defrag an ssd

[soulfood]

does anyone know if you can "defrag" an ssd ? thanks

 

[strollin]

It's recommended that you never defrag an ssd since an ssd purposely spreads writes over the entire disk to prevent over utilizing the same data cells.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Actually if I am not sadly mistaken Windows "sees" SSD's and turns off the defrag. Depending on the brand most SSD's have their own optimizing software but it can be overdone a bit.

But to check see this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3292-disk-defragmenter-schedule-turn-off.html

another good tutorial is this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11728-optimize-windows-7-a.html

 

[carwiz]

It's recommended that you never defrag an ssd since an ssd purposely spreads writes over the entire disk to prevent over utilizing the same data cells.

Ditto 100%. While you can force a defrag on a SSD, it is not advised since the drive firmware won't make the files contiguous anyway because of the way files are written to a used SSD.

When a SSD is new, all writes go to unused cells first. As files are deleted, the cells are marked available but won't be reused until all cells are used. This is part of the wear leveling process so a group of cells aren't used over and over while others aren't used at all. This is why a SSD is fastest when new. Everything gets written to new areas. And a good reason not to go overboard on SSD Benchmark testing.

On used SSDs, the entire disk is used so defragging will just reuse cells in whatever order they are available. There's no guarantee that the cells will be contiguous in anything but 512 byte blocks within a 4k segment. Hence, the file data won't be contiguous. All you're doing is taking away from the usage limit of the drive. (Wear on cells.)

 

[carwiz]

I might mention that a worthy item to add to the Optimize Windows 7 link posted by John (ICit2lol) would be to move Windows' temporary and internet cache files off of a SSD. Files that are constantly being deleted and rewritten should not be on a SSD unless it's the only drive you have.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hmm I think we tend to worry about wear and tear on SSD's most are quoted for use for a very long time 1.5 million hours SSD life? - SSD - Storage

Solid-state drive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia < see wear levelling

 

[carwiz]

Yes, I've seen the tests but they do wear out and they do slow down. I've had mine installed since January of 2011 and it's down 3% of usable life. Granted, it will outlast this PC (and probably me) but why push it?

The point is; A defrag on a SSD does nothing for file data continuity.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yes, I've seen the tests but they do wear out and they do slow down. I've had mine installed since January of 2011 and it's down 3% of usable life. Granted, it will outlast this PC (and probably me) but why push it?

The point is; A defrag on a SSD does nothing for file data continuity.

Hmm well I wasn't disputing anything anyone said just that I and another well known member were just saying the other day that the optimizing stuff is really overly done.
I meant to not infer that I know everything about them or that everyone else knew little about them.
I'll just butt out.

 

[badger906]

I dont honestly get all this scare mongering and worrying.. any computer component can die at ANY time.. yet you never hear "will using my monitor a lot make it break quicker?" or "should I only use word on my $700 i7 to stop it working too hard!?"

if it breaks it breaks.. thats the be all and end all of it. you could get 100000000000000 hours use, or 1000.. nobody can put a figure on the life span as no 2 drives will ever do the same amount of work.

I treat my ssd like any other hard drive.. I dont worry about it and I dont treat it like im treading on eggshells.

all my date is backed up multiple times, so any failure will just result in the cost of a new drive and the time it takes to reinstall windows!

 

[strollin]

For the most part, I also treat my ssds as "just another drive". However, in regards to defragging, it's not a matter of making the ssd last longer, it's simply that running defrag on the ssd will not create files that are contiguous due to the way writes are spread across the drive so defragging an ssd is pointless.

 

[badger906]

I dont defrag mechanical drives either! youll never get the time back it takes to leave the pc idle while defragging back, in terms of gained performance.. sooo to me its a pointless task! formattings just as quick!!

 

[lehnerus2000]

Video Processing

Hmm I think we tend to worry about wear and tear on SSD's most are quoted for use for a very long time 1.5 million hours SSD life? - SSD - Storage

Yes, I've seen the tests but they do wear out and they do slow down. I've had mine installed since January of 2011 and it's down 3% of usable life. Granted, it will outlast this PC (and probably me) but why push it?

I read this article recently:

Summary: In an endurance test six consumer-grade SSDs have been written to continuously until failure. The good news: They all exceeded their endurance specs by a substantial margin. But half have failed before reaching a petabyte of writes.

ZDNet - Robin Harris
SSD endurance: Death by petabyte | ZDNet
​

However if you do a lot of video work there might be an issue.
From the comments:

4K video or multichannel FULL HD can run you around 20gb an hour in real time. IF you are using an SSD to process video faster than real time, then you will go thru more than 20gb an hour of writes. 200gb an hour not uncommon for batch processing.
That's easily 5tb a day of writes, and hitting the failure zone in 3 or 4 months.

warboat

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I dont defrag mechanical drives either! youll never get the time back it takes to leave the pc idle while defragging back, in terms of gained performance.. sooo to me its a pointless task! formattings just as quick!!

That's why I have Win 7 set to defrag my HDDs automatically overnight once a week (the computer runs 24/7). It only takes a few minutes for it to happen anyway. Formatting and restoring data takes one heck of a lot longer—several hours instead of several minutes—and puts unnecessary wear and tear on a drive.

 

[AddRAM]

Runs 24/7 :shock: for God`s sake why Jean ?

I`m sure you just mean it`s plugged in 24/7 but goes into hibernation

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Runs 24/7 :shock: for God`s sake why Jean ?

I`m sure you just mean it`s plugged in 24/7 but goes into hibernation

Nope. It runs 24/7. I'm on and off of it all day long and I have processes that run at night when I'm not using it. It's much faster to turn just the monitor on and off than to hibernate it and wake it up multiple times a day. It doesn't hurt it to run all the time (and it many actually be easier on it) and the hit it makes on my electric bill is unnoticeable. Keep in mind my computer also serves as an HTPC; I listen to music on it, watch movies on it (it's patched into my TV), read books with it, and I even use it like a "normal" computer.

 

[Layback Bear]

I think ssd's go to a early grave because the owners worry them to death.

Don't defrag a ssd because it's a waste of time. It does no good.
Don't test your ssd into a early grave.
I use the manufactures programs. In my case these would be.
Intel=Intel Tool Box
Samsung=Magician
In my opinion you can over use those programs also.
I don't worry about internet caching or the such. Ssd's and Windows 7 can handle all that kind of stuff with no problems.
If you have a lot of data, music, movies, games, backups ect. I would put them on a HHD just because of the room they take up.
If you have enough room on your ssd for everything you care to have, just use the ssd.
It won't hurt it. Of course you will want all your backups on a separate drive which can be a HHD or SSD. Your choice.

Folks the days of doom and gloom about ssd's are over. They work great.
Lear to enjoy them. It doesn't take long and it is painless.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

I agree 100% wit5h Bear I use the optimize with the Samsung Magician and in any case the thing gets set to TRIM.
Still enough of this thread.

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I agree 100% wit5h Bear I use the optimize with the Samsung Magician and in any case the thing gets set to TRIM.
Still enough of this thread.