Problem with SSD T60

[wlz]

Hi all

I just bought a new SSD (Intel 330) to replace my old slow HDD. I plugged Windows 7 installation USB, and started to install a new OS. At first everything went fine, until my T60 rebooted for finishing the installation. Suddenly the machine just freezed, the HDD led stayed on and only thing I could do was to move my mouse. I forced the shutdown by pressing the power button for a few seconds and booted up again. This time everything went fine and I even managed to install all the updates... But after few hours T60 freezed again. Same thing, the HDD led stayed on and nothing except the mouse worked. I installed the OS again, but I still have the same problem. Sometimes it works for minutes, sometimes it freezes before I even manage to login to windows.

What could cause the SSD to crash every time I use the machine? I've tried to install windows in both, AHCI and compatibility mode, and updated the BIOS. Can anyone help me?

Thanks

[Morten]

This machine worked allright with your old drive?

I put in a Intel 25 G2 and installed W7 on a T60 just the other night with no issues. Only thing to try would be update the BIOS and try again?

Also, check the system log in Event Viewer and see which codes you are getting (50-something codes are generally storage-system related).

[wlz]

This machine worked allright with your old drive?

I put in a Intel 25 G2 and installed W7 on a T60 just the other night with no issues. Only thing to try would be update the BIOS and try again?

Also, check the system log in Event Viewer and see which codes you are getting (50-something codes are generally storage-system related).

Thanks for your reply,

Yes, it works just fine with the old HDD.

I updated the BIOS but the machine keeps still freezing...

I checked the log, and didn't find anything except critical messages: "System has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. Could be caused if system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.".

I let the machine alone when it freezed last time and got a blue screen..
Technical info:
*** STOP: 0x000000F4 (0x00000003, 0x871503D8, 0x87150544, 0x82A36E10)
Whatever it means....

Maybe I should find myself another laptop and try if the disk works with it...

[RealBlackStuff]

Check if there is s master/slave setting or jumper.
Stop message F4 could indicate that OS is installed on a slave drive.

[ajkula66]

Two things here:

a) How's the battery on that T60? Try removing it and see whether the freezing goes away.

b) AFAIK Intel 330 utilizes a much-maligned (with a good reason IMO) SandForce controller. Make sure that you have the latest firmware version that Intel offers...

Good luck.

[Johan]

While I unfortunately don't have any explanation about what might be the cause for the problems that you describe, I suggest you download the (free) Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox and run it to test if the SSD itself is perhaps defective?

You are not alone with this issue; see e.g. Intel SSD 330: Windows 7 freezes frequently after fresh installation and Intel 330 ssd bsod daily - AnandTech Forums and Intel 330 SSD 120GB Random Freezes And Hangs Issue...

Johan

[wlz]

Thanks for helping guys!

Check if there is s master/slave setting or jumper.
Stop message F4 could indicate that OS is installed on a slave drive.

I thought that those slave/jumper things were just for old IDE connections.. Where I could find the settings you described?

Two things here:

a) How's the battery on that T60? Try removing it and see whether the freezing goes away.

b) AFAIK Intel 330 utilizes a much-maligned (with a good reason IMO) SandForce controller. Make sure that you have the latest firmware version that Intel offers...

Good luck.

The battery is fine.. Computer keeps freezing even without the battery.... I also downloaded intels SSD tool but it didn't find any problems. Disks firmware is up to date and the toolbox says that everything is ok..

While I unfortunately don't have any explanation about what might be the cause for the problems that you describe, I suggest you download the (free) Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox and run it to test if the SSD itself is perhaps defective?

You are not alone with this issue; see e.g. Intel SSD 330: Windows 7 freezes frequently after fresh installation and Intel 330 ssd bsod daily - AnandTech Forums and Intel 330 SSD 120GB Random Freezes And Hangs Issue...

Johan

Ooh.. Thanks for sharing. Maybe I should just return my disk and hope they'll give me new one..

[hhmcsv]

I had similar problems:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=105987

....dumped the Intel330 and got a Kingston instead, cheaper, no issues and fast enough since the T60 can only use SATA I

[wlz]

I had similar problems:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=105987

....dumped the Intel330 and got a Kingston instead, cheaper, no issues and fast enough since the T60 can only use SATA I

Maybe I should dump that brick too..

Looks like the disk is dead.. I tested it with my desktop and it crashed immediately, even the mouse was not responsive... I believe I should return the disk tomorrow and try to get a new one..

