• Program for working with ssd kingston. Firmware for SSD Kingston KC400 and HyperX Savage. Kingston uv300 – theory and positioning

    Hello dear readers, I once wrote an article about, I am continuing this topic, only this time the topic will be about new SSD drives. Namely, I will show free program which will be possible download for free and read the instructions for it.

    Program for ssd drives

    The program is very easy to use, you just need to know what to press.

    Download the program for free SSD Mini Tweaker :

    The archive contains two versions of the program for 32 and 64 bit systems. To see what system you have, select computer properties.

    Launch it and see this window:

    After checking the boxes, click Apply changes.

    Now more about checkmarks in a program for managing SSD hard drives.

    • Enable Trim— it’s better to leave it, since this function is responsible for clearing unused blocks. If you disable this option, a mountain of garbage may accumulate, which will affect .
    • Disable Superfetch- a function for caching frequently used files. Since the response is small in SSDs, the option can be disabled.
    • Disable Prefetcher— an option to speed up the launch of the operating system and programs. Because SSD drives have excellent speed, then the option can be disabled, freeing up system memory.
    • Leave the system kernel inmemory— usually the system kernel is dumped into the swap file. In order for the kernel to remain, you need to check the box. This can reduce the number of disk accesses and speed up the system. But a minimum of 2 GB of RAM is required!
    • Increase file system cache size — 2 GB of RAM is also required. Reduces physical memory space for services and applications, but improves performance by reducing data writes to disk, hence it is good for the file subsystem.
    • Remove the limit from NTFS in terms of memory use - Again, a sufficient amount of RAM is necessary. The number of updated data in memory for writing and reading files increases. After this feature, running multiple applications at the same time should improve.

      • Disable defragmentation of system files at boot— boot defragmentation is a useful thing, but not with an SSD. If defragmentation is enabled at startup, the SSD drive can even be damaged!

      Disable Windows Indexing System- the service is disconnected Windows Search, which is used to index folders and files on a disk. In SSD Windows Search is unlikely to improve performance, so disable it.

      You can also speed up performance by manually disabling file content indexing.

      Disable hibernation mode- turning off the mode hibernation can free up memory on the SSD disk if it is small. In Kratsi hibernation is needed to dump data to a file hiberfil.sys, and when turned on, restore the information back to memory. Read more about this in the article

      Disable protection feature systems- You can also disable system recovery, which frees up RAM and hard drive. But the system restore function will not be available. If you don't use it, turn it off. I always have it disabled, I don't like it.

      Disable defragmentation service— they say that defragmentation is not necessary for an SSD drive. But I advised you to disable it and do defragmentation according to my article, called defragmentation by 5 points.

    • Disable paging file cleanup — for SSD disks, it is recommended to disable clearing the paging file when the system is turned off. Due to unnecessary disk access. Turn it off.

    That's all, now you have program for optimizing SSD drives=)

    Among the well-known and large suppliers of solid-state drives is Kingston, known mainly for its RAM modules and USB-Flash devices. This company joined the ranks of SSD manufacturers early and has a rich history of its product lines. However, Kingston products are one way or another based on Sandforce controllers and represent the ssdnow (wide profile from series for ordinary users to enterprise level) and HyperX lines. The HyperX line gets its name from the high-performance RAM modules produced under this brand.

    All SSDs require firmware updates. Some developers release them faster and more often than others, but ultimately, it is advisable to carry out this procedure at least once every long period of time. Let us remind you that SSD firmware helps the drive operate faster and, most importantly, more reliably; they often optimize the operation of the internal controller. This time we are learning how to flash Kingston SSDs of the ssdnow and HyperX series.

    To do this, first of all, make sure that the update is really required by finding out the firmware number. You can view it in a huge number of programs and utilities. Then find and download the archive of the flash driver program from the official website for your device model. When you're ready, run the program with administrator rights.

    A utility window will open, after which it will automatically try to find your Kingston SSD, and the drive should already be detected and visible to the system. It is advisable to connect it to native SATA ports and set the controller mode in the BIOS options to AHCI.

    [click on the picture to enlarge]

    In about a minute, all Kingston drives will be detected and a list of them will be built. In addition, the utility will show the serial number of the devices and, of course, the firmware number as well as their volume. In order to reflash the SSD, just mark the required drives and click the “Update Firmware” button. Actually, the program does not have any other functions; all that can be done is to rescan the computer for the presence of an SSD, find out the version of the utility and exit.

    [click on the picture to enlarge]

    The program will ask you to find the file to update and will start searching for it from its folder. This is the right decision, since it should have been inside the archive downloaded along with the utility.

