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Own a Samsung 840 EVO SSD? Update its firmware to avoid bad performance.

A

Arkaerial

Unconfirmed Member
la_briola said:
These numbers are 100% wrong.
Click to expand...

If you enable rapid mode it does that. You do notice an improvement (I have it enabled) but not to the extent those numbers show.



Enduin said:
Ran the firmware update, don't notice a change at all. Is this considered good performance? Cause it doesn't seem like it. This is my primary drive along side my 1TB HDD. I only have my OS and major programs like Chrome and a few games on it, though they're all quite large so I have 200gb out of the 466 free at this time.

1yjmbcJ.jpg


I went through the steps to activate AHCI mode but didn't seem to take as the Magician still says Deactivated, also can't detect my SATA interface which is odd since I got a new SATA III cable when I got the SSD.
Click to expand...

I found this fix awhile ago on guru3d

1. Startup "Regedit
2. Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SYSTEM / CurrentControlset / Services
3. Open msahci
4. In the right field left click on "start" and go to Modify
5. In the value Data field enter "0" and click "ok"
6. exit "Regedit"
7. Reboot Rig and enter BIOS and change from ATA to AHCI.

System will boot into Windows an install / request the drivers. After they are installed the system will reboot.

There is another way but involves the manual extraction of the drivers an adding the registry keys needed.
 
R

Red Hood

Banned
Red Hood said:
I think I have the 250 GB version, I'll look at it when I'm home. Subscribed, thanks.
Click to expand...

I meant the 120GB. Anyway, I just updated the firmware and I've gotten the following results:

Sequential Read: used to be 416 MB/s > now 550 MB/s
Sequential Write: used to be 519 MB/s > now 533 MB/s
Random Read: used to be 81541 > now 70753 (apparently this decreased, is this okay?)
Random Write: used to be 5399 > now 37357

I have no idea what the latter two mean exactly, but apparently the "random read" has decreased whereas the others have (greatly) improved. Is this normal?

By the way OP, thanks for the thread!
 
A

Apoleptica

Banned
69wpm said:
Could you elaborate on that? A short tutorial would be cool. My 840 EVO already came with the newest firmware so I've never done the upgrade before. Can I use a USB stick?
Click to expand...
The latest 840 evo firmware is EXT0DB6Q. To check your current samsung 840 evo firmware on your mac go to your apple icon then about this mac then system report and then SATA and see what is says next to revision, this is the firmware version you have installed.

To install the new firmware you download the iso from here http://www.samsung.com/global/busin...t/downloads.html?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000279 and then mount it to a CD by burning if you have a disk drive using disk utility or in another manner to a usb drive. Then just power off your mac and power back on holding the option key and select to boot from whatever you mounted the iso to and then just follow the instructions. My macbook pro is fairly old with a disk drive so I just mounted to a cd. I don't really know how to mount an iso to a usb but I'm sure it's not difficult and you could probably google the procedure.
 
X

x3sphere

Member
Hm, random writes IOPS seem low on my 840 Pro

B7ub.png


I have ~70GB free and it's a 256GB drive. The numbers on my 840 Evos are much higher, 85k+. Why would the Pro be underperforming compared to the Evo? This is the OS drive, so maybe that's why. I have them all connected to SATA 3 ports.
 
K

kitch9

Banned
x3sphere said:
Hm, random writes IOPS seem low on my 840 Pro

B7ub.png


I have ~70GB free and it's a 256GB drive. The numbers on my 840 Evos are much higher, 85k+. Why would the Pro be underperforming compared to the Evo? This is the OS drive, so maybe that's why. I have them all connected to SATA 3 ports.
Click to expand...

Intel or marvell ports?
 
6

69wpm

Member
Apoleptica said:
The latest 840 evo firmware is EXT0DB6Q. To check your current samsung 840 evo firmware on your mac go to your apple icon then about this mac then system report and then SATA and see what is says next to revision, this is the firmware version you have installed.

