Intel 510 vs Corsair Performance Pro

[RhoXS]

I am just about ready to do a major upgrade (new mobo, cpu, etc.) and need to select a 6 Gb/s SATA III SSD. I am currently using a 120 GB Intel G2 and have been very pleased with Intel.

My short list of SSDs is down to:
Intel 510, 120 Gb, $280, 1,200,000 Hrs MTBF
Corsair Performance Pro, 128 Gb, $220, 1,500,000 MTBF

The Corsair product is advertised as being slightly faster but not enough to really matter, IMO.

My primary concern is reliability. I would rather spend slightly more and sacrifice speed for a drive that would be less likely to fail.

Also, is there any real practical difference in how the two drives will handle TRIM/Garbage Collection?

The Corsair, at least as it is advertised, is faster, more reliable, and slightly better with respect to reliability. However, I would prefer to hear others opinions before I make a decision.

 

[lsv]

Intel over Corsair for reliability, hands down.

 

[Coup27]

Why have you ruled out the Crucial m4 and the Samsung 830?

The Intel 510 is far too much money for what it is in my opinion. The Corsair is another SSD based on Marvell and if that's what you are after, the m4 will be a more mature platform regarding firmware.

According to Anand, Samsung's reliability record equal that of Intel. I have an 830 and it's outstanding. You get one of the fastest drives on the market, top notch reliability and well under 510 money ($210 for 128GB).

Another point to mention is the 510's sucessor, the 520 should already have been released by now. It is due any moment (although it has all gone quiet) so expect the 510 to go out of production soon after.

 

[RhoXS]

Coup, Thank you for the suggestion. I did look at the Samsung 830 and it is really now looking like the drive I will order.

How does the Samsung 830 handle TRIM/Garbage collection? Does it do it as effectively as the Intel drives?

 

[lsv]

Coup, Thank you for the suggestion. I did look at the Samsung 830 and it is really now looking like the drive I will order.

How does the Samsung 830 handle TRIM/Garbage collection? Does it do it as effectively as the Intel drives?

Yes=]

If you are running under a TRIM enabled OS performance does restore to peak quite nicely after a TRIM pass:

 

[RhoXS]

Yes=]

If you are running under a TRIM enabled OS performance does restore to peak quite nicely after a TRIM pass:

What triggers a TRIM pass?

Do I manually trigger a TRIM pass when I run "Intel SSD Optimizer" in the "Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox" every week or so?

If a TRIM pass has to be manually triggered, how is it done with the Samsing 830?

I am running W7.

 

[Coup27]

What triggers a TRIM pass?

Do I manually trigger a TRIM pass when I run "Intel SSD Optimizer" in the "Intel Solid-State Drive Toolbox" every week or so?

If a TRIM pass has to be manually triggered, how is it done with the Samsing 830?

I am running W7.

Windows 7 + the latest Intel RST drivers will give you native TRIM support. This means things like emptying the recycle bin will evoke the TRIM command. I have been using Windows 7 + 830 + latest RST for a little while now and I ran crystaldiskmark after setting my system up fresh, a few weeks later, and after running the Samsung optimizer and there was virtually no difference between the scores.

According to Anand's review, Intel implement TRIM & garbage collection more on the fly where as Crucial and Samsung do it later on when the system is idle. If I have a bath, I leave my system on. Works for me.

Samsung does provide a toolbox program called the "SSD Magician". It allows the usual stuff and to also manually TRIM the drive. The SSD Magician goes one stage further than Intel though. Intel's toolbox only TRIM's the drive, this is why it only takes about 2 seconds to run. Samsung's Magician TRIM's and runs garbage collection and takes about 3 minutes to run.

Bottom line is aslong as you set your system up correctly with the latest drivers, TRIM will occur properly. If you wanted to do it manually once a week, you can, and it takes 3 minutes.

 

[RhoXS]

Coup27, Thanks. I appreciate the good explanation.