Samsung 950PRO, when?

I just did a bunch of research. The z170 Deluxe has the 32Gb/s M.2 x 4 Support with NVME U.2 device support. I still don't know if that's as fast as using the pci-e adapter. It wasn't clear to me in the research I've done so far.

I did however just get off the live chat line with newegg and they were very friendly and helpful and they were able to add the promotion on the drive for the $30 gift card and the free copy of Assassains Creed Syndicate.

Love newegg. They never let me down. Now all I have to do is wait until Thursday and see what kinds of trouble comes up when I try to install windows 7 on this drive. It seems ike the issue has been resolved by some dude over at toms, but it certainly won't be as cut and dry as installing windows 10.

Yeah I have a Deluxe and I have no idea where the best place to put 1 m.2 drive would be. I did read somewhere that using the u.2 support would block SLI video cards.
 
Anyone knows if Rapid Mode is enabled for this on the latest Magician? If it's not, any talk as to when the support would come?
 
Yes, this version correctly identifies Windows 10 and lets you enter RAPID Mode, which is nice since I had to load 4.4, then upgrade over it with 4.7.
 
I orderd mine from newegg on the 28th of October. It didn't have the free game or the gift card. I am contacting NewEgg now to find out if I can get it added to my order.

Estimated delivery date is 11/5. Every other part of my computer will be arriving today so I can put everything together and wait for this thing to arrive.

I ordered the Asus z170 Deluxe which comes with M2 support out of the box but I have been reading that people are installing this 950 drive using the PCI-E slot due to performance increases over the M2 slot.

Does anyone have any idea which port they'll be utilizing for the install? I'm going to go do some research now, but if anyone has any tips, I'd love to hear them.

Why pci port should be faster than m.2?
Does z170 have a x4 m.2 slot?
 
Why pci port should be faster than m.2?
Does z170 have a x4 m.2 slot?

Yes it is x4 m.2 but the reading I have done hasn't been clear about bandwidth and speeds being faster in the pci-e slot vs the m.2 slot. I've been at work all day so I haven't had a chance to do any further reading yet.
 
Meh, "loading windows" is such a bad benchmark as every setup, software, and windows options are different.

I've loaded Windows WAY SLOWER on M.2 than SATA just because the windows install is old/dated or had slooooooo software loading on boot.
 
Keep in mind, on a fresh install the motherboard is going to determine the majority of the boot time. A majority of the reviews test this without having anything on the boot up other than Windows.

From personal experience a m.2 will boot up much quicker than a SATA SSD with a mature installation of Windows but only by a few seconds. With the SATA SSD after windows has loaded the desktop I still need to wait a bit before I can start navigating, with the M.2 I can click immediately.
If you simply clicked the review I linked above your post, you'd see the answer! And the result was opposite of what you said. The loaded case was -0.3% vs the 850 EVO and a smaller percentage ahead of the MX200.
 
Anyone knows if Rapid Mode is enabled for this on the latest Magician? If it's not, any talk as to when the support would come?

rapid works on 4.8 magician in windows 10. I have it installed on 2 pcs.
 
By the way, for people with more than one ssd, do you guys enable rapid mode on both or just one? I have 950 pro for boot and 1tb 840 evo for other stuff, if I enable both, does it eat 4gb of my ram?
 
By the way, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's going to be installing Windows 7 on these 950's. I believe the issue is for both the sm951 and could possibly effect the 950. Here's a cross post to help with your install. Unless by some miracle they've solved this issue, here's the method to getting 7 installed:


Originally Posted by some guy on tom's forums
After a long week of desperation and anger I did the impossible..... Installed and booted Windows 7 x64 on Samsung SM951 NVMe !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was looking and looking all over the internet for others who might have found a solution but nothing, am I the first who did it?

Installing and booting Windows 7 on this drive simply is impossible there is no driver, no workaround in BIOS settings.
With windows 8.1 or 10 however it works but I hate them so... for everyone else out there who want to stick with Windows 7 there is a solution but it's not simple.

You have to integrate a Microsoft hotfix in installation so you can boot Windows.
Unfortunatelly you can't do the same with setup. Instead and simpler is to use Windows 10 setup installation which is updated and contains NVMe driver. It works perfectly.

