The SSD Review

SSD Types and Form Factors - An SSD Primer - The SSD Review

2011-12-18T19:51:00.000-05:00

SSD Types and Form Factors - An SSD Primer - The SSD Review

AData S510 SATA 3 120GB SSD Review - The SSD Review

2011-11-04T16:05:00.000-04:00

AData S510 SATA 3 120GB SSD Review - The SSD Review

The Crucial C300 64 Gb SSD Review - Introduction

2010-08-22T17:30:00.008-04:00

Posted Monday August 22, 2010
By Les Tokar

INTRODUCTION

Most recently, The SSD Review has completed its build of a new Test Bench which we hope to be future proof, in that, it is capable of testing new SATA3/USB3 hardware releases. Can you imagine our surprise when we started to get requests from hardware manufacturers asking if we would like to run their their SATA3/USB3 hardware through its paces? One such manufacturer was Crucial who was quick to send us a Crucial C300 64Gb SSD a few weeks back and welcomed our testing and thoughts on their SATA 6Gb/s drive which had just been released. I have to admit that I couldn't contain myself and threw it in within minutes of receiving only to have it return an initial sequential read speed of 357 MB/s!!!

To back up just a bit, SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) is the interface that is contained within ssds, hard drives, optical drives and other devices which connects to your computer motherboard by way of a cable. It is important to have a knowledge of this because SATA has been released in 3 revisions, Rev. 1.0 which is capable of speeds up to 1.5 Gb/s, Rev. 2.0 which is capable of speeds up to 3Gb/s, and then the newly released Rev. 3.0 which is capable of speeds up to 6Gb/s. How does this translate into hard drive or ssd speeds? A SATA 2 SSD can technically only reach as high as 300MB/s for its sequential read speed although I don't think we have seen one above 280MB/s. All this changes with SATA 3 and we will now see speeds above that reached as with our new C300. A point of interest to many interested in reaching these new heightened levels of bandwidth is that you cannot simply buy a new SATA 3 drive and throw it into your SATA 2 capable system and expect to reach similar speeds. A hardware upgrade is also necessary in the system but don't fret because we are now seeing SATA 3 adapters on the market for very reasonable prices.

CONSTRUCTION

The C300 is constructed of a grey metal exterior casing on the front and back, separated by a plastic frame and held together by four small screws. Of course, there is also a sealing sticker on the side that would void your warranty if it were damaged indicating that you had opened the unit.

Inside we have a single PCB (Printed Circuit Board) which has the SATA 3 interface seen on the right side of the PCB, the Marvell controller which is distinctly stamped with the company logo as well as 8x4Gb 34nm NAND flash memory chips on each side which make up for the 64Gb size of the drive (16Gbx4). NAND flash is a type of non-volatile memory which does not require continuous power in order to retain its data. This drive is practically identical to its big brother of the 256Gb size and the only difference is the size of each NAND flash, the 64Gb containing 16x4Gb each and the 256Gb C300 containing 16x16Gb NAND.

This directly relates to the maximum write speeds of either drive because, as we know, the 256Gb version is advertised at a maximum sequential write speed of 215MB/s whereas the 64Gb version is 75MB/s. The reasoning behind this is the fact that the 16Gb NAND (256Gb ver) each contain 4 NAND dies whereas each 4Gb NAND (64Gb ver) contains 1 NAND die. In the end, we learn that it is not any form of a cap put on the drive through its firmware. There is also another chip on the reverse which is the 256MB DDR3 buffer to assist in the drives quick speed and smooth operation.

SPECIFICATIONS

Model	CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1
Interface	SATA 3 (6GB/s)
Max Read	355 MB/s
Max Write	75 MB/s
Random 4k IOPS	15,000
NAND Type	MLC
NAND Speed	34nm
Controller	Marvell
Buffer Chip	Micron
Buffer Size	256mb DDR3
Trim	Yes
Warranty	3 Year

C300 PRODUCT DETAILS

CRYSTAL DISK INFO - C30064Gb

The need for speed
If you're looking for unhindered speed, Crucial's RealSSD C300 is here! The new 2.5" Crucial® RealSSD™ C300 drive offers mobile and desktop users scorching-fast read speeds of up to 355MB/s. And because it has no moving parts, you will also enjoy a quieter, cooler, and more durable storage solution — and a better alternative to a traditional notebook hard drive.

Improved data transfers
Designed with high-speed synchronous MLC NAND, advanced controller technology, optimized NAND management, and the new SATA 6Gb/s interface, these drives dramatically improve data transfers for bandwidth-demanding applications like audio and video.

Push your performance
The improvement in boot time and application load times push performance to new levels at the desktop too. You will experience improvement across a variety of common tasks such as viewing and editing photos, video, music and other media, gaming, communications, productivity and security.

Memory Experts.
The Crucial brand of memory has long been synonymous with reliability and high-performance. Our expertise in NAND process technology enables us to optimize the performance and durability of Crucial solid-state drives.

Guaranteed Compatible.
Crucial RealSSD C300 series employ a standard hard drive interface and dimensions, so it is an easy storage upgrade for most notebooks.

Transfer everything in a few easy steps

The Data Transfer Kit makes it simple to copy everything on your hard drive, including operating system, data, email settings and applications, to your Crucial RealSSD. The kit includes the EZ Gig II Cloning and Imaging Software for Windows®, ShirtPocket’s SuperDuper! for Mac®, a USB to SATA cable and a Quick Start Guide. Upgrade your notebook drive in just three simple steps.
INDEX

PAGE 1 - INTRODUCTION

PAGE 2 - TESTING CRITERIA, STARTUP AND FILE COPY TESTS

PAGE 3 - CRYSTAL DISK MARK, HDTUNE PRO AND ATTO

PAGE 4 - FUTUREMARK PCMARK VANTAGE X64

PAGE 5 - CONCLUSIONS

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE

The Crucial C300 64Gb SSD Review - Testing Criteria, Startup and File Copy Tests

2010-08-22T17:29:00.007-04:00

As the Crucial C300 64Gb SSD was our first opportunity to test a SATA 3 SSD on our new on our new Bench computer we thoroughly enjoyed the tests. The system is described in detail with photographs on the site and comprises of the following hardware components:

Motherboard	Asus Rampage III Gene SATA 6Gb/s USB3
CPU	Intel i7-930 CPU@2.80Ghz (OC'd to 3.2Ghz)
RAM	6Gb G.Skill 1600 Triple Channel
Graphics	MSI N460GTX DDR5 768MB
Power Supply	OCZ ModXStream-Pro 600w
CPU Cooler	Cooler Master Hyper 212+
OS	Windows 7 64 Bit Ultimate
Wifi Card	Rosewill Wireless LAN PCI
Monitor	Dell E228WFP 22" Flat Panel
Keyboard	Dell Wireless Keyboard and Mouse
Acer 1810T-6188 Specs	SU9400@1.4Mhz/4Gb/4500MHD/WIFI/BT

SSDS/HDDS INCLUDED IN TESTING

Crucial C300 64Gb SSD
OWC Extreme Pro 120Gb SSD
Intel X25m 160Gb SSD
Samsung Spinpoint F2 1.5Tb HDD

Software utilized for the review included Crystal Disk Mark, HDTune Pro, ATTO Benchmark, HDTach, AS SSD, Boot Timer, Win7 WEI along with FutureMark PCMark Vantage. Although The SSD Review utilizes AS SSD in the testing of the C300, we will not run comparisons as significantly different and questionable results can be seen between compressed and non-compressed solid state drives. All SSDs are tested within the same system and both installations are exact copies of one another, given exception to boot testing which is conducted on our Acer 1810T-6188 laptop which seems to shine in these tests. All tests are conducted in Windows 7 safe mode, wherever possible, as this gives the truest result for evaluation purposes; the sole exception being PCMark Vantage which would not function in safe mode.

As most readers do not have systems capable of utilizing SATA3 just yet, we thought it best to test the Crucial C300 64Gb SSD in both SATA 2 and SATA 3 modes in all evaluations given exception to Windows Startup Time Testing.

WINDOWS 7 STARTUP TIME

Windows 7 startup time is determined by a program called Boot Timer which accounts for the startup time from system post until the desktop is active with background activities loaded. To a certain extent, the time it takes your system to start and load applications can be one of many indicators of your systems health. On installation, many applications install components and update programs that load when the computer starts regardless of whether the individual application that installed it will be used or not. For the purposes of this review, the system start time will be determined with all system services and start up programs disabled to determine the absolute quickest boot possible with the SSD. This measurement can be duplicated by each and every reader whereas the inclusion of services and start up applications could not result in a comparable equal.

We would also like to congratulate the C300 on posting the top SSD boot time yet throughout our testing with this result:

Our comparison times belong to the OWC Extreme Pro 120Gb SSD (8.221s), the OWC Extreme Pro RE 100Gb SSD (9.406s) and the Intel X25m 160Gb SSD (11.512s).

