Basically AHCI is a newer way to interface with the SATA controller. This allows you to take advantage of SATA features such as Native Command Queuing (basically, you give your hard drive a bunch of commands, and let it figure out the best order to run them in to increase total throughput... without command queuing, the operating system can only send one command at a time, and the OS really has very little idea how to do this in the optimum order... this helps most when you are accessing data scattered over the drive rather than in order... if you run multiple programs that both use the disk it'll help, but it will have little effect when playing a movie off the hard drive), there are some other features that are enabled, but are more appropriate for desktops. The downside is you need updated drivers (which are apparently not on the BART cd).
In ATA mode, the SATA controller is basically pretending to be Intel's last generation parallel ATA controller. Weather or not you have real performance differences between the two modes probably depends on exactly how you use your disk drive, so you may want to try it out (if your Operating System doesn't get spooked by the change). Additionally, you should be happy you have the option, I have a Latitude D520, which doesn't have this option, and I'm stuck in ATA mode, when command queuing could really help me out.
The Flash Cache Modules will only be included with the system if the unit shipped with Microsoft Vista and the "Hybrid Hard Drive" option was selected at the time of purchase. The BIOS setting for this device is set to "Enabled" by default, this doesn't indicate that the unit has the module.
Basically, the FCM is designed to be used in tandem with an AHCI enabled SATA HDD to retrieve frequently accessed data from the FCM instead of having to go back to the hard drive, which saves time and battery power.
Yes, there are a lot of changes that you should manage in order to get the best of your SSD. You can easily find good papers on the Web to do the job. At first AHCI mode becomes really relevant with SSD for queuing and processing commands and for some other features.
toast0
3 Posts
0
September 3rd, 2007 03:00
Basically AHCI is a newer way to interface with the SATA controller. This allows you to take advantage of SATA features such as Native Command Queuing (basically, you give your hard drive a bunch of commands, and let it figure out the best order to run them in to increase total throughput... without command queuing, the operating system can only send one command at a time, and the OS really has very little idea how to do this in the optimum order... this helps most when you are accessing data scattered over the drive rather than in order... if you run multiple programs that both use the disk it'll help, but it will have little effect when playing a movie off the hard drive), there are some other features that are enabled, but are more appropriate for desktops. The downside is you need updated drivers (which are apparently not on the BART cd).
In ATA mode, the SATA controller is basically pretending to be Intel's last generation parallel ATA controller. Weather or not you have real performance differences between the two modes probably depends on exactly how you use your disk drive, so you may want to try it out (if your Operating System doesn't get spooked by the change). Additionally, you should be happy you have the option, I have a Latitude D520, which doesn't have this option, and I'm stuck in ATA mode, when command queuing could really help me out.
I don't know what the Flash Cache module does.
[edited to form paragraphs]
Message Edited by toast0 on 09-03-2007 12:04 AM
(edited)
gmjohnson99
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September 3rd, 2007 15:00
Mike B1
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September 5th, 2007 13:00
SevernMD
3 Posts
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December 27th, 2014 17:00
when upgrading from HDD to SDD, are changes necessary in the setup of SATA (ATA, AHCI) and/or other changes?
Thanks
Peter_Pan_7
1 Rookie
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30 Posts
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December 28th, 2014 11:00
Yes, there are a lot of changes that you should manage in order to get the best of your SSD. You can easily find good papers on the Web to do the job. At first AHCI mode becomes really relevant with SSD for queuing and processing commands and for some other features.
Here is a good shot in my opinion
(edited)