New x25-m firmware

[imported_TimBob]

Only had my x25-m for a couple months now. I did some Crystaldiskmark benching the last couple days and boy was it performing terribly. Writes under 10 MB/S at times in 4k writes. Even reads were pretty poor compared to when I first got it. It was very erratic.

Heard some mention of a new firmware in a couple other threads so thought I'd try it out. Update took about 5 minutes to do and my HD is like new again. Back up to 250ish MB/s reads, 60-70 MB/S writes. 4k writes around 40 MB/S.

If you have an x25-m do yourself a favor and update the firmware.

 

[taltamir]

the firmware is to fix a bug that does not affect most people, but those that do get atrocious performance.
its good that intel got it fixed.

 

[imported_TimBob]

Originally posted by: taltamir
the firmware is to fix a bug that does not affect most people, but those that do get atrocious performance.
its good that intel got it fixed.

Please point me to the release notes that state this firmware fixes one bug and has no other improvements.

This is all I can find on their website.
This firmware update has several continuous improvement optimizations intended to provide the best possible user experience with the Intel SSD.

This information applies to:
X18-M and X25-M Solid-State Drives

 

[aka1nas]

Originally posted by: TimBob

Originally posted by: taltamir
the firmware is to fix a bug that does not affect most people, but those that do get atrocious performance.
its good that intel got it fixed.

Please point me to the release notes that state this firmware fixes one bug and has no other improvements.

This is all I can find on their website.
This firmware update has several continuous improvement optimizations intended to provide the best possible user experience with the Intel SSD.

This information applies to:
X18-M and X25-M Solid-State Drives

I believe they are referring to the issue that Anand pointed out where the X-25m can be put into a state where it cannot recover performance by logically re-assigning unerased blocks with free space (No sure if that was how the mechanism actually works). The sequence of events that could put the drive into this state was not very likely to occur in normal usage of the drive, but was pretty crippling if it did occur.

 

[alcoholbob]

10MB/s 4k writes is still pretty impressive. My Western Digital 2TB USB gets 1.7MB/s, 2.8MB/s on my 300GB Raptor. A brand new 120GB Vertex (the fastest non-Intel drive) getting 12MB/s. 10 is pretty damn good for deteriorated performance

 

[alcoholbob]

What was your read performance? A new Vertex will get about 30MB/s; new Intel should be about 50MB/s.

 

[taltamir]

pcper has a quote from intel reps:
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=691

 

[imported_TimBob]

Originally posted by: aka1nas

Originally posted by: TimBob

Originally posted by: taltamir
the firmware is to fix a bug that does not affect most people, but those that do get atrocious performance.
its good that intel got it fixed.

Please point me to the release notes that state this firmware fixes one bug and has no other improvements.

This is all I can find on their website.
This firmware update has several continuous improvement optimizations intended to provide the best possible user experience with the Intel SSD.

This information applies to:
X18-M and X25-M Solid-State Drives

I believe they are referring to the issue that Anand pointed out where the X-25m can be put into a state where it cannot recover performance by logically re-assigning unerased blocks with free space (No sure if that was how the mechanism actually works). The sequence of events that could put the drive into this state was not very likely to occur in normal usage of the drive, but was pretty crippling if it did occur.

I'm familiar with the issue, but I would just like to know if that is all there is to this firmware update. Although, I guess that is enough for me since it restored my drive to like new speed.

I don't do anything abnormal. Just play games and normal desktop use. Don't benchmark much. I was surprised I actually ran into the issue.

 

[alcoholbob]

I wonder if they are going to upgrade the X25-E firmware too.

 

[coolVariable]

Will applying the firmware wipe the drive?

 

[n7]

I didn't even realize one had come out...i'm going to have to update mine as it's been broken @ 30 MB/s max write for a while.

Thanx for the heads up.

