IMPORTANT: Significant new firmware for Intel X25-M SSD

[dfumento]

Reviewers found significant performance degradation issues with the Intel X25-M SSD (which now costs $320 in the 80 GB version on newegg and on Amazon). Intel responded with a firmware update dated 4/21/09 which makes a significant difference in performance according to the reviewers.

BACK UP YOUR DATA before flashing the new firmware.

Since the 80 GB Intel X25-M SSD is a configurable option on Lenovo laptops I hope that Lenovo will put this firmware on their driver website for the individual laptop models.

Window 7 handles SSDs better than Vista.

Despite the firmware upgrade and the changes for SSD for Windows 7 the reviewers still state that there is degradation which can be fixed by "erasing" the drive by using a special utility that Intel recommended. Some users do this every six months by saving their SSD contents, "erasing" the SSD, and restoring the contents.


http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=66 ... pert&pid=6

Quoteth Intel: “An alternative method (faster) is to use a tool to perform a SECURE ERASE (HDDErase) command on the drive. This command will release all of the user LBA locations internally in the drive and result in all of the NAND locations being reset to an erased state. This is equivalent to resetting the drive to the factory shipped condition, and will provide the optimum performance.”


The new firmware:
http://www.intel.com/support/ssdc/index_update.htm

But firmware can't fix everything:
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=69 ... pert&pid=7

A review that promted the new firmware:
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=66 ... pert&pid=1

The same reviewer after the new firmware update:
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=69 ... pert&pid=1


Another key review about SSD degradation:
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdo ... =3531&p=13

HDDErase 4.0 (will only work after the firmware update -- use version 3.3 if no update done. The link for 3.3 is in the first article).
http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/SecureErase.shtml
The program must boot into DOS and this 4.0 version has an ISO bootable image.

For those that want to make a DOS bootable USB flash drive with the HDDErase:
http://www.dashken.net/index.php?/archi ... ckage.html

[tomh009]

Quoteth Intel: “An alternative method (faster) is to use a tool to perform a SECURE ERASE (HDDErase) command on the drive. This command will release all of the user LBA locations internally in the drive and result in all of the NAND locations being reset to an erased state. This is equivalent to resetting the drive to the factory shipped condition, and will provide the optimum performance.”

Personally, I find this unacceptable, and even more so at the prices Intel is charging. (That said, based on Anandtech's analysis, allocating only 90% of your disk may substantially mitigate the performance drop.) Maybe sometime next year we'll have better performance and better prices for SSDs ...

[Marin85]

Does this apply to X25-E too?

[archer6]

I performed this firmware update on my Intel X25-M. The performance is noticeably better, and yet not as great as I would like. That said, having four other SSD's (Samsung & OCz) I'm done with trying others for at least another six months to a year, as the technology is simply too new & too expensive for what you get. I'm giving it time to mature. Then it will be better and far more cost effective.

[Marin85]

@archer6: Are the other two SSDs you have been using SLC or MLC?

[archer6]

I have tested a total of six SSD's. Here are the four that have been the best performers within their respective price brackets. They are listed here in order of speed with the fastest on top.

1) MemoRight SLC 128GB

2) OCz Vertex MLC 120GB

3) Intel X25-M MLC 80GB

4) Samsung MLC 128GB

Needless to say if you've read the reports, you already know that the MemoRight is blazing fast. I have it in my T60p and it's simply a rocket. However that said, it cost far more than the laptop itself, and yet that's simply the price of being an early adopter.....ha...ha...ha..

Cheers...

[dfumento]

In the last couple of days since my original posting Intel has again updated the firmware at the same link as in the original posting.

I am very, very, very pleased with the performance. Check out the reviews on http://www.newegg.com and http://www.amazon.com for both 80 GB and 160 GB Intel X25-M SSDs.

Regarding performance, the newer Thinkpads with the newer chipsets (those released since September) T400/T500, X200, X200s, X200t, W500, W700, and so on will have improved perfomance because the newer designs and chipsets handle the maximum performance characterstics of the Intel X25-M SSDs.

I strongly recommend an investment of about $320....

I am waiting for prices to come down before getting the larger model.

[miketoro]

I have tested a total of six SSD's. Here are the four that have been the best performers within their respective price brackets. They are listed here in order of speed with the fastest on top.

