How fast can SSD's get with current technology?

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
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Currently SSD's can now max out the SATA 3 spec of 6Gbps. The next gen SATA Express specs are 8 and 16 Gpbs.

It didn't take long for SSD makers to max out SATA 3 and was wondering how fast they can actually go given current technology?

Anyone know or have a linky that could help me?

Thanks.
 

Cerb

Elite Member
Aug 26, 2000
17,484
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For writing, they still haven't maxed out SATA 6Gbps.

As far as how fast they can get, well, here's how fast some can be measured:
http://www.storagereview.com/ocz_zdrive_r4_enterprise_pcie_ssd_review

The problem is that it's costly, because what they've basically done is set up a proprietary RAID 0 of a bunch of SF SSDs. Apple's new SSD is probably about as fast as it can get now, for an SSD of reasonable cost.
 

Hulk

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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When it comes to small bit (ie 4k) random I/O SATA III is really not even close to being saturated.

For my purposes my current SSD has pretty much removed the storage bottleneck that once existed with my mechanical disks.
In fact my 2006 Dell 620m laptop went from very frustrating to use to a pleasure with the addition of an SSD.
 

jaqie

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2008
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RevoDrive. direct PCI-E SSD on a raid on a card technology. Available now.

Then there's the nut who did a bunch (32?) of drives on a server/workstation motherboard and raid0 them all... youtube video available.
 

Cerb

Elite Member
Aug 26, 2000
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RevoDrive. direct PCI-E SSD on a raid on a card technology. Available now.
Not direct PCI-e. It's a proprietary PCI-e RAID/JBOD controller, bridging a bunch of standard Sandforce controllers. It's really not different than if you were to make a big RAID 0 if many SSDs on an LSI card, except for not having all the drives and cables cluttering up the case.
 

jaqie

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2008
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I'm sorry I didn't say that clearer. That's what I meant by "SSD on a raid on a card".

It also can bypass the motherboard controller (which in some PCs is a huge blessing) but as you said a raid card would work for that basically the same... not many think of that, though, in their builds or in thought experiments like the OP. :)

It's all good, though.
 
Feb 25, 2011
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Yeah, the PCI-E drives are punching in around 1GB/sec.

But every time we shrink the NAND or add a layer for data density, it gets slower and laggier.

I suppose the next logical step would be controllers with lots more NAND channels and friggin massive DRAM caches. But that would drive cost up.