SSD Recommendations

[Jim Raynor]

Dear forum,

I'd really like to get myself a SSD.
I was thinking about either a Intel X25-M, an OCZ Vertex 2 or a Corsair C300.
All in 120 GB format.

From what I've read: OCZ Vertex 2 is the value choice. If you want better performance, pay the price premium (40 euro) for the C300 (I have sata 600 ports on my motherboard), if you want a stable reliable drive that has proven itself, choose the Intel.

Maybe someone can give some additional purchase advice and clarify some things?

Thanks in advance!

I use:

Phenom 955
Asus M4A89GTDPRO
4 GB Ram
HD5870

ps. I read about problems with SSD on AMD chipset, is that still the case nowadays?

 

[Rifter]

You seem to have nailed it. C300 for all out performance, vertex2 on a budget and intel for reliability. Pick which one you want and run with it.

Also im picking up my 120GB intel at 5pm will let you know how impressed i am after that. Have never used a SSD before so i hope im blown away.

 

[Jim Raynor]

Thanks for the reply. Let us know how your new SSD treats you!

 

[Jim Raynor]

bump

 

[Attic]

Stick with the Crucial or the Intel.

I have been consistently underwhelmed by OCZ products from both a performance and more importantly a quality standpoint.

 

[Qbah]

I went with the Intel one. And coming from a Samsung F1 500GB... I click my mouse and stuff happens... instantly I went with reliability - there's no perceivable difference between the 3 drives, so for me it was a rather straightforward choice. Also, because the spindle drives power down when I browse the Web, my computer is quieter than before!

 

[Emulex]

skip sandforce for now. nothing but trouble. i'm still having issues with a high end brand after several firmwares

 

[Rifter]

Been running the intel 120GB for a few days now, its fast, its silent. And things load so fast its actually kinda scary you start to wonder if you have even pressed the mouse button yet that how fast programs load. BUY ONE is my advice!

 

[(sic)Klown12]

You can't go wrong with any of those. I prefer my Vertex 2 to my old Intel 120GB, but that's because of Intel's capped write speed. Most of the time, you're not going to be able to notice any difference outside of benchmarks.
As for SSDs on AMD platforms, there isn't any real issues. AMD storage controllers(I'm using both SB 750 and SB 850) are a little slower than Intel's, but it's only a few percent with single drives. And they've added TRIM support to their newer AHCI drivers.

 

[Dadofamunky]

Been running the intel 120GB for a few days now, its fast, its silent. And things load so fast its actually kinda scary you start to wonder if you have even pressed the mouse button yet that how fast programs load. BUY ONE is my advice!

So does it load things before you think of them now?

 

[Makaveli]

lol

 

[RU482]

You can't go wrong with any of those. I prefer my Vertex 2 to my old Intel 120GB, but that's because of Intel's capped write speed. Most of the time, you're not going to be able to notice any difference outside of benchmarks.
As for SSDs on AMD platforms, there isn't any real issues. AMD storage controllers(I'm using both SB 750 and SB 850) are a little slower than Intel's, but it's only a few percent with single drives. And they've added TRIM support to their newer AHCI drivers.

I lol'd when I read your "old" Intel 120GB. old

 

[(sic)Klown12]

I lol'd when I read your "old" Intel 120GB. old

Subjective term which is not meant in any kind of derogatory manor. I bought one when they were first released but I found out through using a borrowed Corsair Force that Sandforce is faster for my needs/usage. Sold the Intel for the same price I paid and bought a Vertex 2 for cheaper so it worked out well in the end.

 

[Doggiedog]

Can I throw another one in there?

I got a Corsair F120 120GB drive recently to replace a dead boot HDD. Found out it wasn't just the HDD that was bad but something else in my system. My rig is in parts right now so I haven't gotten a chance to test out the new drive.

Anyone know how good the F120 is? I bought it based off of reviews on the F100. All of the top drives like the C300 and Vertex 2 were sold out or not selling at a discount so I went with the F120.

 

[Jim Raynor]

It is the same controller right?

 

[Doggiedog]

Yes, I think it's the Sandforce 1200.

 

[semo]

Dear forum,

I'd really like to get myself a SSD.
I was thinking about either a Intel X25-M, an OCZ Vertex 2 or a Corsair C300.
All in 120 GB format.

From what I've read: OCZ Vertex 2 is the value choice. If you want better performance, pay the price premium (40 euro) for the C300 (I have sata 600 ports on my motherboard), if you want a stable reliable drive that has proven itself, choose the Intel.

Maybe someone can give some additional purchase advice and clarify some things?

Thanks in advance!

I use:

Phenom 955
Asus M4A89GTDPRO
4 GB Ram
HD5870

ps. I read about problems with SSD on AMD chipset, is that still the case nowadays?

I would wait until CES just to see if anything there interests you. If you can't wait and spare the cash go for Intel. I've read in some places that the Intel's feel faster. I've installed several Vertex 2e 64GB and have noticed the 4K performance plummets within a week (still fast though) but not sure why it happens. Personally I don't like such behavior that isn't documented or explained

 

[Zillatech]

The new Intel G3's are just around the corner, why not wait for those?

 

[letzgoterps]

The new Intel G3's are just around the corner, why not wait for those?

Any idea on when "just around the corner" is? I've been holding out on buying an SSD since July/August b/c people have been saying this. Wish I'd just spent the money on it then, but since I've waited so long I'm waiting for the G3s.

Just getting impatient and wondering when this will be.

 

[Zillatech]

I'm sure we will hear something about it in the next few weeks. Some have said it might be delayed until Q2 but 2-3 months is not that long unless you really need one now. If they are going to offer 2x the capacity for the same price as today's 160GB then it seems smart to wait IMO.

 

[Jim Raynor]

Seems reasonable to wait yeah, thanks for the advice.

 

[Rifter]

Its always seems reasonable to wait, i was waiting for gen 3 drives for over 6 months since the summer. They were supposed to be out last year. Sooner or later you are just going to have to buy one.

 

[semo]

Based on information that was reported at the time it was a good idea to wait for the G3s. Now we know that they were delayed and instead of a wave of new SSDs, Intel offered some nice price cuts. So those who waited for G3s could at least have current SSDs for a lower price. The latest rumors are a February release date.

My advice would be to wait until CES as Intel may announce a more concrete release date. If they stay quiet then it could be later than February although this would be strange since OCZ already use 25nm memory chips in their latest Vertex 2s. I have no idea why there isn't more discussion on the 25nm OCZs around here. http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2130853

 

[sub.mesa]

It may use 25nm NAND but it probably uses an older controller, without supercapacitor.

The sleek thing of the new SSDs is that they have a newer controller generation, which due to their supercapacitor means no more corrupting SSDs; the third generation SSDs are the first generation not to corrupt on power loss anymore; possibly killing data that wasn't recently written or modified, thus even more severe since journaling won't protect you against this.

And you get roughly twice the speed of current offerings, at only half the price per gigabyte; isn't that a great deal worth waiting for?

 

[semo]

The 25nm edition Vertex drives still use the same SF controller as the rest of the Vertex 2s. The fact that they are the 1st to use the latest flash memory in a retail product is the impressive thing. New controllers and super caps will bring new features but smaller flash chips will eventually bring the price down.