OCZ Agility arrived

[n7]

Yeah, i wanted another SSD to install all my games onto.

So i got some new toys...

The new arrivals
Mr. Agility hanging out with Intel

After lots of fighting & failing, i finally got HDD Erase performed on my X25-M G1, as it had slowly gotten slower after the firmware "fix" Intel released earlier this year.

Note i am testing with CDM's 1000 MB setting not the better-numbers-inducing 100 MB one.

Broken Intel X25-M 80 GB G1 (mainly 512K writes)
After-erasing Intel X25-M 80 GB G1
Brand new OCZ Agility 120 GB
I tried out the OCZ wiper tool just to see if it'd work, & apparently it broke my Agility's performance already, or something...
Wiped & now slightly used OCZ Agility 120 GB

 

[Old Hippie]

After lots of fighting & failing, i finally got HDD Erase performed on my X25-M G1

I did that once but couldn't do it a second time.

For some reason HDDErase just can't find the drives anymore.

 

[RollerBoySE]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

After lots of fighting & failing, i finally got HDD Erase performed on my X25-M G1

I did that once but couldn't do it a second time.

For some reason HDDErase just can't find the drives anymore.

You know that only version 3.3 of HDDErase works and that you have to set the interface to IDE in BIOS?

 

[Old Hippie]

Originally posted by: RollerBoySE

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

After lots of fighting & failing, i finally got HDD Erase performed on my X25-M G1

I did that once but couldn't do it a second time.

For some reason HDDErase just can't find the drives anymore.

You know that only version 3.3 of HDDErase works and that you have to set the interface to IDE in BIOS?

How do you think I did it the first time?

 

[n7]

Heh, i had to use my old mobo.

Absolutely would not work in any way shape or form on my new P55.

Originally posted by: n7
Well i finally got it figured out.

Set up a bootable USB drive w/ HDD Erase 3.3 on it.

On my P55-UD3R board, it would not show the HDDs for erasing regardless of ACHI/IDE, etc.

So i tried with my P5B-D, & it worked after i changed HDD mode to Compatible (Enhanced IDE mode wouldn't work even).

Except it didn't entirely work.
Got the "!! ATA Security Feature Set is prohibited by the system BIOS chip !!" message, so i had leave SSD power unplugged until DOS loaded, & then plugged in power (bypasses BIOS security that way).

So much hassle, but performance is close to normal again, as it had slowly gotten lesser after the firmware update i did earlier this summer.

Oh, & yeah, sweet awesomeness i love having games installed on an SSD.

Loading times are just glorious

 

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: n7
Heh, i had to use my old mobo.

Absolutely would not work in any way shape or form on my new P55.

Originally posted by: n7
Well i finally got it figured out.

Set up a bootable USB drive w/ HDD Erase 3.3 on it.

On my P55-UD3R board, it would not show the HDDs for erasing regardless of ACHI/IDE, etc.

So i tried with my P5B-D, & it worked after i changed HDD mode to Compatible (Enhanced IDE mode wouldn't work even).

Except it didn't entirely work.
Got the "!! ATA Security Feature Set is prohibited by the system BIOS chip !!" message, so i had leave SSD power unplugged until DOS loaded, & then plugged in power (bypasses BIOS security that way).

So much hassle, but performance is close to normal again, as it had slowly gotten lesser after the firmware update i did earlier this summer.

Oh, & yeah, sweet awesomeness i love having games installed on an SSD.

Loading times are just glorious

Cool you had a 150 GB Raptor previously as well! Is the load time difference really worth it compared to that drive? What kind of difference are we talking here please? I know for booting up windows and restarting it is worth it alone. As well as just using windows and your system in general.

 

[RollerBoySE]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

Originally posted by: RollerBoySE

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

After lots of fighting & failing, i finally got HDD Erase performed on my X25-M G1

I did that once but couldn't do it a second time.

For some reason HDDErase just can't find the drives anymore.

You know that only version 3.3 of HDDErase works and that you have to set the interface to IDE in BIOS?

How do you think I did it the first time?

Sorry, but I figure that there are many users that thinks that version 4.0 of HDDErase is a better choice since it's more recent and maybe you had found it since last time.

(I should have checked your member status...)

 

[Old Hippie]

Sorry, but I figure that there are many users that thinks that version 4.0 of HDDErase is a better choice since it's more recent and maybe you had found it since last time.

(I should have checked your member status...)

Don't worry about it RollerBoy, I shouldn't have been so sarcastic.

Besides, I've actually gotten dumber since I've been here! :laugh:

 

[n7]

I just wanted to update & say that i've been rather impressed with Window 7's effect on my SSD benchmarks!

I'm not entirely sure why it's so much better than Window Vista for my SSD, but my Intel is now getting higher numbers than when i first got it! :Q

I suspect it's a combination of the secure erase, 7 properly aligning the SSD, & perhaps the clean install & better chipset drivers?

All i know is it seems i've gotten a speed upgrade

• 4k write has never ever been over 50 MB/s until now

• Minimum read (which was lower due to the OS messing with things) is faster than my max on the drive brand new basically empty! :Q

• Here's numbers from the Intel when i first got it (wasn't even as OS for these numbers).