FILE COPY TESTS

File copy testing comprises of a 20Gb folder which consists of files of all sizes to includes software, music, movies, photographs and documents simply being copied from one area of the drive to another. The results are below and surprisingly, the Intel held its ground here:

STORAGE MEDIUM	AVG TRANSFER SPEED	TOTAL TIME
Intel X25m 160Gb	75MB/s	4.35
OWC Extreme Pro 120Gb	65MB/s	5.23
Crucial C300 64Gb (SATA2)	62MB/s	6.07
Crucial C300 64Gb (SATA3)	50MB/s	6.35
Samsung Spinpoint F1 1.5Tb HD	44MB/s	7.48

AS SSD BENCHMARK

INDEX

PAGE 1 - INTRODUCTION

PAGE 2 - TESTING CRITERIA, STARTUP AND FILE COPY TESTS

PAGE 3 - CRYSTAL DISK MARK, HDTUNE PRO AND ATTO

PAGE 4 - FUTUREMARK PCMARK VANTAGE X64

PAGE 5 - CONCLUSIONS

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE

The Crucial C300 64Gb SSD Review - Crystal DiskMark, HDTunePro and ATTO

2010-08-22T17:28:00.004-04:00

Crystal Disk Mark 3.0 x64

It wasn't two years ago that people were happy with these marks for a RAID system and look where we are at today. I can honestly say that after building my first system from scratch, this was a sight to behold. At first glance, its a bit of a double sided view because we see the absolutely amazing sequential read score of 357MB/s and then, on the other hand, we are left wondering how the low write scores of 76MB/s will translate into real world tests. We think you will be a bit shocked at how the Crucial C300 fared but for now lets remember the importance of that 53MB/s for the random 4kb write scores. Remember that the 4kb random writes are the single most important disk access method that will result in visible system improvement.

All scores below are reflected in MB/s.

Now if you are reading this review and wondering just how much difference there is between a SSD and a hard drive, things might just be starting to fall into place. If we compare the 4k random write disk access speeds to that of the Samsung HDD (53 vs 0.88) and are remembering that the most visible improvement that you will see in your system comes from this, you will take note that the SSD is moving information 60 times faster than the hard drive. For those auto enthusiasts, that roughly a Volkswagon travelling at 10mph and being passed by someone going 600mph in a rocket trying for the land speed record.

ATTO and HDTune Pro also show us that, regardless of whether it is in SATA 2 or SATA 3, the Crucial C300 rates higher in sequential read speeds than all of the other test drives. This chart does start to show us another little tidbit with respect to disk access time between SSDs and hard drives which is that SSDs have a much better disk access speed than hard drives. In this case, the Crucial C300 fares 192 times faster at disk access than the Samsung HDD (.1ms vs 19.2ms). Disk Access is the time it takes to find a piece of information stored on a storage medium.

Things work a bit different with a SSD, as you can imagine, because there are no moving parts and information is then found and then retrieved in a steady flow. A hard disk, on the other hand, stores information on a magnetic platter which spins at very high speeds. An arm must pass over and find the exact spot through each pass. To add to this, the information is picked up in blocks at a time which, depending on the size of the file being retrieved, can stress the hard drive and reduce the speed itself.

Take a look at the two pictures that show HDTune Pro results of the C300 SSD on the left and the Samsung HDD on the right. Can we see how the hard drive drops in its speeds compared to the SSD on the left? This is the same in all hard drives as it is in all SSDs.

INDEX

PAGE 1 - INTRODUCTION

PAGE 2 - TESTING CRITERIA, STARTUP AND FILE COPY TESTS

PAGE 3 - CRYSTAL DISK MARK, HDTUNE PRO AND ATTO

PAGE 4 - FUTUREMARK PCMARK VANTAGE X64

PAGE 5 - CONCLUSIONS

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE

The Crucial C300 64Gb SSD Review - PCMark Vantage x64 HDD Suite

2010-08-22T17:27:00.006-04:00

We left the best for last with respect to testing and one will soon see why. The SSD Review uses benchmark software called PCMark Vantage x64 HDD Suite to create testing scenarios that might be used in the typical user experience. There are eight tests in all and the tests performed record the speed of data movement in MB/s to which they are then given a numerical score after all of the tests are complete. The simulations are as follows:

Windows Defender In Use
Streaming Data from storage in games such as Alan Wake which allows for massive worlds and riveting non-stop action
Importing digital photos into Windows Photo Gallery
Staring the Vista Operating System
Home Video editing with Movie maker which can be very time consuming
Media Center which can handle video recording, time shifting and streaming from Windows media center to an extender such as XBox
Cataloging a music library
Starting applications

This is where we were very curious as to how the Crucial C300 would stand up to the other SSDs and, more specifically, the OWC Extreme Pro SSD with its sequential write speeds being almost four times that of the C300. Lets throw up a CDM score of each to show how they match head to head before the Vantage results shall we? We will even keep it fair by showing the scores of both in SATA 2 testing.

Having looked at these would you believe that the top marks for PCMark Vantage x64 HDD Suit go to the Crucial in SATA 3 mode with 34020 marks? Congratulations Crucial! This was seconded by the OWC with 33042 marks but then, surprisingly enough even in SATA 2, the Crucial beat out the Intel X25 with 31457 marks to the Intels 31096. We were again surprised at this because, if you remember the Disk Copy test earlier on, the Intel prevailed with almost a minute to spare in that test. This, unfortunately for hard drives, is where one can see the absolutely humungous improvement from a hard drive to any ssd. The best score the Samsung could reach was 4345 marks which is still 7 times less than the poorest performing SSD.

All tests Hdd Suite tests were performed 3 times to ensure consistency of marks and when this was confirmed, the highest scores were used.

FURTHER TESTING

INDEX

PAGE 1 - INTRODUCTION

PAGE 2 - TESTING CRITERIA, STARTUP AND FILE COPY TESTS

PAGE 3 - CRYSTAL DISK MARK, HDTUNE PRO AND ATTO

PAGE 4 - FUTUREMARK PCMARK VANTAGE X64

PAGE 5 - CONCLUSIONS

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE

The Crucial C300 64Gb SSD Review - Conclusions

2010-08-22T17:26:00.005-04:00

CONCLUSIONS

The price for the Crucial C300 64Gb SSD at the time of writing was $139.99 which puts this at $2.18/Gb, well below the competition. Crucial has the only present release of a SATA 3 SSD on the market. Crucials C300 64Gb has the single highest SATA SSD scores available to the consumer. The warranty for this SSD is 3 years. In testing, the Crucial C300 64Gb SSD not only pulled in the highest score in SATA 3 mode, but also, it fared just below the OWC and above the Intel when tested in SATA 2.

Given exception to capacity, there just doesn't seem to be any reason to not take a serious look at this drive whether you are looking at a SATA 2 or SATA 3 drive. For those who don't have SATA 3 in their desktop, there are cards available right now at cheap prices that will allow one to run this SSD at top speeds.

For those who worry about its small capacity, it just may be a wise thought to consider alternate methods of storage in exchange for the high performance of a SSD. On laptops, many have turned to swapping their DVDs with the traditional hard drive for storage while running the SSD for the OS and main software as well as purchasing larger flash cards. Quite frankly, its entirely possible to breath new life in your system for less than $200 with this SSD and a little ingenuity. How can you go wrong?

INDEX

PAGE 1 - INTRODUCTION

PAGE 2 - TESTING CRITERIA, STARTUP AND FILE COPY TESTS

PAGE 3 - CRYSTAL DISK MARK, HDTUNE PRO AND ATTO

PAGE 4 - FUTUREMARK PCMARK VANTAGE X64

PAGE 5 - CONCLUSIONS

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE

The OWC Extreme Pro 120Gb SSD Review - Introduction

2010-08-08T19:06:00.007-04:00

Posted Monday 9 August 2010

By Les Tokar

The SSD review has been utilizing the two different versions of the OWC Extreme Pro drives for the passed two months now and we have to say that we just can't get enough of these drives!!! They are truly hidden gems of the ssd world and we are not alone in this belief. It seems that everyone that seems to be buying them or, as in our case, reviewing them, just cannot speak highly enough of the ssd or the company itself. The question we have to ask ourselves then becomes that of why they aren't as popular as the OCZ or other similar drives with the SandForce controller. The funny part of it all is that OWC was the first to use the SandForce controller and really had a head start in the game.

In doing a little background, we learned of a few things that might be hindering their sales just a bit, the first being that OWC has built a solid reputation on Mac sales and we know where any discussion of PC vs. Mac brings us now don't we? I would be the first to admit that I wouldn't be running to a Mac store to look for my ssd because the first thing I might believe is that they don't support TRIM. Wrong! In addition to this, OWC has earned a great reputation for customer service and insists on a hands on approach with respect to these drives so don't be looking on Amazon or Newegg for these anytime soon. This then leaves customers wondering about shipping cost and delivery as OWC ships solely from the USA.

Having said all that, we can say that our communication with OWC has been no less than excellent and that both drives ordered were received in Canada in less than 24 hours. Simply, if you are in the market for a serious contender for top spot in the ssd ring, this drive is a very wise investment. In fact, a lengthy search on the web has shown nothing less than raving reviews and extremely satisfied consumers alike. Unlike a few unmentionable manufacturers, stories of the OWC bricking or someone having any problem whatsoever are pretty much non-existent.

Lets make this abundantly clear. If you are a PC owner (or Mac) and seriously considering your first ssd purchase, this is one of the best purchases you can make. The ssd has shown great results, the company has built a solid reputation and the after-sale support (if needed at all) is great.

COMPARISON

The SSD Review first looked at the OWC Extreme Pro RE (RAID Enterprise) on its release this past May and questions then arose from many with respect to the difference between the Extreme Pro 120Gb version and the Extreme Pro RE 100Gb version of the drives. Both drives contain 128 Gb in NAND Flash whereas the Pro version dedicates 7% of the flash for over provisioning while the RE version dedicates 28Gb which is where we can see how there advertised capacities are reached. OWC states that the RE version is ideal for systems at the enterprise level where the larger over provisioning is perfect for multi-drive high performance RAID array usage. The RAID enterprise version has a premium cost in comparison, as expected, but also comes with an industry leading 5 year warranty vice the 3 years offered in the Pro version. Having utilized both of these drives extensively in the past few months, we can state that there is no difference whatsoever in performance and it appears that the over provisioning is most increases upon the overall thorough-put and life of the drive.

