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Ultimate SSD Info Thread

Chase R

Chase R

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 8, 2008
1,279
81
PDX
With SSDs becoming more popular by the week, why not have a thread that lists all of the top 2.5" SSDs available by manufacture and name, with links to tests, benchmarks, and overall information.

Feel free to post updates and links to information and I'll gladly make edits to this original post... like an information packed buyers guide! :eek: :D


Understanding the SSD

SSD Comparison Chart (thanks to emt1)


G.Skill 128GB vs. Patriot Warp V2 128GB vs. Intel X25-M 80GB
- http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2008/12/03/g-skill-patriot-and-intel-ssd-test/1

Intel X25-M
- https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/630306/
- http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=283&Itemid=60
- http://www.intel.com/performance/mobile/sata/sata.htm

G.Skill Titan
- http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2009/01/20/g-skill-titan-256gb-ssd-review/1
- https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/646495/
- http://newgskill.web-bi.net/bbs/vie...n&sc=on&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=11
- http://newgskill.web-bi.net/bbs/vie...n&sc=on&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=10

OCZ Apex
- http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews.php?reviewid=717
- http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=290&Itemid=60
- http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=661&type=expert
- http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/flash_drives/ocz_apex_series_sata_ii_2_5-ssd

OCZ Vertex
- https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/681220/
- http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=299&Itemid=60
- http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/flash_drives/ocz_vertex_series_sata_ii_2_5-ssd

Patriot Warp V2
- http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=250&Itemid=60

Toshiba
- http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Toshiba-512GB-SSD,6716.html

SanDisk G3
- http://www.i4u.com/article22595.html
- http://i.gizmodo.com/5126848/sandisks-g3-ssds-deliver-40000-rpm-speeds-without-breaking-the-bank

Samsung
- http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2326348,00.asp

Corsair S128
- https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/7055118/
- https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/655018/

Samsung 256GB (w/ cache)
- http://www.businesswire.com/portal/...d=news_view&newsId=20081119006508&newsLang=en
- https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/658571/
- http://www.pcwelt.de/start/computer/festplatte_storage/tests/195290/samsung_mmdoe56g5mxp_0vb/ (German)


So what would I pick? My top 3 are: OCZ Vertex, Samsung (new one w/ cache), and the Intel X25-M.


Keep the info coming...
 
H

Hack On Wheels

macrumors newbie
Feb 1, 2009
22
0
Sounds great! There probably isn't any way to properly compare them all at this point though is there? An occasionally updated top 5 or similar would be nice. With any luck in a year or so they will have the SSDs smoothed out and tweaked to near perfection... and hopefully they will be a bunch cheaper and even higher capacity than 256GB! :D Really interesting technological advances with these for sure.
 
E

Eddyisgreat

macrumors 601
Oct 24, 2007
4,851
2
Great list/info but it will be page 2'd by the weekend. Stickies are a rare commodity and people like to post questions that have answers already.
 
Chase R

Chase R

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 8, 2008
1,279
81
PDX
Eddyisgreat said:
Great list/info but it will be page 2'd by the weekend. Stickies are a rare commodity and people like to post questions that have answers already.
Click to expand...

Ya stuff doesn't stay near the top for long unless it says "New iMacs are Here!" haha or something like that.

It will just get bumped to the top whenever I find a new link to add.

Also... Why do our mods seem to hate stickies so much??? They could really help cut back on the BS threads.
 
U

uicandrew

macrumors 6502a
Jan 19, 2006
555
3
yeah. i really wish they would have a stickied "best case/sleeve for my macbook" thread.

but if it makes you feel better, i bookmarked your thread.


great effort!
 
K

kremer4

macrumors member
Feb 2, 2009
68
1
Fairfax, VA
Just ordered a Samsung 256GB SSD off a local retailer on EBAY. Hopefully I will have it tomorrow. I'm removing my superdrive and installing a secondary 500GB 7200 RPM Seagate drive there.

http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/

I'll post screenshots of the install and benchmarks when I can.

This will go into the new 17" MBP.
 
B

be300test

macrumors member
Nov 7, 2008
63
0
kremer4 said:
Just ordered a Samsung 256GB SSD off a local retailer on EBAY. Hopefully I will have it tomorrow. I'm removing my superdrive and installing a secondary 500GB 7200 RPM Seagate drive there.

http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/

I'll post screenshots of the install and benchmarks when I can.

