(review from frankknopers
http://tweakers.net/productreview/10...-ssd-60gb.html )
Introduction
OCZ officially announced late last year a new model with SSD, the Vertex series. Through a combination of cheap MLC memory chips and a controller, this new SSD a major step forward to make in terms of price / performance and storage capacity. After months of waiting was finally beginning this month the first shipment Vertex SSD in the market.
After the first benchmark results published on the Web became clear that OCZ's promises could make.
Unpacking
The Vertex SSD is as big as a notebook hard drive and not much more than a SATA connection for power and data and two pins for flashing the firmware. The covering of the SSD is made of metal, but still feels a bit fragile to. An old-fashioned hard drive feels a little more robust in the hand. SSD technology
The solid-state drive is basically a board with a number of memory chips, a controller chip and sometimes additional cache memory. These components do not have as much space, because almost all current SSD's are built in a 2.5''format, what we know of notebook hard disks.
The memory chips on the SSD for two types, namely single-level cell (SLC) and multi-level cell (MLC). The SLC memory is faster than MLC, but the cost is also higher. Therefore we see the SLC chips mainly reflected in the more expensive solid-state drives for the luxury segment. Almost all "affordable" SSD's will be cheaper MLC memory. The following list you will see some differences between the two types:
- SLC memory contains one bit per cell, while MLC multiple sets.
- SLC 10x memory can so often described as MLC and thus has a longer life
- MLC memory has a higher data density and can store much more data
- MLC memory is now cheaper to produce than SLC
The advantages of MLC memory type that has become dominant in the lower segment. The SLC drives serve a niche market that can pay for the extra performance and robustness of SLC-based flash drives.
Latest developments
Last year, many manufacturers with the first generation of affordable SSD's on the market. These discs offered a storage capacity of 32 to 256 GB and prices started at about 140 euros for a 30GB model. This was the technology within reach of a larger audience. The high throughput and short access time, the cheap SSD seen as the ideal boot disk for a fast desktop PC.
Unfortunately, essentially the first user experience that the cheap SSD's still had problems as a system disk to function. The culprit was eventually found in the controller of the MLC-based SSD's, the JMF602 of JMicron. This controller showed no resistance to intensive writing assignments and combined read and write, with gusts followed a stuttering system and very weak write performance.
By this development, the specifications and search throughput speed suddenly one less important. Now that the Achilles heel of the first generation SSD was established there was more attention to the random write 'speed and the controller chip on the SSD.
With firmware updates, the problems with the first generation MLC drives something smaller, but the weak, the controller weakness still exist. After this slight disappointment could focus on the chip giant Intel, which also involved with the development of an SSD.
When these SSD's finally on the market, ind e shape of the X25-M and X25-E were wildly enthusiastic reviewers. The price had been high, but the performances were also unprecedented. The X25-M 80GB, which MLC memory chips used, proved that the performance of solid-state drive, or with the controller.
Intel had an advanced 10-channel controller developed better on the characteristics of flash memory and significantly better performance in the frequent writing of data.
OCZ was meanwhile engaged in the development of the Vertex series, an SSD with an intelligent controller Indilinx, the Barefoot. This controller would better write performance and could make use of an additional DRAM cache memory. The Vertex series now can compete against the fast X25-M is clear from the price of the last time. In order to remain competitive is the price of Intel's X25-M has reduced to around 340 euros.
Of course, the developments this year again. How JMicro to a successor for the JMF602 and Samsung is also involved in the development of a new controller for the OCZ SSD Summit Series. Intel is working on X25 SSD with greater storage capacity. Benchmarks
I have two OCZ 60GB discs Vertex bought and now running in RAID0 on the ICH10R controller for my X58 motherboard. The SSD's were originally supplied with 1199 firmware, but I now geflashed to the newer 1275, which improved performance and higher reliability required. I have two Vertex even in RAID0 on my Dell Perc 5i controller, but the controller did not benefits from the two SSD's pressure. So I decided to them directly on the motherboard to places where I so far have had no regrets. The SSD's seem more responsive now that I respond to them on the onboard controller have connected.