SPECIFICATIONS

Controller:   SandForce SF1200 Series Processor with 7% Over Provisioning
Bandwidth:   Sustained Sequential Read: up to 285MB/s
   Sustained Sequential Write: up to 275MB/s
Rd/Wr Latency:   Less than 0.1ms
Reliability:     2,000,000 Mean Time To Failure
Interface:    SATA 1.5 Gb/s and 3.0 Gb/s
TRIM Support:   Advanced TRIM Support in Windows 7
Operating Temp:   0ºC to +70ºC
Power Consumption:   Active: 2200mW (2.2W)Typical

   Idle (DIPM): 90mW (.09W) Typical
Protection: ECC Recovery: Up to 24 bytes correctable per 512-byte sector
Unrecoverable Read Errors: Less than 1 sector per 1016 bits read
Security: Chip Based Data Encryption: 128-bit AES-compliant
Form Factor: 2.5" Industry Standard Hard Drive
Weight/Dimensions:    80 grams +/- 2 grams - 100.12mm x 70.06mm x 9.45mm
Warranty:    3 Year OWC Warranty
Made in the USA: Made in the U.S. from imported parts

TEST SYSTEM DESCRIPTION, SOFTWARE AND BENCH INTEGRITY

This review was the first opportunity to test a ssd on our new Bench computer we thoroughly enjoyed the tests. The system is described in detail with photographs on the site and comprises of the following hardware components:

Asus Rampage III Gene SATA 6Gb/s USB3 motherboard
Intel i7-930 CPU@2.80Ghz (OC'd to 4Ghz)
6Gb G.Skill 1600 Triple Channel RAM
MSI N460GTX Graphics Card
OCZ ModXStream-Pro 600w CPU
Cooler Master Hyper 212+ CPU Cooler
Windows 7 64 Bit Ultimate
Rosewill Wireless LAN PCI Card
Dell E228WFP 22" Flat Panel Monitor
Dell Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

Software utilized for the review included Crystal Disk Mark, HDTune, ATTO Benchmark, Boot Timer, Win7 WEI along with FutureMark PCMark Vantage. Both SSDs are tested within the same system and both installations are exact copies of one another. All tests are conducted in Windows 7 safe mode, wherever possible, as this gives the truest result for evaluation purposes; the sole exception being PCMark Vantage which would not function in safe mode.

EXTERIOR CASING, INSTALLATION AND START UP

The OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD is protected within a brushed aluminum casing with a blue paint job and the OWC sticker on the front. The edges of the SSD have been smoothed and it can be disassembled by simple removal of four screws, an activity OWC strongly discouraged (but not forbidden) as part of our evaluation. Opening of the drive will immediately VOID any warranty and there is a security sticker over one of the screws preventing discreet opening of the unit.

This SSD is a simple swap with any 2.5" SATA form factor HDD/SSD and contains a total of 128GB NAND flash memory, however, 7Gb is reserved for over provisioning and unavailable to the user. A quick peak inside will show 8 NAND chips on either side of the board, each of which is 8Gb bringing the total to 128Gb of NAND flash (16x8). You might also notice the all important SandForce controller chip surrounded by the NAND on the first side.

Windows 7 startup time is determined by a program called Boot Timer which accounts for the startup time from the press of the on switch until the desktop is active with background activities loaded. To a certain extent, the time it takes your system to start and load applications can be one of many indicators of your systems health. On installation, many applications install components and update programs that load when the computer starts regardless of whether the individual application that installed it will be used or not. For the purposes of this review, the system start time will be determined with all system services and start up programs disabled to determine the absolute quickest boot possible with the SSD. This measurement can be duplicated by each and every reader whereas the inclusion of services and start up applications could not result in a comparable equal.

OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 120Gb

THE OWC MERCURY EXTREME PRO 120GB SSD - BENCHMARKS

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE!

The OWC Extreme Pro 120Gb SSD Review - Benchmarks

2010-08-08T19:01:00.004-04:00

BENCHMARKS

When we stated that these two drives were identical except for the over provisioning and that the performance didn't suffer whatsoever, we weren't kidding. Both drives resulted in extremely similar results in testing with Crystal Disk Mark and ATTO Disk Benchmark and it wasn't until our HDTune and subsequent PCMark Vantage scoring that we could see that the drives did differ slightly. The overall scoring of PCMark Vantage, as seen below, was actually a real shock.

Extreme Pro 120Gb Extreme Pro RE 100 Gb

Once again this brings us to the claim from OWC that their drives suffer no degradation whatsoever when filled or with constant use. The drive on the left has been in for about a month and a half and one cannot ask for much better results than that. The high sequential reads and writes are great numbers for the consumer to determine exactly which ssd is best for them but the educated consumer will remember from our last review that its the 4kb random writes that will give you the most visible performance boost for your buck. This method of disk access is utilized on a constant basis in typical PC use whereas the high scores which represent large sequential reads and writes are seldom, if ever used in typical use.

So, lets deviate for a second and see how far we have come in just 3 years. Lets throw out 3 Crystal Disk Mark scores, one for a Segate Momentus hard drive, the other for the first 64Gb Samsung ssd released and of course the third would be the Extreme Pro 120Gb from a new install. Can you guess which one is which? Yup...you got it! Remember to look at the random 4 kb scores because they will afford the most visible bang for your buck. If you do just a bit of calculation you will see that the random 4kb writes of our OWC test drive are actually 72 times faster than the Seagate that is still popular today. Do we think we would notice that little difference difference?

For the remainder of the tests, we will simply show the Extreme Pro drive on the left with OWCs Pro 'RE' version to its right. We have to concede though that if performance alone is going to be your deciding criteria, the Extreme Pro will hook you not only for its price, but also, the increased storage capacity that comes along with it. Off the bench we could not find a test that could easily tell the two apart.

Extreme Pro 120Gb Extreme Pro RE 100 Gb

1. ATTO Disk Benchmark Ver. 2.46

2. HDTune Pro Ver. Benchmark

As similar as both drives are, we were surprised to find the spikes of the Pro drive, lower burst rate as well as .2ms access time vice .1ms. In practical use there was nothing whatsoever that depicted the differences between the performance of either drive.

3. HDTune Pro Ver. 4.01 Random Access

4. PCMark Vantage x64 HDD Suite

This software is utilized to compare the OWC and the Intel SSDs in benchmarks which imitate normal user activities. A set of eight different tests are described below, the result of each being a measure of drive speed to complete the activity. The overall Vantage HDD Suite Score of the OWC RE was a 27983 whereas the Intel was 23124. Surprisingly, the OWC Extreme Pro 120Gb, which technically should have had lower marks than the OWC RE 100Gb, ruled here with an overall score of 30341 as a result of the following tests:

THE OWC EXTREME PRO 120GB SSD REVIEW - CONCLUSION

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE!

The OWC Extreme Pro 120Gb SSD Review - Conclusion

2010-08-08T18:30:00.005-04:00

CONCLUSION

The conclusion to this review is actually one in which I am not wanting to write. It means that once I hit the magic 'Publish' button, I will then be formatting this OWC Extreme Pro Drive, removing and packaging it up, contacting and waiting for UPS and then watching the driver smirk as he gets to finally take a piece of technology away from my possession. At the end of the day, it is simply a great drive. OWC is simply a great company that has built a reputation for service and has the support many only wish they could afford their clientelle. If we can offer any piece of advise whatsoever, that would be to educate yourself with respect to your first or next ssd purchase.

Too many have fallen trap and purchased ssds that truly should not have been released until the company was absolutely sure that they would be of value to the consumer. Search the net for information which will teach you of the inner workings of the ssd and then slowly look for one that will fit your need. Once you find that possible purchase, dig hard to get a good indication on the reliability of the drive from others who have experienced it first hand.

Should you start that search for this specific drive, be ready for it. Its pretty hard to find anything negative anywhere and a claim that OWC is still making hasn't been equaled by other manufacturers of similar SandForce drives. OWC claims that, unlike most other drives, their product will not suffer performance degradation over time or as it fills. Paying that bit extra then would make a bit more sense as you can fill the drive completely rather than simply filling it to the 60% mark and looking for additional storage as so many do. The OWC Extreme Pro 120Gb SSD is fully TRIM capable and will be a definite asset to any PC (or Mac) owner.

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE!

OWC MERCURY EXTREME PRO RE 100GB SSD REVIEW - INTRODUCTION

2010-05-16T00:52:00.010-04:00

Let’s just get the article going by stating that this drive is a rocket of a SSD and if you want the best in performance right out of the gate, you have it here. We were so accustomed to the huge success of the Intel drives in overall performance that we had to give the Intel a few runs just to see if we could get it anywhere near this monster. For Mac owners considering an upgrade, this is definitely the way to go as it is geared specifically for the Mac with its new GC abilities but wait, it also has TRIM for those PC users wanting the best.