This will go into the new 17" MBP.
Click to expand...

i would really appreciate some screenshots of the mce install + ssd install. im really interested in putting a 500gb 7200rpm seagate in the optical slot, i have a 128gb corsair replaced my stock hdd.

lots of screens of the install would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
josh
 
K

kremer4

macrumors member
Feb 2, 2009
68
1
Fairfax, VA
be300test said:
i would really appreciate some screenshots of the mce install + ssd install. im really interested in putting a 500gb 7200rpm seagate in the optical slot, i have a 128gb corsair replaced my stock hdd.

lots of screens of the install would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
josh
Click to expand...

Will do.
 
Salty Pirate

Salty Pirate

macrumors 6502a
Oct 5, 2005
600
794
kansas city
could we have one or two, these are the absolute best SSDs for your MBP?

There are alot of these things out there. Which one is king? I figure most users will need **at least** 160GB of space, so which one hauls the most a$$ and is north of 160GB?
 
Chase R

Chase R

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 8, 2008
1,279
81
PDX
Salty Pirate said:
could we have one or two, these are the absolute best SSDs for your MBP?

There are alot of these things out there. Which one is king? I figure most users will need **at least** 160GB of space, so which one hauls the most a$$ and is north of 160GB?
Click to expand...

Currently the fastest ones with the biggest capacity would be the 160GB Intel and the 256GB G.Skill Titan; probably also the OCZ Vertex.

...For now at least, in a couple months Toshiba and SanDisk will be top competitors.
 
sascha h-k

sascha h-k

macrumors 6502
Apr 26, 2004
432
0
vienna / austria
and please don't forget: samsung ssd 256gb with 128mb cache !

g.skill:

Hi,

There is no cache or buffer in our SSD.
Thanks.


Regards,

Albert Yin
FAE
E-Mail: albert@gskill.com <mailto:albert@gskill.com>
G.Skill International Enterprise Co., Ltd
 
Chase R

Chase R

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 8, 2008
1,279
81
PDX
sascha h-k said:
and please don't forget: samsung ssd 256gb with 128mb cache !
Click to expand...

Added a link to a page w/ some info on it.

I wonder why more SSD manufactures don't use a cache/buffer... seems like it would help with small read/writes and stalling issues.
 
sascha h-k

sascha h-k

macrumors 6502
Apr 26, 2004
432
0
vienna / austria
i read a ssd review in a german mac magazine; they confirmed, that only ssd's with cache have the "(w)right" speed and all others without cache are forgetable.
beside this, between makers-info about voltage are also discrepancies, the ssd's lower the battery-time nearly 1 hour compared to a hdd .. (in a mbp)

i think, companies want to make cheaper ssd's, so no cache.

this i got from samsung:

Hello sascha h-k ,
Thank you for your inquiry to Samsung Semiconductor.

The cache of 256GB SSDs is 128MB.

256GB SSDs will be available for general customers since March.

Please contact our local Branch Office and discuss in detail regarding support.

Deep apology for the inconvenience.

name: Bae, Shane (Marketing Sr.Manager in Germany)
e-mail: shane.bae@samsung.de
tel: +49-61-96-66-3223
 
X

xoggyux

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
445
0
Hi,
I was about to order a:
G.SKILL FM-25S2S-128GB 2.5" 128GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD)
from newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...oogle-_-Solid+State+Disk-_-G.SKILL-_-20231221)
when I realized there are actually several G kill 128Gb Drives, it is that one, and this one other called TITAN (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231242), though the titan seams faster (by about 50Mb read/write) it is also $110 cheaper, and for my first SSD, I rather save the money while samsung's, intel's and sandisk's become more affordable.
Is this drive (the first one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...oogle-_-Solid+State+Disk-_-G.SKILL-_-20231221) a good choice?

Other thing, browsing the forums I found people complaining of stuff like sluttering and "crippling" writing speeds, also that mac os x wont format it and that the only way to install it is by cloning the HDD with the system on it also (which i dont like, I'd like a fresh installation, i could do a fresh installation the the regular hdd, then clone, but i'd rather fresh to the drive directly) Also I have read that SDD drives perform well but die fast, i want it to last at LEAST 1 year until i can get a 256++ for less than $150)


Just as a curiosity, i have read that newegg ships super fast, how long (usually) from the day you order to the day you receive (usually, i know that will depend on where you are....)
 
