M18x R2 - Is TRIM supported for RAID-0 in stock A08 BIOS?

[Seraph]

Hello forum,

I recently got my new M18x R2 with A08 stock BIOS and OROM 11.0.0.1339 and I'm waiting for my 2 Samsung 840 Pro to arrive. I will set up a RAID-0 and I'm wondering if TRIM will work with latest Intel RST drivers. I think the latest is 11.7.0.1013.

[Guest]

No, I don't think so. You need newer than 11.0.0.1339 for RAID0 TRIM support. You will need to use a different BIOS with the newer OROM. You'll want the unlocked version anyhow. There is already a sticky thread for this discussion, in case you had not noticed. (The thread title does not mention the OROM update.)

Here is a link to it: http://forum.techinferno.com/alienware-m18x/1966-%5Bm18x-r2%5D-unlocked-bios-versions.html

[Seraph]

Thanks for the reply.

I noticed that thread but I'm hesitated to blind flash to an older unlocked BIOS with the new OROM 11.6.0.1702 since I have seen many people failing to do so resulting bricking their laptops. I have stock A08 BIOS and downgrading seems like a hit and miss attempt.

Soon I will have my new SSD's and I will try to test if TRIM works.

Here is a way for anyone interested in checking by themselves:

1/ Copy a JPEG file (for example) to the root directory of your RAID

2/ Open WinHEX then press F9 (Open Disk) then choose your RAID partition

3/ Choose your files and look at his content, note the first cluster / offset

4/ Then delete the file under Windows

5/ Under WinHEX press F9 to reopen your partition and choose "Take a new one"

=> When you choose your (deleted) file you must see 00 00 00 or FF FF FF (etc.) instead of the old content. If the content did not change then TRIM is not ok.

=> If the file is not here use alt+g or ctrl+g to go to the good location and see if you got 00 00 00 or FF FF FF (etc.) or the older data

Or if you prefer its described better in this article from Anandtech.

AnandTech - TRIM & RAID-0 SSD Arrays Work With Intel 6-Series Motherboards Too

Check How to Verify TRIM is Working.

[Seraph]

An update from a little research I have done showed users reporting that they got TRIM working for RAID-0 with OROM 11.0.0.1339 and latest RST drivers from Intel.

Seems like the requirement for TRIM to work is OROM > 11.x and IRST > 11.2.

Source -> SSD RAID0 RoundUp 2012: RAID0 strikes back - ( HWBOX ) O/C on first boot

Its a greek site and the reviewer is very reliable. Asus Maximus V Formula with OROM 11.0.01339 and IRST 11.6.0.1030, TRIM is working.

More links:

AnandTech Forums - View Single Post - Trim with Intel RST 11.2/11.5 and RAID 0? Update: Trying 11.5 RST with 11.5.x.x OROM

www.station-drivers.com • Afficher le sujet - ROM: Intel RAID ROMs v11.5/11.6 may open TRIM for RAID0

RAID0 TRIM Another Look

Anyway I'll report back when I get my SSD's and test it myself

[Guest]

There is always an element of risk, so it is understandable that it would cause some hesitancy. I had A08 on my new M18x R2 motherboard. I blind flashed it to the stock A03. It had to sit roughly 5 minutes with the obnoxious beeping going on, but it eventually completed.

[unityole]

There is always an element of risk, so it is understandable that it would cause some hesitancy. I had A08 on my new M18x R2 motherboard. I blind flashed it to the stock A03. It had to sit roughly 5 minutes with the obnoxious beeping going on, but it eventually completed.

looks like I found the answer lol, 5 minutes is scary though =(

[littleone562]

A09 has updated OROM, no need to blind flash either using svl7's amazing tool (after flashing stock A09 to upgrade EC)

[littleone562]

This was posted by user Sy5tem on NBR but seems to be a good idea:

it looks like the HM77 (m18x-r2 ivy bridge) support TRIM, but TRIM is disabled in the OPROM by intel...

i have read on another forums that people have unlocked the oprom for series 6 e.t.c ..... ( AnandTech Forums - View Single Post - RAID0 trim and SRT seems possible on 6-series and 5-Series )

now to unlock TRIM support on the M18X-R2 it seems we would have to edit offset 1bb22 and add 071E000007 to replace the entry and enable trim on the hm77 raid...

i know that the hm77 as controller ID of 282A and alternativeID of 1E07 that is the number needed and needed to be edited in a oprom...

i do not have the skill knowledge and tools to do so... but i know somebody here probably would!

can anybody mod the OPROM with those info, and merge it into the m18x-r2 bios so i can test if it enable TRIM on the m18x-r2?

Would this be possible on the m18x r2 bios svl?

[johnksss]

This was posted by user Sy5tem on NBR but seems to be a good idea:

it looks like the HM77 (m18x-r2 ivy bridge) support TRIM, but TRIM is disabled in the OPROM by intel...

i have read on another forums that people have unlocked the oprom for series 6 e.t.c ..... ( AnandTech Forums - View Single Post - RAID0 trim and SRT seems possible on 6-series and 5-Series )

now to unlock TRIM support on the M18X-R2 it seems we would have to edit offset 1bb22 and add 071E000007 to replace the entry and enable trim on the hm77 raid...

i know that the hm77 as controller ID of 282A and alternativeID of 1E07 that is the number needed and needed to be edited in a oprom...

i do not have the skill knowledge and tools to do so... but i know somebody here probably would!

can anybody mod the OPROM with those info, and merge it into the m18x-r2 bios so i can test if it enable TRIM on the m18x-r2?