    [click on the picture to enlarge]

    Kingston Field Updater will warn you about possible data loss of all unsaved documents and that you need to make a backup. When you're ready, click "Proceed."

    Checking an SSD disk using utilities is a universal method that performs several tasks at once.

    • First – checking the drive for errors.
    • Second – monitoring the operational life of the device.

    The presence and periodic use of such programs is not only desirable for the owner, but also necessary.

    After all, the resources of these components of modern PCs and laptops are limited compared to HDDs, and the danger of data loss is higher.

    Although these disadvantages are fully compensated by a significant number of advantages from using SSDs, due to the difference in their design from standard hard drives.

    Features of using SSD drives

    SSD drives are solid-state, non-volatile drives whose operating principle is similar to that of flash memory - SD and microSD cards, USB flash drives and other storage media.

    Such devices have no moving parts, and use a DDR DRAM chip to transmit data.

    Parallel recording of information simultaneously onto several memory elements and the absence of the need to move the heads that read information (typical of HDDs) allows you to increase the speed of the process several times.

    And, if the average read speed of a modern hard drive is about 60 MB/s, even the average SSD drive can deliver 4-5 times higher performance.

    When recording data, the excess may be smaller, but the process is still much faster.

    Rice. 1. Comparison of read and write speeds of SSD and HDD disks.

    Loading speed is of particular importance for those computers on which several resource-intensive applications are installed.

    In this case, only the Windows system boots up within 15–20 s for a solid-state drive and from 30 to 60 s for a hard drive.

    The same speed improvement occurs in the process of launching programs and recording data.

    Other advantages of using SSD drives (read more) include:

    • resistance to shocks and falls. A parameter that is important for laptops, the hard drives of which often fail due to mechanical damage;
    • compactness - many disks are not much larger in size than a mobile phone battery, others have the dimensions of a memory stick;
    • extended temperature range of disk operation;
    • minimal energy consumption and absence of noise during operation.

    Rice. 2. Comparison of HDD sizes, standard SSD and mSATA drive.

    However, the operation of SSDs also comes with certain disadvantages. These include the relatively high cost of the drive, although as the capacity increases, the price-to-volume ratio becomes smaller.

    The second important disadvantage is the limited resource of SSD drives, which is why it is recommended to check them periodically.

    Setting up an SSD under Windows 10: Complete step-by-step instructions

    Drive diagnostics

    The main task of checking SSD disks is to diagnose its condition and provide information about the presence of errors, resource and expected operational life.

    This allows the user to know in advance about future problems with the drive, leading to unpredictable loss of information.

    In addition, based on the results of the check, you can plan financial expenses for the purchase, the cost of which may not allow you to quickly find such an amount if the problem arose unexpectedly.

    In addition, checking the drive does not take much time and does not even require the purchase of expensive software.

    Utilities can be downloaded online for free or purchased for an amount not exceeding the cost of a standard antivirus program.

    While it is impossible to recover lost information from SSDs, unlike hard drives.

    The best utilities for checking SSD drives

    To check the status of the hard drive, drive manufacturers and third-party developers have already released dozens of applications.

    Most of them are free or shareware, that is, requiring payment only some time after the start of use.

    Their effectiveness is almost the same, but the differences lie in ease of use and functionality.

    SSD Life

    SSD Ready

    When checking the status of an SSD drive, you can use the SSDReady application, which only works with solid-state drives. The result of the check is an estimate of the expected operating time of the device based on the collected statistics on writing and reading data. The program runs in the background and requires virtually no resources.

    Rice. 6. SSDReady application.

    Hard Disk Sentinel

    A special feature of the application, designed to monitor hard drives, is to monitor performance degradation or exceed the permissible temperature level and report this to the user. The application constantly checks the information transfer speed, temperature conditions and other parameters. Among its features:

    • work with SSD drives, IDE and SATA drives, and even USB drives;
    • displaying information about the current and minimum temperature;
    • indication of the number of errors and disk operating hours in hours;
    • indication of not only the current, but also the maximum possible information transfer mode for the disk.

    Rice. 7. Working with the Hard Disk Sentinel program.

    HDDScan

    The freely available HDDScan program allows you to diagnose hard drives of any type, check them for errors and monitor the “health” of the drives. The utility works in real time and, if necessary, displays a detailed report on the status of the disk, which can be saved for future use.

    Rice. 8. HDDScan program report.

    SSD Tweaker

    The free SSD Tweaker application is easy to use and allows the user not only to monitor the status of solid-state drives, but also to disable unnecessary operations in the operating system that reduce the service life of the disk. For example, such as the Windows Indexing and Defragmentation Service. Settings can be configured manually or automatically.

