SSD Dilemma – Worth repartitioning???

[garuda]

SSD Dilemma – Worth repartitioning???

Just bought an Intel X25-M 169GB and maybe took the wrong advise on partitioning it. I wanted to over-provision by 10% (15GB) for leveling, TRIM, mapping, endurance, etc. I was told by someone not to over-provision for risk of mis-alignment or controller problems, and instead to merely clean install W7 and let 7 format and align by itself. So I clean-installed W7 and all my numerous applications, updates, and tweaks.

Later I listened to a lecture by Intel’s Chief Engineer of the NAND Solutions Group at the IDF2009 conference. He stated with extreme confidence that partitioning ~144GB of the 150GB usable and leaving 5% (~7GB) unallocated – would not only improve performance but would also extend the life expectancy (endurance) by nearly three times: from 15TB to 42TB of endurance – 2.8 times improvement!

Now… Is it worth the time and risk of applying an SE (secure erase) to clean it, then reformat to a 144GB partition, and then clean install W7 again and let it do the quick-format to the 144GB user area – leaving 7GB unallocated. Intel recommended doing this 144-partition format on a NEW, BARE, UNWRITTEN drive – which mine is no longer. I hate messing around with SE wipes and the unknown issues that might arise when it is presently healthy and doing sequential READS @ 260MB/s. But knowing it could last 3 times longer is enticing.

How safe and reliable is SE? And what do the seasoned experienced owners of X25-M drives think? Any comments are appreciated.
garuda

 

[pparks1]

I was always under the impression that the Intel drives had already come with extra non-usable space on them for this very reason. So, my 80GB drive is actually closer to a 90GB drive and it has space set aside at the end for internal use.

Overall, I think you might be overanalyzing this and worrying too much. My guess is that any drive will last 8+ years anyway. I don't know about you, but 8 years from now, I will have gone through at least 2 new machines and will have also upgraded and changed hard drives by then.....so I don't really need to maximize life for greater than that. Just my $0.02.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello garuda.



I believe pparks1 makes a good point, they are "expected" to outlast current machines; besides the prices are already coming down making them more affordable to own.

For anyone interested, Windows 7 "Diskpart" has a secure erase function that can be ran from a command window at boot, no need for a 3rd party app; have a look at the tutorial at the link below.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html?ltr=D

 

[garuda]

Overall, I think you might be overanalyzing this and worrying too much.

pparks1 & BFK,
Thanks for your candor; I do think you are right. I often want to take full advantage of everyone’s research and advice to minimize the headaches later when we discover we should have done it differently. But then later I also often have an attack of “common sense” and realize in a more practical sense that it probably doesn’t matter all that much… as pparks1 hinted. I’m a senior citizen, the SSD may out last me!

I’m going to use the drive as is now, no SE. But thanx for DISKPART tip for the future. And nice Antec case/system (photo)!
garuda