Win10, Primary Drive, AHCI vs RAID, and verifying display adapter?

CalypsoArt · 06 Nov 2021

Mods , move this if I'm in the wrong forum.

A friend bought a Dell Precision 6800 Laptop (i5, 8gb RAM no HD/OS) at auction. It turns out that machine was never used! Not a spec of dust inside or out on a 2013 or so Laptop. At any rate, he is in the Mac ecosystem, which is why he asked me to set it up. (he wants this to run a giant Roland printer) I had an Crucial 250gb SSD that I used to install Windows 10 Pro. However, I'm startled at how slow the machine is. Start up times of minutes, and lags for every click.

Here are a few questions as I try to sort this out, and I'm open to suggestions.

1. This Dell BIOS has way more options than I've ever seen before. Also, it was set to RAID. I understand that RAID in creases speed through using multiple HDs, though this machine is capable of holding 3 HDs, I'm pretty certain it only originally had 1. At any rate, I changed the setting to AHCI before I installed windows on the SSD. Could this affect start up speed?

2. As mentioned, this machine is capable of holding 3 HDs. However, when the primary HD was removed for the auction they also took the HD caddy with it. I put the SSD in the "secondary" HD drivebay to install Windows. (a replacement caddy is on the way) Could this bay actually be slower than the "primary"? Would speed improve when I move the drive over to the primary bay?

3. I see that machine has two display adapters. Intel graphics 4600, and AMD Radeon HD 8950. I'm not sure which is being used. (I'd expect the AMD to have better performance?) How do I check which is being used, make sure it's the Radeon 8950, and could this be a reason for the poor performance?

That's all the questions for now. Thanks in advance.

System Information report written at: 11/06/21 16:02:48
System Name: DESKTOP-ORNSPCC
[System Summary]

Item Value
OS Name Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
Version 10.0.19043 Build 19043
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name DESKTOP-ORNSPCC
System Manufacturer Dell Inc.
System Model Precision M6800
System Type x64-based PC
System SKU 05CD
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4200M CPU @ 2.50GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Dell Inc. A26, 6/13/2019
SMBIOS Version 2.7
Embedded Controller Version 255.255
BIOS Mode UEFI
BaseBoard Manufacturer Dell Inc.
BaseBoard Product 0F5HF3
BaseBoard Version A00
Platform Role Mobile
Secure Boot State Off
PCR7 Configuration Binding Not Possible
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "10.0.19041.1151"
User Name DESKTOP-ORNSPCC
Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 7.91 GB
Available Physical Memory 6.00 GB
Total Virtual Memory 9.78 GB
Available Virtual Memory 8.06 GB
Page File Space 1.88 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys
Kernel DMA Protection Off
Virtualization-based security Not enabled
Device Encryption Support Reasons for failed automatic device encryption: TPM is not usable, PCR7 binding is not supported, Hardware Security Test Interface failed and device is not Modern Standby, Un-allowed DMA capable bus/device(s) detected, TPM is not usable
Hyper-V - VM Monitor Mode Extensions Yes
Hyper-V - Second Level Address Translation Extensions Yes
Hyper-V - Virtualization Enabled in Firmware Yes
Hyper-V - Data Execution Protection Yes

Megahertz · 06 Nov 2021

Please edit your profile with ALL the hardware specs. It will help us to help you
System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums

I suppose it is a desktop.
- AHCI is OK but some Dell runs better on RAID even without a array.
- fireberd is a Dell specialist. Let's see if he can help.
- Where you install the SSD doesn't matter as long it is connected to the right SATA port. Old computers can have 2 SATA 600 and 4 SATA 300. The SATA slot are different color. In witch one is the SSD?
- Did you install as Legacy-MBR or UEFI-GPT. Witch Win 10 version did you install (run winver to find out)? Did you install 64 bits?
- Did you opened Device Manager to see if there is any yellow alerts of missing drivers?

The Intel graphics 4600 is integrated into the CPU. If it has a AMD Radeon HD 8950 card is to add graphics power to the computer.

CalypsoArt · 06 Nov 2021

Megahertz said:

Please edit your profile with ALL the hardware specs. It will help us to help you
System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums
I suppose it is a desktop.

Laptop

- AHCI is OK but some Dell runs better on RAID even without a array.
- fireberd is a Dell specialist. Let's see if he can help.
- Where you install the SSD doesn't matter as long it is connected to the right SATA port. Old computers can have 2 SATA 600 and 4 SATA 300.

The SATA slot are different color. In witch one is the SSD?

Cannot see in the laptop.

- Did you install as Legacy-MBR or UEFI-GPT. Witch Win 10 version did you install (run winver to find out)? Did you install 64 bits?

Windows originally would not install saying there was an MBR file system found. I used GParted to wipe/format the drive and then windows installed. I believe its UFEI-GPT. I know I did change the mode in the BIOS from RAID to UFEI.

- Did you opened Device Manager to see if there is any yellow alerts of missing drivers?

The only exclamation in Device Manager is Broadcom USH. I believe that is bluetooth or something?

The Intel graphics 4600 is integrated into the CPU. If it has a AMD Radeon HD 8950 card is to add graphics power to the computer.

