Intel SSD Toolbox 3.0 Frequently Asked Questions

Intel® Solid-State Drive Toolbox 326273-001US

Questions and Answers October 2011

Intel® Solid-State Drive Toolbox

Questions and Answers

Q1: What capabilities does Intel

Solid-State Drive Toolbox (Intel® SSD Toolbox) provide?

A1: Intel SSD Toolbox monitors and manages the health of an Intel SSD, allowing you to:

 View current drive information, including:

– Model number, capacity, and firmware version

– Drive Health

– Estimated drive life remaining

– SMART attributes (also available for hard disk drives and non-Intel SSDs)

– IDENTIFY DEVICE information (also available for hard disk drives and non-Intel SSDs)

 Optimize the performance of an Intel SSD using Trim functionality with the Intel® SSD Optimizer

 Update the firmware under Microsoft Windows* on a supported Intel SSD

 Run quick and full diagnostic scans to test the read and write functionality of an Intel SSD

 Check and tune your system settings for optimal Intel SSD performance, power efficiency, and

endurance

 View your system information and hardware configuration, such as central processing unit (CPU),

chipset, controller name, and driver versions

 Run Secure Erase on a secondary Intel SSD

Q2: Can I use Intel SSD Toolbox to run Intel SSD Optimizer (Trim) on my 50nm Intel SSD or a non-

Intel SSD?

A2: No, Intel SSD Optimizer works on 34nm and later Intel SSDs only. To identify your Intel SSD, view the

model number on the Intel SSD Toolbox home screen. To identify if the Intel SSD is 50nm:

a. Select the Intel SSD on the Intel SSD Toolbox home screen.

b. Click Drive Details.

c. View the Model Number (Word 27-46). If the number contains G1, the Intel SSD is 50nm.

Note: Intel SSD Toolbox can be used to report SMART information for any SATA hard disk drive (HDD) or

non-Intel SSD. However, SMART attributes that are manufacturer-specific are displayed with attribute

numbers and values only. For complete descriptions of these SMART attributes, see the manufacturer’s

documentation.

Q3: Can Intel SSD Toolbox be used on my SSD when it is connected externally through a USB-

to-SATA adapter?

A3: No.

Q4: Can Intel SSD Toolbox be used on my SSD when it is connected externally through an

eSATA adapter ?

A4: Yes.

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Intel® Solid-State Drive Toolbox Questions and Answers Q1: What capabilities does Intel® Solid-State Drive Toolbox (Intel® SSD Toolbox) provide? A1: Intel SSD Toolbox monitors and manages the health of an Intel SSD, allowing you to:  View current drive information, including:       – Model number, capacity, and firmware version – – – Drive Health Estimated drive life remaining SMART attributes (also available for hard disk drives and non-Intel SSDs) – IDENTIFY DEVICE information (also availab
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Q5: Does Intel SSD Toolbox support multiple Intel SSDs in my system? A5: Yes, Intel SSD Toolbox supports as many SSDs as your host Intel-based chipset system can directly connect to SATA sockets on your motherboard. Q6: Can I use Intel SSD Optimizer if I have multiple Intel SSDs installed as part of a RAID configuration? A6: No. The current implementation of Intel SSD Toolbox does not support SSDs installed as part of a RAID configuration. Intel is investigating RAID support for future versions of the tool.
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Q11: Does Intel SSD Optimizer (Trim support) work with Intel® Rapid Storage Technology? A11: The Intel® Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) driver version 9.6 or later supports Trim commands. If the Intel RST driver is on a system that is not in a RAID configuration, both the Intel RST driver and the Intel SSD Toolbox will work together, and the Intel SSD Optimizer will run on the Intel SSD.