SPECIFICATIONS

The OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE SSD is a May 2010 release available exclusively from Other World Computing and is identifiable by the letters ‘RE’ for 'Raid-Ready Enhanced' in the name. For those looking to trade performance for value and extra storage, the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro is also available. The RE SSD stands out with its 5 year warranty and industry leading 28% over provisioning. Over provisioning is used to fine tune the Garbage Collection (GC) abilities of the drive for Mac systems and maintain peak performance throughout the life of the drive.

Controller: SandForce SF1200 Series Processor with 28% Over Provisioning

Bandwidth: Sustained Sequential Read: up to 285MB/s

Sustained Sequential Write: up to 275MB/s

Read/Write Latency Less than 0.1ms

Reliability: 10,000,000 Mean Time To Failure (7x Better Than Competitors)
Interface: SATA 1.5 Gb/s and 3.0 Gb/s

TRIM Support: Advanced TRIM Support in Windows 7

Operating Temp: 0ºC to +70ºC

Power Consumption: Active: 550mW (.5W)Typical Idle (DIPM): 50mW (.05W) Typical

Protection: ECC Recovery: Up to 24 bytes correctable per 512-byte secto

Unrecoverable Read Errors: Less than 1 sector per 10¹⁷ bits read

Security: Chip Based Data Encryption: 128-bit AES-compliant

Form Factor: 2.5" Industry Standard Hard Drive

Weight/Dimensions: 80 grams +/- 2 grams - 100.12mm x 70.06mm x 9.45mm

Warranty: 5 Year OWC Warranty

Made in the USA: Made in the U.S. from imported parts

TEST SYSTEM DETAILS, SOFTWARE AND BENCHMARK INTEGRITY

Our test system is an Acer Timeline 1810T-6188 11.6" Laptop with an Intel SU9400 processor, 4Gb RAM, 4500HD graphics, and Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit for the OS. It is in AHCI mode with the Intel(R) ICH9M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller displayed in Device Manager and Intels newest RST 9.6 software onboard. The system has a Dell 22" external monitor and an Aluratek HD Docking Hub is used along with Acronis True Image in order to clone the SSDs for testing purposes. The comparison drive is an Intel X25-m SSD. Of benefit, this ultra-portable does an excellent job of demonstrating what little heat is produced by the SSDs resulting in less fan usage and increased battery life.

Software utilized for the review included Crystal Disk Mark, HDTune Pro, ATTO Benchmark, Boot Timer, Win7 WEI along with FutureMark PCMark Vantage. Both SSDs are tested within the same system and both installations are exact copies of one another. All tests are conducted in Windows 7 safe mode, wherever possible, as this gives the truest result for evaluation purposes; the sole exception being PCMark Vantage which would not function in safe mode.

EXTERIOR CASING, INSTALLATION AND START UP

The OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE SSD is protected within a brushed aluminum casing with a blue paint job and the OWC sticker on the front. The edges of the SSD have been smoothed and it can be disassembled by simple removal of four screws, an activity OWC strongly discouraged as part of our evaluation. Opening of the drive will immediately VOID any warranty and there is a security sticker over one of the screws preventing discreet opening of the unit.

This SSD is a simple swap with any 2.5" SATA form factor HDD/SSD and contains a total of 128GB NAND flash memory, however, 28Gb is reserved for over provisioning and unavailable to the user. Formatting of the drive also steals away another 6.8Gb of space for the drives own programs which leaves the user with 93.2Gb of available real estate. One may growl a bit at this (and even choose to look at the Mercury Extreme Pro 120Gb SSD) but remember, this specific drive contains an industry leading 28% of reserved memory to guarantee longer life and continued peak performance above all others. Its 5 year warranty shows the confidence OWC has in their product and if you value MTTF calculations, the OWC is well ahead of the pack at 10 million hours which is 7 times better than most other SSDs.

OWC MERCURY EXTREME PRO RE 100GB SSD - BENCHMARKS

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE!

OWC MERCURY EXTREME PRO RE 100GB SSD REVIEW - CONCLUSION

2010-05-16T00:50:00.012-04:00

Two unique features that stand out with the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE SSD release are that performance will not be lost as the SSD fills and that it will remain intact over the life of the drive due to its 28% over provisioning. This certainly goes against the grain of what we have seen with SSDs historically and it has become common place to provide advise that degradation may start once filled passed the 60% mark. There have also been some observation that some SSDs would maintain peak performance only until all the NAND flash have been filled to capacity for the first time.

For those new to solid state drives, firmware of the drive includes wear leveling technology which allows the SSD to store information equally amongst NAND cells to allow maximum life of the NAND flash memory. When one describes a SSD as having being filled, it may simply mean that all the cells of the available RAM have been utilized at some point in time and not that the SSD is full.

The SSD Review testing was simple. The OWC SSD had been completely written to or "filled" five times. The drive was then subject to further data storage starting at 50% and every 10% thereafter until full, to which Crystal Disk Mark and ATTO Benchmark performance testing was conducted at every level. An amusing observation was that when the OWC SSD was filled completely, the benchmark software would not function as there was no free space on the drive to write to. This answered the question as to whether any of the 28Gb of drive dedicated memory would be made available to the user as the SSD filled which was considered a possibility as performance is guaranteed regardless of how close to capacity it is.

The OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE SSD has not diminished in performance under any testing condition since it was first benchmarked on arrival at The SSD Review. This is not a characteristic of any previous SSD release that we are aware of but, quite possibly, we may start to see it should another drive be released with matching controller and over provisioning. A similar Crystal Disk Score with the drive filled to capacity could not be found anywhere on the web.

Below are the original results of the OWC SSD on first installation (left) and then at the end of the evaluation when filled to capacity, the latter of which looks to actually be performing better.

CONCLUSION

We have to give two thumbs up to the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE SSD as it is the highest performing drive examined amongst many in the past few years. It is one of the best releases available today and if you are a Mac owner, this is definitely the SSD for you. OWC has done well in providing such a premium product and ensuring that PC users will pay attention as it is capable of running TRIM flawlessly.

The OWC SSD also gains a great deal of respect having survived the constant filling and formatting that we put it through without missing a step and then picking up the pace by displaying better benchmark scores when filled to capacity than on its first install scoring. Quite frankly, this is still somewhat unbelievable and the Crystal Disk Mark results verifying what we have seen first hand are unquestionable proof of the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE SSDs quality.

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE!

OWC MERCURY EXTREME PRO RE 100GB SSD REVIEW - BENCHMARKS

2010-05-16T00:49:00.001-04:00

A discussion of benchmarks would not be fair without a brief reminder that we quite often look in the wrong place for performance in our SSDs. If you look at the Crystal scores below, the 4K random measurements are actually the criteria by which the reader will see the most visible difference from their previous storage medium. Briefly, small 4kb random reads and writes account for over 50% of disk access in normal use. They account for the speed in which the OS and applications start and are maintained through execution of so many of dynamic link libraries (DLLs).

Most typical users will never use the top high volume sequential reads and writes (as seen below beside 'SEQ') that we like to give so much praise in SSD purchases and which are utilized to identify top performing SSDs, sometimes incorrectly so. These access methods actually account for less than 1% of typical use and are reserved for more intensive tasks such as video compilation and editing.

For all below benchmarks, the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE is on the left and the Intel X25-m is on the right.

1. Crystal Disk Mark Ver. 3.0 x64

In examining the first set of benchmarks above, the OWC (left) surpasses the Intel in all access levels including the random 4kb scoring, something that hasn't been accomplished until only recently with the SandForce and Marvell controller releases. Technological advance has many SSD enthusiasts waiting for the Intel Gen 3 SSD release as it is generally believed that Intel had capped its write scores for the initial X25 releases. With respect to the OWC Crystal score, please observe that the drive was tested while being only 15% filled as this will become an important consideration further into this review.

2. ATTO Disk Benchmark Ver. 2.46

3. HDTune Pro Ver. 4.01 - Benchmark

For those new to solid state drives, a big difference from hard drives is the much quicker access time of the SSD which is typically .1ms compared to 6.9ms of the WD Velociraptor HDD. This assists in a visible performance improvement in all activities of the SSD along with a decrease in CPU usage.

4. HDTune Pro Ver. 4.01 - File Benchmark

The HDTune File Benchmark is an excellent medium to portray how the Intel appears to be capped at about 100MB/s in its write speeds. This is still simply a belief as Intel hasn't commented either way with respect to it.

5. HDTune Pro Ver. 4.01 - Random Access

6. PCMark Vantage x64 HDD Suite

This software is utilized to compare the OWC and the Intel SSDs in benchmarks which imitate normal user activities. A set of eight different tests are described below, the result of each being a measure of drive speed to complete the activity. The overall Vantage HDD Suite Score of the OWC was a 27983 whereas the Intel was 23124 as a result of the following tests:

The OWC excelled at this battery of tests with the Intel only pulling ahead on Movie Maker Video Editing and Adding Music To Media Player.

OWC MERCURY EXTREME PRO RE 100GB SSD - CONCLUSION

DISCUSS THE REVIEW HERE!

Windows 7 System Restore And Your SSD - IMPORTANT READING

2010-05-15T21:10:00.004-04:00

HISTORY

I have been involved in the consumer solid state drive industry since the first release in 2007 and was one of the first to publish a SSD Review which can be found with many other early articles at the bottom of this page. At one point in the passed few years, it became common knowledge in the industry that solid state drives would suffer performance degradation with age. I found this very unusual because, for the most part, I had not experienced this with any of my drives and believe me, they have all been around the block a few times in the past few years. I have tested with drives from Sandisk, Samsung, Memoright, Mtron, Intel and OWC and have utilized both slc and mlc SSDs.

PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION CONSIDERED

In an effort to find out why my drives were running so well, I examined what I was doing different than the average consumer and, more specifically, how my system setup could contribute to this. Three things stood out. I have been running 64 Bit on my system since before it was even believed to be viable. Would you believe I had a small part in the push for Dell to introduce it to the market and also, people used to laugh and think I was ridiculous to believe it would ever make it? The other two variables were that I don't run a Pagefile and haven't run System Restore since my first SSD in 2007. Simply, I believe Pagefile was created for systems that didn't have adequate RAM and we have allowed it to become a crutch now that RAM is affordable. I also I found it much easier to simply backup regularly than allow System Restore to do its magic. In considering all points, I was a bit confused except one thing stuck with me. System Restore grows as it backs up your system and changes your storage characteristics as it continually establishes new restore points. This seemed like a common sense approach to think it might be related to System Restore.

THE BIG DISCOVERY

I have been watching SSDs for some time and observed that non-TRIM SSDs such as the Intel X25-m G1 were particularly prone to this phenomenon of degradation which continued to be present through the introduction of the Intel G2 with TRIM. I purchased and installed a Intel X25-m G2 160Gb SSD. In the process, I elected to leave System Restore on because, well, I was about to rip apart the OS in order to see how it ran best with a SSD and would want to be jumping back and forth. I am also a performance nut and rely heavily on Crystal Disk Mark as it provides one with both large sequential as well as 4kb random performance evaluations for your SSD. Two weeks after playing around with my system, I observed a large drop in the performance of my SSD. I wish I had kept the original result so I could post it here but no fear, I will have a test for you to try later on. Here is what Crystal Disk Mark looks like:

Parallel to this, I had also installed and used the Intel SSD Toolbox Optimizer twice and observed both times that it took an extremely long time to manually do what TRIM was supposed to be doing. Quite frankly, it took over an hour. I wondered, in fact, if TRIM was working at all.

CAUSE AND SOLUTION

I subsequently tried everything to no avail and, only after I shut off System Restore and the file was deleted, did I see a sudden jump in the performance again. Performance returned to where it should be in fact. My next trick was to try the Intel SSD Toolbox Optimizer. I did and it took a split second as I was always informed that it should. Maybe we have hit on something here!?!?

Is it possible that the way System Restore allocates its restore points makes it difficult or even prevents TRIM from running properly?

THEORY CONFIRMATION

Its been several months now and my system is purring like a kitten. I have absolutely no slowing or performance loss of any kind and the Intel Optimizer continually works in a split second to finish its job. I subsequently put the thought out with Intel where it went unanswered and have posted with respect to it on approximately 10 technology sites. I have to concede that I have yet to have anyone confirm this scientifically other than most, including Intel, jumping on the train and recommending that System Restore be turned off with a SSD. Go Figure!!!

What I have garnished is a million thank you's along the way from SSD enthusiasts who discovered that this was the cause to sudden slowing observed with their SSDs. In fact, I have yet to have the theory disputed and I felt that Intel might be the first to jump on this.

THE TEST

Here we go. It is simple.

Download Crystal Disk Mark and do a test first and foremost;
If you have an Intel, download the Intel SSD Toolbox and optimize. If it take a long time you now have an idea why. For non-Intel drives you can do much the same with any optimizing utilities are available for your SSD;
Turn off System Restore. It has to be completely shut off in order for the files to be deleted from the SSD. It cannot just be reduced;
Optimize again. If you have the Intel and it is very quick now, you are on the verge of a big discovery;
Take another Crystal Disk Mark Score. If there is a big difference, you are not alone because many people have told me that this was EXACTLY the case; and
If there is no difference, don't be afraid to turn System Restore back on if you need it.

CONCLUSION

Alot of confirmation has occurred to enable my writing of this article yet there is very little education or confirmation about the web. I would believe it is simply a matter of Intel, or any other SSD manufacturer, not wanting to ask one to shut down a system resource that has always been considered so valuable.

If you elect to follow the test procedure, please comment one way or another. I am very interested with any further proof or constructive thoughts that may prove or disprove my theory. As it stands, I have been waiting a very long time for an answer from Intel, yet many have thanked me for helping them discover why their SSD has slowed since installation of the OS.

Good Luck and COMMENT!!!!

EDIT: Article corrected as the CDM Score reflected a OWC CDM score vice that of a Intel of which I spoke.

BUYING A SSD - THE MANUFACTURERS BLUFF

2010-05-10T21:31:00.008-04:00

BUYING A SSD - LESSON 1 – WHY WOULD I WANT ONE?

BUYING A SSD – LESSON 2 – PRICE, SIZING AND THE MANUFACTURER

BUYING A SSD – LESSON 3 – THE CONTROLLER

BUYING A SSD – LESSON 4

ATTENTION SSD BUYERS!!!!! If you are considering buying a SSD, this will be the most important thing you will ever learn. If you have just bought a SSD, you are going to want to sit down and have a coffee before reading this. If you are a manufacturer... Please don't read this!!! I am about to expose the biggest fallacy of solid state drive sales and get the truth out once and for all. And no I am NOT discussing MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) and the SSD Life Expectancy as plainly described on every SSD package. That’s for another day.

This little piece of information will be great for one or two manufacturers while damaging the sales of most others. It is something that should have come out long ago. And...you have to know that its all tied to the government somehow so if you don’t hear from me after this, you will know why. Send for help!

The Manufacturers Bluff!

Lets get right to the point shall we? Take a little look at these performance scores and tell me what SSD you would buy.

Ok a few of you got it but I am disappointed in most so, lets try again. Look carefully at the left performance results below and then the right. Which setup would you believe will result in faster visible performance for the typical user?

If you guessed the one on the right you are absolutely correct. I know, I know…some of you are about to write me off as a lunatic and and find another article to help you out with your purchase. I even cheated a bit putting the performance score of 3x120Gb Vertex SSDs in RAID0 against my own Intel 160Gb X25-m SSD. I tell you what... Give me just a few minutes and I will change your mind completely to the way you look at the performance of a solid state drive. Deal?

When considering our purchase of a SSD we look at things such as transfer speed to guide us as to which SSD performs best. Unknowingly, we get roped into the massive large sequential reads and writes that show the highest transfer speed which, in the case of the top left SSD is 245MB/s. The SSD must be faster than the one beside it which is 183MB/s right? The answer is both yes and no. A bit of an understanding of disk access percentages is necessary to be able to intelligently decide specifically what SSD is best for you. I am very fortunate to have a great support network of people who understand ssd technology very well. One such person posted this one day which got my attention:

Top 5 Most Frequent Drive Accesses by Type and Percentage
-8K Write (56.35%)
-8K Read (7.60%)
-1K Write (6.10%)
-16 Write (5.79%)
-64K Read (2.49%)
Top 5 account for: 78.33% of total drive access over test period
Largest access size in top 50: 256K Read (0.44% of total)

Using Microsofts Diskmon, he simply monitored his typical computer usage in doing things such as using the internet, running applications, playing music etc. In short, he did his best to recreate the computer use of a typical user and then used the program to break down the percentage that specific disk access speeds were being utilized. In the end, it confirms something we always thought but just didn't really understand. Large sequential read and write access is utilized by the average user less than 1% of the time yet the most used method of access is smaller random write access as shown by the 8k write at over 50%. Manufacturers showcase the disk access method that is actually used the least (0.44% total) in order to get you to buy their SSDs.

Since the small random write score is accessed at over 50%, lets examine that for a bit. Take a quick peek at the top two benchmarks followed by the bottom two. Do you see a pattern at all? Look closely at the small random 4kb access speed results and how they differ. The truth is that these are the bread and butter of a good ssd and we have only just started to realize it with the release of the Intel drive. When you start your computer and/or any software applications, your system relies on several dynamic link libraries (DLLs) to get the OS and applications up and running properly. DLLs are simply hundreds of smaller programs that are called upon by the main program when needed and do not reside in your RAM. These DLLs are very small in size and are loaded through 4-8km random access which means that the faster they load, the faster the OS loads as well as its software. It also means the faster these DLLs can be loaded while a program is in use, the quicker the program.

In other words, the 4-8 kb random write access is the single most crucial access that results in better visible ssd performance. If you are considering buying an ssd and you want the ssd with the best visible upgrade from your present system, you simply find the ssd with the best transfer results at the 4-8 kb random access level. Having said that, there are situations such as video editing that one will see the benefit of these high sequential benchmarks. For the typical user, however, they will probably never come across a reason that higher sequential disk access, as advertised, will be utilized by them whatsoever.

This is why the Intels fare so well, both of which are shown in the benchmarks on the right above. The top most is a Intel X25v 40Gb SSD while the one below it is the benchmark of my Intel X25m 160Gb ssd. They have hit the ssd arena like a thunderstorm and have become the baseline for just about every ssd comparison one can find. Only recently has any other SSD even come close as has been seen with the Crucial C300 with the Marvell controller (left) and newer SSDs that have the Sandforce controller such as the OCZ Vertex 2 Pro (right).

Ok so...its out. The best visible performance improvement one can get for typical ssd use is not the SSD with the highest sequential read benchmark as advertised, but rather, the little known 4-8 kb random access speeds that are heard so little of. They are seldom advertised on the exterior packaging itself and might only be found in tests found anywhere on the internet. You can bet the newer drives such as the C300 and others with the newest SandForce controller are going to demand price premium. Drives like the Intel, on the other hand, have earned their place in home systems and the company has even lowered SSD prices as of late to retain the marketshare and reputation they have gained.

