SSD Selection for virtualization tasks (Hyper-V on Notebook)

Hi. I need to select SSD for notebook, which main task will Virtual laboratory.
For example usual scenario: Simultaneous installing four different OS, from four different images located on the same SSD.
Host OS is Win 8 (or Server 2012) with Hyper-V, on the same SSD!
i7QM, 16Gb, QM77. SSD size planed ~500Gb.

I was thinking about Samsung 840Pro, but after reading forum I am afraid, that I will not see a real life performance difference with Crucial M4.

So now I thinking about:
Crucial M500 (newer than M4, and must bee better/faster)
Samsung 840Pro
Corsair Neutron GTX
Intel 520
Or something else

About power consumption I am not care, because it is anyway lower than HDD.

Please advise me with arguments.
And, I'm more care about real life, than benchmarks.

Thanks!

 

you should go for the M500 960Gb, 840Pro, or intel 520, the M500 480Gb IMO is nothing too economical as the 840 Pro so might as well go for the 840 pro, the 520 is stable with good 5 year warranty and very good support from intel but tends to be at a similar price as the 840Pro

I have nothing to say on the Corsair Neutron, if you are no hater on OCZ you can also consider its Vector series, I've heard good feedbacks from that SSD, and only that SSD in OCZ receives that amount of recognition

 

I still wouldn't go with OCZ simply due to their sub-par customer service, even if their SSDs have improved by any significant amount. I'd stick to Crucial, Plextor, Samsung, or Intel for a SSD and wouldn't really consider anyone else.

That said, The M500 (or M$, since they perform so similarly) would definitely be the most cost-effective solution, thought the 840 Pro really is the fastest-performing (and reliable, to boot) SSD on the market today.

 

I would not recommend the M500 (480 or 960GB models) for your workflow: in a word, the Performance is NOT there for you.
If you can wait for availability, the SanDisk Extreme II 480GB model is the best fit imo.

See:
SanDisk Extreme II SSD Review: Striking At The Heavy-Hitters - Extreme II, The Sequel From SanDisk

See:
HARDOCP - Introduction - SanDisk 240 GB Extreme II SSD Review


Of note in the second review linked above is the steady state Random R/W performance (last graph on page 8) that most indicates the real world performance of the drives in sustained use. Far above the Vector and the 840 Pro.

Note that these 'graphs' closely match my hands on experiences with many different drives including the 840 Pro (Samsung is definitely not the fastest in my opinion).


Also note that the previous/original SanDisk Extreme has worked very well for me and others - basically an inexpensive version of the great Intel 520 Series (note that only the 240GB versions of those drives are 'worth buying').


While you may be missing out on peak performance (mostly benchmark 'scores') vs. a Vector or Samsung SSD - and definitely be paying more than an M500 (which is aimed more towards TLC based SSD's 'performance' expectations), the latest SanDisk Extreme II 480GB model offers the best sustained, real world performance we can buy today - along with a 5 year warranty included.



That is of course assuming you are not buying a new platform in the next few weeks/months with an NGFF connector inside. If you are, then you may be very disappointed with the SanDisk Extreme II...


See:
LSI SandForce Codename Griffin NGFF Ultrabook Version ADATA SSD Piks & Specs - Computex 2013 Update | The SSD Review

See:
Plextor Displays New M.2 NGFF PCIe Ultrabook SSD With 770MB/s Speeds - Computex 2013 Update | The SSD Review


See:
AnandTech | Computex 2013: 2.5 inch 1.6TB SSD from ADATA


See:
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...mIHoDQ&usg=AFQjCNFz_uAGXdNElFCN6CPa09DJvnpLGw


See:
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/edge-series/e531/


Edit 2: The link above also shows a ThinkPAD Edge with a 24GB NGFF as a $50 option...


Edit: the second last link above shows/hints at a Lenovo T431 with the NGFF connector...



Now, all we need is a notebook/platform with the NGFF connectors... (I remember Acer mentioning models being available around September...).


Hope this helps.

Good luck.

 

I'm not too acquainted with the latest Virtualization but I''ve seen it mentioned in the past that SSDs have trouble parsing TRIM commands of the VM. This is something you must find out because if not, you want an SSD with effective and aggressive garbage collection without compromising performance consistency.
The only such drive on the list is the Neutron GTX, it is basically designed to work well even without the TRIM command or when filled to the brim thanks to the enterprise optimized LAMD controller. The OCZ Vector can also perform well but you'll have worse consistency.