SSD Thread (Benchmarks, Brands, News, and Advice)

guys what's the standard test setting for crystaldiskmark?

 

Oh boy, a Revo Drive! That must be amazing! Nice job getting that!

 

Ya... fortunate to have finally gotten that relationship with OCZ. Been a long while in the making.

Oh and...standard test for what drive?

 

I am most curious about that drive.

 

I am doing a review sometime in the next few days but ask away Cape... I am most curious as well but enjoy it so far.

 

Ah well LMK cause I am considering buying a UD7...lol

 

is it bootable by now? (the revodrive).

my usb3 ports aren't bootable, so i can't install from usb3, which would be nice fast

 

Mushkin Callisto deluxe 120GB. Just want to know which test i have to run in order to check performance.

 

USB3 is not native until Q1 12 and the Muchkin I believe is a SF drive...oFill data. Revo is bootable....

 

Thanks Les. BTW can you write guide about how to align SSD before install Windows 7.

Lot of confused information tho.... 63/64sectors 1024/ divide by 4k....yada yada..

 

U dont need to do it with Win7 as it does it automatically. The only time u would have a risk is with a migration.

Look at Paragon Alignment Tool if need b...

 

I did windows 7 install and got really bad performance (Like 50% drop) Don't know what went wrong ????

So I put it to my vista desktop as a 2nd drive after secure erase and aligned through diskpar -s 1
command to set sectors to 128 as advised by OCZ forum and create single large partition with NTFS 4K quick format.

Now I have Mushkin advertised performance (Well..almost)

 

post the result...

 

Ok...Here we go......Latest AHCI/ChipSet Driver & Firmware 340

WRITE-CACHE BUFFER FLUSHING Enabled



WRITE-CACHE BUFFER FLUSHING Disabled

 

Ummm are either in safe mode? Hmmm?

 

nop. Normal windows mode. BTW why?

 

take a test in safe mode and see.... It will tell you if there is any software interference at all. My guess is you willl see a jump in the 4k writes.

 

Ok Les. Thanx for the tip.

Btw guys/gals marry christmas. May santa be extra good to you......

 

Hey guys, Merry Christmass !!!
Will watch this thread closely, hope someone posts some boxing day sale

 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Just a quick link to why the Samsung 470 with the latest firmware should be the new SSD standard for all manufacturers to strive for:

See:
SSD Performance: TRIM And Firmware Updates Tested : Maximizing SSD Performance


This is the only Boxing Day SSD sale I'll be looking for: Samsung 470 240GB SSD.

Hope you were all good this past year.

 

The thing I don't like is new SSD's push pricing back up over $2/GB. I thought the new tech was supposed to bring pricing down? I'll wait for Intel G3 to see what happens.

 

Can anyone explain even one reason to wait for the Intel G3 which they have already provided as inferior to most out now and then again some with the new releases in the spring?

 

Brand loyalty? LOL

 

May be something called reliability ? That said, even they have released G3, I would only go with the G2(assuming that would be even cheaper than now) and wait till the G3 is proven to be as reliable as G2.

For most use cases of the target market(consumer C: drive running Windows), the difference in speed is barely noticeable.

 

As I just said... cost.

 

I wonder why they didn't do a test without TRIM but say @ 20%, 30% OP in the tortured case. All that TRIM does is to give the controller more free block to play with.

 

Do you understand how it increases your performance at all in consideration of this though?

SSD slowing occurs when you need to write information to a location which has not been TRIMMED yet because it then adds the job or moving any valid date from the block, trimming the block, reading the data and then writing to the block again.

The common hiccup is u can write in 4k pages but only erase in 512k blocks which means you have to allow for the process of rearranging data. This get a bit more tricky as older drives fill...the Intel being the best example.

 

Buy the size you need or you will not be happy. I made the mistake of buying a 40GB SSD for my netbook mainly because of cost, and regretted it quickly.

 

Intel 40GB X25-V $89 - $29 mail in rebate = $69

Kingston 64GB V-100 Series $144.99 - $20 = $94.99

Adata 128GB S599 $224.99 - $15 = $209.99 but cheaper at http://www.amazon.com/ADATA-Sandforce-2-5-Inch-Internal-AS599S-128GM-C/dp/B003UEQW6E

frys.com although may not be available online

 

Performance wise, Sandforce should be feeling snappier in day to day use unless you hammer it with lots of uncompressable data then the DuraWrite would kick in. Even at that rate, it is still pretty fast.

What concern me of Sandforce is not the performance but those problem I saw on both Corsair and OCZ forums. They indicate that there are compatability problems. I bought one and have to return it and changed to x25m.

 

Just benchmark with ATTO to confirm that your driver setup, alignment is ok and start up AS SSD to double check alignment(don't even need to run it).

Other real read/write benchmark likse AS SSD are more for 'I am feeling good/bad' which I don't do any myself.

Cannot tell if m17x is compatible, try to use the sleep/resume function within your 30 days money back period. As that is a major area of problem of Sandforce.

 

any suggestions for 120GB SSD for L701x user like me?
be kind....
Rooster

 

What type of SSD should I get to put in my Envy 14? Preferably a good size capacity for under $600?

 

My Chritsmas 240GB OCZ Agility 2 is now installed and running. Clean OS install, problems sorted out and running smooth, just a few adjustments to make. The problems encountered were: Had to remake the Win 7 inswtall USB drive 3 times to get it right, had to remove SSD and install HD to copy Windows Authorization over to new drive and in the process lost contct with Bluetooth but in the end all was put right. The SSD sure is nice. I don't have much desire to benchmark it, I am into using it.

