[Bemused One]

Hello everyone.

I need to pick the brains of some of you learned folks again.

I was thinking of adding an SSD cache drive to my parents computer to try and make it a bit snappier. However the hard drive in said computer is only SATA 1 and it's running in IDE mode in the BIOS. What I would like to know is would I have to enable AHCI mode in the BIOS for the SSD cache drive and would a performance increase be gained when it's paired with a SATA 1 HDD?

I'd appreciate any help with this.

Thanks.

[maf1970]

Given that SSD cache drives are SATA III I doubt you would see the improvement you think it would make. Cache drives are aimed at setups that have large capacity sata II or III drives.

I would suggest that you find out more about the spec of your parents machine overall and come back with that then we will be able to help you better.

[STdrez625]

On an old computer, using windows, XP doesnt really know SSD's exist, Vista is slightly better but you really need Windows seven to use any SSD properly, and even more so for a cache drive. Linux, I presume, is better at SSD's ?

[Bemused One]

Originally Posted by maf1970

Given that SSD cache drives are SATA III I doubt you would see the improvement you think it would make.

There are SATA 2 SSD cache drives available for purchase such as the Corsair Accelerator series. I was hoping one of them would do the job? Obviously I know I'd only get SATA 1 speeds from it, but what I'm trying to find out is if that would be an improvement over the standard HDD?

Originally Posted by maf1970

I would suggest that you find out more about the spec of your parents machine overall and come back with that then we will be able to help you better.

Spec is as follows:-

Intel Core i3 530 CPU
Gigabyte H55M-UD2H Motherboard
4GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3 RAM
Samsung SP0812C 80GB HDD
400W Antec PSU
Windows 7 64bit

Do you need any more details?

[maf1970]

Thanks for the info. Straight away the first thing that springs to mind is what is a SATA 1 drive doing in a setup like that ? I was expecting you to post a more antiquated system in need of help.
Why not just replace the drive with something like -
Western Digital RE4 250GB SATA-II 64MB Cache - OEM (WD2503ABYX) [WD2503ABYX]
or buy a second hand SATA II SSD.

Also make sure motherboard BIOS is up to date.

[STdrez625]

Dont get hung up about sata1 etc, the ability of a SSD to speed up a machine is more on its access speed, which is about 40x - 100x faster than a Hard disk. Re installing the OS on the PC and keeping it free of crud, can do much to speed up machines, along with more memory and I reckon you would be better off just straight replacing the 80gb disk with a 128gb SSD. Can be bought for less than £100 and will make your parents gasp! when using it.
In fact if you install a SSD it is wise to reinstall the OS anyway to get best use out of it

[Bemused One]

Originally Posted by maf1970

Straight away the first thing that springs to mind is what is a SATA 1 drive doing in a setup like that? I was expecting you to post a more antiquated system in need of help.

The computer my parents currently have is something I threw together for them the other week using parts from my older rigs. I knew the hard drive was the weakest part in the machine, but based on my parents usage (mainly internet and e-mail) I thought it was sufficient for them.

Originally Posted by maf1970

Why not just replace the drive with something like - Western Digital RE4 250GB SATA-II 64MB Cache - OEM (WD2503ABYX) [WD2503ABYX] or buy a second hand SATA II SSD.

I thought an SSD cache drive would be the best option in terms of both cost and performance. Had the HDD in my parents machine been SATA 2 I wouldn't have hesitated, but as it's not I thought I'd ask for advice here first.

Originally Posted by maf1970

Also make sure motherboard BIOS is up to date.

Um...why is this necessary?

Originally Posted by STdrez625

Dont get hung up about sata1 etc, the ability of a SSD to speed up a machine is more on its access speed, which is about 40x - 100x faster than a Hard disk.

So there would be a performance increase even on a SATA 1 HDD if it was paired with an SSD cache drive?

Originally Posted by STdrez625

...I reckon you would be better off just straight replacing the 80gb disk with a 128gb SSD. Can be bought for less than £100...

Yes that would be ideal, but it's just too pricey an option I'm afraid.

[Delvey]

Why not just buy a Sata 3 hard drive
The costs have come down considerably and you'll notice the difference
How much is a SSD cache drive going to cost?
120gb SSDs are going for £80, and some even cheaper

[Bemused One]

Originally Posted by Delvey

Why not just buy a Sata 3 hard drive
The costs have come down considerably and you'll notice the difference

This may be a silly question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. Would a Sata 3 HDD running at Sata 2 speeds outperform an SSD cache drive running at Sata 1 speeds?

Originally Posted by Delvey

How much is a SSD cache drive going to cost?

The one I was considering was £43.99 and was Sata 2. Obviously it could only run at Sata 1 speeds because of the Sata 1 HDD, but what I've been trying to find out is if such a pairing would be worth it or pointless. I get the impression it's the latter.

