Mushkin SSD on Marvell 9128 SATA 3 controller is going SATA 2 speeds

[Dougx1317]

I have a Mushkin Enhanced Chronos Deluxe 120GB SSD that I just got. My motherboard (GA-P55A-UD3) has a Marvell 9128 SATA III controller on it. This is limited by its PCI-e 1x connection to a theoretical 500MB/s. With my SSD being the only thing on that controller and the SATA III settings turned on in the BIOS, I am getting around 300MB/s. I know these Marvell controllers aren't great, but shouldn't I be getting better than that? Does anybody have any ideas of why these numbers aren't anywhere close to the 500MB/s I should expect?

 

[armand_h]

the bandwidth is less than SATA 6gb/s which is normal!

read this topic:

http://thessdreview.com/Forums/raid-overclocking/691.htm

 

[Dougx1317]

Wow. I knew the Marvall controller was bad, but I didn't realize I'd be limited to around 300MB/s. They shouldn't even call that SATA III. Would I be better off using the Intel controller if it's just one drive?

 

[armand_h]

try to update controller/motherboard drivers! maybe you will get better performance!

if you just using 1 SSD then marvel is better!

but in raid 0 mode 2X sata II at 3gb/s is faster than 2X sata III marvell at 2.5gb/s!

 

[Dougx1317]

The bios are up to date at F11. I just installed the Marvall drivers which did give me an extra ~20MB/s. Now that I'm over 300MB/s, I know that I'm using SATA III. I still think it's odd that the drive is so far from its 550MB/s max.

I'm just using the single drive, so I guess I'll stick with the Marvall controller. I appreciate your suggestion about the drivers. Do you have any other ideas?

 

[armand_h]

i think it's better to use marvell because you are using 1 SSD!

but if you want to get max speed even better than intel sata III i suggest you to buy raid controller!

somthing like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816115100

cheap and FAST!

here is the review:

http://thessdreview.com/featured/highpoint-rocketraid-6gbs-satasas-2720sgl-review-utilizing-8-micron-c400-6gbps-ssds/

 

[Kominaut]

dougx1317.

I have the same exact problem as you. I'm currently using a p7p55d-e lx motherboard from asus. I have the Mushkin Enhanced Chronos Deluxe 120gb SSD plugged into my sata 6g/b port and am experiencing the same exact speeds with my Marvell controller as well.

Although what is different from yours, my SSD cannot boot alone, there must be a HDD (for example, my previous HDD which is now storage) connected to boot. In my BIOS my controller is set to AHCI, but my BIOS doesn't detect my SSD as sata, only as IDE. The only SATA connected drive is my storage (previous) HDD.

I'm obviously not savvy with SSD's and this is my first. I have unplugged all other drives and such, and have done a fresh install of windows 7 (AHCI) onto the SSD, yet it still insists on showing it as an IDE.

If anyone could help, this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[armand_h]

Hi Kominaut!
i know what is your problem about HDD boot!))

Do this and you don't need to put your HDD as boot device!

go to BIOS:

Storage config --> config SATA as AHCI

Boot setting --> HDD --> disable all other drives except SSD

Boot device priority --> make sure SSD is set as boot

install new windows and you'll be fine!

and i don't understand , where it shows that it still in IDE mode?

check for bios update !

you can also enable it through the windows!


1. Exit all Windows-based programs.

2. Click Start, type regedit in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

3. If you receive the User Account Control dialog box, click Continue.

4. Locate and then click the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Msahci

5. In the right pane, right-click Start in the Name column, and then click Modify.

6. In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.

7. On the File menu, click Exit to close Registry Editor and restart the PC!

 

[Kominaut]

Hey armand_h!

I've done as you asked and set storage config as AHCI, disabled all other drives, and made the SSD the boot priority.

Reinstalled windows 7 and it is still showing my SSD as IDE in the boot device priority screen. In the 'AHCI storage' menu, it only shows 1 drive using a sata connector, and that is my old HDD. It does NOT show my new SSD being used as SATA at all.