My system specifications:
CPU: Intel Core i7 920 @ 3.33 GHz
Mobo: Gigabyte X58 UD5
Memory: 3x2 GB Kingston Valueram 1333 MHz DDR3
Videocard: Sapphire HD4870 X2 2GB
Storage: 2x 60GB Vertex in raid 0 (FW1275)
The system is running Windows Vista x64 SP1 with the latest updates installed. The system has been optimized for the SSD by things like Superfetch, prefetch, Search and Indexing page file off. What you can do read on the OCZ forum.
The two SSD's run in with a raid 0 strip size of 128k and 128k on alignment. This would be most optimal for two of these SSD's Vertex. The benchmark results of two disks in RAID0. If you get good scores halves near the performance of an SSD. According to OCZ, all Vertex models of the same 30 to 250 GB cache (64MB) and there should be little performance differences between the different variants.
During the benchmark was 51.2 GB out of a total of 119 GB Friday By a margin of 10% empty space to the SSD continue to perform well, because plenty of empty places for fast data path to be able to write.
Personal experience performance
These two SSD's in raid 0 are very fast. At the launch of Vista, I do not make that much difference, but the games will load much faster and programs load much faster windows. The opening of Office 2007, in a fraction of a second, whereas a normal hard drive a few seconds. The system feels more responsive to very. The installation of applications is very fast. Thus, the green bar installation of FireFox 3 less than a second picture! The money for all small applications that you install, it is really fast.
GTA IV is finished loading after the 2nd loading screen, while I was with a couple of Raptors it to 4 images over a 5 saw coming. The startup and shutdown of games is the speed with SSD's. I myself have been accustomed to Raptor drives in raid to work, so if you like a 'normal' 7200rpm disk, the difference is quite overwhelming.
The only drawback is the storage capacity. I personally have enough to 120 GB for the operating system, a few games and some other basic applications. For mass storage, you can submit a single hard disk by hanging, are the gigabytes on a Vertex too expensive.
Stability and Support
This is fine with the Vertex series. I've never been crazy down runners or rings Stott had in Windows. I also have not suffered a vanishing SSD in the BIOS or something like that. It seems that the 1199 firmware on some systems problems, but they are as far as I know quite solved with firmware 1275.
Support for OCZ is very good. If they stop their own forum and all feedback from users in mind and offer enough tips and tutorials to make the most of you to get SSD. Also, there are regularly new firmware versions from the SSD more to make.
And as extensive as the information on their forum is so thin is the information you get the SSD itself. In the box are a number of specifications, but outside the SSD itself is no documentation included. OCZ assumed that this product is aimed at users who already read in the technology of SSD's. It would be nice if OCZ in the box would add a short guide on how the firmware should flash and how the partition on the SSD must "align" for optimum operation of the SSD.
Value and Conclusion
The technique is anything but cheap with prices of 3 to 5 per gigabyte. Fortunately you get there with the Vertex series is a very good performance in return. It is clear that the Vertex of a different generation than the previous MLC-based drives (such as the Core, Solid and Apex series of OCZ and most of the other affordable SSD's on the market). For the price of an Intel X25-M already buy two 60 GB Vertex, in raid 0 much more storage space and probably equivalent or better performance.
170 for a 60GB Vertex and 125 for a 30GB SSD model is set to reach for a larger group of consumers. You get a new generation of SSD in the house who can maintain good standing under heavier load. Who is planning to buy Vertex can I believe the best for a 60GB or 120GB implementation, since it provides the best cost / gigabyte have. With 30GB storage you have my idea a bit too little storage space, while a raid 0 of two 30GB models much more expensive than a single 60 GB (250 versus 170 euros). This is a high price for that extra performance.
In conclusion I can say that with the OCZ Vertex series its first adult SSD in the market has put. The availability is still not very good and the prices are still high, but remains a very nice upgrade for your system. Prices fall quickly, but if you instapt the Vertex series are you sure this and that you can forward a while.
The Intel X25-M 80GB SSD remains the price is still a very good alternative to the Vertex, though the slightly higher price per GB. The choice will depend on personal preferences, and neither will disappoint you.
Positive features:
+ Very fast
+ The random write performance
+ Good price per GB
In raid 0 + a good alternative to the Intel SSD's
+ Good support via their forum OCZ
Negative characteristics:
- Still not cheap
- Limited capacity
- SSD housing construction may be somewhat better