[Delvey]

Probably not much point
I imagine the old HDD is quite a few years old
For £43 you could get a new Sata 3 drive (I imagine that boards supports sata 3) and I think you will see quite a speed difference with load times

[Bemused One]

Originally Posted by Delvey

Probably not much point

Oh well, at least I know now.

Originally Posted by Delvey

I imagine the old HDD is quite a few years old

It is yes. If I remember correctly, circa 2005.

Originally Posted by Delvey

(I imagine that boards supports sata 3)

I'm afraid not. It only goes up to Sata 2.

Would you still recommend a Sata 3 HDD given it would only be running at Sata 2 speeds?

[Delvey]

I'd still go for sata 3 anyway. Just because the price difference is minimal (if none)

[Bemused One]

Many thanks for your advice Delvey.

I've acquired a Sata 3 drive for my parents computer now, only it's not an HDD. I was able to grab a 64Gb Samsung 830 SSD drive for a really good price. It was little more than what the SSD cache drive I was considering cost, so I was really chuffed about that. I'm looking forward to installing it in my parents machine. I'll finally be able to see for myself what all this SSD fuss is about.

[Delvey]

Originally Posted by Bemused One

Many thanks for your advice Delvey.

I've acquired a Sata 3 drive for my parents computer now, only it's not an HDD. I was able to grab a 64Gb Samsung 830 SSD drive for a really good price. It was little more than what the SSD cache drive I was considering cost, so I was really chuffed about that. I'm looking forward to installing it in my parents machine. I'll finally be able to see for myself what all this SSD fuss is about.

You'll be taking it home for yourself.
Id keep the old hard drive for media (music, pictures)
Check the guide in this section for moving the documents to an alternate drive, saving the valuable SSD space
You will be surprised at windows loading speeds

[Bemused One]

Originally Posted by Delvey

You'll be taking it home for yourself.

LOL! I'll try not to.

Originally Posted by Delvey

Id keep the old hard drive for media (music, pictures)

Other than various types of documents and a few pictures, my parents don't really have much else stored on their computer. Would I even need the old HDD for them? Can't they just be stored on the SSD?

Originally Posted by Delvey

Check the guide in this section for moving the documents to an alternate drive, saving the valuable SSD space

Yeah it's a great guide. I'll definitely be making use of it.

Originally Posted by Delvey

You will be surprised at windows loading speeds

I'm really looking forward to seeing this for myself.

[Delvey]

Probably will not need the other HDD if there not storing much on the SSD

One thing I would do is upgrade the firmware
I did, and the system rating went from 6.9 to 7.4
I am using a sata 3 SSD in a sata 2 port

[Bemused One]

Is it safe to install all your hardware drivers and various kinds of software on an SSD?

Originally Posted by Delvey

One thing I would do is upgrade the firmware
I did, and the system rating went from 6.9 to 7.4

Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely look into this.

Originally Posted by Delvey

I am using a sata 3 SSD in a sata 2 port

Is everything still fairly snappy then?

[Delvey]

Everything seems real snappy
Takes about 10 seconds from pressing the power button to windows being loaded
Installing drivers etc is fine on a ssd

[spyder viewer]

Originally Posted by Bemused One

Other than various types of documents and a few pictures, my parents don't really have much else stored on their computer. Would I even need the old HDD for them? Can't they just be stored on the SSD?

Why don't you put the old hard drive in an external usb case and use it for back-up? You could even take an image of the ssd for easy system restores.

[m4rky]

Isn't your mobo a SATA2?? Specs from Gigabyte say its SATA 3GB/s (GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket 1156 - GA-H55M-UD2H (rev. 1.0))

which is SATA 2 (Serial ATA - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

[Delvey]

Originally Posted by m4rky

Isn't your mobo a SATA2?? Specs from Gigabyte say its SATA 3GB/s (GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket 1156 - GA-H55M-UD2H (rev. 1.0))

which is SATA 2 (Serial ATA - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

He already knows that I think
There Sata 2 drives are slightly cheaper, this one is £60 Sandisk 120GB Ultra SSD - Solid State Drive - SDSSDH-120G-G25 - Scan.co.uk but the read and write speeds are not as quick as the sata 3 model
It would still make a huge difference to load times however

[m4rky]

Originally Posted by Delvey

He already knows that I think
There Sata 2 drives are slightly cheaper, this one is £60 Sandisk 120GB Ultra SSD - Solid State Drive - SDSSDH-120G-G25 - Scan.co.uk but the read and write speeds are not as quick as the sata 3 model
It would still make a huge difference to load times however

As he has already gone out and bought an SSD, my info isn't much use.
It would be nice to find out if it has solved his original problem though?

Early on in the thread he thought he had a SATA1 mobo and was worried about using a SATA2 drive on it. I just wanted to make sure that he knew that his mobo was SATA2 for future reference

[Bemused One]

Originally Posted by Delvey

One thing I would do is upgrade the firmware

Umm...is doing this after installing Windows 7 on to the SSD drive safe?