1) MemoRight SLC 128GB

2) OCz Vertex MLC 120GB

3) Intel X25-M MLC 80GB

4) Samsung MLC 128GB

Needless to say if you've read the reports, you already know that the MemoRight is blazing fast. I have it in my T60p and it's simply a rocket. However that said, it cost far more than the laptop itself, and yet that's simply the price of being an early adopter.....ha...ha...ha..

Cheers...

Reading your post got me thinking: if you could have one Thinkpad, what would it be? What drive? (You may have already answered that.) What ram? What networking?

I guess with all your testing in mind, and all the 'pads in your stable, I'm curious ???

[archer6]

Reading your post got me thinking: if you could have one Thinkpad, what would it be?

Wow... great question! I'm going to say my all time favorite T60p .... ... Running a fully optimized version of Windows XP Pro SP3 in the mainbay and Ubuntu 9.04 in the ultrabay, one that I've worked to continually customize and improve on for a few years, the configuration is:

T60p 2007-96U / T2600 2.16GHz / 3GB / Mainbay: MemoRight SSD (MR25.2-128s) SLC 128GB XP Pro SP3 / Ultrabay: MemoRight SSD (MR25.2-128s) SLC 128GB Ubuntu 9.04 / 15.0" UXGA Flexview (IPS)


That said, I gave Vista a brief look, but just couldn't get interested in it till very late in the game, and even then not that interested so I passed. I'm now working on my next project which is my Windows Seven 64-bit Workstation. I just took delivery of a new:

Elite W500 4058-CTO / T9600 2.8GHz / 8GB / MemoRight SSD (MR25.2-128s) SLC 128GB Windows 7 RC / DVD 8x Dual Layer / 15.4" WUXGA / ATI FireGL V5700 Intel WiMAX/WiFi 5330 AGN / AT&T 3G Broadband

Having just installed the new blank SSD, I was up at 1:00am last night downloading and installing Windows 7 RC, and I've been working on it today. This promises to be one fun project.

Cheers...

[dfumento]

I spoke with an engineer from Patriot Memories today. They already have an existing line of SSDs but next Monday they expect to be announcing a new MLC SSD line which they promise will be better performing than the Intel MLC X25-M series and have larger capacity and be at a lower cost.

FWIW Patriot just started producing a 4 GB DDR2 SODIMM which sells on www.newegg.com for about $150.

Also FWIW they expect to announce within the month a much more cost competitive 4 GB DDR3 SODIMM.

[miketoro]

Thanks, archer!

[ssd_thinkpad]

I performed this firmware update on my Intel X25-M. The performance is noticeably better, and yet not as great as I would like. That said, having four other SSD's (Samsung & OCz) I'm done with trying others for at least another six months to a year, as the technology is simply too new & too expensive for what you get. I'm giving it time to mature. Then it will be better and far more cost effective.

Maybe you also want to take a look at slc ssds from intel or samsung. I have a samsung slc ssd for two years and do like it very much for its speed and reliability. But the prices are high, I must admit that this hdd alone cost me more than the T60 I currently use. I tried a mlc samsung ssd in a x301 and it was slow compared to the old ssd I use.

[archer6]

Maybe you also want to take a look at slc ssds from intel or samsung.

Having already tried the Samsung SLC, I found it OK, but not all that impressive.

I'm currently using the MemoRight GT 2.5 inch SLC 128GB SSD in my W500 and T60p ThinkPads which turned these into super fast machines.

Also this is what I meant about being pricey (although I paid far less) see the link for specs.
http://www.orbitmicro.com/global/memori ... l?ref=base

[Marin85]

I spoke with an engineer from Patriot Memories today. They already have an existing line of SSDs but next Monday they expect to be announcing a new MLC SSD line which they promise will be better performing than the Intel MLC X25-M series and have larger capacity and be at a lower cost.

FWIW Patriot just started producing a 4 GB DDR2 SODIMM which sells on http://www.newegg.com for about $150.

Also FWIW they expect to announce within the month a much more cost competitive 4 GB DDR3 SODIMM.

That all sounds pretty cool stuff! I´m looking forward to these announces.

Cheers,

Marin

[archer6]

Yes the floodgates of new inexpensive 4GB memory modules are beginning to open. Crucial will have the 4GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM modules for approx $129.00 USD very shortly.

I love this industry... where else do products get biggerbetterfasterneatersmoother * for less money?

Cheers...

* and yes I made up the word "biggerbetterfasterneatersmoother"....ha...ha...ha...gotta have a little humor!