    Rice. 9. Working window of the SSD Tweaker program.

    HD Tune

    The HD Tune application is available in several versions - a free version and a paid HD Tune Pro. The first provides testing of the status of hard drives (including SSDs) and memory cards. The shareware utility, for which you will have to pay $38, has expanded functionality, allowing you to control almost all disk parameters and conduct a number of additional tests.

    SSD disk check: the best utilities for diagnosing and improving performance

    Monitor drive health, status, and disk usage
    - View drive identification data including model name, serial number, firmware version, and other relevant information
    - Utilize Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) and export detailed reports in text format
    - Update drive firmware
    - Securely erase data
    - Manage TCG Opal and IEEE 1667

    Installation Process:

    Click on the Kingston SSD Manager (KSM) link to initialize the software download.
    - Locate your download and extract the contents.
    - Run the KSM Setup executable as administrator.
    - Follow the prompts within the Setup Wizard and proceed with KSM software installation.
    - Once your installation is complete, the system may require a reboot.

    Note for MAC and Linux Users:

    The Kingston SSD Manager is not compatible with Mac OS or Linux distributions.

    About SSD Toolbox:

    The Solid State Drive (SSD) Toolbox is an update utility that properly recognizes the SSD unit(s) installed on your system. It also displays various pieces of information regarding the connected storage devices and searches for a new suitable firmware version.

    However, before you consider downloading this version, carefully read the release notes for changes that can apply to your SSD. Once you have updated your drive, reboot to make sure that all modifications take effect.

    When it comes to installing this software, the steps are very easy because all you have to do is get the downloadable package (extract it if necessary) and run the available setup. Once the installation is complete, run the Toolbox and follow the instructions for updating the SSD.

    That being said, make sure this Toolbox version has a new firmware version available for your solid state drive and, if so, hit the download button, and install the software. Otherwise, check with our website as often as possible so that you don’t miss the release that can improve your SSD.

    It is highly recommended to always use the most recent driver version available.

    Try to set a system restore point before installing a device driver. This will help if you installed an incorrect or mismatched driver. Problems can arise when your hardware device is too old or not supported any longer.

    The requirements of corporate users for data storage and processing systems differ significantly from those of a simple end user. For a corporate user, it is not so much the speed of writing and reading data that is important, but the reliability of storage and constant 24-hour access to it throughout the entire period of operation. That is why companies are developing separate series of products for this purpose, which often exceed the prices of seemingly similar models, but intended for the consumer market. That's why Kingston has launched a dedicated range of data center SSDs that are optimized primarily for read-intensive workloads.

    Ease of installation, weight and dimensions do not guarantee that an SSD can be used in enterprise environments. The cost of making the wrong choice can often negate any savings benefits, as low-cost SSD drives running in DataCenter can fail prematurely due to excessive write operations, and their write speeds are significantly reduced over their expected lifespan. All this ultimately leads to significant costs due to premature replacement.

    Modern SSDs are capable of delivering extremely fast read and write speeds for both sequential and random queries, which is required in enterprise environments where databases can be accessed simultaneously by a large number of clients without significantly slowing down performance. In the case of personal use of an SSD drive by an end user, the difference between the minimum and maximum response time of the drive can be significantly greater. Therefore, enterprise-class SSD drives are optimized not only for peak performance within the first few seconds of access, but by using large redundant area, they also guarantee increased average sustained performance over time, which ensures consistent performance across the enterprise array of drives used in data centers information even during periods of peak load.

    NAND flash memory, which is used in SSD drives, has some limitations: the two most important are the design life limit and the possibility of natural errors. Therefore, during the production process, each chip of the future SSD drive is tested and characterized by the initial bit error rate (BER or RBER). This indicator determines the frequency of occurrence of natural errors without any intervention from software error correction. But there are also errors that cannot be corrected by any means. Therefore, the Uncorrectable Bit Error Rate (UBER) was introduced as “a measure of data corruption equal to the number of data errors per bit read after applying a specified error correction method.” According to the international committee JEDEC, the UBER indicator for enterprise-level SSDs is expected to be no worse than 1 unrecoverable bit error with a frequency of 1 bit error for every 10 quadrillion bits processed (~1.11 petabytes), but for the client level, this indicator reduced by 10 times. In other words, SSD drives designed to work in the harsh conditions of data centers must be ten times more reliable than for a home user. To achieve this, Kingston uses parity checking technologies to create a redundant number of checkpoints and check them cyclically.

    In addition, to improve reliability, Kingston includes additional electronics in enterprise SSDs with power loss detection and failure protection logic, as well as monitoring input power and providing temporary power in case of any internal or external residual write commands. .

