[ltp] using Middleton BIOS on Linux (for SATA2)

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:23:43 -0500

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The read/write speed of your drive, as tested by toms hardware, is Min:
41.4 MB/s Avg: 64 MB/s Max: 84.3 MB/s (source:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/notebook-hard-drive,2006-11.html). SATA
1 has a max transfer speed of 1.5 Gbps, divide that by 7 to get bytes and
you get a theoretical transfer speed of 214.28 MB/s, In my opinion you
would not see any speed advantage with SATA 2 with that drive. The risk
with using the Middleton BIOS in the same as with flashing any BIOS, a bad
flash, corrupted download or the flash being interrupted, what may result
in a dead system board.  I use Middleton BIOS on my T61 and X61T and did
have any problems with them. I use the modified BIOS in those two because
of the whitelist mod and the SSDs I use in them, that would saturate the
SATA 1 link. The risk would be low as long as you have a known good
download and you have a fully charged battery pack (I do not remember if
you could get around the battery check, but I would never recommend it),
but I do not think it would offer any advantage to you, unless you get a
SSD or need the whitelist mod.

On Tue, Jan 22, 2013 at 9:55 PM, green <greenfreedom10@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi everyone, I am interested in using the Middleton unofficial BIOS
> because I
> have a Western Digital WD3200BEKT 7200 RPM hard-disk which supports SATA-2.
>
> What about the risk of using this particular unofficial BIOS?
>
> Is this disk actually even saturating the link with the current SATA-1
> speed
> cap?
>
> Thanks for your comments.
>
> # hdparm -tT /dev/sda
> /dev/sda:
>  Timing cached reads:   2228 MB in  2.00 seconds = 1114.13 MB/sec
>  Timing buffered disk reads: 252 MB in  3.02 seconds =  83.33 MB/sec
>
> Middleton BIOS:
>
> http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/459591-t61-x61-sata-ii-1-5-gb-s-cap-willing-pay-solution-8.html#post6501443
>
> Western Digital WD3200BEKT:
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136280
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr">The read/write speed of your drive, as tested by toms hard=
ware, is Min: 41.4 MB/s Avg: 64 MB/s Max: 84.3 MB/s (source: <a href=3D"ht=
tp://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/notebook-hard-drive,2006-11.html">http://=
www.tomshardware.com/reviews/notebook-hard-drive,2006-11.html</a>). SATA 1 =
has a max transfer speed of 1.5 Gbps, divide that by 7 to get bytes and you=
 get a theoretical transfer speed of 214.28 MB/s, In my opinion you would n=
ot see any speed advantage with SATA 2 with that drive. The risk with using=
 the Middleton BIOS in the same as with flashing any BIOS, a bad flash, cor=
rupted download or the flash being interrupted, what may result in a dead s=
ystem board.=C2=A0 I use Middleton BIOS on my T61 and X61T and did have any=
 problems with them. I use the modified BIOS in those two because of the wh=
itelist mod and the SSDs I use in them, that would saturate the SATA 1 link=
. The risk would be low as long as you have a known good download and you h=
ave a fully charged battery pack (I do not remember if you could get around=
 the battery check, but I would never recommend it), but I do not think it =
would offer any advantage to you, unless you get a SSD or need the whitelis=
t mod. 
</div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"> <div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Tue,=
 Jan 22, 2013 at 9:55 PM, green &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:gre=
enfreedom10@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">greenfreedom10@gmail.com</a>&gt;</=
span> wrote: 
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p=
x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Hi everyone, I am interested in using the Mi=
ddleton unofficial BIOS because I 
have a Western Digital WD3200BEKT 7200 RPM hard-disk which supports SATA-2.=
 
 
What about the risk of using this particular unofficial BIOS? 
 
Is this disk actually even saturating the link with the current SATA-1 spee=
d 
cap? 
 
Thanks for your comments. 
 
# hdparm -tT /dev/sda 
/dev/sda: 
=C2=A0Timing cached reads: =C2=A0 2228 MB in =C2=A02.00 seconds =3D 1114.13=
 MB/sec 
=C2=A0Timing buffered disk reads: 252 MB in =C2=A03.02 seconds =3D =C2=A083=
.33 MB/sec 
 
Middleton BIOS: 
<a href=3D"http://forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/459591-t61-x61-sata-ii-1-=
5-gb-s-cap-willing-pay-solution-8.html#post6501443" target=3D"_blank">http:=
//forum.notebookreview.com/lenovo/459591-t61-x61-sata-ii-1-5-gb-s-cap-willi=
ng-pay-solution-8.html#post6501443</a>

<br>
Western Digital WD3200BEKT:<br>
<a href=3D"http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=3DN82E1682213628=
0" target=3D"_blank">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=3DN82E=
16822136280</a><br>
</blockquote></div><br></div>

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