Keep in mind the native driver is not the best but it works, the SM951 is ultra fast anyway, hopefully when 950 pro is out it's drive will be compatible and better for faster speeds.


What you need:

Windows 7 SP1 x64.iso

Windows 10.iso

Microsoft hotfix https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2990941

NTlite https://www.ntlite.com/download/


First request and download the hotfix, e-mail arrives instantly with a link.

1. Download and install NTlite (or other similar you prefer)

2. Extract the Windows 7.iso to a folder.

If you are installing in UEFI mode, check efi/boot there should be a bootx64.efi. If not grab it from a current installation of Windows 7 x64. C:\Windows\Boot\EFI\bootmgfw.efi copy/paste and rename it to bootx64.efi.

3. Using WinRAR or 7-zip extract the Microsoft hotfix.exe file.

4. Run NTlite and open the iso folder.
You will see 2 folders your current windows and 2nd the iso folder open and choose the version you want to install, home, ultimate etc. and press load, or right click load. It takes sometime..

4.1 Go to updates and add package file. Add the extracted hotfix Windows6.1-KB2990941-v3-x64.msu
(for experienced users: you can add more updates if you want to avoid downloading the huge list of updates everytime you install windows 7 important to keep install.wim under 4GB due to UEFI/fat32 limitation)

Go to post-setup and add command
1st field type reg
2nd field : "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main"
/v DisableFirstRunCustomize /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

(this step is required because sometimes customized installs of Windows cause the IE to show the welcome screen everytime you open it.)
(the above not required after all, it affects the installation only if you add an updated version of IE)


4.2 Go to Apply press Start and wait to finnish.
When it's done close NTlite and go to iso folder and open sources folder.
Delete boot.wim and setup.exe

5. Open Windows 10.iso with winrar and extract the boot.wim to your sources folder of Windows 7.

6. Copy all contents of iso folder of Windows 7 on a usb drive.

Plug, boot and install Windows 7 !!!
 
bum!

i have been asking this question time and again and got breezy responses in reply that "it shouldn't be a problem".

i'd begun to hope it would be as straightforward as the pre-SP1 XP method of installing on a SATA drive, i.e. during install windows 7 asks you to load a third party driver (from a USB stick?), which allows the install to begin writing to an NVME drive.

is this not possible?
 
bum!

i have been asking this question time and again and got breezy responses in reply that "it shouldn't be a problem".

i'd begun to hope it would be as straightforward as the pre-SP1 XP method of installing on a SATA drive, i.e. during install windows 7 asks you to load a third party driver (from a USB stick?), which allows the install to begin writing to an NVME drive.

is this not possible?

I would think so, I mean this is the same issue you have with booting from these drive sin RAID0 in windows 10.

Its not a new issue. Windows only loads so many drivers by default and these new bleeding edge drives are not included so you just have to load the driver for it to see the drive and install.

The method posted above may work, but I hope that isnt the only way.
 
using windows 7 today is a non sense, specially with a drive like this.

huh? I loathe the style of 10 and will still stick with 7 for a good while until I passively get familiar with 10 and forced to move. I used XP until like 2009 and was reluctant to use 7. 7 is really ass backwards in regard to how you must like click 6 times to get somewhere when it used to only require a double click to open a certain menu. Like why the fuck can't I pin folders to the taskbar anymore? Why? Why can't I double click on network icon and open network status. Try clicking on the network icon...it does nothing for no reason! Why can't I do an advance search using a GUI. Now I have to use some required command line to search that is still less effective and retard compared to the good old XP search engine. Why is bluetooth menu different from computer to computer? I owned 4 different laptops and each had a completely different bluetooth control panel layout...how? All 4 were win 7! I loathe some of the retarded shit that 7 did. I really don't want to hate ym life anymore by using 8/10. Like why the fuck can't I view control panel in a list? This is straight up retarded.

