SSD WEI scored lower on re-install of Windows 7

Tide

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I have a 250GB OCZ Agility 4 SSD which used to get a WEI score of 7.6. Now, upon doing a clean-install of Windows 7, it's dropped to 7.3. I'm using AHCI mode. I didn't change anything in the hardware -- the SSD is on the SATA3 ctrl'r. Software-wise... I'm using the latest Intel chipset and Rapid Storage Technology drivers that are available for my MB. I also verified that Windows is indeed using the trim mode. What am I missing? (my detailed specs are below)

My Current (and expected) WEI scores:
Processor: 7.5 (7.5)
Memory: 7.8 (7.8)
Graphics: 7.9 (7.9)
Gaming: 7.9 (7.9)
Hard disk: 7.3 (7.6)

Hardware:
Intel Core i5-2500 Sandy Bridge at 3.4Ghz
Asus P8P67 motherboard
PNY 16GB (2x8gb) DDR3 PC3-12800
EVGA Nvidia GTX 770 SC
OCZ Agility 4 SSD 250gb

Software versions currently installed:
Intel(R) Desktop/Workstation/Server Express Chipset SATA AHCI Controller (10.5.0.1026)
 

Vexillarius

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SSD performance degrades over time. TRIM and GC help a lot but aren't perfect. Did you Secure Erase the SSD before reinstalling?

Another common cause of degraded performance is a full or nearly full SSD, a SSD should always have at least 15% free space.
 

Tide

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I'm very well aware of the performance degradation of SSDs over time. This SSD isn't that old... (maybe a year, now) To answer your question, no, I didn't run a secure erase before I re-installed. Even then, the SSD barely had anything on it (it was maybe only 15 to 20 percent full) before I did the clean-install.

Is not doing a secure erase enough to cause a 0.3 point degradation in the WEI score?

I remember the last time I installed Windows 7, I got a WEI score of 7.3 then as well but then there was something that bumped it up to 7.6 and I'm banging my head against my desk trying to figure out what the heck that was. :/
 


First, forget about WEI. This is not a reliable benchmark and results will vary considerably. If you want to benchmark your SSD, use AS SSD or Chrystal Disk info.

Next, does your mobo have a 3rd party SATA controller, like Asmedia? Be sure that your SSD is plugged into the native Intel SATA ports.

Yogi

 

popatim

Titan
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You didn't zero fill the drive so for it to use the space that previously had data in it it must erase the block before it can write. verify trim is enabled and then let it sit at the logon screen for a few hours so that trim can do its thing - which is zero fill those blocks that are no longer being used but not really empty yet.
 

Tide

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My mobo has the following controllers on it... (mind you, I'm using the Intel sata 6.0 gb/s port... not the Marvell controller)

This snippet is directly from the Asus P8P67 mobo manual...
Intel P67 Express Chipset
- 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (gray)
- 4 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports (blue)
- Intel Rapid Storage Technology supports RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10

Marvell PCIe SATA 6.0 Gb/s controller*
- 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (navy blue)

* These SATA ports are for data hard drives only. ATAPI devices are not supported.
 

Tide

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I already verified that trim is enabled earlier... (I ran the "fsutil.exe behaviour query DisableDeleteNotify" command and it returned 0 so trim is definitely enabled.)

I usually idle the system a few hours each day (out of laziness about turning it off.. lol) so shouldn't it have already trimmed garbage off of the drive?