 

[n7]

Holy crap this is a miracle-inducing firmware update! :Q

Here are the speeds i was getting when i was last using the Intel X25-M.
I've actually not used it for over a month as i took it out to determine something, & haven't gotten around to hooking it up again.

http://ense7en.com/pics/Intel%...iskMark%2002.15.09.JPG
CrystalDiskMark
242.5 30.81
67.81 30.73
18.26 19.29

Now this is immediately after applying the firmware update, upon first booting into the OS on the SSD again.
http://ense7en.com/pics/Intel%...4098820%20firmware.JPG
CrystalDiskMark
247.5 69.67
168.9 76.31
16.52 39.19

Miraculous improvement in write speeds.
In short, this firmware fixed my completely broken write speeds.

And just to test real world, i'm copying one of my game folders & getting 55 MBs, whereas before it was only 30 MB/s.

 

[coolVariable]

Did you have to reimage your OS or can you apply the firmware in place?

 

[tuan209]

hey guys,

is there a way in which i can install the firmware from a thumb drive?

I have a laptop which doesnt have a cd/dvd drive =(.

 

[alcoholbob]

So you applied firmware without reinstalling?

And whats with your 4k random read performance? It looks terrible. You should be getting >50MB/s, not 16-18. My used Vertex runs at 30 which is right there with Anand's benchmarks (32). The 4K random reads and writes DEFINE the X25 series. Even my USB flash drive is getting 11MB/s.

 

[n7]

Originally posted by: coolVariable
Did you have to reimage your OS or can you apply the firmware in place?

I didn't do anything except flash the firmware; though as always, back up first is the disclaimer.

Then booted right back into OS; no probs for me.

I had to hook up a SATA DVD drive to the Intel ports though...wouldn't work off my IDE one on the Marvell ports.

Originally posted by: Astrallite
So you applied firmware without reinstalling?

And whats with your 4k random read performance? It looks terrible. You should be getting >50MB/s, not 16-18. My used Vertex runs at 30 which is right there with Anand's benchmarks (32). The 4K random reads and writes DEFINE the X25 series. Even my USB flash drive is getting 11MB/s.

Where in the world have you seen anywhere close to 50 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark 4k read?

I've never seen anywhere close to that in any review anywhere.

edit: in the latest review of SSDs, they used iometer 4k reads in their results:

from review:

I?ll start with the best news first. I looked at 4KB random write performance once again using iometer. This test is the same one I used in last week?s review; a 3 minute run, 3 outstanding IOs, 4KB random writes spread out over an 8GB section of LBAs. I filled the drive completely before running the test.

Not the same test as CrystalDiskMark; not the same type of results either.
Look at reviews using CrystalDiskMark; you'll see they get around < 20 MB/s in the 4k read also.

 

[IntelUser2000]

Originally posted by: Astrallite
So you applied firmware without reinstalling?

And whats with your 4k random read performance? It looks terrible. You should be getting >50MB/s, not 16-18. My used Vertex runs at 30 which is right there with Anand's benchmarks (32). The 4K random reads and writes DEFINE the X25 series. Even my USB flash drive is getting 11MB/s.

The strength of the X25 drives are not random reads AND writes its just random writes. Random 4K reads of the drives are nothing exceptional.

 

[alcoholbob]

Originally posted by: IntelUser2000

Originally posted by: Astrallite
So you applied firmware without reinstalling?

And whats with your 4k random read performance? It looks terrible. You should be getting >50MB/s, not 16-18. My used Vertex runs at 30 which is right there with Anand's benchmarks (32). The 4K random reads and writes DEFINE the X25 series. Even my USB flash drive is getting 11MB/s.

The strength of the X25 drives are not random reads AND writes its just random writes. Random 4K reads of the drives are nothing exceptional.

Well it really depends on your standards I guess, and in comparison to the gulf that 4K reads creates, certainly its not exceptional.

The X25-E is 61% faster than the fastest Vertex, and the X25-M is 55% faster in random reads. In my *personal* opinion, this is fairly impressive. In my humble opinion, when you have a 55-60% lead on the second closest competitor you are generally doing something right, but of course, its natural that not everyone will agree on this point.