I'm a pretty happy camper...it feels like i got a free G2, haha

 

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: n7
I just wanted to update & say that i've been rather impressed with Window 7's effect on my SSD benchmarks!

I'm not entirely sure why it's so much better than Window Vista for my SSD, but my Intel is now getting higher numbers than when i first got it! :Q

I suspect it's a combination of the secure erase, 7 properly aligning the SSD, & perhaps the clean install & better chipset drivers?

All i know is it seems i've gotten a speed upgrade

• 4k write has never ever been over 50 MB/s until now

• Minimum read (which was lower due to the OS messing with things) is faster than my max on the drive brand new basically empty! :Q

• Here's numbers from the Intel when i first got it (wasn't even as OS for these numbers).

I'm a pretty happy camper...it feels like i got a free G2, haha

So how is it compared to your previous 10,000 150 GB Raptor hard drive?

 

[n7]

Indescribably better.

The entire reason i got Raptors was because i loved the snappiness of them compared to 7200 RPM drives.

There's no comparison to a good SSD though...it's a different world.

 

[pcslookout]

Originally posted by: n7
Indescribably better.

The entire reason i got Raptors was because i loved the snappiness of them compared to 7200 RPM drives.

There's no comparison to a good SSD though...it's a different world.

Thanks exactly what I needed to know!

 

[Tlan]

Originally posted by: n7
Indescribably better.

The entire reason i got Raptors was because i loved the snappiness of them compared to 7200 RPM drives.

There's no comparison to a good SSD though...it's a different world.

i totally agree i have a G2 80gb

 

[pcslookout]

What do you all think of the current firmware issues Intel is having with their SSD drives ?

 

[n7]

They don't affect me whatsoever ^_^

Yay for getting screwed over by Intel for spending double [on a G1] what the G2s cost & not getting TRIM support (early adopter fee + slap in the face).

 

[pcslookout]

They don't affect me whatsoever ^_^

Yay for getting screwed over by Intel for spending double [on a G1] what the G2s cost & not getting TRIM support (early adopter fee + slap in the face).

Yeah you don't have the G2 but the G1! Still a good SSD though. Should people with a Intel G2 SSD already think about returning it with the latest firmware news or do you think it will be fixed quickly ?

 

[Denithor]

So how does the Agility compare in feel to your Intel G1?

 

[n7]

Yeah you don't have the G2 but the G1! Still a good SSD though. Should people with a Intel G2 SSD already think about returning it with the latest firmware news or do you think it will be fixed quickly ?

Gawd no.

People should be wary like me & never be the first to update firmware/BIOSes :sneaky:

Too many times there are issues; it's not like Intel's having problems is something all that new.

Of course, if you're one of those consumers who thinks nothing should ever go wrong & likes to flip out over stuff like that, well then, yeah, go ahead & return it for an inferior Indilinx drive that's likely less reliable & likely to piss you off in the future. :whiste:

So how does the Agility compare in feel to your Intel G1?

I can't really say i've compared them directly other than with benchmarks.

Intel is my OS drive; OCZ holds all my games.
Let's just say it's been great for games loading time, & i doubt i'd notice a huge difference between them TBH.

 

[BaboonGuy]

Very nice... perhaps the Intel premium isn't so worth it afterall.

 

[n7]

Very nice... perhaps the Intel premium isn't so worth it afterall.

AFAIK, if you are looking at non-gouge pricing for the Intel G2s, it's basically best to go for whatever price/size you can afford/need, as Anand has stated in his reviews of SSDs.

I believe pricing generally goes like 60/64 GB < 80 GB (Intel G2) < 120/128 GB < 160 GB (Intel G2) < 256 GB.

I personally would prefer an Intel drive for my OS drive, as it's far superior on random writes. Even my G1 is still going to beat up Indilinx drives for smaller random writes.

In the case of my Agility, once i've installed a game to it (which goes damn fast), it's only does writes if a game save is being written to there, & considering how i basically only play MP games, very few SP ones, it's pretty much purely read usage, something where really, it's going to be hard to notice much difference for loading a game.

 

[pjkenned]

I have to say n7, after picking up a 60GB agility just because it was cheap, I'm really impressed with how fast it is. I think it is faster than my "old" Vertex (which has always used TRIM). Seems like those things are great value drives.

 

[xboxist]

I am *just* now reading up on SSD technology. It sounds very impressive.

Generally speaking, would you say it's ideal to put your OS on one drive, and your games on another? And then use a traditional HD for storage/archiving of files?

 

[rcpratt]

It is fine to put your OS and apps/games on the same drive. Yes, you should store files on a traditional HDD.

 

[pjkenned]

I am *just* now reading up on SSD technology. It sounds very impressive.

Generally speaking, would you say it's ideal to put your OS on one drive, and your games on another? And then use a traditional HD for storage/archiving of files?

Yes, OS/Apps are fine on one SSD. At this point all of my storage (noisy drives) can be found far away from my main PC.