ssd

DarkWhisper · 5 Sep 2009 at 18:09

Thinking of buying my first ssd. whats a good one to start off with? use pc mainly for gaming.

ChileanLlama · 5 Sep 2009 at 18:15

What size do you need - and what budget do you have?

Intel are the fastest but most expensive mainstream drives. Crucial are a bit slower but best balance in terms of price and performance.

Perfect_Chaos · 5 Sep 2009 at 18:18

The expensive intel drives are more suited for servers, you can get one just as good for almost everything else a lot cheaper.

monitorkeeper · 5 Sep 2009 at 19:52

Dont know probably 80-130gig, not sure on prices. last hdd was a rapter x 150g
so some thing that is noticeably faster then that.

djinuk205 · 5 Sep 2009 at 22:18

not meaning to hijack the thread but how much of a improvement would i notice running one of these over a basic sata drive.

Nate Silvers · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:31

You would notice a speed increase that I would say is worth paying the money for, if you really WANT it.

ben90 · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:50

djinuk205 said:
not meaning to hijack the thread but how much of a improvement would i notice running one of these over a basic sata drive.

From the tests I have seen pretty incomparable, the SSD's are miles ahead.

SlyReaper · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:53

The speed increase is definitely noticeable, and the computer will feel much more nippy and responsive for having an SSD in there. But don't expect to be absolutely blown away.

clv101 · 6 Sep 2009 at 00:57

Folk in this thread would do well to read the SSD articles on Anandtech:
http://anandtech.com/storage/

DarkWhisper · 6 Sep 2009 at 08:08

do you defrag a ssd like you do a hdd?

bifday2k · 6 Sep 2009 at 08:24

Nope there is no need to, and defraging them can shorten there life span.

OLDPHART · 6 Sep 2009 at 08:26

I got one of these OCZ Agility, great review's, partitioned mine 50/50=OS/GAMES, well pleased.

Link OCZ -http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-032-OC&groupid=701&catid=14&subcat=1427

gizmo1990 · 6 Sep 2009 at 10:56

OCZ Vertex's seem to be the current best in test (Intel still best but more pricey) but still a little too rich for me. When they get nearer £100 I'll jump.

What makes them better over other OCZ SSD's, such as the Agility and Summits?

ChileanLlama · 6 Sep 2009 at 11:12

OCZ Vertex uses the Indilinx controller (same as the Crucial M225). The Agility IIRC is a slower Vertex. The Summit uses the Samsung controller.

Generally all the Indilinx based drives offer roughly the same performance as one another.

gizmo1990 · 6 Sep 2009 at 12:11

Ahh I see, thanks.

Are there any other Indilinx based SSDs that are cheaper than OCZ? How do you tell if they are using Indilinx?

ChileanLlama · 6 Sep 2009 at 13:45

Yes, the Crucial M225. That's why they appear to be so popular at the moment. Roughly the same performance as the Vertex, but cheaper.

I read on Anandtech that OCZ are reducing prices, but it will take time before consumers see this due to existing stocks. It might turn out to be a bit chicken and egg though as with the Intel G2 and Crucial drives more competitively priced, I'd expect less Vertex's are being shifted.

The manufacturers websites don't always tell you the controller being used, so you'll have to search. There's usually forums or reviews where you'll find it out. The old(ish) drives used a JMicron controller which had a lot of issues, so a lot of people are keen to know which controller is being used - if only to ensure they don't have a JMicron based SSD