I thought intel was the most reliable SSD manufacturer, but I guess I was wrong...

[RealBlackStuff]

Try Samsung 830 or 840 instead.

[wlz]

Thanks for your advice.

If they'll let me pick the new one in the market (not just give me new 330), I'll probably take the Samsung 840. I've read good reviews of it.

---Edit---
Is the 830 faster in writing speed than the 840? Maybe I should take the 830 in case I put it in a system with SATA 2 or 3 someday...

[cacophony]

Thanks for your advice.

If they'll let me pick the new one in the market (not just give me new 330), I'll probably take the Samsung 840. I've read good reviews of it.

---Edit---
Is the 830 faster in writing speed than the 840? Maybe I should take the 830 in case I put it in a system with SATA 2 or 3 someday...

I read the 830 uses higher quality components than the 840. I just put a 128GB 830 in my T60p and am very pleased.

[wlz]

Thank you all for helping!

The problem was the Intel 330 SSD. I returned it yesterday and got myself a Samsung 830.

Installed W7 and everything works fine! I should have bought SSD long time ago, feels like I would have bought a new laptop not just upgraded the disk..

Thanks
wlz

[hhmcsv]

Congratulations
But it makes me wonder what was wrong with our Intel 330 SSD's. Mine was just exchanged for the Kingston as faulty, but I never got any feedback as to the actual fault. A lot of people seems to have good results with these, but maybe we just got the two faulty ones ?
I have got fantastic improvements in boot-up times. Before the SSD and with Win7, the t60 was up and running within 80 secs. The SSD brought that down to 40 secs., and my recent installation of Win8 (the cheap upgrade offer) resulted in a boot time of 15 to 20 secs. Total thats a factor 4 in improvement.

[wlz]

Congratulations
But it makes me wonder what was wrong with our Intel 330 SSD's. Mine was just exchanged for the Kingston as faulty, but I never got any feedback as to the actual fault. A lot of people seems to have good results with these, but maybe we just got the two faulty ones ?
I have got fantastic improvements in boot-up times. Before the SSD and with Win7, the t60 was up and running within 80 secs. The SSD brought that down to 40 secs., and my recent installation of Win8 (the cheap upgrade offer) resulted in a boot time of 15 to 20 secs. Total thats a factor 4 in improvement.

We were wondering the same with my friends at school. Everybody thought that the problem was the support of only SATA I.....

I asked what they would do with that faulty disk in the market and I was told that it would be sent back to Intel... I'm sure that Intel won't tell anybody that their SSD's are having problems so they'll probably keep the reason their secret..

I don't know what the boot time was before, but now my T60 is ready to log in almost immediately when the windows bootlogo gets complete (and that is much faster than before)..

Have you found working drivers for your GPU? When I tested W8, the WEI-rating for graphics was something like 1,0 and I could not find drivers that would install correctly. I have X1400 in my T60(2008YZE)...

[hhmcsv]

I have not had any problems with any drivers, including the GPU. I'm having the X1300.

[wlz]

I have not had any problems with any drivers, including the GPU. I'm having the X1300.

Interesting.. I could barely watch any videos with Windows 8..

[miro_gt]

Thank you all for helping!

The problem was the Intel 330 SSD. I returned it yesterday and got myself a Samsung 830.

Installed W7 and everything works fine! I should have bought SSD long time ago, feels like I would have bought a new laptop not just upgraded the disk..

Thanks
wlz

I got tired of saying that besides Samsung there's really not any other SSD worth buying on the market since an year ago, and before that there was none that really outperformed the fastest laptop HDDs by at least 2 times. Glad that you found that on your own.

Intel is not mach up for Samsung. Only the Crucial M4 comes close to Samsung but they have frequent firmware updates as people still experience problems with those.

note I'm not associated with Samsung in any way, nor I benefit from promoting their products. In fact their previous SSDs (the 470) were so so. Their old 64gb SLC drive was decent too but rather slow. The current flagship 840 Pro is supposed to be a very good product, followed by the 830 (proven to be very good already). I cant really recommend the regular 840 as it is quite different than the two above, but nonetheless I'm interested to see how that one performs over time. People have started endurance testing on it already so we wait and see the results later. It will have much shorter life than the two above though.

or look from different side - Samsung has been into memory business for decades, and everything inside their SSDs is their own. Unlike others that use parts from different manufacturers to produce their SSDs. Just saying that a bit of research usually doesnt hurt.