@ all: Since there are new Intel RST(e) drivers of the v15 development branch available, I have done some benchmark comparison tests by using my new Intel Z170 system running a fresh installed Win10 x64 v1607 (Anniversary Update).
Update of the Start Post Changelog:
new chapter: Test results with a Z170 system running in AHCI mode
Tested AHCI drivers:
generic Win10 MS AHCI driver
Intel RST(e) AHCI driver v13.2.4.1000 mod+signed by me
@ all: Since there are new Intel RST(e) drivers v14.8.10.1055 dated 06/10/2016 available since today (thanks to Pacman), I have installed them onto my Z170 system and added the related benchmark results to the start post.
Update of the Start Post Changelog:
added: Test results with my Z170 system running the Intel RST(e) driver v14.8.10.1055 WHQL in AHCI mode
@ all: Today I have done some benchmark tests using my new Intel Z170 system in a RAID0 configuration running Win10 x64 v1607 (Anniversary Update). Furthermore I decided to add the last results of my AHCI and RAID0 benchmark tests, which I had done in January 2015 with my old Z77 system. Since the size of the start post grew too much, I had to split the results into 2 separate posts, the first with the AHCI test results and the second with the RAID0 ones. So you will find now within the first 2 posts of this thread the results of the most recent benchmark tests I have done with the following Intel Chipset systems:
Z68 (AHCI and RAID0)
Z77 (AHCI and RAID0)
Z97 (AHCI and RAID0)
Z170 (AHCI and RAID0)
Update of the Start Post Changelog:
new: Test results with a Z170 system running Win10 x64 v1607 on a RAID0 array These Intel RAID drivers have been tested by me:
@ all: Since there are new Intel RST(e) drivers of the v15.2 development branch available, I have done some new benchmark comparison tests by using my new Intel Z170 system running a fresh installed Win10 x64 Insider Preview Build 14915 on a 512 GB Samsung 840 Pro SSD.
Update of the Start Post Changelog:
new: Test results with a Z170 system running in AHCI mode Tested AHCI drivers:
generic Win10 in-box MS AHCI driver named STORAHCI.SYS
@ all: Since there are new Intel RST(e) drivers v15.2.0.1008 dated 06/17/2016 available since yesterday (thanks to plutomaniac), I have installed them onto my Z170 RAID0 system and added the related benchmark results to the start post.
Update of the Start Post Changelog:
added: RAID0 test results with my Z170 system running Win10 x64 v1607 using the Intel RST(e) RAID driver v15.2.0.1008
@ all: Since there are new Intel RST(e) drivers v14.8.12.1059 WHQL dated 08/23/2016 available since today (thanks to Pacman), I have installed them onto my Z170 system and added the related benchmark results to the start post.
Update of the Start Post Changelog:
added: Test results with my Z170 system running the Intel RST(e) driver v14.8.12.1059 WHQL in AHCI mode
@Fernando have you ever tried a performance comparison with mobile chipsets/controller? On mobile installations I think power consumption will change with different drivers, I just read an article on the latest Samsung 960 evo mentioning marked battery life variations with different drivers. Maybe this applies also to SATA drivesā¦
No, I havenāt and probably will not do it, because I am not willing to shorten the life span of my private mobile system by doing a lot of benchmark tests. Furthermore for users of a mobile system it seems to be less interesting to know, which driver may give them 2-5% better benchmark results (as long as they do not realize themselves the performance difference while working).
I agree. the power consumption on the other hand could be of some interest. to know which driver lets you save 30 minutes of battery could be very interestingā¦
@ all: As you maybe remember, the winner of my recently done AHCI driver benchmark tests using my Z170 system was not any of the new Intel RST(e) drivers, but the very old Intel RST(e) driver v13.2.4.1000 dated 07/25/2014, which I thought was the latest available driver from the v13 platform. Obviously I was wrong, because recently I found the forgotten, but very interesting and never tested Intel RST(e) drivers v13.2.8.1002 WHQL dated 07/09/2015. Since I was curious about its performance, especially in comparison to the v13.2.4.1000 AHCI driver, I have done yesterday some new benchmark comparison tests by using my Intel Z170 system running a freshly installed Win10 x64 Insider Preview Build 14986. This gave me the chance to additionally test the performance of the currently latest Intel RST(e) driver v15.2.5.1035 dated 11/17/2016 and to compare it with the much older ones, which both belong to the v13 platform.
