Samsung 950 PRO NVMe SSD boots in 6.6 seconds using Windows 10 Fall Update 1511 with a Supermicro SuperServer

Posted by Paul Braren on Nov 14 2015 (updated on Nov 15 2024) in
  • Windows
  • Storage
  • HomeLab
  • HomeServer

    • Configuration

    b01639694m
    On Amazon.
    • Supermicro SuperServer SYS-5028D-TN4T with 128GB of RAM (Bundle 2)
    • BIOS 1.0b (directions here)
    • BIOS set to UEFI for Windows 10 fresh install, using Microsoft's MediaCreationTool.exe to make the bootable USB 3.0 flash drive installer media
    • no network connection through the install or test
    • Windows Power profile set to "High performance"
    • Samsung 950 PRO M.2 PCIe NVMe 512GB SSD installed in the motherboard's PCIe 3.0x4 M.2 socket

    The BIOS was reset to Optimized Defaults, that's where this short video starts. Even if I used the benchmarking-optimized BIOS settings I detailed here, it didn't matter:

    It takes about 6.6 seconds for Windows 10 to boot, every time.

    High_performance
    Windows 10 power setting temporarily set to "High performance" but that setting makes no measurable difference for boot times, or much of anything else, for normal workstation use.

    To be fair, the Supermicro is really intended for server use (mine typically runs 24x7 with VMware ESXi 6.0 Update 1a), and the UEFI BIOS itself takes about a minute. This article simply highlights the time it takes after the BIOS is done with POST, as Windows 10 begins to load, then auto-logs-in (using netplwiz.exe to save the login passsword), then renders the complete desktop. There are no startup items defined other than the ones Windows does by default, such as OneDrive, which can't sync here, since I left networking detached.

    Perhaps you just want to jump to the spot in the video where you see the actual Windows 10 boot, or perhaps you wish to see a detailed overview of the settings I used in the BIOS in the full video here:

    Here's the full video, with details on the configuration and BIOS setting, so you can see the boot time and replicate my results. You'll also get a brief look at watt burn and Xeon D's Turbo GHz in action.

    Not bad, eh?

    See also

    See also at TinkerTry

    TinkerTry - PCs, EVs, home tech, efficiency and more, including virtualization. My opinions here, not my employer's.

    Paul Braren, MCSE in 1998, VCP #2681 in 2005, vExpert 2014 to 2024, Veeam Vanguard Emeritus, 2015 to 2019.

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    After 6 successful years testing then shipping well over 1,000 Xeon D Bundles, Wiredzone had to stop selling them in mid-2021 due to cost, supply, and logistics challenges. So far, Xeon D-1700/2700 (Ice Lake D) was a minor refresh for 2023, with Xeon D-1800/2800 (Granite Rapids D) refresh looking a little better for 2024. More cores, but still just PCIe Gen4 and DDR4. Looking ahead, I'm glad it's Pat Gelsinger at Intel's helm. I'm also grateful to have had the honor of working at VMware when Pat was the CIO there. I'll leave it at that, given the whole Broadcom thing.

    Easily update VMware ESXi at TinkerTry.com/easy-update-to-latest-esxi