System drive: OCZ Vertex 2 90GB SSD
I have to agree with the experts on this one... the SSDs using Sandforce controllers blow away most of the other SSDs out there in regards to performance. There may be some lingering reliability issues as these are newer, but they seem to have good value and the relative rate of failures are still pretty low. They connect via SATA II ports, like most regular hard drives. Of the various manufacturers selling Sandforce SSDs, OCZ is reputed to have the best firmware support, but this probably isn't a huge deal. Just by the cheapest one, or go with a brand you like. As for size, 60 GB should be plenty if you manage it well. I bought the 90GB because it was on sale for what the 60GB were selling at... around $115.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227611
Initial performance specs are great, but they drop off kinda-sorta significantly.
From the comments in this article: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3971/sandforce-announces-nextgen-ssd-controller-sf2000-capable-of-500mbs-and-60k-iops
"The most careful SSD reviews these days are coming from bit-tech.net. They use AS-SSD to test sequential write speed for incompressible data, and also they fill the drive up with data, delete it, run TRIM, and then test the drive again.
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/09/03/ocz-revodrive-review-120gb/3
Check out the lighter-colored bars on the sequential write speeds. Those are the speeds after writing a lot to the drives and then TRIM. Note that the Intel X25-M 160GB gets 99 MB/s sequential write even after being heavily used. It is spec'ed at 100 MB/s sequential write. Just as Intel specified, so their SSD performs.
Next, look at the Sandforce drives lighter-bar sequential write, for example, the OCZ Vertex 2E 120GB. This is a drive that is spec'ed at 275 MB/s sequential write. But when someone actually measures the speed with realistic data, after the drive has been used, it only manages a pathetic 83 MB/s sequential write. That is only 30.2% of the spec'ed value, and is even lower than Intel's 99 MB/s !
Or look at the Revodrive, which is two SF drives in parallel with a RAID controller. It is spec'ed at 490 MB/s sequential write, which looks quite similar to what Sandforce is claiming for the SF2000 series. But what is the actual, real world sequential write for the Revodrive? bit-tech.net measured it, and it is a pathetic 139 MB/s. A single Crucial C300 256GB drive achieves 190 MB/s !
Bottom line is that none of Sandforce's specifications can be believed. "
"Just wanted to tell you, that the german site computerbase.de came to the same conclusion. They even had a talk with OCZ about it and they admitted it: the sandforce drives lose performance after being heavily used which cannot be restored with TRIM, only with a secure erase.
Sequential write on random data dropped from 140MB/s (fresh) to 90MB/s (used) on a Vertex 2 120GB.
Real world usage was still pretty good though. "
So yeah, you'll still be more than satisfied with the drive, I'd just take that "blows away other controllers" with a grain of salt
I have to agree with the experts on this one... the SSDs using Sandforce controllers blow away most of the other SSDs out there in regards to performance. There may be some lingering reliability issues as these are newer, but they seem to have good value and the relative rate of failures are still pretty low. They connect via SATA II ports, like most regular hard drives. Of the various manufacturers selling Sandforce SSDs, OCZ is reputed to have the best firmware support, but this probably isn't a huge deal. Just by the cheapest one, or go with a brand you like. As for size, 60 GB should be plenty if you manage it well. I bought the 90GB because it was on sale for what the 60GB were selling at... around $115.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227611
Initial performance specs are great, but they drop off kinda-sorta significantly.
From the comments in this article: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3971/sandforce-announces-nextgen-ssd-controller-sf2000-capable-of-500mbs-and-60k-iops
"The most careful SSD reviews these days are coming from bit-tech.net. They use AS-SSD to test sequential write speed for incompressible data, and also they fill the drive up with data, delete it, run TRIM, and then test the drive again.
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2010/09/03/ocz-revodrive-review-120gb/3
Check out the lighter-colored bars on the sequential write speeds. Those are the speeds after writing a lot to the drives and then TRIM. Note that the Intel X25-M 160GB gets 99 MB/s sequential write even after being heavily used. It is spec'ed at 100 MB/s sequential write. Just as Intel specified, so their SSD performs.
Next, look at the Sandforce drives lighter-bar sequential write, for example, the OCZ Vertex 2E 120GB. This is a drive that is spec'ed at 275 MB/s sequential write. But when someone actually measures the speed with realistic data, after the drive has been used, it only manages a pathetic 83 MB/s sequential write. That is only 30.2% of the spec'ed value, and is even lower than Intel's 99 MB/s !
Or look at the Revodrive, which is two SF drives in parallel with a RAID controller. It is spec'ed at 490 MB/s sequential write, which looks quite similar to what Sandforce is claiming for the SF2000 series. But what is the actual, real world sequential write for the Revodrive? bit-tech.net measured it, and it is a pathetic 139 MB/s. A single Crucial C300 256GB drive achieves 190 MB/s !
Bottom line is that none of Sandforce's specifications can be believed. "
"Just wanted to tell you, that the german site computerbase.de came to the same conclusion. They even had a talk with OCZ about it and they admitted it: the sandforce drives lose performance after being heavily used which cannot be restored with TRIM, only with a secure erase.
Sequential write on random data dropped from 140MB/s (fresh) to 90MB/s (used) on a Vertex 2 120GB.
Real world usage was still pretty good though. "
So yeah, you'll still be more than satisfied with the drive, I'd just take that "blows away other controllers" with a grain of salt
So I finally managed to get all the parts for a new computer build (kind of random and rambles)
09/12/2010 04:39:49 AM
- 791 Views
Sounds like you've done your research. Now I can't wait until I build mine! *NM*
09/12/2010 04:16:29 PM
- 243 Views
Yeah, that was half the fun, really.
10/12/2010 01:16:31 AM
- 664 Views
After next summer or fall
10/12/2010 01:33:51 AM
- 489 Views
We have no clue what is going to be out about fall of 2011
10/12/2010 02:11:08 AM
- 540 Views
One note about the Sandforces
11/12/2010 12:59:25 AM
- 571 Views
While I ain't disagreeing with you
11/12/2010 07:39:07 AM
- 556 Views
Re: While I ain't disagreeing with you
11/12/2010 08:49:28 AM
- 681 Views
Re: While I ain't disagreeing with you
11/12/2010 03:26:33 PM
- 568 Views