From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Thu Jul 31 16:33:28 2014
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org
 [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1])
 (using TLSv1 with cipher ADH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits))
 (No client certificate requested)
 by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 79F883EE
 for <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org>; Thu, 31 Jul 2014 16:33:28 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137])
 (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits))
 (Client CN "wonkity.com", Issuer "wonkity.com" (not verified))
 by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 2C7B1278D
 for <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org>; Thu, 31 Jul 2014 16:33:28 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1])
 by wonkity.com (8.14.9/8.14.9) with ESMTP id s6VGXQ6i061977
 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=NO);
 Thu, 31 Jul 2014 10:33:26 -0600 (MDT)
 (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost)
 by wonkity.com (8.14.9/8.14.9/Submit) with ESMTP id s6VGXQud061974;
 Thu, 31 Jul 2014 10:33:26 -0600 (MDT)
 (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 10:33:26 -0600 (MDT)
From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
To: Paul Kraus <paul@kraus-haus.org>
Subject: Re: FreeBS(s)D
In-Reply-To: <C18DD449-3AF8-4F9C-852B-98EBC97C3DDE@kraus-haus.org>
Message-ID: <alpine.BSF.2.11.1407311021520.34015@wonkity.com>
References: <53DA3AF8.2090600@webrz.net>
 <alpine.BSF.2.11.1407310843430.34015@wonkity.com>
 <C18DD449-3AF8-4F9C-852B-98EBC97C3DDE@kraus-haus.org>
User-Agent: Alpine 2.11 (BSF 23 2013-08-11)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.4.3
 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Thu, 31 Jul 2014 10:33:27 -0600 (MDT)
Cc: "freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org" <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org>
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/options/freebsd-questions>, 
 <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
 <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 16:33:28 -0000

On Thu, 31 Jul 2014, Paul Kraus wrote:

> On Jul 31, 2014, at 10:49, Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com> wrote:
>>
>> I've used Plextor, Samsung, and Toshiba with FreeBSD, preferring the Marvell controllers.
>
> Good point Warren. The controllers matter (not just for the SSD but 
> for ZFS as well). You want plain AHCI controllers for ZFS, you do NOT 
> want RAID controllers.

True, but I was talking about the onboard controllers on the SSDs 
themselves.  There are two common ones out there: Marvell and Sandforce. 
Sandforce controllers show high speeds on compressible data, but seem to 
have more problems.  I have used Kingston SSDs with Sandforce 
controllers in a couple of Windows machines without problems, but not 
for myself or for any serious duration with FreeBSD.

Samsung controllers are or were Marvell-based but customized.  Plextor 
uses LiteOn SSDs with Marvell controllers and custom firmware.  Intel 
has custom firmware on Sandforce controllers for many of their new 
drives.  Other vendors use stock controllers and stock firmware, Crucial 
being big on the Marvell side, and many others using Sandforce.