Update of the Start Post Changelog:
Updated: Test results with a Z170 system running in AHCI mode
Tested AHCI drivers:
Win10 in-box MS AHCI driver STORAHCI dated 12/03/2016 (newest available AHCI driver)
@Fernando , The best score with v13.2.8.1002 is quite surprising because Intel Release Note does not refer to W10. So, the best score is for an Intel Non Supported Operating system ?
IntelĀ® Rapid Storage Technology 13.2.8.1002 Production Version Release 9 December 2015 ā¦ Supported Operating Systems Microsoft Windows 7* Microsoft Windows 7 x64 Edition* Microsoft Windows 8* Microsoft Windows 8 x64 Edition* Microsoft Windows Server 2008* Microsoft Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition* Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 x64* Microsoft Windows Server 2012* Microsoft Windows Server 2012 x64 Edition* Microsoft Windows 8.1* Microsoft Windows 8.1 x64 Edition*
EDIT by Fernando: Unneeded part of the copied text removed (to save space)
@100PIER : Thanks for your report. It seems to be not a good idea to ādowngradeā the platform of the in-use Intel RAID drivers, if the user has a RAID array. The other way seems to work (see the results of my new Intel RAID driver comparison tests I have done today). I hope, that you get your system working again without the need of a fresh OS install. By the way: I had no problem to get the Intel RST Software v13.2.8.1002 installed. As you can see here, the RST Console is running properly:
@ all: After having seen the surprising results I got yesterday with my Z170 system testing different AHCI drivers, I have tested today the same Intel RST(e) drivers running in RAID mode with my Z170 system. The results were even more surprising than the AHCI ones.
Update of the Start Post Changelog:
Updated: Test results with a Z170 system running Win10 x64 on a RAID0 array Tested Intel RAID drivers:
I got the Intel RST(e) RAID driver v13.2.8.1002 WHQL installed on my windows 10 x64 .At first when installing through device manager it went seems like forever installing the drivers untill it timed out.It said the drivers failed to install with a error.I rebooted my pc and found in device manager that it did install after the reboot.Under driver,General it says This device is working properly.So it does install on Windows 10 x64 after driver install times out and reboot is done.As what i see its comparable to the v13.2.4.1000,mabey a tiny little bit better in AnvilPro benchmark score.
@Fernando , I assume you succeed all your tests because they were done on āupgradeā way. It seems ādowngradeā operations are never working. For me, I am stuck to v14 branch, and even RST Software Console v14 when installed donāt start. So, it is a limited situation. But itās work.
I am not sure about it. This was my procedure while doing my RAID0 tests yesterday:
Clean install of the original (untouched) OS onto the already existing RAID0 array. I just deleted the existing partitions (incl. the usually hidden ones) and created a new one for the OS. Note: This way the previously enabled Write-Back Caching feature stays enabled. Big advantage: The installation of the RST Software is not required to get it again!
I started my tests by running the Win10 in-box Intel RAID driver v13.2.0.1022.
Then I manually updated the in-use Intel RAID driver step by step to the next higher version (without trying to install any Intel RST Software) and executed the related benchmark tests .
After having finished the tests while running the newest Intel RAID driver v15.2.5.1035, I successfully manually ādowngradedā the in-use Intel RAID driver to the v13.2.8.1002. Everything went flawlessly.
Now I ran the installer of the complete Intel RST Drivers & Software Set v13.2.8.1002. The simple reason was, that I wanted to verify, whether the special RST Software optimization features like the Write-Back Caching were already enabled, although I did not install any Intel RST Software after the clean OS install.
After the successful reboot I ran the IRST Console v13.2.8.1002 and checked everything. As you can see by clicking on the above attached screenshots the related features were indeed shown as being already enabled.
This verifies, that a) the installation of the IRST Software is not required to get the feature āWrite-Back Cachingā (precondition: It has been enabled at any time before doing a fresh OS install onto the still existing RAID0 array) and b) a ādowngradeā of the in-use Intel RAID driver is not impossible.
@Fernando , I understand all is working as expected on your side. On my side I have tried to "upgrade" to v15 branch via the Software Package. V15 driver has been installed and worked. RST Software is installed but crashes when running:
So, i have "downgraded" Drivers version from V15 to v14 branch, without any Console functionality for proper "write back Caching" checking/setting. This is were I am stuck.
