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.

[MKuba]

It's been over a month, can we get an update please. I think this is newsworthy if you guys aren't following up.

[JKlin4]

At this point, news-worthy, and refund-worthy.

[YLow2]

As first time SSD user it's sad to find this problem like 2 days ago, and seems to be Intel + Windows specific problem

At least from what I read, please correct me if I am wrong

I certainly won't complain too much if my SSD last more than 5 years as warranty cover, but my Media Wearout Indicator tell me it might last just 3 more years at current rate.

(88% Media Wearout Indicator, almost 55TB NAND over 4TB Host, 6th month in use. I am dumb to not have moved browser cache to HDD and watched a bunch of hours long 1080p)

After reading almost the entire post from 2013, nothing from Intel convince me to continue with Intel SSD when I have to replace the current one.

Guess this is the best thing we can do to tell Intel to solve, or at least update us promptly about this 3 years old problem.

_____________________________________________

I wonder if any Intel Staff is still reading this,

but if yes, please at least provide steps for non-tech users like me to minimize the problem ( like preventing my dumb mistake)

and potential data lost situation. (As I read something about 335 series just stop working at 700TB NAND write anyway, and I am not sure if it is still true with 535 series)

Or it will be safer for me to try other brand SSD blindly than continue with Intel, which had this post on the top of Google search, and almost no other brand on the search.

[jbenavides]

We understand the concern over the difference between host writes and NAND writes. Intel is looking at this issue and we have recently completed our internal testing.

We are completing the writeup of an official response. Please allow a few more days to complete and post it.

[MKuba]

Thank you for updating us. I look forward to reading the response.