Intel SSD 530 NAND Write Problem

[fZhan14]

Hello, everyone:

I bought an Intel SSD 530 120G for my laptop several days ago. It worked well with the OS Win8.1 Pro x64.

When I paid attention to the NAND writes, something make me confused.

The situation is as follow:

The SSD with the OS is the first(primary) Disk, and the HDD is the second one. I have moved the cache of IE, chrome and Firefox to the Hard Drive using IE setting or mklink command, and verified it correctly. With the explorer working, the written data stream from cache is produced in the HDD partition theoretically, also I have got this conclusion through the System's Resource Monitor and the Diskmon from Microsoft website. When I cached several Movies embedded in any explorer without other operation separately, there are lots of written data traffic produced in the HDD partition, and just little data wrote in system disk(SSD), it's no doubt. Finally, each test(using one kind of explorer) improved less than 200Mb in Total Host Writes which is normal for system operating, but this process also consumed about 3Gb SSD's Total NAND writes in total in the CrystalDiskInfo 6.0.1. Also I have got the same result with the newly Intel SSD Toolbox, AIDA64 3.20 and CrystalDiskInfo 6.0.1. In fact, this written data traffic produced by explorer's cache in HDD is calculated into the SSD's total NAND writes.

Actually I'm not care of the SSD's wear, and I'm sure it couldn't reach the limited lifespan with normal usage until next generation product arrives. This accidental discovery confused me now, and the result above make me suspect the theory, Putting IE/Chrome or System cache into other medium/drive saving your SSD's wear.

Q:Here, I want to know what makes this strange condition happen, the drivers, system's bug, bad support for old mainboard, the system's setting&config or the special system log?

Testing condition:

Thinkpad R400(GM45 motherboard)/P8700/8Gb RAM/Intel 530 SSD+Hitachi 7k500/Intel 5300 AGN/Win 8.1 Pro X64 with the Win 8.1's Default config and drivers, except trunning the service Superfetch off mannually.

I could make sure the location of explorer cache(IE, Chrome, Firefox) in HDD, also the written data traffic in HDD, and the vast imprived NAND writes in SSD simultaneously.

Thanks for your help.

[JKlin4]

Having the exact same issue. Very concerning to me as I have only had the drive since November 24th 2015. The drive pamphlet guarantees a useful life with 40gb of "Host Writes" per day for 5 years, However, at this rate it would seem that even with the small amount of host writes that I will be lucky if the drive lasts 3 years.

Edit: This was taken today Jan 07, 2016. This can't be normal......

[HLaw2]

It seems that it also happens to Intel SSD 535 series and independent to operating system. (Mines are also 535 and running FreeBSD.)

I wonder if this can be fixed by firmware update. I have been using Intel's SSDs for years. I hope we can have this fixed as soon as possible.

[jbenavides]

Hello all,

We would like to inform that we have captured relevant data about this condition and it is currently under investigation.

We will be providing further updates as they become available.

[JKlin4]

Eagerly awaiting some (hopefully) good news.

Edit: (1/20/2016) Any news yet? Almost two weeks, and my NAND Writes just keep going up, very little host writes.

[HLaw2]

I would also like to know how's the investigation going. Thanks!