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How to optimize SSDs in RAID?

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Ok, I previously posted at least one thread asking questions similar, but off topic. Here I go again. :bounce: 

First, my set up: 2-Intel X25-V 40GB SSD in RAID 0.

I understand about the lack of TRIM, although PC says it's enabled, not a problem. I understand this issue.

I partioned my drive @ 80% as:

1) 100MB partion for "System Reseved", during Windows 7 install, which I'm absolutely fine with.
2) 64GB partion for OS and Programs.
3) 16GB +/- partion left unformatted, and unallocated.

When I tried some of the "SSD tweaks" I've found all over the internet, it just confused me (not easily done :D ). Read conflicting information about pagefile, superfetch, prefetch, internet cache, etc, enable or disable, or move to hard drive, etc.

So I jacked it up so bad, I did a reinstall, formatting the SSD's under Windows 7 install. AND LEFT EVERYTHING ALONE! The My Docs, Music, Pictures, and Videos are on a second set of hard drives in RAID 0.

SO....my pagefile, internet cache, contacts, and a few other things that are re-written alot are still on my SSD. But I'm gonna leave it that way. Because, wouldn't you want to access these files as fast as possible, too?

NOW, to my questions:

After a month of running like a champ (i.e. 2 second boots after the logon screen), the system has slowed a little. It took almost 20 second the other day from login to ready to use (OMG, 20 secs!).

Now I know I can't run the "Intel Toolbox Utility" because I'm in RAID 0. TRIM is there, but not used in a RAID array.

So what are my options to optimize the SSD's within my set up? :bounce: 

I know its' not a tragic problem, but maybe we can set the ground work for future questions like this. Afterall, SSD ARE the future.

Anyway, on my next reinstall I'll use the SecureErase (HDDErase.exe) program before I start install.

BTW: I know the real solution is to get a Intel X25-M 80GB, and no RAID. Well, prices are coming down! :sol: 

P.S. What is "garbage collection." Is there a program called that, to optimize a SSD?

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Having binged "optimize a SSD in RAID" resulted in a few hits I'm checking out.

One option is "Diskeeper’s Hyperfast" utility. However, I'm not going to try it! THG has a post on it "Diskeeper's Controversial SSD Defrager" and even they can not recommend it. Plus, it's not free. :non: 

Another option is the "SSD Tweaker Utility" from SourceForge.net, a link in OCZ's website: http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?49779-SSD-Tweak-Utility.
But, even as stated within reviews of this program (which is a program, not an application like HyperFast), from ghacks.net review "SSD Tweaker tries to reduce the write processes on the Solid State Drive which will affect the performance of the drive positively." BUT later in the review "These configuration tweaks can benefit all SSD drives, even those that support Trim or come with a Wiper program. They do on the other hand limit the functionality of the operating system."

This is the program I ran, and seemed to muck up my OS, so I re-installed, as stated earlier. I do understand the benefits of limiting writes, but it takes away from the funtionality of the OS (Windows 7). :kaola: 

You can argue with me all you want that I don't need this or that (i.e. pagefile, Indexing), but it's built into the OS. And if I "move it" to my hard drive, won't that slow down my overall performance, and fragment my HDD's. What good is it to have an SSD for the performance gain, when you have to move all the common read/write files back to a hard disk? This is my point! :o 

What I want is a program, not a background application, that will help optimize my SSDs in RAID, over time. A "defrag" program for SSDs! Do you feel me? :pt1cable: 

Best solution

Storage Expert

I've been running my SSD-based Windows 7 system (on a 160GB Intel X25-M G2) for about 4 months now and haven't noticed any slowdown. I'm not saying it hasn't slowed down, but if it has I sure haven't noticed it.

I just created a single big partition for the OS (and of course also ended up with the 100MB "recovery partition as well), and am currently using about 55GB. No RAID on my system, though.

However I have seen some boot delays due to the occasional driver problem. On one instance I had to update my video drivers, in the latest one the drivers for my USB 3 adapter card sometimes fail to load. That results in the boot phase that shows the pulsing 4-colour window logo to last longer than normal.

I'd check your system event log to see if you're running into any problems that are causing delays during the boot.

Ok, I'll do that. Gotta clue where it is? Got it. Run "eventvwr". What should I look for?

My "delay" is from the logon screen, to the point where Windows is ready (i.e. the circle above the mouse is done running around). At first, even after all programs were installed, it took less than 2 seconds, now not so much....

And I have turned almost all of the "start up" programs off, thru Norton Start Up Manager or msconfig. Only left what I know needs to run...

sminlal: Did you "Tweak?" Just asking.
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Storage Expert

You're off to the right start with "EventVwr". Look under "Windows Logs", select the "System Log", and look for warning or error events. What I did was to note on my watch the exact time that the delay occured and then look for something in the event log at the same time.

