Note from Intel NAND Solutions Group - Intel® SSD Toolbox with Intel® SSD Optimizer and latest firmware are here!

[Alan_F_Intel]

We're excited to announce the Intel® Solid-State Drive Toolbox, with Intel® SSD Optimizer and firmware update, designed for our 34nm Intel® X25-M Mainstream SATA SSDs. The latest tools are designed to help better manage and retain the out-of-box performance of Intel SSDs.

For 34nm X25-M & X18-M 160GB owners, the firmware update also offers a performance boost to sequential write speeds by delivering up to 100MB per second, a 40 percent performance improvement over the existing firmware version.

The Intel SSD Toolbox allows users to more effectively monitor and manage the SSD's health. The firmware upgrade and Intel SSD Optimizer use the Windows* 7 ATA Data Set Management Command (known as Trim) to help keep the Intel SSD running at continued high performance. In addition, the SSD Toolbox and Optimizer also allow the respective enhancements to work with Windows* XP and Vista* operating systems.

The Trim attribute synchs the operating system's view of deleted files with those that are deleted, but not erased on the drive. Trim tells the SSD which data blocks are no longer in use. This helps stabilize the performance and health of the SSD over time.

The Intel SSD Toolbox provides SSD management tools and information about the drive, including comparing Self-Monitoring and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) drive attributes to manufacturer threshold. It provides basic and full diagnostics, along with recommended actions. The Toolbox also features a graphical user interface that will allow end users to schedule and run the Trim command independent of the operating system. Intel recommends users install the firmware update and toolbox, and run the Trim function daily which can be scheduled automatically from the SSD Optimizer tool..

The firmware upgrade can be found at http://www.intel.com/go/ssdfirmware www.intel.com/go/ssdfirmware and the Intel SSD Toolbox and Optimizer at /www.intel.com/go/ssdtoolbox www.intel.com/go/ssdtoolbox.

We will be monitoring this blog and will try to answer questions that you may have. Enjoy the latest software!

NAND Solutions Group Marketing team

[idata]

Thanks guys.

I have a query. I've just updated the f/w and have undertaken a new install of 7/64 in ACHI mode. I did not update to Intel drivers. The device manager is showing the following driver being installed on the drive:

6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)

If I run "fsutil behaviour query DisableDeleteNotify" it returns a 0, however defrag etc have not been disabled by default. Should this have happened automatically?

[Charles_F_Intel]

The "fsutil behaviour query DisableDeleteNotify" command is only to check if OS is sending Trim commands. It indicates nothing for defrag settings. Defrag will get set based on SSD properly identifying itself. See this site:

http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2009/05/05/support-and-q-a-for-solid-state-drives-and.aspx http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2009/05/05/support-and-q-a-for-solid-state-drives-and.aspx

Regards,

Brady

[idata]

Hi. With a TRIM enabled SSD is that article not saying that certain default behaviours should be enabled, i.e. defrag, super fetch etc will be set to off by default?

On my system none of these items have been turned off on a clean install of 7/64 with an updated f/w drive. I've switched off defrag manually now but sometime later super fetch etc is still running/ enabled.

[idata]

Hi,

I have the following spec, do I need to have the FW update? Will the FW update help improve performance on my system?

System Information

Kit Installed: 8.9.0.1023

Kit Install History: 8.9.0.1023, UninstallShell Version: 8.9.0.1023

OS Name: Microsoft Windows XP Professional 

OS Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600System Name: PORTEGER500System Manufacturer: TOSHIBASystem Model: Portable PCProcessor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU U7600 @ 1.20GHz BIOS Version/Date: TOSHIBA Version 1.60, 03/04/2008

Language: ENU

Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager

Intel Serial ATA Controller: Intel(R) ICH7M/MDH SATA AHCI Controller 

Number of Serial ATA ports: 1

Driver Version: 8.9.0.1023

Serial ATA Plug-In Version: 8.9.0.1023Language Resource Version of the Serial ATA Plug-In: 8.9.0.1023ISDI Library Version: 8.9.0.1023

Hard Drive 0

Status: NormalDevice Port: 0Device Port Location: InternalCurrent Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 1 Model: INTEL SSDSA2M080G2GC Serial Number: CVPO9355009N080BGNFirmware: 2CV102G9 Native Command Queuing Support: YesSize: 74.5 GB

Your advice is very much appreciated.