How to change your OS drive? - to Intel SSD G1

[kristoffer]

I have just bought a 1st gen Intel 80GB drive (yes I know, it does not support trim and so on... It was cheap and was what I could afford at the moment )

Searching the intel forums, I can see that this might be a bit more complex than I assumed.

Basicly, I have the GA-X58A - UD3R 2.0 and the OS disk is now a 160GB 7200rpm drive.
I also have a RAID 0 configuration with 2x Velociraptors, which I'm keeping 

How should I install the new SSD?

1) connect to what port?
2) start W7 as usual, and flash drive with new FW in W7?
3) how to (best) transfer the OS image from the existing OS drive?
       a) I have downloaded the Intel program for this (data mighration SW?)
       b) I also have a WHS server - I know I can use this to restore the computer image completely to the drive.
4) how to setup in the BIOS?
      a) IDE mode?
      b) AHCI mode?  (By the way - what is AHCI? )
5) I see there is also some posts about registry changes for the IDE/AHCI part. Is it possible to do this before I install the SSD?

[kristoffer]

Was the post too long? 

I'll just give it a try then

[Blakark]

The first problem I think you'll have is with the size difference between your existing OS drive image [on 160GB HDDs] and the SSD 80Gb.
Usually it works the other way around .. copy from a smaller drive to a larger or equal sized drive.
Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) is an Intel technical specification for detecting, configuring, and programming SATA & AHCI adapters.
With Intel SATA RAID configs already have a AHCI mode on ... IDE is just plain old legacy SATA mode. AHCI allows you access to advance system SATA configs like Hot Plugging, NCQ [native cmd queue]
It's entirely up to you which chipset u wanna use - Marvell or Intel ports ... but obviously you'll be setting the up the SSD without the Veloraptors connected. hope this helps.

[Aussie Allan]

 Save yourself a lot of heart problems and late nights trouble shooting..........Install the SSD onto the ICH10R port, ...Set to ACHI.........F12 to boot off your install Windows disc and choose the SSD to install onto........doing a clean install on to the SSD will give you the best chance of a problem free installation........once you reboot at the end of the install......set the SSD as master in the boot order and copy/migrate all your material off the old C:drive

 This also has the advantage of having a second drive through the whole operation that if you need to, ....you can boot off

 The best Data Migration /clone tool you can get your hands on is "Acronis".........I use Acronis true image home 2011 and swear by it

 Aussie Allan

[Badbonji]

I was also wanting to make sure my SSD install went smoothly.

Luckily I found this awesome guide, with tips to help prolong the life and performance of the drive:
http://ssdtechnologyforum.com/threads/781-Windows-7-SSD-Installation-Procedure

Hope this helps like it helped me!

[Aussie Allan]

I was also wanting to make sure my SSD install went smoothly.

Luckily I found this awesome guide, with tips to help prolong the life and performance of the drive:
http://ssdtechnologyforum.com/threads/781-Windows-7-SSD-Installation-Procedure

Hope this helps like it helped me!

  Great tutorial Badbonji and well worth the heads up.......many thanks for the contribution......It's great when people weigh in with good material

 Aussie Allan

[kristoffer]

Thanks, both of you. As Alan was pointing out, this was a great find

I did unplug all other HDDs, made sure the Intel controller was set to AHCI and installed did a clean install of Win7 on the SSD.
Worked perfectly, and now also I've plugged the raid volume (the velociraptors)

Does anyone have recomendation for a good diskspeed checking tool/utility?

[Aussie Allan]

  ATTO would be/is my first , especially if there's SSD involved, but HD Tune also has a big following, admittedly it does have a lot of useful information, both top quality giving very similar results.........ATTO is free and HD Tune Pro .....15 day full function trial

 Aussie Allan

[Dark Mantis]

The only trouble with HD Tune is that many people find it too difficult to make use of. If you can master it though it is a powerful tool.

[kristoffer]

ATTO it will be then 

[kristoffer]

Did a run with both ATTO and HD Tune pro.
First with AHCI enabled, then with Raid enabled.

Results:


HD Tune Pro: INTEL SSDSA2MH080G1GC File Benchmark

Drive C:

File Size: 64 MB

Block size   Read speed
0.5 KB   11687 KB/s
1 KB   22441 KB/s
2 KB   40681 KB/s
4 KB   72083 KB/s
8 KB   114692 KB/s
16 KB   162116 KB/s
32 KB   186515 KB/s
64 KB   200009 KB/s
128 KB   94637 KB/s
256 KB   73575 KB/s
512 KB   74384 KB/s
1024 KB   66946 KB/s
2048 KB   79359 KB/s
4096 KB   165475 KB/s
8192 KB   240802 KB/s

Block size   Write speed
0.5 KB   8703 KB/s
1 KB   13763 KB/s
2 KB   23319 KB/s
4 KB   44040 KB/s
8 KB   31531 KB/s
16 KB   27887 KB/s
32 KB   33967 KB/s
64 KB   35554 KB/s
128 KB   36027 KB/s
256 KB   38978 KB/s
512 KB   40382 KB/s
1024 KB   56613 KB/s
2048 KB   66366 KB/s
4096 KB   67929 KB/s
8192 KB   82139 KB/s

And the Velociraptor Raid 0:
HD Tune Pro: Intel   Raid 0 Volume File Benchmark

Drive E:

File Size: 64 MB

Block size   Read speed
0.5 KB   53620 KB/s
1 KB   106556 KB/s
2 KB   201725 KB/s
4 KB   232311 KB/s
8 KB   199711 KB/s
16 KB   198658 KB/s
32 KB   223346 KB/s
64 KB   238674 KB/s
128 KB   236482 KB/s
256 KB   243551 KB/s
512 KB   239999 KB/s
1024 KB   245367 KB/s
2048 KB   228749 KB/s
4096 KB   229273 KB/s
8192 KB   240312 KB/s

Block size   Write speed
0.5 KB   7780 KB/s
1 KB   12744 KB/s
2 KB   13788 KB/s
4 KB   31082 KB/s
8 KB   50173 KB/s
16 KB   91919 KB/s
32 KB   121529 KB/s
64 KB   157898 KB/s
128 KB   233615 KB/s
256 KB   248799 KB/s
512 KB   251559 KB/s
1024 KB   244053 KB/s
2048 KB   256219 KB/s
4096 KB   258720 KB/s
8192 KB   262883 KB/s

[kristoffer]

SSD speed

SSD with AHCI controller




SSD with RAID controller

[kristoffer]

Velociraptor Raid0 volume:






And just a speed test of the VRaptors when not in Raid:

[kristoffer]

I did a new, clean install this weekend (due to different circumstances...) and have loaded the OS into the SSD with ACHI enabled again.

Afterwards, I changed the BIOS to RAID (XHD) and with that option it is now rebooting at the Win logo.
If I change it back to AHCI I will boot fine.... 

In Safemode, I can see it is reboting at the CLASSPNP.SYS driver, probably when it tries to load that.

Anyone have a clue what is wrong?
I've found a lot of similar problems (googling CLASSPNP.SYS) but they all relate to changing from IDE to AHCI.... 

[Dark Mantis]

Try going into the BIOS and disabling the C3/C6 etc options. Then try running your benchmark again.