UPDATE 29/11/2011 ** SSD Testing Line Up - Vertex 3, Force 3, M4 and HyperX 120/128GB Tested! + ADAT

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UPDATE ADADA S510 + S511 Benchmarks added!!

S511 beating then falling short to the HyperX.. A new Sandforce king on the block with the price to performance ratio??? ;)

Today we have had a look at 4 of the best selling SSDs on the market, the Force 3 (performs the same as the Agility 3), the Vertex 3, the Crucial M4 (Firmware 0009) and the Kingston HyperX SSD.

To our suprise there was a clear cut winner offering the highest levels of performance where it counts. Take a look before and have a look as the results are quite suprising!!

A small thanks goes out to Bicepo for producing the screens for me for this!

:D


AS SSD Read/Write Test


Force 3

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HyperX

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M4

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Vertex 3

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ADATA S510

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ADATA S511

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[/FONT]Taking a look at these results shows the weakness of the Asynchronous NAND used in the Force 3. The results from the Synchronous NAND based drives (vertex 3 and HyperX) are near identical showing no difference bar the odd MB/s here and there which cant be put down to a performance benefit but more what was going on with the system at the time of benhing. The clear cut winner with a massive lead on the 4K-64Thrd is the Crucial M4 which is why a drive that on slower on paper in reality is faster showing the strengths of the Marvell controller over the Sandforce 2281 used on all 3 of the other drives.
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AS SSD IOPS Test

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Force 3

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HyperX

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M4

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Vertex 3

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ADATA S510

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ADATA S511

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[/FONT]Looking over the IOPS shows an entirely different story. The Force 3 has been left to swallow the dust of the other Sandforce drives where the Vertex 3 just edges out the HyperX however once again the Crucial is storming a head of the competition by a considerable margin.
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ATTO


Force 3

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HyperX

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M4

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Vertex 3

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ADATA S510

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ADATA S511

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Here we can see that the Force 3 is hot on the heals of the Vertex 3 and the HyperX. The HyperX through consistency is the faster of this benchmark in reads and writes leaving the M4 miles behind where write speeds are concerned. The only saving grace for the M4 is that its read speeds are faster lower down the scale which when real world performance is concerned would play to an advantage.


C
rystalDiskMark



Force 3

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HyperX

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M4

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Vertex 3

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ADATA S510

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ADATA S511

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This is the benchmark that clearly shows the brute force power of the Sandforce 2281 controller. The fastest drive overall here is yet again the HyperX however once again the files that count (4K QD32) leaves the reads of the M4 striding miles in front! The drive is only let down by its poor write speeds (in comparrison) giving the HyperXC the edge.



Conclusion


The Fastest drive here in real world performance is the Crucial M4. It is worth noting that the M4 in 256GB and 512GB sizes performs even faster on the write speeds due to the NAND chip density.

As for Sandforce based drives it would appear that the HyperX has the edge. It is a worthy contender in the SSD market bettering the M4 in some situations but losing in others. Only the price point nearing £40inc VAT on top of the M4 is its only weakness. If Kingston can do something radical with the pricing and maintain fantastic quality construction of the drives then it may just have the raw grunt to knock the M4 off of top spot leaving it in top spot but as it stands the Crucial M4 just has it.




Corsair Force Series 3 120GB SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive (CSSD-F120GB3-BK) @ £139.99 inc VAT

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Step up to SATA 6Gb/s performance with a Corsair Force Series 3 SSD. Your system responds better, boots quicker, and loads applications faster. Ideal for notebooks, Corsair SSDs run cooler and quieter than traditional hard drives, using less power.

- 120GB Capacity
- Sequential read speeds of up to 550 MB/s
- Sequential write speeds of up to 510 MB/s
- SATA 6Gb/s (SATA 3) connectivity
- High performance SandForce SF-2200 SSD controller
- Native TRIM support (O/S support required)
- RAID Support
- BGC (Background Garbage Collection)
- 2.5" - 3.5" Adaptor Included.

Only £139.99 inc VAT.

ORDER NOW








Kingston HyperX 120GB 2.5" SATA-3 Solid State Drive @ £188.99 inc VAT

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The all new Kingston HyperX performance SSD featuring the Sandforce SF-2281 controller for blistering fast reads and writes and industry leading IOPS.


