OCZ Agility 3 180GB not working

[Mr. S]

I've just bought one of them (two drives in total, OCZ Agility 3 series) and the 60gb one is working fine. The 180gb one, however, doesn't work at all.

I can plug it in and see it in Windows but when I try to format it, it's just saying "Windows encountered an error...bla...couldn't format.". The drive is then visible for another 10-20 seconds in the disc management window, status "Error free, RAW, 180GB" - it's gone after the mentioned timeframe.

I can reboot and can't even see it in the bios screen. However, if I turn my PC off and on again, it's there again. So, here's my configuration:

i7-3770 (not oc'ed)
16GB Corsair RAM (not oc'ed)
ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
PoV GTX680
Corsair 850W PSU
Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD
60GB OCZ SSD (Win7 is installed on here and running fine)

Anything I could do? I'm not sure it's the drive itself but might be a driver / FW problem. My mainboard is currently running the RAM at 1333MHZ because it's identifying itself as 1333mhz max. I guess I could change that to 1600mhz as well. :/

Yet to try:

- new SATA cable (using the one that came with the MB, it's looking fine. the other one is connected tot he 60gb SSD)
- new SSD firmware
- new mainboard bios

Tried:

- new power cable
- enabled / disabled hotplug
- plugged in when Win7 was running and hotplug enabled
- quick format
- normal format

 

[nick09]

I'd try to get money back for it. It's better to do some research and save yourself the hassle. Once a SSD is dead, it's 100% dead.

 

[Terronium-12]

It should work on the first hitch regardless, but I'd try updating both the board BIOS and the Agility's firmware first.

SSD Updates & Tools

 

[Mr. S]

Yeah, it doesn't even show up in the BIOS now - I guess that's my bad luck...something's always faulty when I'm getting a new setup. Just glad it's only the 180GB, not the 60GB one that's meant to be the system SSD.

I'll just give RDC a call and ask them for a new one, cheers guys.

 

[nick09]

Well I'd keep a good eye on your system SSD and keep your data backed up. You don't really have a choice of data recovery with SSD's as far as I'm aware.

 

[Mr. S]

Well, it's running fine so far - the system one is a 60GB one, the faulty one is 180GB. I'll try an update for one last time tomorrow, wiping the drive clean in advance. I don't think it'll help much but well. :/

 

[Grayfox]

Sandforce Stikes again.

 

[Mr. S]

Sandforce Stikes again.

I'm not sure what you mean exactly.

However, tried to wipe the drive using the OCZ Windows Toolbox - same stuff, different error message. I'll give the Linux tools a shot but I doubt it'll change much.

 

[Pako]

For this reason, I have stayed with the Intel SSD's. With three SSD's from a 80, 120, and now a 320gb all working flawlessly. I am sorry for your troubles, but I have heard a few horror stories with the OCZ drives.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Mr. S]

Thanks - I've had my horror moment a few minutes ago. The SSD made an "shortcut sound" (don't know how to explain it any better) and I immediately kicked the plugbar to shut everything off. When I turned the system on, bar the faulty SSD, the BIOS greeted me with a message telling me a power surge occured...I'll definitely not put this thing back into my computer.

 

[nick09]

SandForce is the memory controller chip in your SSD. I had one 40GB ADTA drive in my Uncle's computer which broke down. I was lucky enough that the drive would work for fives minutes before it runs into an I/O error to backup important data. So I highly suggest doing some good research before that 60GB drive dies.

I know Samsung and Intel use their own memory controller chips.

 

[Mr. S]

Well, the 60GB one is doing fine. I can hardly say anything bad about the small one but the big one caused an heart-attack to me.

Oh and I knew about the name of the chip, just thought it's some sort of insider joke.

 

[Grayfox]

OCZ now use their own of one of their drives.
OCZ Vertex 4 uses the Indilinx Everest 2 controller.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4973/...re-bug-causing-bsod-issue-fix-available-today

One of the issues that sandforce controllers had.