI driver), Trim functionality is not implemented, and Intel SSD Optimizer is required to enable Trim.

Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver version 9.6 supports the Windows 7 Trim command, but for non-RAID configurations only. In these configurations, Intel SSD Optimizer is not required to enable Trim.

So for me, since I don't need RAID, it's either MS-AHCI or Intel-RST 9.6 or newer.

I'll give the RST a try...

yak wrote:I've found an answer in Intel's SSD Toolbox User Guide:

So for me, since I don't need RAID, it's either MS-AHCI or Intel-RST 9.6 or newer.

I'll give the RST a try...

What happened? Is it worth installing the Intel-RST?

WPWoodJr wrote: What happened? Is it worth installing the Intel-RST?

I installed Intel-RST 10.6.0.1002 under Windows 7 for my Intel 80gb G2 SSD and it's working fine.