Intel to Finally Provide TRIM Support in RAID0
Intel set to provide TRIM support for Rapid Storage Technology (RST) based on its 11.5.0.1109 Alpha release notes.
For those SSD users that have stayed away from running a RAID setup due to lack of TRIM support on their SSDs, Intel looks to be finally addressing this concern. Based on information listed in its 11.5.0.1109 Alpha release notes, Intel will be providing TRIM support with the final driver release.
"2. This release will not enable the TRIM on RAID0 feature, but it will be added in the next RST 11.5 release. Contact your RST AE representative with questions."
TRIM is a command that allows an operating system to inform a solid-state drive (SSD) which blocks of data are no longer considered in use and can be wiped internally. The command improves the efficiency of your SSDs internal Garbage Collection (GC) and helps reduces write performance degradation. This function was not available for a SSD in a RAID setup.
Intel® Rapid Storage Technology 11.5.0.1109 Alpha Version Release Notes
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Well, I hope to see some real world tests here on TH soon.
Will trim support be only on RAID0. Wonder if they will support trim on RAID1?
This is excellent news, but I have to ask, is this a chipset update? Or is this just a driver update? Or maybe even a bios update for older chipsets? Will my old p55 board be able to enable this feature?
This is waaaay overdue.
Will trim support be only on RAID0. Wonder if they will support trim on RAID1?
It's only an issue with striping on SSD's
Finally!
Only reason why I buy mass SSD's is for the raid feature.
This is bonus material to me.
I was under the impression that most 3rd gen SSDs are in fact capable of RAID 0 already. I bought an Intel X25M 80GB, and I know that doesn't support it, but it seems to me that the Sandforce SSDs are already able to do it...? Am I off my rocker?
Also, in case people are unaware, you can run your drives as RAID via BIOS, with a RAID HDD setup and a single SSD. That's what I've been doing. Just need RST installed.
With black friday coming up I might have to opt in on a bigger SSD this year... hmm...
This is excellent news, but I have to ask, is this a chipset update? Or is this just a driver update? Or maybe even a bios update for older chipsets? Will my old p55 board be able to enable this feature?
This is waaaay overdue.
Intel RST is a driver, and also a program that runs in your windows tray. Just download and install.
finally where can I get this?
I was under the impression that most 3rd gen SSDs are in fact capable of RAID 0 already. I bought an Intel X25M 80GB, and I know that doesn't support it, but it seems to me that the Sandforce SSDs are already able to do it...? Am I off my rocker?
You can run a SSD in RAID0 but you do lose TRIM support. 3rd gen SSDs have better GC (garbage collection), which do a manage the same aspects as TRIM better (though TRIM still makes GC more efficient) than 1st gen SSDs did.
So, does this driver let an Intel X25-m G2 SSD be able to accept the TRIM command when in RAID 0?
I was under the impression that most 3rd gen SSDs are in fact capable of RAID 0 already. I bought an Intel X25M 80GB, and I know that doesn't support it, but it seems to me that the Sandforce SSDs are already able to do it...? Am I off my rocker?
Also, in case people are unaware, you can run your drives as RAID via BIOS, with a RAID HDD setup and a single SSD. That's what I've been doing. Just need RST installed.
With black friday coming up I might have to opt in on a bigger SSD this year... hmm...
Intel RST is a driver, and also a program that runs in your windows tray. Just download and install.
So, if I set my drives to IDE, rather than AHCI, set up my raid 0 configuration, and install the latest RST drivers (when they're released,) TRiM should be enabled by default?
The problem I have with intel drivers, and windows, is that it's so damn hard to verify whether or not particular features are running on your hardware -.-
It would be interesting to compare the difference of a SSD running by itself, versus 2 setup in Raid0. Wonder what the difference in performance would be.
Raid 0 owns. Makes it almost 50% faster. Big thanks to intel for fixing this.
This is excellent news, but I have to ask, is this a chipset update? Or is this just a driver update? Or maybe even a bios update for older chipsets? Will my old p55 board be able to enable this feature?This is waaaay overdue.
Most likely just a driver update thats needed, the trim itself have been available for quite some time in the ssd's firmware. Cheers to Intel for finally making the raid driver trim enabled.
It would be interesting to compare the difference of a SSD running by itself, versus 2 setup in Raid0. Wonder what the difference in performance would be.
In real world performance it helps for sure but not near as much as synthetic benchmarks would suggest. Running 4x ssd in raid0 atm.
So, does this driver let an Intel X25-m G2 SSD be able to accept the TRIM command when in RAID 0?
Ït should as long as the driver have the necessary firmware to support it on a drive level.
So, if I set my drives to IDE, rather than AHCI, set up my raid 0 configuration, and install the latest RST drivers (when they're released,) TRiM should be enabled by default?The problem I have with intel drivers, and windows, is that it's so damn hard to verify whether or not particular features are running on your hardware -.-
You set your drives to RAID, not IDE or AHCI. I think the AHCI driver and RAID drivers are similar, with RAID allowing multiple drive setups.
Thanks intel for making my dream come true
You set your drives to RAID, not IDE or AHCI. I think the AHCI driver and RAID drivers are similar, with RAID allowing multiple drive setups.
Ah yep, this is what I meant to say, silly me.. Odd that this has always been a software/driver issue, rather than a hardware issue though, not that I'm complaining, this is great news! Now I can finally revert back to a RAID set-up without worrying about degrading performance over time
TRIM should be implemented at the OS level...blame Microsoft for this one
Some of you didn't read the attachment... it's not just a driver update. (4. The RAID OROM version for this release is 11.5.0.1111, the driver and user interface version is 11.5.0.1109.) So your motherboard manufacture is going to have to do an update. Most of the newer boards will be fine. I do know that my x-58 is going to require a update as it's running 10.5 on the raid orom.
Great news. I hope it works on X58
Hopefully this fixes TRIM for the OCZ Revodrive 3 x2's. The card supports Trim but for some reason it gets dropped when destined for the raid controller. It was said to be a Windows problem but if this update works then I guess that would prove that the issue was related to chipset drivers.
TRIM should be implemented at the OS level...blame Microsoft for this one
You do know that trim is sent from the OS to the driver right? Single drivers are entierly trimed through the OS since the OS default driver supports it. The issue here have been that the Raid drivers from manfacturers of the raid hardware haven't supported it. Yeah do blame Microsoft for putting it in the OS like it is in Win7 for instance.
So please if you want to play the blame game - Atleast do it properly!
Hopefully this fixes TRIM for the OCZ Revodrive 3 x2's. The card supports Trim but for some reason it gets dropped when destined for the raid controller. It was said to be a Windows problem but if this update works then I guess that would prove that the issue was related to chipset drivers.
Windows 7 does not support TRIM through the SCSI miniport ocz choosed at the moment, only AHCI but thats about all the ssd drivers with the exception of the Revo 3 x2's (thoose have very good garbage collection so the impact from lack of trim is low anyway)
trim is irrelevant now. I don't known why people care so much about it since modern SSD's have better garbage colection then TRIM. Actually in a single SSD configuration even some vendors say it's better to turn TRIM off!
Not so. Take an allocated 2GB paging space. It's at most 10% full. With TRIM the SSD knows that only 10% is really there so there is no need for background garbage collection to move the other 90%. This improves drive life and reduces the amount of work done by garbage collection.
Direct link to Intel's site.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Se [...] Technology
Trim is now active in RAID 0 as of RST driver version 11.5.0.1149. SSD toolbox & RST GUI are gunnysacked though. I found a cammand line entry that confirms trim is now active though