Slooooooooowww SSD

R

rufio

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jul 4, 2003
Messages
1,367
To preface, my plex media server was using an old maxtor 7200 rpm drive that sounded like an airsoft gun. I replaced it with an edge 128mb sata2 SSD in October, and ghosted the system drive. Everything was working fine.

Over time it seemed that the new SSD was actually slower and more laggy than the old HDD, but I didn't look into it too closely until I got an apple tv 2 to use as a plex client the other day and ran into issues (note they may not be directly related, but they lead me to run the following tests on my server).

System specs:
Cpu: E6600 C2Duo @2.4ghz
Mobo: P5WDh Deluxe (Latest Bios)
Ram: 8gb DDR2 800
OS: Win 7 Pro x64
Gfx: Ati HD6450
Drives: Edge 128mb SSD (os), 2x Hitachi 3tb (pn: 0S03230) running software raid 1

These tests speak volumes (pun intended)!

6807360409_478e3553a4_b.jpg

SSD Disk Info

6807360309_beddaa5f64.jpg
6807360333_c0a8651f9f.jpg

SSD Atto Benches

6807360381_f6f3c94250.jpg

Crystal SSD Bench

6807360355_2e25ef540c.jpg

Crystal 3tb Hitachi Mirror Bench


Why is the SSD soooo slow (and to a lesser extent the 3tb mirror)!? Plex runs off of a zillion tiny files for meta data and my reads and writes are atrocious! Is my drive defective, or is it just a poor quality drive? Edge makes server grade parts so I figured it would be more than adequate for the task. Also, could the slow speeds on the hitachi mirror be due to the OS drive being so slow?

I've never had to troubleshoot a drive before, they've either been great, or dead. Where should I start?

UPDATE:
I finally gave up troubleshooting the drive and contacted EDGE support. They got back to me within an hour with the following.

"From everything that I see here, it appears that the main issue is likely some type of failure in the flash controller on the drive. Since there is no easy fix for this type of issue, we'll need to issue an RMA to bring that drive in for replacement."

Thanks to everyone for the help. You have all helped prove once again that the [H] community is phenomenal.
 
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my old crucial SSD started doing the same thing after about a year or so. The read and write speeds started to suffer and eventually got to the point where my mechanical drives were outperforming it. Nothing I did would bring it back for any extended period of time.

I replaced it with a mushkin SSD that I got from a friend and gave the old crucial drive to another guy I know... he RMA'd it and got a new one back, so I'm assuming that something got messed up if they honored it. I just didn't want to deal with it

So with that said, it sounds like you're having the same issues. I'd see about RMAing it and getting it replaced.
 
Are you letting the drive complete its garbage collection cycle? You'll need to unload your hive (Logging off) ever now and then for the drive to successfully run garbage collection. Do you have trim enabled?
 
tmillszero1 said:
Are you letting the drive complete its garbage collection cycle? You'll need to unload your hive (Logging off) ever now and then for the drive to successfully run garbage collection. Do you have trim enabled?
Click to expand...

Trim is enabled and I have been leaving the system logged off for about 4 hours every week or two.
 
rufio said:
Running it now thru RDP I don't see an alignment value. Is it a result it will give at the end of the test?
Click to expand...

It could be failing. I was concerned that the SMART on this drive has so much unknown / Vendor Specific and very little real data. However I have no experience with this brand.
 
I assuming your running the drive with AHCI but perhaps that isn't the case because NCQ on the feature list is greyed out.
Without AHCI enabled it doesn't matter if you have TRIM enabled the SSD can't receive the commands.
In other words garbage collection isn't going too work no matter how long your logged off if AHCI isn't enabled.
 
drescherjm said:
It could be failing. I was concerned that the SMART on this drive has so much unknown / Vendor Specific and very little real data. However I have no experience with this brand.
Click to expand...

The drive passed an extended test using western digital data lifeguard and smart was all ok.
 
JarJarBinks said:
I assuming your running the drive with AHCI but perhaps that isn't the case because NCQ on the feature list is greyed out.
Without AHCI enabled it doesn't matter if you have TRIM enabled the SSD can't receive the commands.
In other words garbage collection isn't going too work no matter how long your logged off if AHCI isn't enabled.
Click to expand...

AHCI is enabled for all drives in the BIOS. Is it possible that windows ignored this, how would I check?
 
drescherjm said:
It could be failing. I was concerned that the SMART on this drive has so much unknown / Vendor Specific and very little real data. However I have no experience with this brand.
Click to expand...

AA SSD Bench has been going for almost 45 minutes. Here is a current screen.

6807932691_f60c30650e.jpg
 
In regedit navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services" find the key labeled "msahci" if it is set to anything other then "0" AHCI is not enabled in windows.

Sadly, if it isnt and your BIOS says you already have it enabled changing it may make it impossible too boot back into windows.

You could always recover your perfromance if it is due to this quickly by secure erasing your SSD in another computer and then reinstalling windows with AHCI properly enabled this time, this may suck
for you but it may be the only way to recover the performance now. Of course the drive could just be dying like people are saying but then you'd have to go through this process all over again with a new drive so why not try and save yourself the money if it works.
 
Also being that the read is only degraded a bit while the write has suffered enormously I really think my plan will be most beneficial too try because I honestly don't think the drive is dying.
 
JarJarBinks said:
In regedit navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services" find the key labeled "msahci" if it is set to anything other then "0" AHCI is not enabled in windows.

Sadly, if it isnt and your BIOS says you already have it enabled changing it may make it impossible too boot back into windows.