 

reliability, brand trust, knowing they focus on what makes an ssd feel fast, and not benchmark numbers, and if all works well, price.

remember, every intel out there was NOT the fastest in all numbers. it was still the one which lets you experience speed the best thanks to the low latency it showed + more tech.

if you don't care about benchmarks but actual performance, then sandforce is nothing interesting, really. esp. when taken the failure rates into count.

i want a drive that works. and it should work fast. so far, the best still is intel in that regard, which is why i stay with that brand, and most likely will in the future. and they're cheaper, still.

 

Here is a nice after-Christmas deal for a large SSD @ $1.55/GB
Available on December 28th Woot® : One Day, One Deal

Kingston SSDNow 128GB SATA 2 Solid State Drive $199

Overview:

• Performance – Enhances productivity
• Innovative – 2.5” form factor; uses NAND flash memory components
• Silent – Runs silent and cool with no moving mechanical parts
• Reliable – Less likely to fail than a standard hard drive
• Shock Resistant – No moving mechanical parts so the SSD handles rougher conditions
• Supports TRIM – Enhances device wear leveling by eliminating merge operation for all deleted data blocks
• Supports S.M.A.R.T.
• Guaranteed – 3-year Kingston warranty, 24/7 tech support
• Cache – 64MB onboard cache

Specifications:

• Capacity: 128GB
• Storage Temperatures: - 40°C to 85°C
• Operating temperatures: 0°C to 70°C
• Vibration Operating: 2.17G (7–800Hz)
• Vibration Non-Operation: 20G (20–2000Hz)
• Sequential Speed 128GB: 200MB/sec. read; 160MB/sec. write
• PCMARK® HDD 2005 Score+: 20,177
• Power Specs: 128GB Active: 5.2W (TYP) Sleep: 0.7W (TYP)
• Life expectancy: 1 million hours mean time before failure

In the box:
Kingston 128GB SSDNow V-Series Drive, Model SNV425-S2/128GB

 

Is it possible that Intel may surprise us with exciting new features/speed we do not know about?

 

Hmmm, I would like a couple of those 470's

 

Older slower drive with MIR. I will sell you the newer drive with only a few hours use and the migration kit for that eheheh. Heck you get to see how it performed in the review as well.

Oh...and G3's...its nice that people are starting to see through the hype of Intel.

 

Hype of Intel? You mean Sandforce? Durawrite? I think we all know what to expect from Intel, but Sandforce is kinda meh. More I read on Samsung, I'm edging that direction, but cost has to come down considerably. I plan on buying when I get my Sandy Bridge laptop, hopefully there will be some good deals in a month or so.

 

Edit: there is a $50 Mail-in Rebate so its $149
http://www.kingston.com/rebates/woot/20849wt.pdf

 

Yes and no. It is not permanent in that it won't stay in the low forever(as it would ease off the brake over time), it is permanent in that in cannot return to the high like when it is new(i.e. after SE).

 

I've got an Intel 80GB (netbook), Intel 120GB (M11x), OCZ Vertex 2 60GB (gaming desktop), and Kingston V-series 64GB (application desktop), and Momentus XT (Sager laptop). I have a hard time telling the difference between the Intel and the OCZ for everyday performance, and I've swapped them between machines just to check the difference.

I don't think there's any hype behind Intel, it's clear what they offer. No, not the fastest, but a well rounded inexpensive and reliable option with low (real) write amplification. Not that pseudo 0.5 of Sandforce.

For me a lot of it is based on price. My next laptop will surely have an SSD in it, but whether a small one for OS and second hard drive for large apps and storage or a single large SSD will all depend on pricing.

 

Yes, each SE would return the top speed but that is not something you want to do, not because of the life of the NAND but the complexity of it.

Durawrite won't turn on the brake on normal usage(only after heavy write within short period of time).

 

Any suggestions? I read through the SSD performance/tweaks thread but wasn't sure if I should follow those due to how old the thread is. Any suggestions?

The only tweak ive done so far is the Intel RST driver.

 

+1 there's no hype of intel as long as no other ssd allows you to have a better experience. thanks to the law of diminishing returns, no sandforce delivers that (and no one else). for benchmark freaks, sandforce are awesome. everyone else happily can see beyond the sandforce hype and notice that intel delivered reliable platforms since the start of the computing aera, and thus are the ones people will trust in for their data. for good reason, as so far, they proved. they never strived for benchmark results, but for experience, and reliability.

go for it, g3. stop the sandforce ocz hype. have we forgotten how ocz cheated us several times times after times?

 

I think these are clouded dreams because Intel does not introduce inexpensive products as we clearly saw with the X25 where they raked in profit for the longest time simply as a result of their name alone. Everyone was so awestruck we failed to recognize the low performing NAND that they used and still intend to use with a single die allowing their write speeds to top out welll below that of other SSDs.

Have you ever wondered why their 80GB only reached 70MB/s write on average while the 160GB reached 110MB/s?

So...not only did they grab the money but with a lesser product than the competition on their name alone... That is great business by the way. I admire them right beside the guy who invented the sale of bottled water.

 

no clue, but here they are cheaper than all the sandforce crap.

and yes, the 80gb is slower than the 160gb because there are less parallel writeable flash-chips there, as documented.

and the "lesser product" is not true as long as they deliver about identical performance in real life. esp. after they showed much better customer support and non-lying while having problems, unlike ocz who cheated customers times and times again.

 

oh, and btw, direct intel buying prices WHERE low for G2. but RETAILERS sold for the same price as the G1. they all did for the quick profit, and stayed on the prices.

 

My point is simply that Intel traditionally will release at a high price point and, as shown in their footprint, with less performance than the present medium. IMHO, the only hope we really have for Intel is that they delayed their release knowing that the drive would not cut it as all were jumping on smaller NAND so they went back to the drawing board in an attempt to provide us with the unexpected.