Who the fuck looks for stuff left to right??? Am I reading control panel like a god damn book?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/u090hfkpep7jfeb/control panel retard for no reason.png?dl=0

Like why the fuck is there no up folder option? Why is the only option backwards? I want to go up sometimes because I may not have clicked my way to a certain directory but typed it in or whatever. Why can I not view what directory I am in when I do a search?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qvw0yww9aob3cq7/where the fuck is the root folder.png?dl=0

Seriously where the fuck is the root folder!!!!!! I found this folder but where the fuck is it on my computer? I have to right click go to properties on a fucking file to find the location of this god damn folder. WTF!!!!

Yea yea I am in a bad mood and you had to get me started on windows and how every new edition is more straight up derp.

I bet all this retarded site carried over to 10 and there is even more retarded shit thanks to Microsoft by being a straight up tard.

Seriously why can I not pin a folder as an icon? It goes to that stupid section in the folder area. That is no faster then me just clicking 4 folders deep.
 
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Here's what I'm getting with 3x 512GB 950 Pros Raid 0 on the Z170 OC Formula

CS8HOGWXIAAGTeD.png:large


Much faster than my 8x ssd array.
 
other than running benchmarks and posting them here, what good does that actually do for you?

I think using SSDs in RAID0 is very situational, it isnt going to make my games any faster
 
Helps when I'm editing multiple RAW files, video, and large datasets. Also, a single 512 was too small.
 
I hate when people assume all anyone ever does is game.....

agreed...loading 36 megapixel raw files in lightroom would be sped up by these faster drives. I do a lot of content creation so I'm opening and using large photoshop documents, video files etc...
 
Helps when I'm editing multiple RAW files, video, and large datasets.
loading 36 megapixel raw files in lightroom would be sped up by these faster drives.
Less than you probably think. Opening a 523MB image: 3% difference. ~1.5 minutes of Photoshop processing: 3% difference. I can't figure out the hype. A CPU or video card that performs 3% better is considered a failure, but people jump at paying double for a 3% better drive.
 
Less than you probably think. Opening a 523MB image: 3% difference. ~1.5 minutes of Photoshop processing: 3% difference. I can't figure out the hype. A CPU or video card that performs 3% better is considered a failure, but people jump at paying double for a 3% better drive.

what CPU did they use? Also many things iin PS do not require a lot of processing when doing data aspects. That is a single aspect of image editing. Saving moving and many other things exist. Loading also doesnt always require a lot of processing it really all depends on what its trying to load.
 
Moving to this drive also brings to the table more than just a small increase in speed. Brings the new NVME standard ,m2 socket for the compact design and 1 more extra storage device for people like me who have used up all 8 sata slots for storage.
I could buy additional cards but my case is also built for looks, and those sata cards never come in cool looking designs. This is just another step in PC evolution. I was one of the first people back in 2008 with a Intel x 25 SSD, it took most people 4 years after that to break and start going from hdd to ssd cuase of price and storage capacity. In the end newer technology always wins and you will upgrade like it or not.
 
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Just as an fyi...amazon is offering a $30 gift card (along with assassin's creed game code) as part of a bundle. Guess its to compete with the newegg deal.
 
Just as an fyi...amazon is offering a $30 gift card (along with assassin's creed game code) as part of a bundle. Guess its to compete with the newegg deal.

Thanks for that, that must of just come up today, they only had the game yesterday....
 
Looks like it auto applies the gift card as my bill is $319. Seems like a decent deal.
 
any reason i would be only getting 1700mbps read with this 512gb drive? Drive is installed in my Asus Rampage V mobo, only one video card with a 5820K so there should be enough lanes.

edit* bios is updated to the latest. I have downloaded and installed the NvMe driver as well.
 
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agreed...loading 36 megapixel raw files in lightroom would be sped up by these faster drives. I do a lot of content creation so I'm opening and using large photoshop documents, video files etc...

36 megapixel raw files are about 50 megabytes in size. Are you really I/O-bound when loading such a file?
 
any reason i would be only getting 1700mbps read with this 512gb drive? Drive is installed in my Asus Rampage V mobo, only one video card with a 5820K so there should be enough lanes.

edit* bios is updated to the latest. I have downloaded and installed the NvMe driver as well.

interested in the answer.
 
any reason i would be only getting 1700mbps read with this 512gb drive? Drive is installed in my Asus Rampage V mobo, only one video card with a 5820K so there should be enough lanes.

edit* bios is updated to the latest. I have downloaded and installed the NvMe driver as well.

