1st build - Win7 boots slow on SSD after switching mobo

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shakedotazz

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Apr 29, 2012
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Can you guys please help me? I don't even know where to start...

I switched my motherboard -- from MSI z77a-g45 to GA Z68XP UD3 -- for better hackintosh compatibility that I'll be trying out in about a month or two...

Since I've switched motherboards though, Windows 7 takes so much longer to boot up, even on SSD.

What do I need to change to get it back to my ~20 second boot time with the old mobo??

thanks!
 
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spankmon

spankmon

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On the driver dvd that came with the motherboard, there is a Gigabyte utility that includes quick-boot. I haven't tried it, so don't know if it helps... but it should. It apparently skips a number of POST checks, which is what makes the standard boot slow. I think it's among the Smart6 software suite. You might find it in the bios also, then you wouldn't need to install Smart6.
 
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shakedotazz

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Apr 29, 2012
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Thanks for the replies! I really appreciate the help...

The quick boot, I activated within BIOS, and it didn't help...
I'll check the DVD if it's the same "quick boot"

I'll double check the intel driver as well, but I believe I already have the latest driver.

Thanks!
 
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RetiredChief

RetiredChief

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Feb 22, 2007
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Download and run AS SSD (don't need to run the benchmark,
Just verify that the correct driver is infact loaded (Should be iaSTor). Probably is, but always good to verify that it did not get stuck with pcide driver. iaSTor vs msahci is only a small performance diff I believe.

Two stages included in boot time:
1) the Post (which an SSD will not effect) and
2) time from Loading operating system -> open first app. this time for a good SSD on a Z68 chipset and fresh instal is generally around 15 Sec give or take a few.
 
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shakedotazz

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Not sure I understand, but here's a screenshot of the AS SSD I ran about a couple of hours ago...

QRuXp.png



and the I'm not really complaining about the Post time, even though that takes longer now too...

The biggest difference is the actual loading of the operating system.
The Windows logo doesnt even get the chance to complete on the old mobo... now it gets completed, and some...
 
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spankmon

spankmon

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I think both our SSD's are working as they should. I guess Gigabyte wants us to enjoy the full experience of the Windows splash screen. This same thing happened to me after switching from an ASRock mobo to Gigabyte. And, fwiw, the boot up time on this board is the same as it was when the board was on a different computer with an i3 2125 and mechanical hard drive (WD Caviar Black). I'll be watching this thread for your solution (hopefully).

http://i1049.photobucket.com/albums/s397/spankmon/ScreenShot002.png
 
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spankmon

spankmon

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This be a strange situation. Out of curiosity, how do you have your SSD partitioned? Did you let Windows partition and format it for you automatically?
 
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shakedotazz

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I just installed Windows on the drive... aside from having to Install over the original one (old mobo), I didn't do anything extra. Windows is on this drive by itself.

I have my programs/files/games on a separate HDD.
 
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spankmon

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So, you have the efi formatting rather than regular ntfs? Does your SSD have the small "Windows Reserved" partition as the first on the drive?
 
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spankmon

spankmon

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OK, then we have something in common... nonexistent Reserved partition. I formatted my drive to ntfs before installing Windows, because I didn't want the gpt partition table or efi formatting (which is ntfs, but necessary to make UEFI BIOS work from within Windows... if my understanding is correct). I'm now wondering if that reserved partition is critical in permitting some settings to take effect. I have overclocked the system from within Win7, and it's working correctly. But maybe some other things require the reserved partition to function. I hope someone will come along here and give me a clue.
 
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RetiredChief

RetiredChief

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(1) should have two partitions on SSD
.. 100 mb system
.. Remainder of drive as C
Windows will auto do the 100 mb Partition, provided you have deleted all partitions, AND only have the SSD installed - NO HDDs attached. Can delete all partitions if you select custom instal then advanced on page that shows your SSD.

shakedotazz - you are using uSofts default driver msahci, switch it to the latest iaSTor (intels RST driver (Newest version I think is 10.8)

My M4 in RF711 laptop (your scores should be close:
nbq5xj.jpg


Note the diff, I'm using iaSTor and partition shows 1024K offset (For partition alignment).
Performance is more a function of the Z68 chipset than the MB "Brand"
I get about the same scores for My i5-2500k Asrock Z68 with a Samsung 830.
 
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shakedotazz

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Is the partition important to improve the boot time?
If not, I'm ok without it... I dont have anything on the SSD but the OS, I don't need a "recovery" partition if it doesnt affect performance.

I'll try the driver issue (msahci to iaSTor) when I get home from work.

thanks!
 
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spankmon

spankmon

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After reading a bit more, it seems the quick boot is part of the z68 smart response technology, meaning it's meant to work with a small ssd for caching frequently accessed programs and stuff. So without the caching ssd, quick boot doesn't do anything. Not worth another $100 just to shave off 20 seconds of extra boot time. But I could be wrong.
 
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RetiredChief

RetiredChief

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Quote
SSDs are becoming more common in mobile PCs and even being implemented in high-end desktop computers. The reason for this is that the speed of an SSD is dramatically faster than a standard hard drive and can increase Windows boot time and other tasks. The problems arise when users migrate data to a new SSD or create new partitions on the drive for better data segmentation.

Misaligned partition problems are even more important for SSD drives than traditional hard disk drives. Most modern SSD drives are designed using the newer 4K alignment rules. Thus all previously-mentioned problems are the same for SSD partitions alignment.

Besides a decline in system speed, SSD owners need to be concerned with degradation of the SSD memory cells. Because of the nature of an SSD, a misaligned disk creates an overbearing workload to read, modify and write to these drives. So if partitions on an SSD are misaligned, beside a downgraded system speed, the solid state drive is in danger of being unusable. Many people are not aware that an SSD drive has a limited amount of read/write cycles and when the drive is written on too many times, the drive stops working, risking a catastrophic failure and data loss. Partitions alignment eliminates all redundant read/write operations and thus grants SSDs a longer lifetime.
End quote:
For more info see: http://www.storagereview.com/impact_misalignment

The "Bold" is from me - Note: It's apparently NOT just a performance loss (Not sure how Much), but can also lead to premature DEATH of the SSD
 
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shakedotazz

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Apr 29, 2012
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I'm not sure if it's that issue, as I've only installed Windows 7 on this SSD a total of 2 times...

As far as performance goes though, it seems like I'm booting up with a regular HDD.

Also, after loging in, I just see a black screen with the 'Coretemp' window and a functioning mouse cursor for about 20-30 seconds or so, before the rest (wallpaper, icons, start/task bar, etc...) would appear.

After that, everything loads fast again.
 
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