X

xoggyux

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
445
0
samsung ssd 256gb with 128mb cache !
Click to expand...
one question... why would you want cache in an ssd? I get it in a HDD, but the hole SSD drive (supposedly) is just a very big "cache" memory, or it isent?
 
tubbymac

tubbymac

macrumors 65816
Nov 6, 2008
1,074
1
Here's a thread of mine on the Corsair 128 SSD on a Macbook. Samsung controller, works flawlessly on both OSX and Windows bootcamp, no stutters, and amazing power consumption. I'm seeing around 6 hours of battery life now which is roughly a 20% improvement over the factory hard drive.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/655018/
 
X

xoggyux

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
445
0
xoggyux said:
Hi,
I was about to order a:
G.SKILL FM-25S2S-128GB 2.5" 128GB SATA II Internal Solid state disk (SSD)
from newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...oogle-_-Solid+State+Disk-_-G.SKILL-_-20231221)
when I realized there are actually several G kill 128Gb Drives, it is that one, and this one other called TITAN (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231242), though the titan seams faster (by about 50Mb read/write) it is also $110 cheaper, and for my first SSD, I rather save the money while samsung's, intel's and sandisk's become more affordable.
Is this drive (the first one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...oogle-_-Solid+State+Disk-_-G.SKILL-_-20231221) a good choice?

Other thing, browsing the forums I found people complaining of stuff like sluttering and "crippling" writing speeds, also that mac os x wont format it and that the only way to install it is by cloning the HDD with the system on it also (which i dont like, I'd like a fresh installation, i could do a fresh installation the the regular hdd, then clone, but i'd rather fresh to the drive directly) Also I have read that SDD drives perform well but die fast, i want it to last at LEAST 1 year until i can get a 256++ for less than $150)


Just as a curiosity, i have read that newegg ships super fast, how long (usually) from the day you order to the day you receive (usually, i know that will depend on where you are....)
Click to expand...

Any comments? im really waiting for some answer before clicking the "submit order" (or not submit?)
Thanks.
 
C

CTechKid

macrumors regular
Sep 9, 2008
127
0
xoggyux said:
Any comments? im really waiting for some answer before clicking the "submit order" (or not submit?)
Thanks.
Click to expand...

If you're content with a 128GB capacity, then i recommend you buy the Corsair SSD. Its been proven to provide vast speed improvements over 7200 RPM drives, is extremely reliable, will prolong battery life, and will even work flawlessly with Bootcamp and Windows. :apple:
 
X

xoggyux

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
445
0
CTechKid said:
If you're content with a 128GB capacity, then i recommend you buy the Corsair SSD. Its been proven to provide vast speed improvements over 7200 RPM drives, is extremely reliable, will prolong battery life, and will even work flawlessly with Bootcamp and Windows. :apple:
Click to expand...

I read that also, and I also read that it uses the better samsung controlled instead jmicro, however the unit's specs calim 90MB/s and 60MB/s read/write compared to 150/100, also corsair is a full $100 more :(
 
Chase R

Chase R

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 8, 2008
1,279
81
PDX
xoggyux said:
Any comments? im really waiting for some answer before clicking the "submit order" (or not submit?)
Thanks.
Click to expand...

If I were to buy a 128GB drive right now I would probably go with the 128GB G.Skill Titan. After reading lots of reviews, that's the one that I'm set on.
 
X

xoggyux

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2008
445
0
Chase R said:
If I were to buy a 128GB drive right now I would probably go with the 128GB G.Skill Titan. After reading lots of reviews, that's the one that I'm set on.
Click to expand...

I could not resist the temptation, already oldered my 128gb ssd, however is not the titan, the titan was $100 more the standard and at least in paper the stats werent excessively good. Tell you when I get it.
 
N

nippyjun

macrumors 68000
Jul 26, 2007
1,638
323
kremer4 said:
Just ordered a Samsung 256GB SSD off a local retailer on EBAY. Hopefully I will have it tomorrow. I'm removing my superdrive and installing a secondary 500GB 7200 RPM Seagate drive there.

http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/

I'll post screenshots of the install and benchmarks when I can.

This will go into the new 17" MBP.
Click to expand...

How much did you pay? did you buy it at the buy it now price or best offer?
 
Chase R

Chase R

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 8, 2008
1,279
81
PDX
kremer4 said:
Just ordered a Samsung 256GB SSD off a local retailer on EBAY. Hopefully I will have it tomorrow. I'm removing my superdrive and installing a secondary 500GB 7200 RPM Seagate drive there.

http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/

I'll post screenshots of the install and benchmarks when I can.

This will go into the new 17" MBP.
Click to expand...

X2 on the benchmarks... I'm anxious to see how this drive does. This is the one with the onboard cache rigtht?
 
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