Real world differences between SSDs

[driedupfish]

Hi all,

I am planning to buy a Samsung 840 250 GB. I've read that both the PRO and 830 are better but they are also much more expensive. My question is, does the increase in speed justify the extra $$$? Would I even be able to tell the difference?

I am using the computer mostly for gaming, surfing the web, and streaming videos. Emphasis on the gaming part, I want the most improvement on gaming. However, I am not sure how video games, if at all, benefit from the faster PRO versus just the 840.

I have also look at other options such as m4, m500, Plextor but they are also more expensive. I am going for Sammy because of reliability, as they are a reputable company.

So is the 840 (non-pro) good enough for my everyday usage? I don't want to wait around for a sale, need to buy one now.

Thanks.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Most modern 3rd generation solid state drives form a very tight performance group in real world scenarios. Consumers normally won't be able to tell any difference in performance. The synthetic benchmarks that are often quoted do not accurately represent real world situations. They were expressly designed to grossly exaggerate minor differences in ssd performance. In addition, the synthetic benchmark settings can be manipulated so that a company can present their ssd's in the most favorable light. Because of the manipulation over 90% of those synthetic benchmarks do not accurately represent real world situations. Consider synthetic benchmarks to be an advertising gimmick.

There are some exceptions when it comes to writing extremely large data files to an ssd. An example would be copying or transferring 10 full length feature films to the ssd. Another example would be working with incredibly huge databases. Some ssd's will take a little bit longer to write the data to the ssd. For typical home use and casual gaming it should not make much of a difference.

Based on your description of what you do with your computer you should be okay with the Samsung 840.

I normally recommend Samsung because of their proven track record and reliability. Crucial, Intel, and Plextor are also worth considering.

I maintain the ssd database listed in a sticky at the very top of this forum section. Here is the link:

http://www.johnnylucky.org/data-storage/ssd-database.html

Scroll down to the brands and models you are interested in and follow the links to the technical reviews.

BTW - Hardware Info conducted a torture test of two Samsung 840's to find out how long they would last. Here is a link to the test report:

http://uk.hardware.info/reviews/4178/hardwareinfo-tests-lifespan-of-samsung-ssd-840-250gb-tlc-ssd-updated-with-final-conclusion