Do you have anything installed in your #5 PCIe slot? I don't know about the Rampage V, but my X99-Deluxe says the M.2 slot shares lanes with the PCIe x16_5 slot.
 
I did read that the #4 PCIe slot is shared with the M.2 drive, but i'm only running 1 980 currently in the top slot.

sidenote, this is on a fresh install of windows 10
 
36 megapixel raw files are about 50 megabytes in size. Are you really I/O-bound when loading such a file?

it isn't just the raw file, it is also has to do with the way adobe lightroom works with the catalog file. having raw images and the catalog stored on a fast drive speed things up considerably in lightroom

i also do a lot with 3d graphics content creation where scene files are loading in large amounts of textures and models
 
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Just got my 950 pro 512, which was the last piece needed for my build. I've been using a 1tb 850 evo as boot, which I'll switch to storage/games now.

Btw, remember to install the driver for the 950 pro on samsung's site. It actually helps a lot, here's pictures of before and after the driver installation.

HNiZcpo.png

jZU98W7.png



A few bonus pictures of it in my build:
http://imgur.com/a/MQIqP
 
so are these solid speeds? BTW that wasn't rhetorical. I haven't gotten around to reading reviews on it. (This was with only windows driver and with Samsungs driver I get the same.)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gscmlrihnyscy3j/Samsung 950 Pro 512 GB.png?dl=0

Those 4K results are pretty freaking awesome compared to my Samsung 840 drive. It also beat my Extreme Pro.

I think its a worthy upgrade considering 2-2.5x 4K read and 5x 4K write.

BTW This is what I get in an encrypted file container. It seems promising. I'll do more tests on it and post a review around the end of the year of the 950 Pro vs Extreme Pro as an encrypted OS. Also my CPU never maxed out with the Extreme Pro encrypted drive. My CPU with the 950 PRO is capping out. I'll do this review of encryptiosn and stuff once I get my 6700K so it is a bit more relevant.

I currently have Serpent-twofish-AES with whirpool hash. Its the slowest most pain in the ass encryption I can do.

Note these are not exactly fair comparisons
Extreme Pro
This is at best 50% speed :/ I will test later with AS SSD or whatever because i am curious of the latency damages of before and after encryption so I'll do that for a review at the end of the year
https://www.dropbox.com/s/b3y92iwqnsd43gj/Extreme Pro Encrypted.png?dl=0

950 Pro container
It shows some promising results but the writes are really messed up for some reason. I reads are pretty nice. Maybe it is overheating on those writes. It could also be because this is a container and not a whole drive encryptions so as I said it was a quick test to just see what happens since I just threw it in my PC and short on time.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/b74lrz2gzq5qnml/Samsung 950 Encrypted Container.png?dl=0

Ah so much better. The Samsung drivers fixed the encrypted slow writes!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w26cu7rsf...ted Container 2 with Samsung Drivers.png?dl=0

Yes there seems to be a notable difference with the 950 Pro even with this insane level of encryption! I am looking forward to doing a detailed review :D. Then I'll do XPoint next year :D.


oh do I need to install magician? Is that going to conflict with my Sandisk software?

Oh Sammy has a driver I guess :D downloading now :D
 
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By the way guys, I'm using 4.8 Magician, and I can't do Rapid Mode for 950 Pro. I can switch the drive for every other option, but in rapid mode, the 950 isn't selectable. Anyone knows how to enable it?
 
Well I did a 3 pass 1GB crystaldiskmark test and my 512GB 950 PRO is sitting under my OC OV 980TI doing F@H and I reached a max 56C and it idles at 40-45C. I also added 3 fans to my case but their angle sucks and I have my Gigabyte G1 GPU fan blowing full speed so I am content with those temps. I think the G1 fans are doing more then the case fans because their angle is not idle.

No throttle and decent temps considering it is covered by a OC OV 980 TI lol.

70 C is throttle right? So If I a sub 60C I am golden?
 
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