- 95k IOPS
- Capacity: 120GB
- Controller: SandForce SF-2281
- Maximum Read: 555MB/sec
- Maximum Write: 510MB/sec
- Max I/O Per Second (IOPS): 95000 IOPS (4KB File, READ)
- NAND Flash: Multi-Level Cell (MLC)
- Interface: SATA-III / 6Gbps (Backwards compatible with SATA-II / 3Gbps)
- TRIM Support (Requires Windows 7)
- Warranty: 3 Years

Only £188.99 inc VAT.

ORDER NOW





OCZ Vertex 3 120GB 2.5" SATA-3 Solid State Hard Drive (VTX3-25SAT3-120G) @ £184.99 inc VAT

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As the third generation of the legendary Vertex Series, OCZ Vertex3 Solid State Drives are designed and built to unleash the full potential of the 6Gbps SATA3 interface. The OCZ Vertex3 pushes the limits in both sequential and random data transfer rates, significantly improving your gaming, multimedia, and overall computing experience over traditional mechanical hard drives. In addition to maximized productivity, a Vertex3 upgrade makes a hard drive equipped notebook more portable than ever with superior durability and reduced power consumption.
Using the latest break through controller and flash technology, Vertex3 SSDs workin perfect harmony with next generation platforms and operating systems to deliver the industry’s best storage solution.

- Capacity: 120GB
- Controller: SandForce SF-2281
- Maximum Read: 550MB/sec
- Maximum Write: 500MB/sec
- Sustained Write: 500MB/sec
- Max I/O Per Second (IOPS): 60000 IOPS (4KB File)
- NAND Flash: Multi-Level Cell (MLC)
- Interface: SATA-III / 6Gbps (Backwards compatible with SATA-II / 3Gbps)
- TRIM Support (Requires Windows 7)
- 2.5" to 3.5" SSD adaptor included
- Warranty: 3 Years

Only £184.99 inc VAT.

ORDER NOW






Crucial RealSSD M4 128GB 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Hard Drive @ £134.99 inc VAT

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Continuing the tradition of our award-winning solid-state drives, the Crucial m4 offers mobile and desktop users scorching-fast read and write speeds. Low power, lightweight, and durable, it empowers high-speed synchronous MLC NAND, advanced controller technology, optimized NAND management, and the SATA 6Gb/s interface. Together, that technology dramatically improves data transfers for bandwidth-demanding applications.

Our products are built on decades of design and manufacturing expertise. It is our expertise in NAND technology that enables us to optimize the performance and endurance necessary to build quality solid-state storage devices.

- Sequential Read (up to): 415MB/sec (SATA 6Gb/s) - 550MB/sec with firmware 0009
- Sequential Write (up to): 175MB/sec (SATA 6Gb/s) - 200MB/sec with firmware 0009
- Random 4k Read: 40,000 IOPS
- Random 4k Write: 35,000 IOPS
- PCMark Vantage: 55K HDD Test Score
- Interface: SATA 6Gbps / Backwards Compatible 3Gbps
- Native TRIM support
- Seek Time: .1ms
- Slim 2.5" Design
- 100.5 x 69.85 x 9.5mm
- Lightweight: 75g
- Operating Temp: 0°C ~ 70°C
- Storage Temp: -40°C ~ 85°C
- Low Power Consumption: 150 mW in operation, .85 mW in standby
- Shock Resistant up to 1500G
- RAID Support
- MTBF: 1.2 million hours
- Limited 3-Year Warranty

** FIRMWARE UPDATE 0009 - Increased speeds up to 550MB/s **

Only £134.99 inc VAT.

ORDER NOW

d speeds




ADATA S510 120GB SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive - Retail with Acronis True Image ** PRE-ORDER PRICE ** @ £119.99 inc VAT

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The S510 is a highly cost-effective option for SSD upgrades of existing systems, and for new SATA 6Gb/s enabled computers. The S510 utilizes the new generation SandForce SF-2200 series controller, with native support for the SATA 6Gb/s platform. In both desktop and notebook computers, users will enjoy an unprecedented high-speed experience. The S510 can reach 550/510MB read and write speeds respectively, with 4K random write speeds as high as 85,000 IOPS.


