Vertex 2 SSD on older Abit IP35-E - no AHCI?

Archaea

Archaea

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Hey I have a Abit IP35-e. It's an older board, but still running strong, and for my primary purpose of gaming isn't much slower than the newest gear in it's current config.

I recently bought a Vertex 2 SSD. I was reading some guides that suggested putting the drive controllers in AHCI mode. I can't find this mode in the BIOS. I'm wondering if my motherboard doesn't even have that option. I don't believe SSDs were even well known a few years ago when the Abit IP35-e came out (2007).

I've read that OCZ engineers state you don't need AHCI.

I guess I'm a bit confused on what it does, and why people suggest it, and if I'll encounter a problem if I don't have it.

I will be using Windows 7 x64 as a fresh install this weekend on the SSD.

Any last minute reminders/tips?
 
It's an intel chipset (the first chipset with AHCI was ICH7), so it should have AHCI mode somewhere in bios.
 
The E version had an ICH9 chipset which doesn't include RAID/AHCI like the ICH9R chipset.
 
So what does no AHCI mean in reality against my install of this SSD?
 
Archaea said:
So what does no AHCI mean in reality against my install of this SSD?
Click to expand...

AHCI's primary benefits are hot-plugging and Native Command Queueing.

NCQ on an SSD really isn't going to make ANY appreciable performance difference primarily because it's meant to enhance performance on mechanical drives, so you're not missing out on anything.

From what I understand the TRIM command is passed to the drive whether it's in native IDE mode or AHCI mode. I know for sure that it is when you use the generic MS drivers that come with Windows, and by now it should also be supported if you use the Matrix Storage drivers from Intel if you're so inclined.
 
Hhahaha,

Old Hippie,

I paid a significant price premium for the Vertex 2 SSD to have the very best currently available --- and then you send me the link that shows I'll be losing about 50% speeds because I have an older motherboard without AHCI.

*slaps forehead*

Thanks for the link. I wonder If I should just resell this vertex 2 and buy a cheaper smaller SSD - since it doesn't matter anyway. Considering that now! Thanks for the link.
 
To AHCI or not to AHCI that is the question.

Personally I say don't bother with AHCI when using a SSD. As mentioned, the main benifit of AHCI was NCQ, which is useless for a SSD, as a matter of fact it might add a tiny bit of overhead as its trying to compensate for the deficiencies of a spinning disc, but its not a spinning disc.

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/wiki/index.php?title=How_to_set_up_Windows_on_a_VERTEX

Now that is for the old Indilinx controller running XP but they suggest the following:

Which SATA/Chipset drivers are best to use with Vertex?

1 Intel chipset IDE mode = Intel driver

2 Intel chipset AHCI mode = Microsoft driver

3 Intel chipset raid mode = Intel driver

4 AMD chipset IDE mode = Microsoft driver

5 AMD chipset AHCI mode = Microsoft driver

6 AMD chipset raid mode = AMD driver

7 Nvidia chipset IDE mode = Microsoft driver

8 Nvidia chipset AHCI mode = Microsoft driver

9 Nvidia chipset raid mode = Nvidia driver

In you are running Win7, just stick to the windows drivers either way. Unless of course you RAID, in which case Intel supports TRIM in their drivers now for many chipsets.
 
ZenOps said:
To AHCI or not to AHCI that is the question.

Personally I say don't bother with AHCI when using a SSD. As mentioned, the main benifit of AHCI was NCQ, which is useless for a SSD, as a matter of fact it might add a tiny bit of overhead as its trying to compensate for the deficiencies of a spinning disc, but its not a spinning disc.

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/wiki/index.php?title=How_to_set_up_Windows_on_a_VERTEX

Now that is for the old Indilinx controller running XP but they suggest the following:

Which SATA/Chipset drivers are best to use with Vertex?

1 Intel chipset IDE mode = Intel driver

2 Intel chipset AHCI mode = Microsoft driver

3 Intel chipset raid mode = Intel driver

4 AMD chipset IDE mode = Microsoft driver

5 AMD chipset AHCI mode = Microsoft driver

6 AMD chipset raid mode = AMD driver

7 Nvidia chipset IDE mode = Microsoft driver

8 Nvidia chipset AHCI mode = Microsoft driver

9 Nvidia chipset raid mode = Nvidia driver

In you are running Win7, just stick to the windows drivers either way. Unless of course you RAID, in which case Intel supports TRIM in their drivers now for many chipsets.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, that helps me with the nvidia chipsets. ;)
 
I paid a significant price premium for the Vertex 2 SSD to have the very best currently available --- and then you send me the link that shows I'll be losing about 50% speeds because I have an older motherboard without AHCI.
Click to expand...

Sorry....I have an IP35-Pro sitting here doing nothing.........:D

I bought two of these.

Which model Vertex2 did you buy?
 
Im using Abit IP35-E

and i just got Intel SSD 160GB G2 a month ago
i've checked everywhere for AHCI and sadly theres NO AHCI to enable with this board.

but TRIM is working for us, thats all we need :)

everything runs fast nothing wrong, you shouldn't be worried
 
NCQ also allows for better write combining if you are using cache. It also allows your OS to access information across all available channels simultaneously, thus speeding up your reads in high queue depth situations. under normal user patterns though you will not benefit from that. if you are running raid however, the NCQ is damn near a must!
for a single device, you shouldnt need it, as long as it seems fast to you!
 