Here is a comparison chart which shows the 4kb random scores of several drives. Notice that the Intels still have better ratings than even the SandForce drives with only the Crucial with the Marvell controller placing higher. Of particular interest is the placing of the Velociraptor which doesnt even show a performance score as it was such a low comparison.

BUYING A SSD - THE CONTROLLER

2010-05-09T14:08:00.008-04:00

BUYING A SSD - LESSON 1 – WHY WOULD I WANT ONE?

BUYING A SSD – LESSON 2 – PRICE, SIZING AND THE MANUFACTURER

BUYING A SSD – LESSON 3

In 2008, a SSD controller manufacturer named JMicron released their new and amazing SSD controller to manufacturers for inclusion in their solid state drives. SSD companies received mass shipments, blindly incorporated them into their SSDs and got them out to millions of consumers worldwide. This controller wreaked havoc on the growth of solid state drives as it did the reputation of manufacturers, costing them millions of dollars to repair the problem. Now what about the consumer?

It seemed the JMicron controller had severe problems with a little thing called write latency. Write latency is simply the time it takes to get a piece of information written to the ssd. In short, it caused pausing or ‘stuttering’ problems within the drive itself. Tuan Nguyen of Anandtech, did a great article here which drove the severity of this problem home and then Anand Lal Shimpi followed suit with this article entitled, Avoid SSDs with JMicron’s JMF602 Controller. The ‘fix all’ for JMicron was the release of a corrected controller (JMF602B) but testing showed that this controller, under specific conditions, was still some 74 times slower than the Velociraptor hard drive and would only complete 4 writes per second compared to an average of 50 for the hard drive.

So what companies got caught in the web of the 602/602B? I hope your seated because it was just about every popular manufacturer except Intel and Samsung, these being AData, G-Skill, Kingston, OCZ, Patriot, PQI, Runcore, Solidata, Supertalent and Transcend. I have written countless times that I believe Intel and Samsung to be the most stable choice for a SSD purchase and my reasoning is simply because they have had a great deal of success in marketing their own controller.

So lets go back to the start shall we? The SSD components include the case itself, interface which connects the SSD to the computer, NAND flash, cache, controller and firmware. The controller is, in essence, an imbedded processor which executes operations as written in the firmware. This is very important because the combination of the two result in the performance level of the SSD. To the benefit of the manufacturer, they can issue firmware updates, after release of their drives, which can correct an issue or increase the performance of the drive.

This also gives manufacturers the ability to cap the performance of their drives as is believed the case with Intel X25 drive write benchmarks and they still end up top of the bunch in just about every overall benchmark program. Of noteworthy mention is something that SandForce ( a newly introduced SSD controller manufacturer) and OCZ are doing as a result of a close relationship between the two which is somewhat questionable both at the business and consumer level. It deals specifically with the SandForce SF-1200 and SF-1500 controllers. OCZ is given very preferential treatment as, not only are they granted quicker access to firmware updates than other manufacturers, but also, their revisions haven’t the standard capped performance of other as seen with the small random write performance of the newly released OCZ Vertex 2 SSD. In other words, other manufacturers are receiving the Sandforce controllers but not granted right to full performance of the controller.

The meat and gravy of controller knowledge is an understanding that manufacturers want to get the best and newest product out as fast as they can. This was very evident with the original JMicron controller and remains so today when it has become commonplace for a SSD to be released and sub-standard characteristics discovered to which a firmware update is issued shortly thereafter. The Crucial C300, with the Marvell controller, is a perfect example of a recent release where a few drives bricked right off the bat and unfortunately one of those bricks occurred while being tested by Anandtech and the result published here. Don’t get me wrong here folks. The C300 is a monster performing drive but maybe they would have wanted to do just a bit more testing on it first.

To date, the two manufacturers that seem to be miles ahead in controller stability are Intel and Samsung and wouldn’t you know it, they manufacture their own controllers vice seeking non-oem manufacturers. I would categorize ssd controllers by success as being Intel, Samsung, Indilinx SandForce, Marvell, Toshiba and JMicron 602B followed by JMicron 602. I would offer a word of advice as being that you might want to check closely as to what controller is in the SSD if you are buying used or if you find your getting too good of a deal. There are still SSDs available with the original JMicron 602 controller which would not be a good purchase.

To close this off, the best SSD purchase is one in which the consumer knows what he or she is purchasing and no surprises are to be expected. The price of your SSD is definitely dependent on the controller where we are seeing newer entries by SandForce and Marvell grabbing premium price while, in the same breath, Intel and others are lowering their own drives to ensure of their own success even with these new releases. PommieB of www.extremeoverclocking.com has compiled a great SSD Drive Info Booth here which details controllers and manufacturers and he is nice enough to update it regularly. I would suggest that this is a great little guide to bookmark.

BUYING A SSD - LESSON 4 - THE MANUFACTURERS BLUFF

BUYING A SSD - PRICE, SIZE AND MANUFACTURERS

2010-05-02T07:22:00.017-04:00

BUYING A SSD - LESSON 1 - WHY WOULD I WANT ONE?

BUYING A SSD - LESSON 2

The primary concern 99.999% of us have with respect to SSDs is the price. The size of the ssd, for the most part, dictates price and let me precede this by stating that if you are looking to build a RAID setup consisting of 4-1 terabyte SSD drives, HIRE ME!!! I am a great consultant, available for cheap and well, I can comfortably say you probably won’t find many around with the enthusiasm for solid state drives that I seem to hold.

Although there are those that can comfortably afford to get what they want when they want it, most of us simply want to know that we got a great SSD for a great price without looking back. There is another group, however, and I am going to ask you to be careful not to fall into this trap as it will steal away the thrill at a time when SSD technology is peaking. This group sees a better deal just around the corner and reads weekly about a better SSD that’s just about to be released. Next week comes and something better is advertised and so on and so on. The simple fact is that there will always be something better just a few weeks away and I guarantee your purchase will drop in price sometime down the road. The truth is that tomorrow never really comes if you elect to wait for the next great release.

Be confident that we will get you a great SSD. Understand that we will get you a great price and watch in awe as the visible difference in your system amazes you!!

With respect to size, moving to a SSD means finding alternate storage arrangements for most. It’s true that we can save all of our music, pictures and videos on a SSD but why would we? Inevitably, it may result in a slower SSD and many just cannot afford to give up such valuable SSD property. Logically, we would want to keep things such as the OS and programs on the SSD in order to maintain that blistering speed that is the bread and butter of the drive and explore external (and internal) options for storage. Some invest in an external drive, some in USB flash drives and lately, some are even removing their DVD player and replacing it with the original hard drive. This last option is becoming very popular as it is a relatively simple switch, in most cases, and the bracket can be found just about anywhere for next to nothing.

Its funny but, not 10 minutes ago most thought moving to a SSD would break their bankbook and here we are preaching that you can get a great performing SSD and a bracket to switch out your DVD for a hard drive for under $100.

Manufacturers, on the other hand, can be confusing as heck. From the release of the first SSD a few years back we have seen some mighty strange tricks. Samsung seemed to be the first to experience success and then sold unbranded drives to other manufacturers so we really saw competing companies selling the exact same product, given exception to the label and exterior packaging of course. This has carried on since and even now we can find Intel manufactured SSDs sold with competing manufacturer name accompanied by Intel’s logo and at a higher price than the Intel! Figure that out! It brings a whole new concept to the company logo, ‘Intel Inside!’

Here is a great example. Click on the technical specifications tab of this Kingston SSD and see where it takes you.

And what brand is best? There are so many…Intel, OCZ, Crucial, Samsung, Transcend, AData, Sandisk, OWC, Kingston, Corsair, and now even Western Digital has jumped in. That appears to be a very smart move and congrats to WD as their reputation in hard drives is bulletproof. I can tell you that Samsung is the true Pioneer of the bunch and has had the fewest problems throughout their progression but Intel has fought long and hard to stand beside them at the top of the hill. This is the result of great technological advance in the controllers of both Intel and Samsung where other manufacturers sought elsewhere to companies such as JMicron, Samsung, Indilinx, Marvell and SandForce. Manufacturers discovered early on that it can be very cost efficient to simply buy SSD controllers from non-OEM sources but, as we will soon find out, such a gamble has also had a devastating effect on consumer confidence and the reputation of SSD builders.

Its kind of funny to think that many SSD manufacturers are not manufacturers at all, but rather assemblers of parts, many of which rely on the parts of their competition.

BUYING A SSD - LESSON 3 - THE CONTROLLER

BUYING A SSD - WHY DO I WANT ONE?

2010-04-26T21:02:00.019-04:00

BUYING A SSD – LESSON 1

Ok so that’s it! You have spent weeks reading every article ever created about SSDs and are convinced that you have to have one. Life will simply cease to exist if you can’t experience the amazing technology that has rocked the earth for the past 3 years. And that’s why you are here! From this point forward, we are going to make sure you understand and get the right ssd for you. We are in it together and we both understand that the ssd is the absolute best visible upgrade you can do for your computing experience.

We are getting a SSD!!! Yes!!!

Ummm....Errrrr.....Why again do we want a SSD?

Lets quickly go over all the things we know one more time shall we?

SSDs:

weigh less than a hard drive;
have no moving parts;
are completely silent;
are cooler than a hard drive;
have less total fan use;
have less total system noise;
provide a longer battery life;
won’t destroy your work or break if dropped;
can start a laptop in as little as 10 seconds;
speed up everything you do on a computer ALOT; and
load and transition between scenes in games some times 4-5 times faster.