    Another important parameter that distinguishes corporate SSD drives from those used for the end user is service life. Its duration is not so critical for a home computer due to the fact that with an estimated operating time of 8 hours a day, modern solid-state drives will last much longer than the PC itself as a whole. But for operation in data centers that work 24 hours a day without any interruption, this parameter is critical, since it significantly affects the cost of the entire system. But we know that all types of NAND flash memory used in SSDs lose their ability to reliably store data over time and eventually reach a state where they are no longer usable. To neutralize losses and extend service life, a set of measures is used, but the most important is still constant monitoring of data integrity and the transfer of potentially “dead” bits to a redundant memory area that is not initially accessible to the user. In addition, companies use memory chips based on e-MLC technology, and in some cases SLC, for devices with heavy loads, although the latter solution sharply increases the cost of data storage while significantly reducing the overall capacity of the device. Naturally, advanced S.M.A.R.T. technologies are also used, which monitor free and occupied cells. In ordinary client devices, these technologies are also used, but in a more simplified form. In other words, the main methods of fighting to increase service life are: reliable and advanced technologies for checking memory cells for errors and reserve capacity of the drive, which is not available to either the user or the operating system and which can be used as a temporary write buffer to improve performance, but mostly designed to replace defective cells over the expected life of the SSD.

    The new Kingston DC400 series of SSD drives offer better performance than consumer models and are designed to last longer in harsher environments. However, it is worth noting that the Kingston DC400 belongs to the entry-level corporate SSD and is therefore primarily designed to operate in read mode rather than write mode. One of the important features of the new models is the ability to specify a reserve area (overprovision). According to Kingston's website, enterprise SSDs reserve up to 28% of the drive's capacity, while the DC400 series only reserves 7% by default, the same as consumer SSDs. If necessary, using the proprietary Kingston Manager application, the user can change the capacity of the backup area, thereby increasing the service life of the SSD and to some extent increasing the recording speed.

    The Kingston DC400 SSD drive, like most of the company's products, comes in a plastic blister. On its front side, in addition to the brand name and indication of the device series, only the storage capacity and the fact that the warranty period is 5 years are indicated.

    On the reverse side everything looks just as modest. The main thing that is present on it is a sticker indicating the product number and where it was manufactured. But the user will see important words about the warranty only if he purchases the drive and removes it from the packaging. No installation instructions are included, since the SSD is aimed at the corporate segment of the market and it is assumed in advance that it will be installed by someone who is well versed in this.

    This drive has the most common form factor - 2.5 inches and a thickness of about 7 mm, that is, it allows you to install this SSD in any modern devices, including ultrabooks.

    Main characteristics of the Kingston DC400 480 GB model, according to the manufacturer:

    • connection interface - SATA 3.0 (6 Gbit/s), backward compatible with SATA 2.0 (3 Gbit/s);
    • Sequential read/write speed: 555/535 MB/s;
    • maximum read/write speed of random blocks of 4 KB in size: 99000/90000 IOPS;
    • read/write speed of 4KB blocks under constant loads: 85000/11000 IOPS;
    • quality of service (latency) – read/write: hot plug function;
    • static and dynamic wear leveling;
    • Enterprise-level SMART tools: reliability tracking, usage data collection, service life assessment, wear leveling, temperature monitoring;
    • lifetime: 257 TB (estimated as the total number of bytes written, without significant loss of performance);
    • Power consumption: idle/average/max. when reading / max. Recording (W): 1.56/1.6/1.8/4.86;
    • operating temperature: 0 to 70 °C;
    • mean time between failures: 2 million hours;
    • size 69.9×100×7 mm;
    • model weight - 92.34 g.

    Kingston SSD Manager

    To update SSD firmware, Kingston offers a free utility, Kingston SSD Manager, which can be downloaded from the official website. Using it, the user can view SMART data, SSD status, its temperature and various events related to the operation of the drive (connection/disconnection, identification numbers, etc.).

    However, the most important feature of this program is the ability to change the backup area of ​​the drive. It is important to understand that these actions can only be carried out without formatted partitions on the disk. In addition, after changing the volume of the reserve area, you should restart the OS for the new settings to be applied correctly. It should be noted that a minimum reserve area of ​​7% always remains while the user is working with the remaining SSD capacity.

