Samsung 960 Pro NVMe SSD speeds are crazy

Update: post second rebuild on 10…the issue is gone. Beta bits to blame? I’m trying to reproduce to get to the bottom of it. No one should have a drive like this and be down 1GB/s in read speed…

 

So I installed a new Samsung 960 Pro NVMe SSD in my Asus Prime x370 Pro motherboard

I was on the Windows 10 Insider Preview. It was ‘ok’. Used the Samsung Magician software, followed all the rules, rah rah.

samsung mag

Now, Samsung publishes the speed rating for that drive is

Sequential Read Speed:  Max 3,500 MB/sec

Sequential Write Speed:  Max 2,100 MB/sec

 

I mean, what I had was fast. So I didn’t think anything of it. Right?

I had issues with the Insider Preview and rebuilt from scratch. Didn’t have time to debug it, and since I am no longer a Microsoft employee, I don’t have access to private symbols anyway, nor the ability to file a bug. So meh.

Back to 10 Pro. I rebuilt. Before I installed Samsung Magician and the “right” drivers, I did a speed test using Crystal Disk Mark. (Yes, I know it isn’t a diskspd test, I just wanted a quick check).

The results…using stock Windows 10 Pro drivers from 1703 are, shall we say, impressive.

vroom

Now I could install Samsung Magician and retest. But then it’d modify the driver and screw this up for me most likely. So, no thanks. I’ll keep my advertised speeds thank you very much.

Good job to Microsoft, hats off for a stock driver that kicks butt!

default driver

Till next time, the dude does in fact abide, albeit somewhat speedily…

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