My BIOS is up to date (flashed it prior to receiving SSD)

I had also browsed around the internet for fixes and had already done the regedit fix and it is still set as '0'

On the bright side, it seems my SSD is more responsive and boots up alot quicker (probably due to AHCI storage setting)!

The only problem I have left is making my BIOS recognize the SSD that is plugged into my SATA 6g/b port, instead of only my old HDD.

 

[armand_h]

hmmm strange!

run as ssd benchmark and see what is the name of the drive!

if The drive is being detected as a Toshiba in AS SSD you have to RMA it, it'll have to have an engineering flash to fix it!

if not try to update your SSD firmware! maybe it's some kind of firmware bug!

http://www.mushkin.com/Digital-Storage/SSDs/MKNSSDCR120GB-DX.aspx

 

[Kominaut]

Thanks for the links

Here is what AS SSD depicts from my SSD. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/12/ssdy.jpg/

As for firmware im going to download the firmware and try that.

 

[armand_h]

how much free space do you have? because r/w speed is low!

ensure that trim is functioning and wipe your SSD with parted magic or HDDErase before installing new windows !

here i wrote guide and some tweaks!

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/forum2.php?config=tomshardwareuk.inc&cat=14&post=277958&page=1&p=1&sondage=0&owntopic=1&trash=0&trash_post=0&print=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0

 

[Kominaut]

I had nothing installed other than windows (and possibly some updates) when that picture was taken, so it was a very fresh install.

I had also completely wiped my drive previously to installing windows 7, which i installed last night.

Trim is functioning from what the cmdprompt tells me. And I had a look at your tweaks which are mostly all enabled now.

It seems that the r/w speeds are the same and im still confused as to what the problem is. I'll take some pictures of my bios screens and see what I can show you!

 

[armand_h]

what about firmware update?)

 

[Kominaut]

I just updated the firmware as well. Im about to post some screens of my bios for you.

 

[Kominaut]

System Info: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/190/systeminfop.jpg/ (Showing my latest BIOS version)

Storage Configuration: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/217/storageconfig.jpg/

AHCI Settings: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/560/ahciconfigbefore.jpg/

Devices Configuration: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/823/devicesconfig.jpg/

Drives: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/337/hddd.jpg/

Boot Priority: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/828/bootpriority.jpg/

Other Settings: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/41/toolsrx.jpg/

Then the next screen is of my AHCI Settings (The SATA drives screen) when I had unplugged all other connected SATA drives and reconnected my SSD SATA 6g/b drive into the 1st and 2nd SATA 6gb ports.

AHCI Settings (After): http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/254/ahciconfigafter.jpg/

 

[Kominaut]

Also when I disable Marvell Storage Controller from the 'Devices Configuration' screen, the SSD (that is shwon as ide) does not show in the boot priority menu or the drives menu.

 

[armand_h]

if you connected SSD to a sata III (marvell) port then try it at sata II port 0 !

disable marvell controller and disconnect HDD and ODD

 

[4trees]

I recently got a Mushkin 120gb chronos and my r/w speeds are far below what I was hoping for (edit: 240 mb/s write and 405 mb/s read). I sent an email to Gigabyte support (no reply after 3 days) and I sent an email to Mushkin support and this is what they said....

Sean mushkinsean@mushkin.com
1:37 PM (9 hours ago)

to me
Hi Allen,

You are using an X58 mobo, all the Intel SATA ports are SATA2(3Gb/s)
The SATA3(6Gb/s) SATA port uses the Marvell 9128 controller, that is as fast as that controller is capable of going.
The limitation in read and write speeds is caused by the available SATA controllers on your mobo.

Thanks
Sean

I am using a GA-x58a-ud5 rev 1 mobo. Apparently the Marvell controller, which is my only option if i want to stick to sata3, is falling behind the other mobo's. If I had known this I would have got an ASUS mobo or a cheaper Gigabyte board. I hope Gigabyte will return with some good news but as of now I am disappointed. Regardless the ssd is still a huge improvement over my WD black hdd. I can live with it.