Ok so…that’s it in a nut shell but how do we know what ssd to get? There are price considerations, storage capacity concerns, different manufacturers, different controllers, firmware, TRIM and just exactly how do we get through all of this??? Wait....Do I have to TRIM my SSD? Do I dare ask how to do this? Is there a course available?

Lets take a breath for a sec, go grab a beverage and some chips, come on back, put our feet up and enjoy the read.

"Sir, Please please put down the hammer and step away from that laptop!"

While your waiting for Lesson 2, feel free to find more introductory articles here such as The Mechanics of the SSD or SLC vs MLC or better yet check out what I dug up in The SSD Review Video Series! If you are really ambitious, you can even find one of the first articles written on the internet, written by yours truly, which is still current even today, 'An Introduction Guide To SSD Storage'

BUYING A SSD - Lesson 2 - Price, Size and Manufacturers

Windows 7 SSD Performance Optimization Guide

2010-04-17T23:34:00.025-04:00

The Win7 SSD Performance Optimization Guide is a great contribution by Marshall Dean AKA Spartacus of ExtremeOverclocking.Com. With its illustrations and easy to follow advice, it is the premier publication found anywhere on optimization of the solid state drive.

It is an important guide which will teach the reader ways to avoid pitfalls which will severely degrade the ssd, tricks that will return some of that valuable ssd storage property as well as methods to ensure your ssd is in top shape and tuned as best as it can be. There will be 'Webmaster Notes' included with some of the suggestions which serve to explain the importance of the particular suggestion.

READER ALERT!!! There is no need to Optimize Win7 or your SSD whatsoever for it to function correctly. The reader retains sole responsibility in their following of this thread and the Site and its authors shall not deemed liable for any damage that may occur to the readers computer or its hardware in following the thread.

Have a problem? Send us an email!

Graphics in this guide have been reduced to assist the reader and simply clicking on each will enlarge them to their original size for better viewing.

1. Install Chipset Drivers

Ensure your Chipset drivers are up to date by checking with your system or motherboard manufacturers website and seeking the support and drivers page. This will allow for the efficient managing of data transmission through the SATA bridge and newer drivers may also be released to solve problems discovered with the system after its release. If it asks for a restart please do so.

WEBMASTER NOTE: TRIM is a very important part of ssd maintenance and allows for background wiping of previous deletions to retain ssd performance. There is an AHCI driver which is a standard part of Win7 and Intel has finally released a new driver here which is also TRIM compliant. Testing has shown that there are no performance improvements whatsoever between the MS or Intel drivers on a normal system, however, testing has shown that the new Intel driver provides performance improvements to RAID. There are numerous documented tests that show that the new drivers perform 'wiping', similar to TRIM' almost immediately after a deletion is made on a RAID drive, thus restoring performance. Again, unless you are using a RAID system, there is no proven benefit to installing the Intel Storage drivers whatsoever and no need to do so.

2. Disable System Restore

WEBMASTER NOTE: This is the most important piece of information in this Guide. Recent testing has discovered that System Restore allocates restore points within the SSD that do not work well with the SSD or TRIM. Typically, System Restore will degrade ssd performance significantly within a few weeks and makes it very difficult for TRIM to function. Disabling System Restore is not only recommended throughout the web, but also, Intel has lately also included this advise with respect to its ssds. Disabling System Restore will also return to you a fair amount of ssd storage space.

Right click on My Computer and select Properties.
Select System Protection.
Select Configure.
Select Turn Off System Restore.

3. Disable Drive Indexing

WEBMASTER NOTE: The purpose of drive indexing on a hard drive was to allow quicker access to a file. As access times on a ssd are almost instantaneous (.1ms), there is a common belief that indexing does nothing more than increase the total number of writes to the ssd which results in a lesser life cycle. Having stated this, there is no confirmed performance increase by disabling indexing and the chances of wearing out ones ssd is somewhere in the area of impossible to one in a million.

Go into My Computer, right click your SSD and select Properties (usually C: if the OS is installed on it). Un-check the box marked Allow files to have contents indexed in addition to file properties. If it asks for administrative permissions allow it to do so.
A popup will appear stating an error applying attributes has occured, this is normal, select ignore all and it will continue. This process will take about 2 minutes.

4. Disable Disk Defragment Schedule

WEBMASTER NOTE: Windows 7 should, by default, disable Windows Defrag automatically but this does not always occur for some reason. Disk Defragmentation is not required in a ssd as the mechanics are completely different. There are no moving parts so file fragmentation doesn't occur as frequently as it does with a hard drive which fragments files as they are retrieved and stored on the disk while it spins at very high speeds. Leaving Windows 7 with an enabled defragmentation schedule will drastically increase your ssd total writes and decrease its lifespan.

After finishing indexing, in the same properties of the SSD, select the Tools tab. Select the box Defragment Now.
Select the box Defragment Schedule. Un-check the Run on a Schedule Box.

5. Turn Off Windows Write-Cache Buffer Flushing

WEBMASTER NOTE: Turning Off Write-Cache Buffer Flushing may increase or decrease the performance of your drive and it is suggested that you perform benchmark tests with it checked and unchecked. It is reported to improve performance on OCZ drives, however, decreases the performance of Intel drives.

Right Click My Computer and select Properties.
Select Device Manager.
Select Disk Drives.
Right click the SSD and select Properties.
Under the Performance tab check the box Turn off Windows write-cache buffer flushing on this device.

6. Turn Off Page File

WEBMASTER NOTE: This is an extremely controversial optimization and does not improve performance whatsoever. It does, however, return to the user 3.5-4Gb of valuable ssd storage space. It is NOT recommended for typical users with less than 4Gb RAM that are not aware of their system and its RAM use. It is also not recommended without first watching RAM use closely for some time prior to this being done.

Right click on My Computer and select Properties.
Select Advanced System Settings.
Select the Performance setting box.
Under the Advanced tab select the Change box for virtual memory.
Un-check Automatically Manage Page File Size For All Drives.
For the SSD select No paging file and click the set box.
Select Yes to allow.
Restart.

7. Turn Off Multi-Boot Selection

NOTE: This should not be done if the drive is being used to boot multiple operating systems off the same OS drive.

Right click My Computer and select Properties.
Select Advanced System Settings.
Select the Startup and Recovery setting box.
Un-check the Time to Display List of Operating System box.

8. Turn Off Hibernation

WEBMASTER NOTE: Hibernation was a very useful program for hard drives as it enabled one to resume their work in a very quick time. It is less useful with ssds as they can load completely in as quick as 10-20 seconds which, in some cases, equals Hibernation. Disabling Hibernation will return 2.5Gb of valuable ssd storage space to the user.

Using the start menu search box type "cmd" Right click the cmd program and select Run as Administrator. In the command line type "powercfg -h off". This will take about 30 seconds it has finished once the command prompt reappears.

9. Power Settings

This is needed for trim to activate at the log-in screen.

Go to Control Panel.
Select System and Security.
Select Power Options and Click the drop down for Show Additional Plans.
Select the High Performance bubble to apply it.
Click Change Plan Settings for High performance.
Click Change Advanced Power Settings.
Click the hard disk drop down option.
Change Turn off hard disk after to 0 minutes (will display as never after applied).
Select OK.
Select Save Settings.

10. Disable Windows Search and Superfetch (Services.msc)

In the start box type "services.msc" and press Enter.
Scroll to find Superfetch, right click and select Properties.
In the drop down menu select Disabled and select Ok
Scroll down further to find Windows Search, right click and select Properties
Click the Stop box then use the drop down menu to Disable select Ok.

11. Enable Faster Booting Sequence (Msconfig)

WARNING: Do not change anything else in this section unless you know what you are doing, especially in the advanced options menu you can seriously mess up the OS.

This will remove the spinning windows logo at the start which reduces start-up time by about 2-3 seconds. If you want the boot to look pretty don't select the "No GUI Boot" the rest can still be done to improve the boot sequence.
Use the start box type "msconfig".
Under the boot tab select the box "No GUI Boot". Timeout should be set to 0 from step 6 (if still 30 seconds set to 3).
Select the Advanced Options box.
Check the Number of processors box and set it to the highest number possible. NOTE: This is based off the number of cores you have.
Select Ok then Restart when prompted.

12. Disable Recycle Bin

This will assist in instant activation of trim upon delete for smaller files.

WARNING: By removing this feature it can seriously impend accidental deletions do not apply if you often accidentally delete incorrect files.

Right Click Recycle Bin
Select the SSD and select Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted.
Select Apply

13. Verify TRIM

WEBMASTER NOTE: Verifying that TRIM is working is actually a next to impossible task which requires monitoring your computers activity closely as TRIM can take only a split second to complete. There is truly no way for the user to confirm that it is working. Verifying TRIM wilkl confirm for the user that the TRIM commands are being sent from the software to the ssd. This, unfortunately, is the closest one will come without trying to catch it in action for that split second.

Using the Start Menu Search Box, Search CMD.
Right click the Cmd Program and select Run as Administrator.
In the command line type "fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify"
If DisableDeleteNotify=0 TRIM is Enabled.
If DisableDeleteNotify=1 TRIM is Disabled.

REGISTRY OPTIMIZATION

WARNING: The registry edits can be seriously harmful if not done correctly, please do not change anything if you don't know what you're doing outside of the recommendations in this guide.

