OCZ one-ups Samsung in the SSD arms race
Until now, OCZ has expanded its SSD empire with third-party controllers; first
with Indilinx’s Barefoot in the original Vertex, then the first and second
SandForce controllers for the Vertex 2 and 3, and then with modified Marvell
controllers for the Octane and Vertex 4. With the Vector, though, OCZ has
finally gone in-house, with its purchase of Indilinx in 2011 and the later
acquisition of SoC (system-on-a-chip) maker PLX enabling it to produce its own
controller, the Indilinx Barefoot 3.
OCZ
Vector 256Gb
The result is a stunningly fast drive. An
AS-SSD sequential read speed of 517MB/sec is only 4MB/sec behind the Samsung
SSD 840 Pro (see Issue 111, p43), while a sequential write speed of 497MB/sec
is again level with the 840 Pro. The Vector isn’t quite as quick with 4KB
single-queue-depth reads; its speed of 25MB/sec is 6MB/sec behind the 840 Pro.
Its write speed of 80MB/sec with the same workload is much faster than the 840
Pro’s66MB/sec though. Meanwhile, no more than 1MB/sec separates the two drives
in 64-queue-depth 4KB random read and write tests.
In CrystalDiskMark the Vector was again
neck and neck with the 840 Pro thanks to a sequential read speed of 529MB/sec
compared to the 840 Pro’s 538MB/sec. Again, the Vector lagged a little in 4KB
single-queue-depth speeds, though, with a result of 28MB/sec compared to the
840 Pro’s 35MB/sec. The Vector was marginally faster in the 32-queue-depth test
though, with a write speed of 373MB/sec.
The
Vector was marginally faster in the 32-queue-depth test though, with a write
speed of 373MB/sec.
While performance between the 840 Pro and
Vector is generally evenly matched, however, the Vector wins hands down when it
comes to its application of the TRIM command. Having filled the drive twice, we
found no sign of any slowdown, while the 840 Pro’s write speeds dipped by as
much as 50MB/sec.
Conclusion
The Vector is a phenomenally quick drive,
and we’re thoroughly impressed with its ability to maintain its performance.
However, at around $300 for 238GB of formatted capacity, you’re paying a hefty
premium when the Vertex 4 256GB, which is only marginally slower, costs just
$232.5.
The
Vector is a phenomenally quick drive, and we’re thoroughly impressed with its
ability to maintain its performance.