I didn't really "tweak" anything other than disabling my page file. I have 12GB of memory that never gets close to being full, so I have no need of one on an SSD or otherwise.

I have several programs set to auto-start including Thunderbird, Sunbird, Task Manager, a reminder program and a couple of monitoring programs. I haven't measured the time to start them up recently but a couple of seconds feels about right, and I haven't noticed them taking any longer now than they did a few months back when I first installed.

What are you guys doing to get 2 second boot times? I assume this is after POST but even then I get about 18 seconds at a minimum. I have a few programs loading but even before I installed them, with just windows running, it was still nearly 20 seconds after POST (see my hardware in my member configuration). Now that seems screamingly fast to me coming from my XP machine that takes some 2 or 3 minutes including POST. I can't imagine 2 seconds. Seems impossible.

foscooter said:
Having binged "optimize a SSD in RAID" resulted in a few hits I'm checking out.

One option is "Diskeeper’s Hyperfast" utility. However, I'm not going to try it! THG has a post on it "Diskeeper's Controversial SSD Defrager" and even they can not recommend it. Plus, it's not free. :non: 

Another option is the "SSD Tweaker Utility" from SourceForge.net, a link in OCZ's website: http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?49779-SSD-Tweak-Utility.
But, even as stated within reviews of this program (which is a program, not an application like HyperFast), from ghacks.net review "SSD Tweaker tries to reduce the write processes on the Solid State Drive which will affect the performance of the drive positively." BUT later in the review "These configuration tweaks can benefit all SSD drives, even those that support Trim or come with a Wiper program. They do on the other hand limit the functionality of the operating system."

This is the program I ran, and seemed to muck up my OS, so I re-installed, as stated earlier. I do understand the benefits of limiting writes, but it takes away from the funtionality of the OS (Windows 7). :kaola: 

You can argue with me all you want that I don't need this or that (i.e. pagefile, Indexing), but it's built into the OS. And if I "move it" to my hard drive, won't that slow down my overall performance, and fragment my HDD's. What good is it to have an SSD for the performance gain, when you have to move all the common read/write files back to a hard disk? This is my point! :o 

What I want is a program, not a background application, that will help optimize my SSDs in RAID, over time. A "defrag" program for SSDs! Do you feel me? :pt1cable: 



I use a RAID 0 array of 32MB Adatas to hold the OS and the program executables. They give 275M write and 397 read. Data is held on a RAID 10 array of 500G Seagates (204M write, 210 read). But the kicker is that I also use a Dataram Ramdisk that pushes all the browser cache and program temp data to a 650M ramdisk. The ramdisk is way faster than the SSDs so moving the caches onto a small ram disk makes a lot of sense. Works for me.

foscooter said:
Ok, I previously posted at least one thread asking questions similar, but off topic. Here I go again. :bounce: 

First, my set up: 2-Intel X25-V 40GB SSD in RAID 0.

I understand about the lack of TRIM, although PC says it's enabled, not a problem. I understand this issue.

I partioned my drive @ 80% as:

1) 100MB partion for "System Reseved", during Windows 7 install, which I'm absolutely fine with.
2) 64GB partion for OS and Programs.
3) 16GB +/- partion left unformatted, and unallocated.

When I tried some of the "SSD tweaks" I've found all over the internet, it just confused me (not easily done :D ). Read conflicting information about pagefile, superfetch, prefetch, internet cache, etc, enable or disable, or move to hard drive, etc.

So I jacked it up so bad, I did a reinstall, formatting the SSD's under Windows 7 install. AND LEFT EVERYTHING ALONE! The My Docs, Music, Pictures, and Videos are on a second set of hard drives in RAID 0.

SO....my pagefile, internet cache, contacts, and a few other things that are re-written alot are still on my SSD. But I'm gonna leave it that way. Because, wouldn't you want to access these files as fast as possible, too?

NOW, to my questions:

After a month of running like a champ (i.e. 2 second boots after the logon screen), the system has slowed a little. It took almost 20 second the other day from login to ready to use (OMG, 20 secs!).

Now I know I can't run the "Intel Toolbox Utility" because I'm in RAID 0. TRIM is there, but not used in a RAID array.

So what are my options to optimize the SSD's within my set up? :bounce: 

I know its' not a tragic problem, but maybe we can set the ground work for future questions like this. Afterall, SSD ARE the future.

Anyway, on my next reinstall I'll use the SecureErase (HDDErase.exe) program before I start install.

BTW: I know the real solution is to get a Intel X25-M 80GB, and no RAID. Well, prices are coming down! :sol: 

P.S. What is "garbage collection." Is there a program called that, to optimize a SSD?



Sorry, shoulda said 32G Adatas. And the whole thing is running Windows 7 x64.
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