    Testing

    To test the SSD drive, we used a bench with the following configuration:

    • processor - Intel Core i7-4770K;
    • motherboard - Intel DZ87KLT-75K;
    • motherboard chipset - Intel Z87 Express;
    • memory capacity - 16 GB (two GEIL DDR3-1600 modules of 8 GB each);
    • memory operating mode - dual-channel;
    • system disk - Intel SSD 520 Series (240 GB);
    • operating system - Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

    Additionally, the Intel RST driver was installed, and the tested SSD drive was connected to the SATA 6 Gb/s port, which was implemented through a controller integrated into the chipset. An Intel SSD 520 Series SSD was connected to another SATA port, on which the operating system and all applications necessary for testing were installed. All SATA ports were set to AHCI operating mode.

    For testing, we used the IOmeter utility version 2008.06.18, which is a very powerful tool for analyzing the performance of drives (both HDD and SSD) and is actually the industry standard for measuring drive performance.

    In order not to tie the test results to a specific file system, we tested the SSD drive using the IOmeter utility without creating a logical partition on it.

    During testing, the dependence of the speed of sequential and random reading operations, as well as sequential and random writing, on the size of the data block was studied.

    In addition, the dependence of drive performance in random read and write operations for 4 KB blocks was analyzed. The 4 KB block size for random read and write operations was chosen because it is typical for the Windows operating system and this is the block size most often encountered in random read and write operations. In this regard, a block size of 4 KB for random read and write operations when measuring IOPS is a kind of de facto standard.

    We also tested SSD drives for the presence of the aging effect, that is, we found out how the drive's performance in random write operations changes over time.

    To determine the speed of sequential read, random read and sequential write, data blocks of the following sizes were used: 512 bytes, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 KB, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 MB. In these tests, the IOmeter settings set the number of concurrent I/O requests (# of Outstanding I/Os) to 4, which is typical for consumer applications. An analysis of the dependence of drive performance in random read and write operations on the depth of the task queue was carried out using blocks of 4 KB in size, and the number of simultaneous I/O requests was set to 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 and 256. Note that the results of this test are especially important if the drive is used in a server, RAID array or NAS system. In addition, to evaluate the read and write speed that the user can count on in real operating conditions, the FlashTest 4.0 utility, developed in our laboratory, was used. It uses function calls from the WinAPI library and copies data in exactly the same way as is done with standard Windows 7 and 8 tools, including displaying a standard window with a progress indicator on the screen.

    The well-known CrystalDiskMark 5.1.0 utility, which is often used to measure the performance of various drives, was used as a synthetic test.

    Test results

    The test for “aging” of an SSD drive was based on a special preset that worked for 10 hours. Naturally, like all modern SSD drives, this model has this unpleasant property, that is, the random write speed decreases as the drive fills up . The recording speed has decreased by about 5 times, but it is clear that the controller has advanced regeneration algorithms. If we compare its results with a regular consumer SSD, the write speed of this model, even in such a difficult situation, is much higher. This suggests that the Kingston DC400 is more suitable for working in data centers than anyone else.

    The graph shows three dependences of the data transfer rate on the block size in basic operations: sequential read, sequential write and random read. Sequential operations, both reading and writing, are very good for this model. At peak they are more than 530 MB/s, which corresponds to the declared values. But in random read operations, saturation does not occur so quickly, but peak speeds are also achieved at the maximum block size.

    On the random recording graph you can see the differences in speeds between the “new” and artificially “aged” states of the drive. The degradation of the random write speed when the buffer on the “new” drive is filled is clearly noticeable. However, the speed reduction is not as severe as some budget consumer SSDs. The recording speed under constant stress test conditions approaches 60 Mbit/s at the maximum block size, which is a good indicator for SSD drives. The real average data transfer speed for random recording in blocks from 512 bytes to 1 MB is presented in the graph of the “aged” drive, which is based on the results obtained after the “aging” process.

    A real-world data transfer test, FlashTest 4.0, shows that the Kingston DC400's write speed matches the results obtained in the IOMeter benchmark. In addition, it is clear that compared to a conventional SSD, the new model is significantly ahead in writing speed.

    Synthetic CrystalMark tests show better results, which, however, is not surprising.

    Conclusions

    Kingston, having released a new series of SSD drives for corporate use, has made a strong bid for corporate information technology services to seriously think about the planned transition to solid-state devices for storing their data. And ordinary users who store large volumes of critical information at home, on home computers, will be interested in the new device and, if funds allow them, they will transfer their databases to a modern and reliable media from Kingston. The new Kingston DC400 delivers class-leading performance. SSDs in this line are designed for read-dominant loads, but can also withstand short-term heavy write loads if necessary. According to our data, increasing the reserve area to 30% of the SSD capacity allows for higher write speeds, so this feature will most likely be in demand in the corporate sector. At the time of writing, the price for this SSD drive is still unknown.

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