Recommended AHCI/RAID and NVMe Drivers

[Fernando]

@Fernando

As soon as possible I will post the results of a benchmark test.

Meanwhile I returned from a 4 weeks trip to Spain and did a clean install of Win10 x64 v1709 onto the Intel 750 NVMe SSD of my main system. This gave me the opportunity to do the promised benchmark test comparing the latest Intel NVMe driver with the generic MS in-box NVMe driver.

Here are the surprising results I got (Left Pic: Generic Win10 v1709 NVMe driver v10.0.16299.15, right Pic: Intel NVMe driver v3.1.0.1021 WHQL):

As you can see, the Intel NVMe driver v3.1.0.1021 gave my Intel 750 SSD a slightly better READ performance, but due to the much better WRITE performance the winner was Microsoft’s Win10 in-box NVMe driver v10.0.16299.15.

[100PIER]

@Fernando
Here are 2 comparative set of benchs done on ASUS Sabertooth x99 for i750 400GB with Intel NVMe driver v3.1.0.1021 WHQL and with Generic Standard W10 v1709 NVMe driver v10.0.16299.15.

Same conclusion as Fernando did. (nota: my System test is running about 140 applications)
The ANVIL scores is slightly better with native MS in-box NVMe driver, but a contrario AS-SSD score is slightly better with Intel NVMe driver.

Native MS in-box NVMe driver:

Intel NVMe driver:

[davidm71]

So its a tie almost? Wonder if you could overclock a SSD?

[Fernando]

Since I had the required time, I just have done a clean install of Win10 x64 v1709 onto a 250 GB Samsung 960 EVO SSD using again my Z170 system. This gave me the opportunity to do the promised benchmark tests comparing the latest Samsung NVMe driver with the latest generic MS in-box NVMe driver, which is part of Win10 v1709.

Here are the results I got (Left Pic: Generic Win10 v1709 NVMe driver v10.0.16299.15, right Pic: Samsung NVMe driver v2.3.0.1709 WHQL):

As you can see, these results (MS driver vs. Samsung driver) are quite different from those, which I got, when I compared the performance of the MS in-box with the latest Intel NVMe driver.
According to my benchmark results both NVMe drivers (from MS and Samsung) gave my system a nearly similar, absolutely awesome performance. The only difference is, that the MS NVMe driver is faster while READING, whereas the Samsung NVMe driver is the absolutely winner, when it comes to the task WRITING.

[100PIER]

@Fernando ,
Here are comparative benchs (not on W10 fresh install) for Samsung 950PRO 512GB and 960PRO 1TB with Samsung NVMe driver and Standard W10 NVMe driver:
For 950 PRO 512 GB:
Generic:

Samsung:

For 960 PRO 1TB:
Generic:

Samsung:

Conclusion:
For both Samsung NVMe SSD devices, Samsung NVMe driver v2.3.0.1709 does provide slightly better performances than in-box Generic NVMe standard driver v10.0.16299.15

It is the same conclusion as Fernando does:
For Intel i750 the manufacturer NVMe driver does offer less performance than Generic NVMe in-box driver (however Intel Toolbox does not offer "Optimize" function when native NVMe driver is used).
For Samsung 950/960 Family products the manufacturer NVMe driver does offer more performance than Generic NVMe in-box standard driver.

[Hammer]

@Fernando

Update of the start post
Changelog:

• Samsung NVMe drivers:
  • new: “pure” 32/64bit Samsung NVMe Drivers v2.2.0.1703 WHQL for Win7 x86/64
  • new: “pure” 32/64bit Samsung NVMe Drivers v2.2.0.1703 WHQL for Win10 x86/64
  • new: Samsung NVMe Drivers Installer Set v2.2.0.1703 WHQL dated 03/20/2017
  Thanks to Unantastbar for the info and the download links to the already extracted “pure” drivers.
  Notes:
  The included 32/64bit Samsung NVMe drivers are dated 03/17/2017 and WHQL certified by Microsoft. Supported are the Samsung NVMe Controllers with the DeviceIDs DEV_A802 and DEV_A804, which are within Samsung’s most popular consumer NVMe SSDs like SM951, SM961, SM961 SED, PM961, 950 Pro and 960 PRO/EVO SSDs.

Hi, is it possible to install the Windows 10 64 bit drivers on a Server 2016 system? I tried both the installer (error says cannot run on this OS) and the pure drivers and both did not work. Thank you.

EDIT by Fernando: Unneeded parts of the fully quoted post removed (to save space)

[Fernando]

@Hammer

Hi, is it possible to install the Windows 10 64 bit drivers on a Server 2016 system?

Usually it should be possible, because Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 belong to the same NT platform.
Have you already tried to force the installation by using the “Have Disk” button?
Which Samsung NVMe SSD are you using?
Why don`t you use the generic MS NVMe driver (provided, that Windows Server 2016 contains any, which supports your specific NVMe SSD)?