14. Wait To Kill Service Timeout (Decrease Shutdown Time)

Type Regedit into the Start Menu Box.
Select the file path "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\
CurrentControlSet\Control"
The last file is WaitToKillServiceTimeout.
Right Click and select Modify to change the value from 12000 to 1000.

Restart.

NOTE: If you experience program hangups increase this to 5000 or so.

15. Disable ClearPageFileAtShutdown and LargeSystemCache

Type Regedit into the Start Menu box.
Select the file path "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contr ol\SessionManager\MemoryManagement"
The 2nd and 5th files are ClearPageFileAtShutdown and LargeSystemCache.
Right click and select Modify on each of these to change the value from 0 to 1 and Restart.

16. Disable Superfetch and Prefetch

Type Regedit into the Start Menu box. Select the file path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\
SessionManager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters"
The last file two files are EnablePrefetcher and EnableSuperfetch.
Right click and select modify on each of these to change the value from 1 to 0 and Restart..

17. NTFS Memory Usage and NTFS Disable Name Creation

Type Regedit into the Start Menu box. Select the file path
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contr ol\FileSystem"
The 5th files is NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation. Right click and modify to 1.
The 11th file is NtfsMemoryUsage right click and modify to 2 and Restart.

18. Change from IDE mode to AHCI

This is only for those who installed Windows 7 in IDE mode. WARNING: Double check that you have AHCI in your mobo BIOS before changing, you will NOT be able to boot into IDE mode after changing this setting. This site claims no responsibility for any modifications made as a result of advise afforded herein.

SSD's run the fastest in AHCI mode which allows for plug and play SATA devices and Native Command Queuing which can give 5-10% performance boosts with single drives.

Type Regedit into the Start Menu box.

Select the file path "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servi ces\msahci"
Right Click and modify Start from 3 to 0 and Restart.

Windows Mail With Windows 7 FINALLY!!!

2010-04-10T15:59:00.000-04:00

I had originally intended on leaving this site to be as it is but found something I think would be EXTREMELY valuable to all. Personally, I cannot stress enough how wrong Microsoft was to not include Windows Mail with the new Windows 7 but, well, that was there choice right. Well, thanks to a very close friend who pointed me in the right direction I now have Windows Mail on Windows 7 and it was a very simple procedure.

In fact, for those of you that got frustrated when Mail didn't allow such programs as GMail to be included in the e-mail clients allowed in Mail, I have another link that shows you hot to fix this as well.

Without further adieu, my hat is off to Mark of www.sevenforums.com for his easily followed 'How To Reinstate Windows Mail in Windows 7 It works like a charm!

As well, for those looking to get the http email clients to work from mail, www.about.com has published an article entailed, 'How to Access Gmail With Windows Mail'

Personally, I could never figure why they got rid of Mail in the first place but its great to have it back again!!!

The Everything SSD Page

2010-04-09T14:24:00.013-04:00

In order to make this site as useful as possible to all, I think the best thing we can probably put together is a page which links to the sites and threads that I so often rely upon to help in assisting others. These are some of the best resources scattered about the net and kudoS to the authors for their time and effort. If you enjoy the link, please feel free to register at the site of the link (if necessary) and pass on a thank you for their effort. We lose so many valuable posts simply because the author has no way of recognizing the value they actually hold.

Conversely, if you have any great links to add, please send me a note with the link. I will definitely consider it although I cannot guarantee that all will be included.

Understanding SSD Brands and The Controllers Within
1. The SSD Information Booth (April 2010)
2. The SSD Decorder Ring by PCPerspective (January 2010)
3. The SSD 'Which Controller' List (November 2009)

SSD Performance and Comparison
1. SSD Performance by Imation
2. The SSD Comparison Chart By Toms Hardware (2009)
3. Passmark SSD Benchmark Rankings Chart (2010)
4. PCMark SSD Benchmark Rankings Chart (2010)
5. The CPU Comparison Chart

INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES
1. The SSD Anthology by Anandtech (Mar 2009)
2. The SSD Update by Anandtech (Mar 2009)
3. Intel Forces OCZs Hand by Anandtech (Jul 2009)
4. The SSD Relapse by Anandtech (Aug 2009)
5. The SSD Improv by Anandtech (Nov 2009)
6. SSDs get Bigger and Cheaper by Anandtech (Jan 2010)
7. SSD Or HDD: Which Storage Device? (Video)
8. Engineering Windows 7 by MSDN
9. The Vertex 2 Reviewed By Anandtech (Apr 2010)

SSD OPTIMIZATION AND UTILITIES
1. SSD Windows 7 Tweaks
2. Tweaktown SSD Optimization Guide
3. Vista SSD Performance Tweaks
4. How To Securely Erase an Intel SSD
5. Confirm TRIM is Working

SSD Threads and Sites
1. SSD Technology Forum
2. Storage Review
3. Extreme Overclocking
4. Xtreme Systems/Storage
5. Notebook Review (The SSD Thread)

Again, please pass on any links that you think might be of benefit to the community here.

The Mechanics of The SSD

2010-04-02T09:44:00.016-04:00

The solid state drive hit the consumer market in 2007 and has sold like wildfire since with sales of 1.4 million in 2008 growing to somewhere in the area of 14 million annually today. Where the ssd was once only available in mission critical military, medical and aeronautical equipment, it has now brought an entirely new look to retail computer sales and is available just about everywhere you turn. Dell was the pioneer computer manufacturer to include the ssd as an option and Sandisk and Samsung were the first out of the gate with their 32Gb single level cell drives. Would you believe yours truly can be credited with the first available ssd review known to exist on the web? The article was entitled, ‘Comparing SSD Performance to Mechanical Performance In a Dell Laptop’ and it hit the web on August 29, 2007. In looking back, I find the article amusing as I was like a kid opening a Christmas present then and, really, I am no different with my new Intel ssd even now. So lets say you are one of the 14 million people who want to jump in to the ssd arena today and you have suddenly found your way here. How can I help? Read on!!!

The ssd functions in an entirely different fashion than the hard drive and an understanding of the basic mechanics will help us understand why the ssd is so much faster right from the outset. I have to give the hard drive credit though because its entire operation is absolutely amazing. First, we have a magnetic disk that spins as fast as an incredible 7200 rpm. To complement that, there is an arm that must position itself above the disk and then a contact within that arm that is able to store and retrieve information while this disk is spinning so fast. The problem lies in the fact that the arm can only pick up so much information and then must come back to the exact same spot for the rest.

The time from when the request for the information is made until it is found is called the access time which, with hard drives can average around 8-9ms This doesn’t sound like much but consider the fact that the access time compounds for every pass the arm must make to get that information.

The ssd on the other hand is like the shiny new toy. There are no moving parts and, for the most part, there is very little access time as a result. A ssd simply stores and retrieves information on NAND memory chips. Its kind of like a library in a way where there is an address that tells where to get or store the information and its simply done. For this reason, we see that an ssds access time is only around .1ms in many cases. This is why you will see such a difference in the starting and basic operations of the two systems. Lets start with a traditional video by Samsung which is very amusing (below) and then carry on to a bit of classic Floyd in the here followed by a video depicting the opening of many programs consecutively here.

The SSD Review Video Series

2010-03-30T22:49:00.015-04:00

I have long held a fascination of the lengths many would go trying to sell us all on the durability of the ssd. Similarly, there are some excellent videos available that demonstrate first hand the ability of the ssd along with specific characteristics that make the ssd such an ideal choice.

This post will be updated occasionally with some great videos and I thought my first would be a great Intel X25 hockey demonstration video. Its the Canadian in me I guess!

Or wait.... Has any other manufacturer done this yet?
And whats up with the Intel Smashing Pumpkin SSD Video?

Adventures with Intel it certainly is!

Here is a good WOW comparison video for the gamers.

And has anyone heard of this guy??? Chris Pirillo?

He has several SSD related videos at YouTube which are funny as heck.

SLC vs MLC SSDs

2010-03-28T21:35:00.019-04:00

There are two different types of ssds, the single level cell (slc) and the multi level cell(mlc), the latter being the norm for typical consumer use mainly because of its cost. The slc ssd is preferred for high efficiency server systems, more expensive and is expected to have a much longer lifespan than the mlc ssd. A typical mlc ssd is expected to last for 10, 000 write cycles whereas the slc is expected to last for 100, 000 write cycles.

So how long is 10,000 write cycles? It is not really a calculation we need to concern ourselves with but the average ssd is expected to last 1.5 million hours before failure. That is somewhere in the area of 173 years.

A quick background of computer systems reminds us that computers interact through their own language known as binary code. Binary code is a very simple language where everything is represented by 2 numbers, ‘0’ an ‘1’. Each letter of the alphabet is represented in binary code as 8 digits. For example, the letter ‘A’ in binary code is actually ‘01000001’. In a slc ssd, a cell consists of 2 digits (01) whereas in a mlc ssd, it consists of 4 digits (0101).

I know it gets confusing but, it is much easier to maintain and control a cell with two states (01)such as the slc than it is with multiple states(0101) as in the case of the mlc. I guess a better way of explaining is that a machine with 5 moving parts is going to be more reliable than the same machine with 10 moving parts.

Having a grasp on this, we can see how the reliability of the slc ssd is so much higher than that of the mlc ssd but, does it really matter when we are looking at a lifespan in excess of 150 years in any case?

Intel X25m 160Gb SSD Benchmarks

2010-03-28T16:39:00.006-04:00