You could always recover your perfromance if it is due to this quickly by secure erasing your SSD in another computer and then reinstalling windows with AHCI properly enabled this time, this may suck
for you but it may be the only way to recover the performance now. Of course the drive could just be dying like people are saying but then you'd have to go through this process all over again with a new drive so why not try and save yourself the money if it works.
Click to expand...

This is what I see.

6807994089_9809b43f4b_b.jpg
 
Ooops yea I meant the start key, yea it is at 0. Let me research your drive for a minute.

Do you have the AHCI driver for your motherboard installed?
(Under Device Manager > IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers, what do you have listed?)
 
Who the hell are edge?

what controller does it use? Looks like it could be phison in which case get rid quick.
 
JarJarBinks said:
Ooops yea I meant the start key, yea it is at 0. Let me research your drive for a minute.
Click to expand...

This is the part number from my invoice. EDGDG25128GSSD. Support seems to think it is a Jmicron or Phison based drive. Not sure how to tell which one it is.
 
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JarJarBinks said:
I assuming your running the drive with AHCI but perhaps that isn't the case because NCQ on the feature list is greyed out.
Without AHCI enabled it doesn't matter if you have TRIM enabled the SSD can't receive the commands.
In other words garbage collection isn't going too work no matter how long your logged off if AHCI isn't enabled.
Click to expand...

AHCI is not required for TRIM commands. TRIM works with IDE also.

I would call up Edge customer support and ask about firmware updates. I can find nothing on their website about their pre-SF line of drives.
 
I think these kinds of problems were rather frequent with earlier SSDs. Does this drive even support TRIM?
 
jwcalla said:
I think these kinds of problems were rather frequent with earlier SSDs. Does this drive even support TRIM?
Click to expand...

It was listed as supporting TRIM and it is enabled in windows. I might just call up and bitch at these guys if there is nothing else to do; I'm only 4 months in on my 3 year warranty.
 
AA SSD Bench has been going for almost 45 minutes. Here is a current screen.
Click to expand...
Looks like something is wrong with this drive and it's got nothing to do with TRIM or AHCI.

I see you have an Intel ICH7R. Are the drivers updated?

It is connected to an Intel port....right?
 
Old Hippie said:
Looks like something is wrong with this drive and it's got nothing to do with TRIM or AHCI.

I see you have an Intel ICH7R. Are the drivers updated?

It is connected to an Intel port....right?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is connected to the an intel port (along with the two hitachi 3tb drives). I did not want to use the boards jmicron controller for any of the drives.

Looks like the driver version is 6.1.7601.17514 dated 6/21/2006 (microsoft provided driver). I'll look into updating it.
 
Any chance updating the intel driver will mess with my software raid 1?
 
jwcalla said:
AHCI is not required for TRIM commands. TRIM works with IDE also.

I would call up Edge customer support and ask about firmware updates. I can find nothing on their website about their pre-SF line of drives.
Click to expand...

AHCI is required for trim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Looks like the driver version is 6.1.7601.17514 dated 6/21/2006 (microsoft provided driver). I'll look into updating it.
Click to expand...
Change to the Intel drivers here.

Any chance updating the intel driver will mess with my software raid 1?
Click to expand...
It shouldn't.

I update my RAID storage drivers all the time with no problem.

Just so ya know, RAID0 is NOT a back-up just like any other RAID array.

AAR, get your software updated and go from there. :)
 
Old Hippie said:
Change to the Intel drivers here.


It shouldn't.

I update my RAID storage drivers all the time with no problem.

Just so ya know, RAID0 is NOT a back-up just like any other RAID array.

AAR, get your software updated and go from there. :)
Click to expand...

I'm on the newest drivers now, looks like no difference in initial testing. My server is currently asleep for the next three hours (peak power cost hours) so I cannot RDP in for a more comprehensive test.

Also yes, I know raid is not backup. There's nothing on these drives that I couldn't replace, however in the event of a single drive failure it is a very simple fix with little to no downtime.
 
Looks like something is wrong with this drive
Click to expand...
Looks like something is wrong with you old man! :D

Old Hippie said:
No, it's not.
TRIM will work just fine in IDE mode!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Click to expand...
Exactly.

Could it be that the chipset itself might be going bad?
OP: Have you tried any third party controllers to see if the results match?
 
Looks like something is wrong with you old man!
Click to expand...
Well Hell's Bells!

I've looked this way since 1971. LOL!

When I was in high-school if your hair touched your collar you were thrown out.

I graduated in 1970 and have changed little since 1971.

And I like it like that! LOL!
 
I'm on the newest drivers now,
Click to expand...
I don't think you're looking at the correct thing.

You want to look into the Device manager > IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers > Intel SATA controller and then look for the driver.
 
Old Hippie said:
I don't think you're looking at the correct thing.

You want to look into the Device manager > IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers > Intel SATA controller and then look for the driver.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure these are the them...
6819104193_c7c0e43929.jpg



Tests with the new drivers.
6819104235_2c7d87d016_z.jpg


6819104263_24f4effc32.jpg
 
Pretty sure these are the them...
Click to expand...
Yep...same version I'm running.....count those out as a problem.

You do have write caching enabled....right?

Even if you didn't, I doubt the chipset is your problem.

It's an old chipset and maybe SATA1 but that's not the problem here and even the access times are really high.

Looks to me like you have a bad drive......course I'm wrong all the time! LOL!
 
I finally gave up troubleshooting the drive and contacted EDGE support. They got back to me within an hour with the following.

"From everything that I see here, it appears that the main issue is likely some type of failure in the flash controller on the drive. Since there is no easy fix for this type of issue, we'll need to issue an RMA to bring that drive in for replacement."

Thanks to everyone for the help. You have all helped prove once again that the [H] community is phenomenal.
 
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