[Hammer]

Thank you for your response. i tried the “have disk” method and the error says the folder does not contain a compatible driver for my device. i have a MZVLW1T0HMLH which I believe is a PM961. The issue I am trying to solve is to ensure TRIM is enabled. When I run CrystalDiskInfo, TRIM is not listed.

I actually have the same drive on a Win10 system and it is giving me the same error…so it does not seem to be Server 2016 related.

[Fernando]

@Hammer :
For which device are you trying to update the driver? Don`t try it within the “Disk drives” section of the Device Manager!
The correct device is named “Standard NVM Express Controller” (or similar) and listed within the “Storage Controllers” section.

[Hammer]

@Fernando

@Hammer:
For which device are you trying to update the driver? Don`t try it within the “Disk drives” section of the Device Manager!
The correct device is named “Standard NVM Express Controller” (or similar) and listed within the “Storage Controllers” section.

Thank you! That did the trick!

[JackJude27]

Hi there, is it possible to update NVMe drivers while in RAID configuration? (2 x pm961 in RAID0 in my case)?

[Fernando]

@JackJude27 :
Welcome to the Win-RAID Forum!

@JackJude27

Hi there, is it possible to update NVMe drivers while in RAID configuration? (2 x pm961 in RAID0 in my case)?

Why not? Which NVMe RAID drivers are you currently using?
The new ones should be from the same manufacturer!

Regards
Dieter (alias Fernando)

[JackJude27]

Thanks for the reply Fernando, Im running Win10 and using the Intel RST 15.2.7.1042 driver. Ive actually never installed a Samsung driver for the NVMe drives

[Fernando]

@JackJude27

Im running Win10 and using the Intel RST 15.2.7.1042 driver.

Ok, so you should be able to update to any Intel RST v15.2 or v15.5 series version.

[111alan]

The 3.1.0.1021 version of intel nvme driver has launched. And I happen to have an Intel Optane 900P 480GB drive.

So I modded the official driver inf to make it support 600p, optane memory, optane 900p and p4800x series. It should now supports all the nvme drives intel has.

It has been tested, it’s not only more stable but also solves many problems such as smart info can’t be read and ata command(like secure erase) can’t be sent. But it’s still missing a signature.

link here:
https://mega.nz/#!bkcBzLII!pNL87e9zduZyq…a3MsBvE7S2Tg-J8

The HW IDs I added:

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PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_F1A5.DeviceDesc = "Intel(R) Solid-State Drive 600P Series"
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2522.DeviceDesc = "Intel(R) Optane Memory 8000p Series"
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_A2BA.DeviceDesc = "Intel(R) Optane Memory 8000p Series"
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2700.DeviceDesc = "Intel(R) Optane SSD 900p Series"
PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2701.DeviceDesc = "Intel(R) Optane SSD DC P4800x Series"
 

So could you plz update the modded driver, give it a signature? Thanks. :P

[Fernando]

@111alan :
Thanks for the HardwareIDs of the Intel(R) Optane SSD 900p Series NVMe Controller.
I have added them to the related INF file of the recently mod+signed Intel NVMe drivers v3.1.0.1021 and gave them a new digital signature.

@all:
The download links to the re-modded and re-signed 32/64bit Intel NVMe drivers v3.1.0.1021 with additional support of the Intel Optane 900p Series NVMe Controller can be found within the start post of >this< thread.

Good luck!
Dieter (alias Fernando)

[Fernando]

@111alan :
Since your latest posts have nothing to do with the topic title you had chosen (about “Intel Optane 900p” drivers), I have moved the content of the related thread completely into this stickied, but less specific one.
Another option would be, that you rename the title of your recent posts to “[Request] Mod+signed Samsung NVMe drivers” or similar. Then I would be able to split our recent discussions about modded Intel and Samsung NVMe drivers into 2 separate threads.
What is your opinion?

[111alan]

i agree. just rename the original post?

[Fernando]

@111alan :
I have already done it for you.

[Fernando]

@all:
Update of the start post

Changelog:

• Intel NVMe drivers:
  • new: 32/64bit Intel Optane NVMe drivers v2.0.0.1024 WHQL dated 08/15/2017
  • new: Intel Optane NVMe Drivers Installer Set v2.0.0.1024 WHQL dated 10/10/2017
  Notes:
  Supported are the following Intel NVMe SSDs:
  • Intel SSDs P3700/3600/P3500/P3520/750 Series (DeviceID of the related NVMe Controller: DEV_0953)
  • Intel SSDs DC P3520 Series (DeviceID of the related NVMe Controller: DEV_0A53)
  • Intel Optane™ SSDs 900P Series (DeviceID of the related NVMe Controller: DEV_2700)
  • Intel Optane™ SSDs DC P4800x Series (DeviceID of the related NVMe Controller: DEV_2701)

Thanks to eddie718 for the info and the links to the Intel Download Center.

Good luck with these Intel NVMe drivers, which have been specificly designed for Intel Optane SSDs!
Dieter (alias Fernando)