P55-GD85 Smart Error (Bad Status) on Sandfornce SSD at POST

keplenk

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Feb 27, 2007
Messages
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Hi,

I recently bought 2 x 64gb Microcenter G2 SSD which has Sandforce SF-1222 controllers on it.  However, when I plugged it on my SATA Intel ICH10R SATA ports, every time I turn it on, It gives me an error indicating
"AHCI Port0 Device Error"
"AHCI Port1 Device Error"
Press F1 to resume .. 

and it also gives a Smart error.  By looking on the errors, one would assume that this is an SSD problem.  So I went back to microcenter and they replaced it with new drives.  After getting the new drives, it gave me the same error again.

I tried connecting the SSD to a different Intel sata port and still gives me an error (of course, changing port0 to whatever port I connect it).  Despite having an error, I can still install an operating system to it, run benchmarks, and tests have good results.  However, I noticed that the system POST went very slow.  Like detection of drives are really really slow. I also tried changing the Intel Sata modes to IDE, AHCI, RAID, nothing.  I actually ran and tested RAID 0 on this system and to my surprise, everything is SOOO LAGGY inside the Intel Matrix Storage ROM setup.  Before, from the system turned off, from the moment I press the power button, POST compeletes in like 3-5 seconds.  After putting these SSDs, POST completes in about 40 seconds. 

Now I tried connecting the drives to the Marvell and the Jmicron ports and it did not give me any SMART errors. It boots fast and normal.  RAID in Marvell works fine with these 2 SSDs.  But Marvell is so crappy.  I don't want to use it.  I want the Intel Ports.

Before upgrading to these Microcenter SSDs, I originally had a Kingston 64gb SSDNow and it does not give me any kind of errors or problems.  I also had a pair of Samsung 500GB spinpoint drives running in RAID-0, no issues.

I also tried connecting the Microcenter SSDs, to my Laptop and my other computer (ICH7 Gigabyte board) and never gives me any SMART error.

I read somewhere that this could only be a BIOS issue but my bios is the latest one (1.4)

Could anyone please help me?

THanks!

System specs:

P55-GD85 BIOS version A7585IMS version 1.4
Core i7-870 running at stock
8gb DDR3 G.Skill Ripjaws 1600 (XMP enabled)
Corsair PSU 650Watts (single 12v rail)
EVGA GTX 460 768mb
Sata DVDRom drive
2 x 500GB Samsung SpinPoint HDDs
1 x 64gb Kingston SSDNow (Jmicron Controllers)
2 x 64gb Mircocenter SSDs
2 x HP 2009m Monitors
Logitech MK300 Wireless KB + Mouse
Windows 7 / Linux Mint both 64-bit


 
I can't find anywhere in the BIOS (which I also find weird).

Anyway, I went ahead to Microcenter again and bought an Agility 2 60GB ssd which has Sandforce too.  It's not giving me any errors.  So I guess it is caused by just the Microcenter SSDs but I wonder why.
 
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