With the prices of SSDs gradually and
steadily coming down, they are quickly becoming must-have items for anyone
looking for a faster and more responsive computer whether desktop or laptop.
Intel is regarded as one of the top names in the SSD market, thanks to its
production of drives that are among the fastest in the world.
To cater to a wider audience, Intel has a
more affordable lineup for mainstream users in the form of the 330 Series. A
recent update on the lineup has brought out the new 335 Series to take its
place. As its name suggests, this new series is an incremental update to the
older 330 Series.
Intel
SSD 335 Series
A closer look at the specification sheet of
the 335 series shows no apparent difference from its predecessor as both have
the same random 4k performance, same SandForce SF-2281 controller, and same
SATA 6Gbps interface. So what has changed besides the name?
The answer lies under the proverbial hood,
particularly the memory chips used inside the 335 series, which are still
provided by IMFT. It is still of the synchronous MLC NAND types but
manufactured using IMFT’s new 20nm process. This new 20nm manufacturing process
theoretically brings slightly faster and more power-efficient chips.
On our usual suite of benchmarks, we found
the 335 Series to be a formidable drive despite its mainstream billing. On
popular benchmarks such as HD Tune Pro 4.6, the Intel SSD 335 Series was just
about as quick as Intel’s flagship SSD 520 Series. It was also comparable to
other high-end SSD from OCZ, the Vector 4. Its positioning as a mainstream SSD
became evident on PCMark 7, a benchmark which tests a variety of different
workloads such as starting applications and video editing. The overall score of
the 335 series was 4822 marks which is a significant 12% less than the SSD 520
Series. Looking at the breakdown, we can see that performance in Video Editing,
Windows Media Centre, and Gaming workloads were the culprit to the lower
overall score.
The
memory chips used inside the 335 series, which are still provided by IMFT
Taking all things in to consideration, the
335 Series boasts impressive performance for a drive that’s intended for
mainstream use. For the most part, performance isn’t too far off when compared
to the fastest drives you can buy.
With an SRP of US$ 210, it offers decent
value as it performs almost on par with its bigger brother the 520 Series. It
is also competitively priced against other high-end enthusiast-grade SSDs such
as the OCZ Vector 4.
The
overall score of the 335 series was 4822 marks which is a significant 12% less
than the SSD 520 Series
Benchmark
This MFP is fast in printing black text but
a little slow in printing colored. Yet, it ensures high quality output every
time.
HD tune Pro 4.6 (in MB/s)
Intel SSD 335 Series
·
Read: 377
·
Write: 361
OCZ Vertex 4
·
Read: 297
·
Write: 397
Intel SSD 520 Series
·
Read: 395
·
Write: 395
Futuremark PCmark 7 (in MB/s)
Intel SSD 335 Series
·
Overall score: 4822
·
Window defender: 5.58
·
Importing pictures: 30.2
·
Video editing: 18.72
·
Windows media center: 6.78
·
Adding music: 1.41
·
Starting applications: 55.71
·
Gaming: 11.88
OCZ Vertex 4
·
Overall score: 3942
·
Window defender: 5.55
·
Importing pictures: 21.01
·
Video editing: 13.44
·
Windows media center: 4.61
·
Adding music: 1.41
·
Starting applications: 29.01
·
Gaming: 16.46
Intel SSD 520 Series
·
Overall score: 5483
·
Window defender: 5.65
·
Importing pictures: 30.78
·
Video editing: 23.67
·
Windows media center: 8.28
·
Adding music: 1.41
·
Starting applications: 55.79
·
Gaming: 17.32
|
Specifications
§
Lithography: 20nm
§
Sequential Performance: Read - 500MB/s, Write
- 450MB/s //
§
Mean time between failures: 1.2 million hours
§
Power consumption: 0.35W (active) / 0.275W
(idle)
§
Dimensions / weight: 100 x 70 x 9.5mm / 80g
§
Website: www.intel.com
At a glance
§ Storage
Capacity: 240GB
§ Memory:
MLC NAND Flash
§ Interface:
SATA 6Gbps
§ Form
Factor: 2.5” (With 2.5” to 3.5” Bracket)
§ Price:
$210
Verdict: 8.0
§ Features:
8.0
§ Performance:
8.0
§ Value:
7.5
|
