OCZ Vertex 3 120GB - Good or bad?

full_out

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Looking at buying:

OCZ Vertex 3 120GB 2.5IN SATA3 6Gbps SandForce SF-2281 Solid State Disk Flash Drive SSD

Anyone have any good or bad experiences with these hard drives? I am going to be putting it in my gaming rig.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.
 
Vertex 4 is based on a different technology (Different memory controller, Idilinx Everest 2 against Vertex 3's Sandforce SF-2281). Average R/W's are faster on the Vertex 3 than on the Vertex 4, especially if you are not transferring compressed files (which you probably won't on a 120GB drive).

So if the Vertex 3 is cheaper, I'd get it over the Vertex 4 any day.
 
Vertex 3 is an "OK" sata III SSD.
The SF22xx controller is very good for working with data structures that are readily compressable. Unfortantatly that is not the case with a OS + Program drive, where 4 k random transfer rates are much more improtant (espeacially if bench mark uses data that is not compressable. - IE Look at AS SSD perfromance and ignore ATTO benchmarks. ATTO is ONLY valid to verify you are getting what the Manufs advertize.

Vertex III has finally got the bugs worked out, only took OCZ/Sandforce some 8 Monthes using the USERS as Ginny-pigs. While the drives are OK, I can not recommend the company. That is my reason for not buying, should not neccisaarly be yours.

My SSDs of choice are the Curcial M4's (have 2 x 128 gig M4s), samsung 830 (also have 2 128 gig 830s.
Also have two 120 gig Agility IIIs. I only recommend Agility IIIs if "Short on Cash" and are putting it on a SATA II port. They are a waste of a good sata III port, if you have something that will truely utilize sata III (agility III does NOT).
 
Vertex 3 uses middle grade flash ..... Vertex 3 Max IOPS uses the premium toshiba toggle mode flash

Starting on the low end, you have IMFT 25nm asynchronous flash, a budget flash used in the Agility 3, Force 3, Chronos (non-Deluxe model) and a few other drives that in our testing perform at around the same level as last year's SF-1200 controlled drives when filled to 50 percent capacity. A majority of drives use IMFT 25nm synchronous flash; Vertex 3, Force GT, S511 and so on.

Synchronous flash, also called ONFi 2.x is really the first step for enthusiasts, especially now that prices have really dropped. The final flash type used is 3Xnm Toggle Mode flash from Toshiba, a form of ONFi 2.x without the JEDEC classification. 25nm IMFT is rated for around 5K P/E cycles and 3Xnm Toshiba Toggle Mode flash is rated for around twice as many. Even though we are talking about writing a lot of data for a very long time, the 3Xnm flash will still last even longer.

Can't see paying $115 for the middle performance stuff when ya can get the top stuff for same price. Unfortunately the price just went up from $100 to $115 and no rebate this week. The Mushkin Chronos Deluxe uses the same flash as the Max IOPS version

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226318
 

voodooking

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Mine works great. Had it for a while. Toms said to buy it. I did. The best part of my crappy system..
 


What you say about the 4K random transfers for OS operations makes a lot of sense. In that field, drives such as the Samsung 830 or marvel-based ones have an edge over Sandforce. The Samsung will be about 50% faster on 4k writes (AS-SSD incompressible benchmark). Reads, on the other hand, are pretty much equal for everyone (the vertex 3 is actually marginally faster than the 830), and these are far more common than write operations.

AS-SSD random reads:

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/ssd-charts-2011/AS-SSD-4K-Random-Read,2784.html

AS-SSD random writes:

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/ssd-charts-2011/AS-SSD-4K-Random-Write,2785.html

OCZ Vertex 3 vs. Samsung 830:

http://www.tomshardware.com /charts/ssd-charts-2011/compare,2820.html?prod[5413]=on&prod[5119]=on
(still haven't figured out how to post comparison chart links without breaking them. Just copypasta the link, please.)

Let us not forget that all the above numbers are taken from AS-SSDs incompressible benchmarks, which we know to be Sandforce's Achilles' heel. While its true that these are the most usual R/Ws on OS operations, completely disregarding compressible transfers is mean. Read operations are also not affected by compression, so Sandforce's read throuput will be consistently high for large files.

Overall, is a Sandforce 22XX drive the best for desktop use? No, but it puts up a very good fight. Since the 830 retails at 150 USD, I'd buy a Vertex 3 at 100 CAD any day.
 
Correction:

I was just revising the comment I made and realised I was looking at the AS-SSD sequential writes, and not 4k random writes. At 4k, both random reads and writes are pretty much the same for Vertex 3 x Samsung 830 (again, Vertex marginally faster).
 
In real life usage, there is Not a Nickels woth of differece between the better SSDs, be they SF22xx based controller, marvel based controller, or samsung's controller when used as a OS + Program drive.
What I base my buy on is "least user problems/dissatisfaction, ie 1/2 egg ratings at newegg. Then I just sit back and wait for a really good sale, Like on the 256 Gig Curcial M4 on sale for LESS than what I paid for the 128 gig versions.

Infact Just talked myself into it, Tell the wife later - LOL
Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Limit 3 per customer.
$249.99 Your Price: $179.99 With Promo Code EMCYTZT1768

NOTE goes off sale today I think