New Intel SSD Toolbox 3.1.0 released...trim for Intel drives in R0?

[Zaxx]

mk...something just caught my eye in the rls notes on the d/l page...

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Deta...&DwnldID=18455

The Intel® Solid-State Drive Toolbox (Intel® SSD Toolbox) is drive management software that allows you to:
* View current drive information for Intel® Solid-State Drives (Intel® SSDs), including:
- Model number, capacity, and firmware version
- Drive health
- Estimated drive life remaining
- SMART attributes (also available for hard disk drives and non-Intel SSDs)
- IDENTIFY DEVICE information (also available for hard disk drives and non-Intel SSDs)
* Optimize the performance of an Intel SSD using Trim functionality
* Optimize the performance of an Intel SSD in RAID 0 using Trim functionality Intel RST 11.0 or greater
* Obtain proactive notifications of new Intel SSD Toolbox software versions for Windows* 7 and Windows* 8 systems
* Update the firmware on a supported Intel SSD
* Run quick and full diagnostic scans to test the read and write functionality of an Intel SSD
* Check and tune your system settings for optimal Intel SSD performance, power efficiency, and endurance
* View your system information and hardware configuration, such as central processing unit (CPU),
chipset, controller name, and driver versions
* Run Secure Erase on a secondary Intel SSD


Does this mean that if your raid0 array uses Intel drives then you can manually trim (optimize) requiring only RST 11+ and not the Z77 chipset? That's gonna make me rethink my future SSD plans if I can just buy another 520 and have R0 trim without having to upgrade to a Z77 mobo. That would be money better spent towards the all sata 6gb/s northbridge goodness of next years Z87/Haswell platform. Decisions decisions...

[unityole]

mk...something just caught my eye in the rls notes on the d/l page...

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Deta...&DwnldID=18455

Does this mean that if your raid0 array uses Intel drives then you can manually trim (optimize) requiring only RST 11+ and not the Z77 chipset? That's gonna make me rethink my future SSD plans if I can just buy another 520 and have R0 trim without having to upgrade to a Z77 mobo. That would be money better spent towards the all sata 6gb/s northbridge goodness of next years Z87/Haswell platform. Decisions decisions...

I doubt it, but I also wish to know. currently using a 6 series chipset so if thats true then i'll be glad just to purchase another sandisk extreme SSD for raid 0 trim.

[Zaxx]

The Intel SSD Toolbox only works with Intel SSDs...it'll read other drives and give info but thats all.

[unityole]

The Intel SSD Toolbox only works with Intel SSDs...it'll read other drives and give info but thats all.

aw man disappointment =(, I only got one 520 but it ain't superfast, there maybe issues with their firmware or drive itself, many has complained and this issue seems to be more from the 120gb version, I don't own a 240gb so not sure myself. I've tried secure erase and that helped but after usage again it becomes slow, weird. As per Parsec intel tweaked 3 series SF firmware and made their own so I'm not entirely sure if that's reason. Nothing mentioning regards to 7/6 series chipset and no note on OROMs either.

[Zaxx]

Strange...my 120 is solid as a rock, heh I've tried to bog it down but once it reaches a steady state it doesn't budge. Yer, from what I understand SF allowed Intel and Intel only access to their code and they jointly rewrote it with Intel's massive resources on tap for troubleshooting, testing and quals. From this, SF walked away with a lot of their outstanding FW issues fixed (including trim) and Intel got to keep the 'secret sauce' it came up with for itself...that's why Intel's SF drives are faster than everyone elses. Intel also uses cherry picked 25nm nand from their own foundry, I'm sure that helps and no one knows how to optimize FW for intel 25nm nand like Intel themselves. It appears that SF took the fixes that they came up with and applied them to their MP fw yielding the new fws everyone is releasing. This is just what I've been able to piece together re: Intel + SF...I'm sure Jon or Chris can probably shed more light. On the speculation side...I would not be surprised if LSI-SF's next controller gets launched by Intel instead of Ocz.

[unityole]

OCZ bought indilinx so probably not from them. indeed intel did have the best fill test on their 240gb and 120gb SSDs however 4k seems to be lacking a bit, not so much to be upset about though. I'm sure when 525 comes out it'll be amazing, given that 335 was spotted in Japan already =/.

As for this Trim on this latest driver release, maybe someone could give some light to us 6 series chipset users. Chris, Jon or Parsec.. anyone? =D

[Zaxx]

Damn it....we need someone with a pair of intels to test this. *cough*Jon*cough*

[Bill Gates]

you will still need Z77 I would test it but I dont have any 520's anymore.

[Zaxx]

Ah well...almost got excited.

[unityole]

you will still need Z77 I would test it but I dont have any 520's anymore.

there goes any hope of H67 having trim in raid 0

Ah well...almost got excited.

me as well, intel for sure wants to get every penny possible lol, theres not much of a difference between 6 and 7 series chipset.. and they pull something like this on consumer. sad face