Superior to Mechanical Drives on all Fronts

Solid state drives require no defragmentation, and support the Windows TRIM command. The S510 provides vibration-free running and low power consumption, while taking full advantage of the 6Gb bandwidth transmission capability.


What is the Windows TRIM command optimizing component?

If your computer is running the Windows 7 operating system, the Windows TRIM optimization command can directly delete stored data in the Flash memory and release unused space (Free Blocks) to be used for system writes immediately. This results in more accelerated transfer and write performance for solid state drives, and is also effective in slowing down efficiency decline and depletion chances, maintaining effective operation and extending the life of the disk.


Powerful and Free Software Solution to Eliminate Reinstalls

All purchasers of the S510 can download the free Disk Migration Utility software. It facilitates the quick transfer of all files to the new solid state drive, significantly reducing the troublesome and time-consuming process of reinstalling software and restoring data from backups.

* Disk Migration Utility software runs on these operating systems: Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7

Software Download Area: http://www.adata-group.com/index.php?action=ss_main&page=ss_software_5

- Capcity: 120GB
- Read: Up to 550MB/S
- Write: Up to 510MB/S
- Seq Read: Up to 200MB/S
- Seq Write: Up to 140MB/S
- 4K Random Write (Aligned): 60,000 IOPS
- Maximum 4K Randdom Write: 85,000 IOPS
- Sandforce SF-2281


Only £119.99 inc VAT.

ORDER NOW







ADATA S511 120GB SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive - Retail with Acronis True Image ** PRE-ORDER PRICE ** @ £158.99 inc VAT

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The S511 utilizes the new generation SandForce SF-2200 series controller, with native support for the SATA 6Gb/s platform. The S511 completely brings into play the revolutionary high-speed performance of solid state drives, embracing a new world of transfer performance. With read and write speeds twice that of SSDs using the older SATA II specification, the S511 reached 550/520MB read and write speeds respectively, with 4K random write speeds as high as 85,000 IOPS in real world testing. This means transferring a 5GB video file can be completed in as few as 15 seconds. In actual testing of Windows 7 boot speed, the S511 clocked an impressive 21 second system boot time, giving full satisfaction to the performance needs of power users.


High-speed read and write performance enhances computing efficiency

Currently, the major processor platforms are gradually making the changeover to native SATA 6Gb/s chips. However, traditional mechanical drives are not capable of the corresponding high-speed read and write tasks. The result is that some newly-purchased computers can only utilize a fraction of the performance available when equipped with a traditional hard drive. The S511 solid state drive provides vibration-free running and low power consumption while taking full advantage of the 6Gb bandwidth transmission capability. In both desktop and laptop computers, and in a broad range of computing environments, SSDs built to the latest specification an irreplaceable advantage.



Solid state drives are the best choice when buying a new computer


With the increasing popularity of computing with the use of more diverse applications, computational speed has become a major consideration when buying computers. In video editing, large picture retouching, and computer drafting, reading and writing operations rely on fast and stable data storage.

The S511 adopts specially selected Flash chips from reliable manufacturers, and supports the Windows TRIM command. In both desktop and notebook computers, users will enjoy an unprecedented high-speed experience.


What is the Windows TRIM command optimizing component?

If your computer is running the Windows 7 operating system, the Windows TRIM optimization command can directly delete stored data in the Flash memory and release unused space (Free Blocks) to be used for system writes immediately. This results in more accelerated transfer and write performance for solid state drives, and is also effective in slowing down efficiency decline and depletion chances, maintaining effective operation and extending the life of the disk.


System backup tools, eliminating installation operating procedures

All purchasers of the S511 can download the free Disk Migration Utility software. It facilitates the quick transfer of all files to the new solid state drive, significantly reducing the troublesome and time-consuming process of reinstalling software and restoring data from backups.

* Disk Migration Utility software runs on these operating systems: Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7

Software Download Area: http://www.adata-group.com/index.php?action=ss_main&page=ss_software_5

- Capcity: 120GB
- Read: Up to 550MB/S
- Write: Up to 510MB/S
- 4K Random Write (Aligned): 60,000 IOPS
- Maximum 4K Random Write: 85,000 IOPS
- Sandforce SF-2281


Only £158.99 inc VAT.