Would this be possible on the m18x r2 bios svl?

Now this is interesting...

[Guest]

The latest OROM in the M18xR2 doesn't support TRIM? How can you tell it does not? I thought this was fixed already. It seems to work on my system. It can be run manually in Windows 8 as well, in the drive optimization tool.

[johnksss]

Oh snap! I forgot I could just run my windows 8 and trim my drives. Thanks Brother Fox.

[J95]

I think that @littleone562 meant automatic TRIM besides scheduled/manual since "fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify" with result 0 confirms TRIM but that doesn't mean that it is always being triggered, to test TRIM try trimcheck save it to the root of the drive you want to test>run, confirm drive/testing process then press enter to exit, wait 40 sec run it again and check for TRIM confirmation, repeat at least 5x/2min intervals.

[Guest]

I think that @littleone562 meant automatic TRIM besides scheduled/manual since "fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify" with result 0 confirms TRIM but that doesn't mean that it is always being triggered, to test TRIM try trimcheck save it to the root of the drive you want to test>run, confirm drive/testing process then press enter to exit, wait 40 sec run it again and check for TRIM confirmation, repeat at least 5x/2min intervals.

This works consistently for me under Windows 7, but it does not under Windows 8 (dual booting both OS on the same SSD RAID0 volume). I find myself curious is something about the TrimCheck utility doesn't like Windows 8 or if Windows 8 is messed up in this area as well as other areas. See results below as you requested. This is with my M18xR2. I will check it on the new Alienware 18 (which runs Windows 7 exclusively). If it fails on that system I will share the results.

[J95]

This works consistently for me under Windows 7, but it does not under Windows 8 (dual booting both OS on the same SSD RAID0 volume). I find myself curious is something about the TrimCheck utility doesn't like Windows 8 or if Windows 8 is messed up in this area as well as other areas. See results below as you requested. This is with my M18xR2. I will check it on the new Alienware 18 (which runs Windows 7 exclusively). If it fails on that system I will share the results.

Latest v0.5 trimcheck works fine with Win8.1 RTM, similar HEX/E test method AnandTech | TRIM & RAID-0 SSD Arrays Work With Intel 6-Series Motherboards Too it's probably RST v11.6.0.1030/ 11.7.0.1013 win8 bug (RAID OROM v11.6.0.1702/RST v11.7.0.1013 latest ?) since windows 8 has a more aggressive TRIM implementation, I read about v11.6.0.1030/11.7.0.1013 win8 issues but mistakenly deleted the folder with all the info, station drivers forum...?

An alternative to this [veraltet] BIOS-Modding: How to update PCI ROM modules of an AMI/Phoenix/Award BIOS - BIOS/BIOS-Modding - Win-Lite Forum

AHCI / RAID ROM modules for BIOS modding - already extracted

[littleone562]

Unfortunately, even that tool is not 100% certain that TRIM is properly working as has been discussed in some other TRIM discussion forums, but most likely TRIM is working on our m18xr2's in win7.

[Guest]

Unfortunately, even that tool is not 100% certain that TRIM is properly working as has been discussed in some other TRIM discussion forums, but most likely TRIM is working on our m18xr2's in win7.

I believe you are probably correct on that. I also see no reason to think it is not working in Windows 8 as well, but the reliability of testing tools seems questionable. I actually had a good experience with SSD RAID0 with nothing more than GC working for a good while before RAID0 TRIM was possible, so this is not something I am seriously concerned about. There as many or more things I do not like about Windows 8 than things I do like, but the manual TRIM tool is really sweet. So is the Win-X menu.

[J95]

All win7 results confirmed TRIM only win8 ones didn't so if at least you would get one result confirming TRIM to contradict previous ones...I tried manual TRIM/optimize drives with "fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 1" to test with trimcheck and it was negative, proving the importance of the automatic TRIM command since there was no garbage collection for the data written>deleted by trimcheck.

Discussion new: SSD TRIM check tool

[Guest]

Just got the Corsair Neutron SSD RAID0 set up to replace the tired and lame Agility 3 SSD RAID0... es muy bueno! I set it up with 10% over-provision. (Corsair gives the end user the option whether to over-provision or not.)

Here is a before and after snapshot with AS SSD...

And here are random and zero-fill CDM benchmarks. This is a massive improvement over the Agility 3 SSD RAID0. Compressible versus Incompressible is basically equal.

[svl7]

Moved some posts from the mod request thread over here...

I recently realized that the Intel SSD toolbox has implemented a trim feature, also for raid 0. It allows you to manually run trim, only requirement is rapid storage driver 11.5 if I remember correctly... SSD isn't in the system at the moment, so I can't check right now, but I'm under the impression that this is really a driver feature, unrelated to the orom, at least from what I read in the driver change logs.

The trim on raid 0 feature got introduced in the drivers a while ago, and there's no mentioning of the orom at all.

So, if you have an Intel SSD you might want to take a look at this, afaik the toolbox will block most functions for SSDs of other manufacturers, but most provide some tools of their own, so that's something to look at as well I'd say.