Write-Caching - Enable or Disable

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  1. Posts : 156
    Windows 7, Windows 10 Pro
       #50

    Brink said:
    If your system is at high risk for power losses or sudden shut downs, then it would probably be best to disable write caching for the HDD to avoid the potential of data loss.

    If not, then you could gain some performance by leaving it enabled.
    Thanks. I definitely notice a performance boost but righ now I am checking and testing out my RAM so I think I will have it disabled.

    Brink said:
    bagavan said:
    Brink,

    I enabled write cache command for my external 320 GB hard disk.But I did not notice any improvement.why?
    You probably wouldn't notice much if any difference with the naked eye.

    This is one that you would have to run a HDD benchmark for to possibly see a difference. It would also help if AHCI is enabled for the HDD and not have it in IDE when Windows 7 was installed on it. You would not want to change this setting in BIOS for the HDD unless you were doing a clean install though.
    Oh, why did you have to bring this up? lolz.
    My Windows 7 OS was professionally installed during the build. It wasnt initially set with AHCI enabled and I had them reinstall the OS with it enabled when I discovered AHCI was not enabled initially. However, even though AHCI is enabled now, my Marvell Controller selection is set to IDE mode for my current HDD (not SSD). Should the Marvell controller be set to AHCI and would the OS have to be reinstalled again even though AHCI is enabled elsewhere in the bios. BTW, sorry for gettting off topic.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #51

    Sammy,

    Luckily you practically have the same motherboard as me. It has two sets of SATA ports, Intel (4 blue) and Marvel (2 whitish). It depends on which one your Windows 7 HDD is connected to. Most likely it is one of the Intel SATA ports since you said it was already set as AHCI in BIOS.
    Write-Caching - Enable or Disable-k0h0boj8bbukbwz9_500.jpg
    If you do not have anything connected to the Marvell SATA ports, then it would be best to set it as AHCI in BIOS as well. This way it will be ready to go with AHCI if you wanted to connect a HDD to it later.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 156
    Windows 7, Windows 10 Pro
       #52

    Brink, I checked and I had them connect it to the Marvell (white) port because I wanted 6GB/sec speed that my HDD is. My DVD is connected to the Blue Intel Port along with another SATA 2 HDD.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #53

    Ah, then you would have to reinstall Windows 7 if you wanted to convert the Marvell port to AHCI in BIOS to have the Windows 7 drive as AHCI as well. To me it's not worth doing this right now, and just wait to do it the next time you wanted or happen to reinstall Windows 7.

    The 6GB/sec speed of the Marvell SATA ports is only the maximum bandwith that it can handle vs the 3GB/sec with the Intel SATA ports. It depends on what the maximum transfer rates are of the HDD if it will even be able to use all of the available SATA port's bandwith. Most HDD's cannot even use up the 3GB/sec unless in large RAID 0 array.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 851
    Windows 8 Professional x64
       #54

    Brink said:
    bagavan said:
    Brink,

    I enabled write cache command for my external 320 GB hard disk.But I did not notice any improvement.why?
    You probably wouldn't notice much if any difference with the naked eye.

    This is one that you would have to run a HDD benchmark for to possibly see a difference. It would also help if AHCI is enabled for the HDD and not have it in IDE when Windows 7 was installed on it. You would not want to change this setting in BIOS for the HDD unless you were doing a clean install though.
    AHCI is enabled in BIOS for windows 7..
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #55

    bagavan said:
    Brink said:
    bagavan said:
    Brink,

    I enabled write cache command for my external 320 GB hard disk.But I did not notice any improvement.why?
    You probably wouldn't notice much if any difference with the naked eye.

    This is one that you would have to run a HDD benchmark for to possibly see a difference. It would also help if AHCI is enabled for the HDD and not have it in IDE when Windows 7 was installed on it. You would not want to change this setting in BIOS for the HDD unless you were doing a clean install though.
    AHCI is enabled in BIOS for windows 7..
    Ok good.

    I would just test it using a HDD benchmarking program with write caching off and on to see what gives you a better score. Please let us know what your results were.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 156
    Windows 7, Windows 10 Pro
       #56

    Brink said:
    Ah, then you would have to reinstall Windows 7 if you wanted to convert the Marvell port to AHCI in BIOS to have the Windows 7 drive as AHCI as well. To me it's not worth doing this right now, and just wait to do it the next time you wanted or happen to reinstall Windows 7.

    The 6GB/sec speed of the Marvell SATA ports is only the maximum bandwith that it can handle vs the 3GB/sec with the Intel SATA ports. It depends on what the maximum transfer rates are of the HDD if it will even be able to use all of the available SATA port's bandwith. Most HDD's cannot even use up the 3GB/sec unless in large RAID 0 array.
    Now I am confused. I told the PC builder tech to reinstall windows and they did with AHCI enabled. AHCI options are shown in two different places in the bios. One of which is where the Marvel Controller setttings are.

    So, AHCI is in fact enabled. However, the options for my Marvel Controller are IDE or AHCI. I had to flash the bios at one point (after the store reinstalled windows 7) which reset all the bios settings and I think I was told in an forum I should set the Marvell COntroller NOT to AHCI but IDE.

    Would there be any harm in setting the Marvel controller to AHCI from IDE? And how would I know for sure if AHCI drivers are in fact loaded/installed?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #57

    You can give it a try to set Marvel to AHCI in BIOS to see how it goes. If your Windows 7 drive will no longer boot or be recognized, then just restart the computer and change the Marvel BIOS setting back to IDE.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 851
    Windows 8 Professional x64
       #58

    Brink said:
    bagavan said:
    Brink said:

    You probably wouldn't notice much if any difference with the naked eye.

    This is one that you would have to run a HDD benchmark for to possibly see a difference. It would also help if AHCI is enabled for the HDD and not have it in IDE when Windows 7 was installed on it. You would not want to change this setting in BIOS for the HDD unless you were doing a clean install though.
    AHCI is enabled in BIOS for windows 7..
    Ok good.

    I would just test it using a HDD benchmarking program with write caching off and on to see what gives you a better score. Please let us know what your results were.
    I did the benchmark with HD tune PRO

    Without write caching it gave 25.4 MB/s

    With write caching it gave 27.2 MB/s

    Is this speed too low??
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #59

    It really depends on what the HDD manufacturer says that the maximum read and write speeds are suppose to be for it.
      My Computer


 
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