Best Option for 500+GB SSD?

[texfire]

Hi,

Out of the following options - which do you think is best and/or provides best performance and reliability?

1) Just order the 512GB SSD straight from Apple?
2) Order something else, like the Kingston 512 GB SSD here.... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139115
or perhaps another 512GB SSD drive I'm not aware of...
3) Get the optibay and 2 256GB SSD's in some sort of RAID array? Does optibay support SSD and what would be best RAID to approximate 500+ GB (assuming I'm doing a TimeMachine backup regularly).

Thanks for advice!
chris

 

[Jaro65]

There is a good chance that the 512GB SSD that Apple offers is the Kingston SSDNow V+, as I'm not aware if there are any other 2.5" SSD's in that capacity out there. The review I've seen regarding that drive is a bit mixed, but mostly due to firmware. The drive is new, so it is likely that the firmware gets better with time. Getting it from Apple only means that if you were to have any issues with the drive, you have a hassle-free warranty coverage from Apple (which you can extend using AppleCare - if you were to get it).

People are definitely putting 2 SSD's in their MBP's. You can search the forums here in MacRumors. I've seen references to RAID 0 setups, with one of the SSD's placed in a SuperDrive bay using an adapter.

 

[spaceballl]

I'm in the same boat as you... I think i'm going to go w/ the dual 256GB SSD Raid 0 setup.

Anand is testing some new SSDs now, and I think Crucial will have the issues on their RealSSD C300 ironed out soon. So I'm going to watch for a firmware update to that drive as well as take a look at some of the newer drives out there. The competition is really heating up, but the 256GB drives aren't dropping in price as fast as i'd like. I have one of the original 256GB SSDs, The G. Skill Titan 256GB SSD. It's not nearly as good as any of these new SSDs, but i was still able to get it for under $500....

 

[Jaro65]

^^^^^
Prices have hardly moved at all. Too bad the RealSSD C300 isn't offered in 512GB capacity. Once the new f/w is out, it should be one great drive.