To install the new firmware you download the iso from here http://www.samsung.com/global/busin...t/downloads.html?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000279 and then mount it to a CD by burning if you have a disk drive using disk utility or in another manner to a usb drive. Then just power off your mac and power back on holding the option key and select to boot from whatever you mounted the iso to and then just follow the instructions. My macbook pro is fairly old with a disk drive so I just mounted to a cd. I don't really know how to mount an iso to a usb but I'm sure it's not difficult and you could probably google the procedure.
Click to expand...

Yeah, getting this stuff on a usb drive turns out to be a problem. I did it via Terminal but I can't boot from it.
 
s-bojan

s-bojan

Banned
I have 840 and will buy 850 in a few days.
Which of the two would you recommend for OS and which for games/apps?
 
derExperte

derExperte

Member
s-bojan said:
I have 840 and will buy 850 in a few days.
Which of the two would you recommend for OS and which for games/apps?
Click to expand...

I would recommend not giving Samsung more money. But if you for some reason have no choice it doesn't make a noticeable difference which one you use for what.
 
J

JustinBB7

Member
Alright made backups and ran firmware update and advanced optimization:

Sfvgj7Y.png


This any good? Random write went up tons, but other stuff not that much.
 
K

kitch9

Banned
Arkaerial said:
If you enable rapid mode it does that. You do notice an improvement (I have it enabled) but not to the extent those numbers show.





I found this fix awhile ago on guru3d

1. Startup "Regedit
2. Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SYSTEM / CurrentControlset / Services
3. Open msahci
4. In the right field left click on "start" and go to Modify
5. In the value Data field enter "0" and click "ok"
6. exit "Regedit"
7. Reboot Rig and enter BIOS and change from ATA to AHCI.

System will boot into Windows an install / request the drivers. After they are installed the system will reboot.

There is another way but involves the manual extraction of the drivers an adding the registry keys needed.
Click to expand...

Just boot into safe mode with ACHI selected in bios. then reboot normally.

That does the same thing.
 
Dries

Dries

Member
So I just updated to Magician 4.6 and firmware EXT0DB6Q.

Do I need to run the Performance Restoration Tool again?
 
Cute Dragon Here

Cute Dragon Here

Member
Dries said:
So I just updated to Magician 4.6 and firmware EXT0DB6Q.

Do I need to run the Performance Restoration Tool again?
Click to expand...

You don't really need to, but I would advise doing that anyway. The firmware update alone should restore speed in most cases, but it never hurts to run the reconditioning. That would also smooth out any dips that might still exist if the firmware alone didn't fix everything (it should in most non-extreme cases)

(Please run it plugged in if you're on a laptop - that process takes quite a while, and you might want to leave the computer alone.)


Also, use the Advanced Performance Optimzation in Magician instead of the external separate tool.
 
Dries

Dries

Member
Noivern said:
You don't really need to, but I would advise doing that anyway. The firmware update alone should restore speed in most cases, but it never hurts to run the reconditioning. That would also smooth out any dips that might still exist if the firmware alone didn't fix everything (it should in most non-extreme cases)

(Please run it plugged in if you're on a laptop - that process takes quite a while, and you might want to leave the computer alone.)


Also, use the Advanced Performance Optimzation in Magician instead of the external separate tool.
Click to expand...

Will do! Thanks.
 
X

Xtyle

Member
I have been using an 500gig 840 Evo for about a year now. My PC got disc errors few months back (it got those from not shutting down properly but I don't know if it is the Evo or another drive) but I never bothered to fix it. One day 2 weeks ago it just had problem booting into windows.

...so I got new PC and installed windows 8.1 on the Evo. Been using it just fine. However, yesterday the computer fails to load windows (hangs on after bio post). And it's been like this about 1 out of 10 times when computer is turned on that windows would load. Other times it just hangs after bio post...anyone know if Evo is known to do this?

I updated the firmware and did performance optimization and didn't seem to fix it. Doing a second firmware update + optimization now (since there seems to be new updates).