 

[aceO07]

Originally posted by: AstralliteThe 4K random reads and writes DEFINE the X25 series. Even my USB flash drive is getting 11MB/s.

What USB flash drive do you have?

 

[alcoholbob]

64GB Patriot Xporter.

 

[IntelUser2000]

Originally posted by: Astrallite

Originally posted by: IntelUser2000

Originally posted by: Astrallite
So you applied firmware without reinstalling?

And whats with your 4k random read performance? It looks terrible. You should be getting >50MB/s, not 16-18. My used Vertex runs at 30 which is right there with Anand's benchmarks (32). The 4K random reads and writes DEFINE the X25 series. Even my USB flash drive is getting 11MB/s.

The strength of the X25 drives are not random reads AND writes its just random writes. Random 4K reads of the drives are nothing exceptional.

Well it really depends on your standards I guess, and in comparison to the gulf that 4K reads creates, certainly its not exceptional.

The X25-E is 61% faster than the fastest Vertex, and the X25-M is 55% faster in random reads. In my *personal* opinion, this is fairly impressive. In my humble opinion, when you have a 55-60% lead on the second closest competitor you are generally doing something right, but of course, its natural that not everyone will agree on this point.

....

You just said that the Vertex gets 30MB/s random reads.

Well anyway I looked up Vertex on CrystalDiskMark and it gets 18-20MB/s in random 4K reads just like the X25 drives.

 

[IntelUser2000]

Originally posted by: IntelUser2000

Originally posted by: Astrallite

Originally posted by: IntelUser2000

Originally posted by: Astrallite
So you applied firmware without reinstalling?

And whats with your 4k random read performance? It looks terrible. You should be getting >50MB/s, not 16-18. My used Vertex runs at 30 which is right there with Anand's benchmarks (32). The 4K random reads and writes DEFINE the X25 series. Even my USB flash drive is getting 11MB/s.

The strength of the X25 drives are not random reads AND writes its just random writes. Random 4K reads of the drives are nothing exceptional.

Well it really depends on your standards I guess, and in comparison to the gulf that 4K reads creates, certainly its not exceptional.

The X25-E is 61% faster than the fastest Vertex, and the X25-M is 55% faster in random reads. In my *personal* opinion, this is fairly impressive. In my humble opinion, when you have a 55-60% lead on the second closest competitor you are generally doing something right, but of course, its natural that not everyone will agree on this point.

....

You just said that the Vertex gets 30MB/s random reads.

Well anyway I looked up Vertex on CrystalDiskMark and it gets 18-20MB/s in random 4K reads just like the X25 drives.

The X25's random reads are good, but nothing out of ordinary(unlike writes).

 

[alcoholbob]

That's amazing.

Well My Vertex gets 30MB/s, which is pretty close to what Anand got (32MB/s).

The X25-M is 55MB/s, and the X25-E is 57MB/s. The Velociraptor is just under 1 MB/s.

I understand everything is relative here, but 55 times faster than a Raptor and 60% faster than the second fastest competition is "generally" considered fast.

Are you perchance, running something like this at home?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96dWOEa4Djs&fmt=22

If that's the case I would absolutely agree with you--if I was in your shoes, all of this is not only ordinary, but trifling.

 

[imported_TimBob]

Here's my crystaldiskmark after the firmware update:
seq - 267.3, 73.2
512k - 208.5, 75.7
4k - 23.56,52.99

Unfortunately, I didn't mark down what I had prior to it, but as I mentioned before, it was really bad. Cut all those numbers in half and some.

For those with questions about applying the firmware. It does not wipe the drive or require formatting. You just download the ISO and burn the bootable cd. According to their instructions, you need to temporarily change your BIOS SATA settings to legacy/compatible mode if you are using RAID/AHCI modes. Reboot and answer a few questions and update. Set BIOS back to the appropriate SATA mode and you're done. Don't know if it will work with a thumb drive, but if your MB can boot from it, I don't see why it wouldn't.

 

[n7]

Good to hear it fixed yours also :thumbsup: