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OCZ Summit 2.5” (120GB)

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The OCZ Summit series weighs in at 60GB, 120GB, and 250GB capacities. We received the 120GB model, which is rated at 220 MB/s read and 200 MB/s write performance. Our benchmarks returned 167 to 208 MB/s read throughput and 189 to 43 MB/s for writes. The minimum result obviosuly is a bump, but is has to be considered should you require sustained performance.

This SSD comes with 128 MB cache memory and is based on a Samsung controller, which doesn’t deliver particularly great I/O or application performance. However, the drive is power efficient, requiring only 0.2W at idle and a maximum of 1.4W during intensive I/O operations. This is less than the 2W active power specified by OCZ, but results may vary from model to model.

The low I/O performance results prevent a good ranking in our I/O workstation performance per watt analysis, but the drive does well in performance per watt for sequential throughput. One differentiator is OCZ’s 1.5 million-hour MTBF (mean time between failure) spec. Most of the other SSDs are rated at 1 million hours or only slightly more.

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Zingam 09/07/2009 8:22 AM
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-6+

Can't wait for the day when my laptop will come with an SSD! I hate those HDDs in laptops! Too slow and too hot for nothing!

alagadnidonald 09/07/2009 8:27 AM
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zingam :
Can't wait for the day when my laptop will come with an SSD! I hate those HDDs in laptops! Too slow and too hot for nothing!



+1. i wouldn't mind one in mine. still, the price per GB of HDDs is way lower than that of SSDs.

Greg_77 09/07/2009 8:45 AM
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It's nice to see SSD technology maturing. When prices go a bit down, I will get one for my desktop. My laptop already has one, but its 1.2 ghz core2duo processor really bottlenecks the SSD.

nonxcarbonx 09/07/2009 9:04 AM
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-8+

I think mainstream consumers are so uninformed, tha when they see a laptop with a 64gb ssd in it, "Why should I pay more for such a small amount of storage?" will go through their heads. So I think until prices go down and storage up, we'll be left installing our own.

johnny_5 09/07/2009 9:17 AM
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--1+

Usually I wouldn't bother pointing out spelling errors but I thought this was funny; look at the end of the second paragraph on the conclusion page, and you'll find "...ultra-mobile notbooks." :lol:

pocketdrummer 09/07/2009 11:18 AM
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-6+

Still too expensive for me...

Sined 09/07/2009 12:08 PM
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Quote :However, we’re missing progress on the performance side, as the X25-M is no longer the best flash SSD for performance users. The exception is in enterprise scenarios, which Intel dominates thanks to incredible I/O results. Almost all Indilinx-powered SSDs now deliver higher throughput than Intel. Still, the difference is small once the SSDs are in the 200 MB/s range and up.

Ill just leave this here.

outlw6669 09/07/2009 12:50 PM
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-18+

WTH

No 4k Random R/W tests.
No mention of testing methodology (used or wiped drives).
No subjective analysis (I bet the JMicron drive still stutters).
No point of comparison to a standard hard drive.

Review Fail :pfff:

anamaniac 09/07/2009 1:09 PM
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xsamitt 09/07/2009 2:07 PM
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--3+

lol More hard drives...Run for the hills,we should be safe there.ANd remember to duck and cover.

raptor550 09/07/2009 3:11 PM
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-4+

I would have liked to see them compared to 5400rpm, 7200rom and 1500rpm drives.

Though I can vouch for that, my SuperTalent 32gb ME Ultra Drive is faster than my 2x Raptors and 4x WD RE2 drives.... if only it had more than 30gb it would be usefull.

How about these guys in RAID? According to your South Bridge reviews the other day, if I put in another ST Ultra Drive than I will not receive my full throughput because of the limitations of the onboard RAID Controller. I don't have much more space for another RAID card.

clownbaby 09/07/2009 4:18 PM
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-6+

wow,
what a worthless bunch of tests. How about showing tests that actually matter in SSDs. Nobody buys SSDs for through-put you morons! How about 4k random write and used/clean drive comparison. What use is a speedy SSD if the jmicron controller it uses stutters, or if the samsung controller it uses isn't any faster than conventional drives in the most important tests?

this review is worthless guys.

Anonymous 09/07/2009 4:27 PM
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-8+

Review is severely missing the 4k write performance wth?

prakalejas 09/07/2009 5:04 PM
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Someguyperson 09/07/2009 5:33 PM
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I think that there should be a laptop recommendation in addition to the enterprise and workstation recommendations. After all, laptops natively use the 2.5" format and benefit from the low power consumption as well as the durability and low weight of the drives. The speed increase would also make using a laptop a much more enjoyable experience, as laptops aren't as fast as their desktop counterparts. Most people use their laptops for little things like word processing, internet, music and movie watching, areas in which SSDs excel in (random reads).

Anonymous 09/07/2009 5:48 PM
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-5+

I think the most important table is missing:
price.
I think it's pretty clear the performance of the drives (save one) is good enough!
Some people might prefer another drive than others, depending on their needs.
Someone doing a lot of OS loading, or accessing of many files, might prefer to go for a faster drive.
Someone who wants to put a drive like this in his netbook,mini notebook, or laptop, might prefer a drive that may be a bit slower, but has a lower TDP.

But in the end it all comes down to price.
If one drive costs half of the others, but doesn't really reach the speeds or low power consumption, itmight be a prime candidate for many to purchase.

Almost all drives perform well,and have low power.
Price will be the main factor to look out to now.

Eggrenade 09/07/2009 6:12 PM
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No mention of TRIM? Which drives will be getting this very important feature? I'll be going to Anandtech for SSD reviews from now on.

mcvf 09/07/2009 6:32 PM
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-4+

I would agree that 4k random writes are missing (well we all know from other sites that that is where Intel really shines). Also, did you connect SSDs as IDE or AHCI in BIOS? Some reviews said it is actually quite difference with AHCI being "not optimal" for SSD. Also i think somebody mentioned that software which is cleaning unused space in Vertex in fact uses TRIM command, which can be only used using standard sata drivers - they specifically mentioned that Intel Matrix ignores TRIM making these tools virtually useless.

Did you considered any of these? After all, you are The Tom's Hardware!

midnightgun 09/07/2009 6:47 PM
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--2+

Nice review.

Would it be possible to get a review on raid solutions (both embedded such as intel raid chipsets, and dedicated raid cards), to see if they support the TRIM commend when in raid-0, 1 or raid 5?

Also if non do currently, I was wondering if someone could get information on when that will be supported?

Anonymous 09/07/2009 7:58 PM
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-5+

This article is a little juvenile, and doesn't really cover the whole scope of what is happening with SSD's. It's akin to someone reviewing cars, and only talking about horsepower.

I purchased a first generation jmicron based SSD (G.skill 64G), and I'm now using an Indilinx based 64G OCZ Vertex. I can say first hand that there is a HUGE difference in performance between the two, and that difference had nothing to do with throughput. The Indilinx based drive is 10 times nicer to use than the stuttering jmicron, and has made a bigger improvement in my overall computing experience than any other upgrade I have ever made. This article completely missed the point, and it's a make or break on the SSD experience. Not all drives are created equal, and some will provide an incredible upgrade while others will be a nightmare to use.

4K random writes seem to capture this effect very well, and those are absent here. Discussion of TRIM and the reduction of performance with use is also not mentioned. This article needs a complete overhaul, and really shouldn't have been published as-is. Either cover the topic properly, or avoid it all together.


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