Old Hippie said:
Sorry....I have an IP35-Pro sitting here doing nothing.........:D

I bought two of these.

Which model Vertex2 did you buy?
Click to expand...

how much you want for that pro? Consider my otherwise perfectly working ip35-e in a trade + cash?

I bought the 60GB Vertex 2 SSD.
 
ZenOps said:
Which SATA/Chipset drivers are best to use with Vertex?

1 Intel chipset IDE mode = Intel driver

2 Intel chipset AHCI mode = Microsoft driver

3 Intel chipset raid mode = Intel driver
Click to expand...

Just curious, why wouldn't you want to use the Microsoft driver in IDE mode on an Intel chipset?
 
how much you want for that pro?
Click to expand...

I just sold it yesterday.

That Pro has been sitting here for 6 months and I couldn't give it away......'till yesterday when I could have sold it twice.
 
Guys here's the test report. I decided to go for it anyway. I already purchased the OCZ vertex 2 - soooo what the heck. I also have access to an I7 machine, HP e9150t model, with HP's Asus Pegatron IPMTB-TK socket 1366 motherboard. (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&docname=c01901210) So at any rate I've been doing some benchmark tests the last couple days. The IDE mode on the ABIT IP35-e is slower than the AHCI mode of the HP e9150t system's motherboard - - - but perhaps not as slow as some of those benchmarks that were pointed out by Old Hippie previously in the thread from benchmarkreviews.com.

At any rate here are the two system configs benchmarked using the free version of HDTune (it only allows read benchmarking - not write)

E9150T = i7-920 at stock clock, 12GB RAM, AHCI mode
Abit IP35-e = Q9300 at 3.0Ghz, 8GB RAM, IDE mode


I formated Windows 7 (x64 bit) brand new in both cases on the Vertex 2 SSD. I let windows intall the drivers for the IP35-e motherboard - because ABIT doesn't have any driver downloads specifically for Windows 7. But on the e9150t motherboard I installed the chipset driver for the motherboard that HP has available on their website for Windows 7 x64.

Note: e9150t in native AHCI - IP35-E in IDE mode

Without further ado - here are the read results:

Best of three runs with OCZ Vertex 2 SSD on e9150t system with AHCI mode
131 MB/s min (scores were 110, 131, and 113 MB/s)
227 MB/smax (all three tests were the same)
205 MB/s average (all three tests were the same)
185 MB/s burst (scores were 185, 126, 184 MB/s)
Average CPU usage 1.2 - 1.3%

Windows Experience Index (WEI) score of 7.7 for primary hard disk



Best of three runs with OCZ Vertex 2 SSD on Abit IP35-e system with IDE mode
119MB/s min (scores were 119, 108, 110 MB/s)
209 MB/S max ( scores were 207, 209,208 MB/s)
185 MB/s average (all three tests were the same)
172 MB/s burst (all three tests were the same)
Average CPU usage 4.8% - 5.1%

Windows Experience Index (WEI) score of 7.3 for primary hard disk



I added a new test with my current EVGA X58 3x SLI board and AHCI using the Vertex 2 and a fresh install of the Win 7 OS

Best of three runs with OCZ Vertex 2 SSD on EVGA X58 3x SLI board with AHCI mode
124 MB/s min (scores were 123,124,122 MB/s)
234 MB/S max ( scores were 234, 233, 234 MB/s)
189 MB/s average (188, 188, 189 MB/s)
172 MB/s burst (scores were 171, 170, 172 MB/s)
Average CPU usage -1 %

Windows Experience Index (WEI) score of 7.7 for primary hard disk



Access time on all systems were .1ms.
 
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but perhaps not as slow as some of those benchmarks that were pointed out by Old Hippie previously in the thread from benchmarkreviews.com.
Click to expand...
Thank God!

Those tests were just plain scary!

I really don't know what your speed's supposed to be but the increase in CPU usage is interesting.
 
Yeah not sure if that's because the i7-920 is a more robust CPU with potential of 8 cores over the q9300? Or if it's the drive controller on the e9150t motherboard is more efficient?
 
I dunno.

I pretty must lost AMD stuff @ 4 yrs ago and know nothing about their processors/chipsets.

What matters is that the SSD experience is satisfying to you in your specific situation.
 
That CPU number is very high for "IDE"

The only time I've seen percentages that high, is if you have somehow managed to revert to PIO mode instead of DMA mode (Technically DMA mode should require little if any CPU intervention for a majority of transferred data)

I think you want to be running Multiword 32-bit DMA (roughly equivalent to the old regular DMA mode 8)

Of course nowadays I think they just call all of this "SATA compatibility mode" on some bioses. They don't give you the option, and always force the absolute safest and slowest mode if you don't do AHCI (mainly specialized laptop bioses)
 
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My subjective feelings on SSDs after a few days using it in Windows 7 versus my 10,000RPM 300GB VR drive...

If you've got a fast Raptor drive - don't bother with an SSD.
 
Archaea said:
My subjective feelings on SSDs after a few days using it in Windows 7 versus my 10,000RPM 300GB VR drive...

If you've got a fast Raptor drive - don't bother with an SSD.
Click to expand...

I had 2 raptors in raid 0 and my single 60GB agility kicks the crap out of them in every way.
 
I added a third test on the vertex 2 SSD using my current EVGA X58 3x SLI board. the results are in the same ballpark.

I've never seen the results that OCZ advertises. Not sure if that's normal or not.
 
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