I would hate to have to install windows on a new drive (I have another new unused SSD installed) and it's so bad I don't want to shut down my computer now because it takes so many attempts to even get it load windows (and most of the time when it seems to go pass bios post, it attempts to load automatic repair and hangs before it is loaded).
 
N

Naked Snake

Member
Xtyle said:
I have been using an 500gig 840 Evo for about a year now. My PC got disc errors few months back (it got those from not shutting down properly but I don't know if it is the Evo or another drive) but I never bothered to fix it. One day 2 weeks ago it just had problem booting into windows.

...so I got new PC and installed windows 8.1 on the Evo. Been using it just fine. However, yesterday the computer fails to load windows (hangs on after bio post). And it's been like this about 1 out of 10 times when computer is turned on that windows would load. Other times it just hangs after bio post...anyone know if Evo is known to do this?

I updated the firmware and did performance optimization and didn't seem to fix it. Doing a second firmware update + optimization now (since there seems to be new updates).

I would hate to have to install windows on a new drive (I have another new unused SSD installed) and it's so bad I don't want to shut down my computer now because it takes so many attempts to even get it load windows (and most of the time when it seems to go pass bios post, it attempts to load automatic repair and hangs before it is loaded).
Click to expand...

I think I may have had a similar problem in the past (although not sure how similar it is, my memory is sketchy), I was frequently swapping SATA cables between drives and booting between two installations of Windows 7 and 8.1, and something must have corrupted the boot sector/partition/whatever-its-called for Windows 8.1 (which was on the Evo) and I had to boot from the installation disc and do a repair for the boot sector. Everything was peachy after that.

I'm not sure if there were any other specific steps I had to take, but it took me a while to troubleshoot the issue, and I remember that using the repair function built inside Windows didn't work.

Good luck. Troubleshooting PC issues can be difficult and frustrating. You search online and you find a thousand different suggested solutions, you try them all and none of them work for you, then at some point after you've nearly pulled out all your hair you come on the solution for your case by dumb luck or thorough trial and error.
 
X

Xtyle

Member
I think I have found the boot issue..
turns out, it may not be related to the hard drive. The X99 Deluxe MB I am using may be hanging up afte bios post because there are usb devices connected...I saw someone on youtube who has this same issue and able to solve it by unplugging most of the usb devices, or disable usb on boot...I think I am good now. Hopefully it stays that way
 
S

Shinjuku108

Neo Member
Hope someone can help me and apologies if the answer has been posted elsewhere.

I have an 840 evo in my ps4. I have access to a windows 8.1 pc and a MacBook Pro. My question: is there anyway I can update the firmware of this drive rather straightforward via usb connection to my pc or Mac or better yet directly via the ps4 via usb solution?

Thanks in advance
 
K

kitch9

Banned
Shinjuku108 said:
Hope someone can help me and apologies if the answer has been posted elsewhere.

I have an 840 evo in my ps4. I have access to a windows 8.1 pc and a MacBook Pro. My question: is there anyway I can update the firmware of this drive rather straightforward via usb connection to my pc or Mac or better yet directly via the ps4 via usb solution?

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Got to be done over sata. I have esata on my case and a caddy for these situations.
 
S

Shun

Member
Last week i sent in my drive for warranty due to the slowdown issues I received with my 840 EVO 750GB drive and I got a replacement today.

The replacement was EVEN SLOWER than my previous drive even on the current firmware and Samsung weren't even assed to send me a new or properly checked drive, I got a refurbished model from them.

I'm running Mac OS X and the replacement is slow for OS, data, everything. I have to send my drive for replacement AGAIN and wait another week until I get another one.

I don't know what I would do if it still doesn't work. I tested the old and new drives on different computers and they've both had issues. Samsung tries to say it's an issue with my MacBook when it isn't as the problem persists.


Why can't Samsung give me some sort of reimbursement or "new" drive that isn't an 840 EVO? I'm losing out on work and I'm being set back again.

I'm just really frustrated at this company and their level of quality control on their products. What do I do if I get more problems? Continue to send in the drive?
 
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