Dell Mobile Precision M4500 setup questions

[GWT]

I just got a new M4500 with a Samsung PM800 64GB SSD and a Toshiba 7200RPM storage drive. Both of these drives are set to non-RAID. I noticed when I went into the BIOS that it was set to RAID On instead of AHCI, even though there is no RAID setup between the two drives.

I ran the CrystalDiskUtility and the most it eeks out is at 94%. The built in Performance Utility in Windows 7 currently measures at 6.7

I was told an SSD should equal out to close to 100% and at least 7.0 as benchmarks if I want to utilize all the performance it offers. Is this the best that it can do?

Any info would be most appreciated. Thanks.

 

[gregrocker]

RAID On is the default SATA controller setting in some BIOS, even with one HD,.

Try AHCI first for install.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/113967-ssd-alignment.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/70822-ssd-tweaks-optimizations-windows-7-a.html

 

[GWT]

RAID On is the default SATA controller setting in some BIOS, even with one HD,.

Try AHCI first for install.

That would mean a fresh install since loading AHCI drivers after Windows 7 is installed can be pretty unstable.

 

[gregrocker]

No need to change it until you're ready to reinstall. AHCI only enables hot-swapping.

If there is some other reason you need AHCI: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/61869-ahci-enable-windows-7-vista.html?ltr=A

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

RAID On is the default SATA controller setting in some BIOS, even with one HD,.

Try AHCI first for install.

That would mean a fresh install since loading AHCI drivers after Windows 7 is installed can be pretty unstable.

It's not at all unstable, using the tutorial posted at the link above.

 

[GWT]

It's not at all unstable, using the tutorial posted at the link above.

Well wait a minute, what about this?

AHCI and SSD's

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

It's not at all unstable, using the tutorial posted at the link above.

Well wait a minute, what about this?

AHCI and SSD's

Geez, that POS thread is a year and a half old from the sorriest forum on the net.

 

[theog]

What setting do have in BIOS?

 

[GWT]

Geez, that POS thread is a year and a half old from the sorriest forum on the net.

You mean none of that is true? :sarc:

Why not?

What setting do have in BIOS?

Currently it's set to "RAID ON"

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

I've been running AHCI on an SSD for longer than that thread was first posted and have never had an issue of any kind; always remember, a single thread/post does not an issue make.

 

[GWT]

I've been running AHCI on an SSD for longer than that thread was first posted and have never had an issue of any kind; always remember, a single thread/post does not an issue make.

Yeah but did you set the BIOS to AHCI first and then do a clean install from scratch?

Or did you load the AHCI drivers on after Windows 7 was already installed?

Even the tech I talked to at Dell wasn't sure if it would be stable the second way.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Evidentially since I wrote this tutorial about 6 months after I got the SSD and had to enable AHCI after the installation of Windows 7 and Vista (several times) to get the screen-shots used in the tutorial, I've had experience with it both ways.

AHCI : Enable in Windows 7 / Vista



But suite yourself, I've said all I'm going to on this subject.

Look at the Intel in this snip from the tutorial

​

 

[GWT]

Well this is interesting. I just read the following from Dave76...

http://www.sevenforums.com/701051-post95.html

The answer is NO, you do not have to be in/using RAID for AHCI to work.
AHCI is a separate function from RAID, actually selecting RAID will put the computer in AHCI mode.

Your choices in BIOS are IDE, AHCI or RAID mode.
When you set your computer to RAID (normally the third option in your BIOS) it will set it to AHCI mode.
You can set your computer to RAID (which uses AHCI mode) and not have any HDDs set up in RAID configuration. You will have the advantages of AHCI when in the RAID setting.

Well if this is correct, then I'm already in AHCI mode, even though the BIOS says "RAID ON".

The main benefits of AHCI are your HDDs can be HotSwappable (plug and play and unplug, without shutting down the computer), NQR (native command queuing, this allows your HDD to run more efficiently), allows the use of S.M.A.R.T. the HDD monitoring software.

S.M.A.R.T is already enabled on my machine. So is NQR. The implication being that these two features won't run without it being run in AHCI in the first place. Yes? No?

Also required for SSDs to use Trim function.

Again, TRIM is also already enabled. I thought TRIM could also work under IDE?

 

[theog]

1) A BIOS set to ATA will handle IDE mode only.
2) A BIOS set to SATA will handle SATA mode only.
3) A BIOS set to Raid On will handle SATA mode & RAID mode, But not IDE mode.

Therefore leave your BIOS set to default Raid On.