First post, by aries-mu
Guys, seeing how you're even able to talk about physically modifying stuff, adapting AGP cards into PCI slots and vice versa, crazy BIOS tweaking adventures, and much more, maybe you guys are the right people to give me at least a definitive answer if a certain thing can be done, if not a solution!
Hear this and tell me if these aren't idiotic choices:
My laptop, an old Samsung NP370R5E-S04IT, has an Intel HM76 Express chipset, which is clearly a SATA III 6G chipset.
Also:
When I bought it I also bought a Samsung SATA III 6G SSD 840 Pro 256 GB with it and replaced it immediately.
And you know what? All the software I use (including Samsung SSD software) tells me the SSD is running in SATA II 3G mode!!!
Indeed, here's a bencmark:
E questi sono i miei risultati:
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CrystalDiskMark 3.0.2 x64 (C) 2007-2013 hiyohiyo
Crystal Dew World : Crystal Dew World
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* MB/s = 1,000,000 byte/s [SATA/300 = 300,000,000 byte/s]
Sequential Read : 262.735 MB/s
Sequential Write : 250.436 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 240.052 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 234.990 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 28.845 MB/s [ 7042.3 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 50.202 MB/s [ 12256.5 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 216.187 MB/s [ 52780.1 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 202.832 MB/s [ 49519.4 IOPS]
Test : 1000 MB [C: 22.3% (53.0/238.0 GB)] (x5)
Date : 2013/03/25 20:10:03
OS : Windows 8 [6.2 Build 9200] (x64)
Furthermore, the WHOLE performance of the SSD seems halved, even on things that would be well below the SATA II 3G speed limitations, see:
Other guy:
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 34.125 MB/s [ 8331.4 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 115.690 MB/s [ 28244.7 IOPS]
My SSD:
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 28.845 MB/s [ 7042.3 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 50.202 MB/s [ 12256.5 IOPS]
Why??? Even in SATA II 3G mode it should allow at least ~230 MB/sec net speed. Why wasn't my SSD 4K Random Writing at 115 MB/sec but at 50??? Performances HALVED!
When I did more research, look what I've found:
SiSoftware Sandra
...
...
Disk Controller
Model : Samsung Panther Point Mobile 6 port SATA AHCI Controller
Peripheral name (OEM) : Intel Panther Point Mobile 6 port SATA AHCI Controller
Interface : SATA
Revision : A5
Specification : 1.10
SATA Mode Supported : G2 / SATA300 ←←←
Channels : 1
Used channels : 1, 100%
Port : G3 / SATA600 ←←←
So the port is a SATA III 6G port, but for some idiotic "reason" (I hope the word "reason" will forgive me if I apply it to this idiocy), the supported mode was "down graded" to SATA II 3G by the manufacturer!!!!
The Acer M5 481 PTG, for example, has the same identical controller and I know a guy whose SSD run perfectly in SATA III 6G mode.
I tried everything: bios updates and various Setup tweaks, AHCI modes, drivers removal, replace, updates, Intel native drivers, Matrix drivers, Win 8, Win 8.1, Win 10, all fresh reinstall, nothing worked. Always stuck in SATA II 3G mode.
QUESTIONS:
1) In your knowledge and experience (and creativity and the Vogons people out-of-the-box thinking that I totally love!): is there anything I can do to enable SATA III 6G mode?
2) Is it possible that the controller automatically detects the very very very thin (almost toothpick-like) SATA cable in the laptop and limits the mode because the cable is not flat thick / shielded enough? [if so, that would be a problem, as there isn't room for a fart in that laptop]
2b) In your opinion, why are also the below SATAII threshold performances halved? (like the 4K read and write test that I showed above)
3) Isn't this choice of limiting the SATA mode idiothic?
Thanks SO MUCH guys!!!
They said therefore to him: Who are you?
Jesus said to them: The beginning, who also speak unto you
Computers should be fun inside not outside! 😉 (by Joakim)