Intel 320 SSD issue

[The.316]

I had a Vertex 2 installed on my iMac for a couple of months. I dont know if it was the drive, or just my iMac, but for the life of me, I couldnt keep the optical fan speeds down (replaced optical drive with SSD). I got a Intel 320 160gb drive, without the latest firmware update still, and replaced the Vertex 2 with it. After having the Intel drive for about a month+ now, Im not happy with it. I sometimes get apps that bounce in the dock for about 10 seconds before opening, beachballs often, and just lag sometimes when Im not even doing big work (photoshop, Firefox, iTunes open only). Would the firmware update make a difference with the Intel drive? Do I have a faulty one? Any thoughts, opinions, or ideas?