I downloaded the AMD driver from Dell and installed. The machine still seems to be using the Intel graphics.

bobkn · 06 Nov 2021

Megahertz said:

Please edit your profile with ALL the hardware specs. It will help us to help you
System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums

I suppose it is a desktop.

(snip)

Apparently not. "Not a spec of dust inside or out on a 2013 or so Laptop." The OP might have made things clearer by stating it's a Precision 6800M, with AMD 8950M graphics. (If that's correct.)

I presume that it's this one: https://www.dell.com/p/precision-m68...n&s=bsd&~ck=mn

17" display. I think it's what I'd call a desktop replacement.

The AMD Enduro technology (or the similar nVida Optimus technology) is a scheme where the laptop uses the integrated graphics for low-performance tasks, but switches to the discrete graphics for jhigh performance ones. It's a battery saving tech.

Do you have drivers installed for the AMD 8950M and the Intel 4600 Mobile graphics? You'd want both. I don't know what need to be done to set up the Enduro stuff properly.

I think that the AHCI drivers should be OK. Absent RAID, the main reason for using the RST drivers would be to support using an Optane cache. I doubt that a laptop of that vintage would have that.

I wouldn't expect the choice of SATA port to affect performance.

Regardless of whether it has an I5 or I7 CPU, it should be reasonably quick to boot. I have a cheap Lenovo Thinkpad with an I3, and it isn't sluggish in Windows. Not suitable for gaming or number crunching, but I don't use it for that.

I can't explain the slowness of the laptop. Seems unlikely that graphics drivers (or lack thereof) would affect boot times.

CalypsoArt · 06 Nov 2021

bobkn said:

Apparently not. "Not a spec of dust inside or out on a 2013 or so Laptop." The OP might have made things clearer by stating it's a Precision 6800M, with AMD 8950M graphics. (If that's correct.)

I presume that it's this one: https://www.dell.com/p/precision-m68...n&s=bsd&~ck=mn

17" display. I think it's what I'd call a desktop replacement.

Correct. That is the model. I apologize if I did not post enough info. I only do this ever few years.

The AMD Enduro technology (or the similar nVida Optimus technology) is a scheme where the laptop uses the integrated graphics for low-performance tasks, but switches to the discrete graphics for jhigh performance ones. It's a battery saving tech.
Do you have drivers installed for the AMD 8950M and the Intel 4600 Mobile graphics? You'd want both. I don't know what need to be done to set up the Enduro stuff properly.

I did install the Radeon 8950 driver.

I think that the AHCI drivers should be OK. Absent RAID, the main reason for using the RST drivers would be to support using an Optane cache. I doubt that a laptop of that vintage would have that. I wouldn't expect the choice of SATA port to affect performance.

I get a new Primary drive caddy Tuesday and will swap. I was hoping that was the problem. Bummer.

Regardless of whether it has an I5 or I7 CPU, it should be reasonably quick to boot. I have a cheap Lenovo Thinkpad with an I3, and it isn't sluggish in Windows. Not suitable for gaming or number crunching, but I don't use it for that.
I can't explain the slowness of the laptop. Seems unlikely that graphics drivers (or lack thereof) would affect boot times.

It's pretty horrendous. I click an Icon and can walk away for a while before the application opens. Perhaps a Windows reinstall might help. But that did take a long time. I wonder if the HD could be the problem?

spunk · 06 Nov 2021

Chances are great that the HDD is slowing down and may have Bad Sectors.
You can download DiskGenius in my signature select your disk and go to the toolbar to Disk and choose View SMART information. This will give you a quick snapshot of the health of your drive. If you get a Warning message, the drive is in the beginning stages of failing. You can also go to View or Repair Bad Sectors/Verify Now. This will take a long time but show you the bad sectors on the drive if it has any. If so The drive should be replaced with an SSD ASAP

bobkn · 06 Nov 2021

spunk said:

Chances are great that the HDD is slowing down and may have Bad Sectors.
You can download DiskGenius in my signature select your disk and go to the toolbar to Disk and choose View SMART information. This will give you a quick snapshot of the health of your drive. If you get a Warning message, the drive is in the beginning stages of failing. You can also go to View or Repair Bad Sectors/Verify Now. This will take a long time but show you the bad sectors on the drive if it has any. If so The drive should be replaced with an SSD ASAP

"CalypsoArt" posted that the OS is installed on a "Crucial 250gb SSD". (The laptop was bought without any drives.) Does that affect your advice?

I have no idea why the machine isn't performing.

NavyLCDR · 06 Nov 2021

What does the performance tab on task manager say for available memory?

Win10, Primary Drive, AHCI vs RAID, and verifying display adapter?-capture2.jpg

selden · 06 Nov 2021

If you haven't already, you should update the laptop's BIOS to the most recent version. If the laptop was unused, it probably still has the original BIOS, which might have bugs limiting its performance.

It also wouldn't hurt to use a disk diagnostic program to inspect the SSD's SMART status. The slowness might be due to disk problems. I use CrystalDiskInfo, which is free. People often use CrystalDiskMark to measure disk performance.

spunk · 07 Nov 2021

"CalypsoArt" posted that the OS is installed on a "Crucial 250gb SSD". (The laptop was bought without any drives.) Does that affect your advice?

An SSD can get Bad Sectors just like a HDD can.
You can also run Crucial's own SSD diagnostic software