Originally Posted by Delvey

Everything seems real snappy
Takes about 10 seconds from pressing the power button to windows being loaded

Sounds good. Definitely an improvement over nearly 2 minutes.

Originally Posted by Delvey

Installing drivers etc is fine on a ssd

Thanks for that.

Originally Posted by spyder viewer

Why don't you put the old hard drive in an external usb case and use it for back-up?

That's something that never occurred to me. Thanks for the idea.

Originally Posted by spyder viewer

You could even take an image of the ssd for easy system restores.

How do you go about doing that exactly?

Originally Posted by m4rky

Isn't your mobo a SATA2??

It certainly is.

Originally Posted by Delvey

He already knows that I think

I certainly do, yes.

Originally Posted by m4rky

Early on in the thread he thought he had a SATA1 mobo and was worried about using a SATA2 drive on it.

No, no, this is incorrect. I've always known the motherboard was Sata 2. What I was wanting to know was whether or not pairing a Sata 1 HDD with a Sata 2 SSD cache drive on the same motherboard would improve performance i.e. just make things snappier.

[Delvey]

You could update the firmware before installing the OS by using an hard drive which has an OS already

[Bemused One]

Thanks for the advice Delvey, but I did something different. I made a bootable USB, which worked a treat, only for the thing to tell me the firmware on the drive was the latest one available. Always a good thing.

I've got the SSD drive installed in my parents computer now. I installed Windows 7, all hardware drivers and some software on to it yesterday. I can't say I'm very impressed with it however. I mean, sure, Windows loads up and shuts down a bit quicker, but I can't really say I've noticed much difference to performance when in the OS. I'm quite disappointed.

I've got a couple more questions, if anyone could help me out?

Should I have formatted the SSD before installing Windows 7 on to it? I assumed the install disk would have done this had it been necessary, but it just went straight to installing the OS. Is that okay?

Should I turn off indexing on the SSD drive?

[Delvey]

Originally Posted by Bemused One

Thanks for the advice Delvey, but I did something different. I made a bootable USB, which worked a treat, only for the thing to tell me the firmware on the drive was the latest one available. Always a good thing.

I've got the SSD drive installed in my parents computer now. I installed Windows 7, all hardware drivers and some software on to it yesterday. I can't say I'm very impressed with it however. I mean, sure, Windows loads up and shuts down a bit quicker, but I can't really say I've noticed much difference to performance when in the OS. I'm quite disappointed.

I've got a couple more questions, if anyone could help me out?

Should I have formatted the SSD before installing Windows 7 on to it? I assumed the install disk would have done this had it been necessary, but it just went straight to installing the OS. Is that okay?

Should I turn off indexing on the SSD drive?

Strange that
I didn't format mine before installing windows
I do not have indexing on
Check the BIOS and make sure Sata mode is set to AHCI
If that fails try a different sata port or sata cable
Could always use crystalmark to bench it and post the results here

[Bemused One]

Hello again Delvey.

Originally Posted by Delvey

Strange that

I thought so. It's made me wonder whether or not I've done something wrong?

Originally Posted by Delvey

I didn't format mine before installing windows

That's a relief. At least I didn't screw that bit up then.

Originally Posted by Delvey

I do not have indexing on

Do you know how this is supposed to help the SSD?

Originally Posted by Delvey

Check the BIOS and make sure Sata mode is set to AHCI

Yes, that's set properly. In fact it was the first thing I did when setting up the SSD.

Originally Posted by Delvey

If that fails try a different sata port or sata cable

Isn't Sata 0 the best sata port for an SSD?

Originally Posted by Delvey

Could always use crystalmark to bench it and post the results here

Does that effect the SSD's life span in any way?

[Delvey]

It shouldn't matter which sata port you have it plugged into
I do not think bench marking it will have a massive effect on the life of the SSD, especially if it's just a one off thing

[Bemused One]

Apologies for taking so long to reply.

I downloaded and ran CrystalDiskMark and here are the results:-

Sequential Read : 261.392 MB/s
Sequential Write : 168.962 MB/s
Random Read 512KB : 200.343 MB/s
Random Write 512KB : 155.177 MB/s
Random Read 4KB (QD=1) : 18.335 MB/s [ 4476.3 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=1) : 50.370 MB/s [ 12297.5 IOPS]
Random Read 4KB (QD=32) : 195.202 MB/s [ 47656.7 IOPS]
Random Write 4KB (QD=32) : 67.214 MB/s [ 16409.7 IOPS]
Test : 1000 MB [C: 35.2% (20.9/59.5 GB)] (x5)

Sorry, I don't know how to post the above as a graphic. Could anyone please enlighten me about how to do that though as I'd love to know?

So are the above results good? I have no clue what they mean.

Is my parents new SSD working as it should?