ORDER NOW



Benchmarks to follow! :)





S510 Benchmarks added.

S511 Benchmarks added.


 
The reason you omitted Intel drives from this wouldn't have anything to do with them disappearing from the site would it?

The intel 320 series can't compete and the 510 series is very closely matched to the M4 (it's pretty much the same thing except for the cache) and with the M4s latest firmware it's even quicker for much less!

Hope you don't mind me putting some of the data into a few graphs. However being a total noob I ended up screen-shotting them. I have omitted a few sections, such as the access time and the 16MB on the IOPS.

*snip*

errors and omissions excepted ;)

Nice graphs! Makes comparing much easier showing the M4 as the clear cut winner and the HyperX as the fastest (just) out of the sandforce 2281 drives :)
 
Having ordered potentially your last Elmcrest on Sunday (considering it's no longer on your webpage :) ), I must say that, whilst the Intel was hugely over-priced - I didn't mind too much, as this was a gift to help guarantee stability of my rig, I have one thing for sure. Reliability.

The test is great to show speeds etc... but it would be interesting to see manufacturer's fail rates.

I remember reading an article on AnandTech about failure rates:
Intel - 0.59%
Corsair - 2.17%
Crucial - 2.25%
Kingston - 2.39%
OCZ - 2.93%

Personally, having now had two Corsair drives fail on me, I've decided along with parents, that for Uni, when you want a reliable rig, the best bet is Intel. As they're stringent QC checks seem much more efficient than other companies...

I know the AnandTech data was based on a report which looked at French e-tailers return rates... Would be interesting to see OCUK's statistics on which manufacturers return drive percentages?

As Andrew has said, there's not too much difference between the M4 and Elmcrests, however the M4 is faster (with the latest firmware), but personally I'd take the reliability :)

Saying that I don't think the M4's have had particularly bad fail rates... but meh...

kd


As a whole that could very well be right but intel and crucial have a neck and neck return rate with both only seeing 1 drive returned as actually "faulty". Given that the intels have sld "hundreds" and the Crucials more like "thousands" ;) I would say the M4 is the more reliable. Certainly more so than the M225 and C300 of previous gens.

Since moving to the M4s myself I must say I have never been happier with a purchase ever!!
 
Forgive me as I’m getting back into Hardware before I purchase a new rig again after so many years not paying too much attention.

I thought these SSD were bullet proof with no moving parts so Data loss was never in question. I fancied pushing the boat out for my next PC on a good sized SSD for windows boot up etc and a few games and a 1 TB normal drive to cover me for future storage needs?

I thought these drives were expensive as they were expected to last, reliable and as were newish tech therefore at a premium.

With anything that stores data theres no such thing as bullet proof however with no moving parts they are horrifically quick compared to a HDD and at this price are fantastic value when compared to mechanical HDD due to the price hikes of late.

A year ago there really was a massive premium on these products but as with anything the price does come down.

An SSD is certainly worth a look at :)
 
Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but...
Can I ask why the ADATA S510 was the only one run without the "All 0x00, 0Fill" test data?

My understanding is that if the drive uses compression (and I'm guessing most/all the SandForce ones do?) then using all 1s or all 0s will compress a lot better than random data. So while this setting does seem to favor drives that use compression, it also seems unrealistic. But it would explain why the S510 scores so much lower as the data being used is more realistic.

This is the mistake that was made by the test team and as such should be ignored.

The Force 3 result is what you should expect in terms of performance here :)
 
To be honest, since I can't guarantee that all the data I'm reading and writing to the disk will be highly compressible, I'd argue that the S510 is actually the only one done 'right'. Using data that is highly compressible seems like a tactic to inflate the performance numbers. Otherwise surely the M4 wouldn't be as highly regarded as it is. Other than the fact it's the only one not using a Sandforce controller (I believe).


I agree with what your saying there however that is how the test is to be carried out by manufacturer specification to highlight the potetial speeds of the drives.

AS SSD is the one I would pay attention to the most as it has the most true reflection of performance of the drives.
 
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