Flash Vs. Flash
We already took a look at a 32 GB flash-based hard drive in September 2006. Samsung's flash SSD was equipped with 16 flash memory chips, with 2 Gb of capacity each. Unlike SanDisk's product we received for this review, Samsung used an UltraATA/66 interface. Although this interface isn't particularly slow, it was still fast enough to support the first consumer-type flash SSD; the transfer performance of the Samsung SDD did not exceed a read speed of 50 MB/s and a write speed of 30 MB/s.
| Manufacturer | Samsung | SanDisk |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Disk | Drive |
| Model Number | - | SATA 5000 |
| Capacity | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Rotational Speed (RPM) | Flash only | Flash only |
| Available Capacities | - | 16, 32 GB |
| Platter | 16 x 2 Gb | 16 x 4 Gb |
| Interface | UltraATA/66 | SATA/150 |
| Cache (MB) | - | - |
| NV Cache Size | - | - |
| NCQ | - | - |
| Warranty | - | - |
| Weight | 46 g | 94 g |
While the Samsung prototype was encased in a plastic enclosure and was thus extremely light, SanDisk's drive was double the weight (94 g instead of 46 g). Given that high-performance notebooks are the primary market for flash SSDs, the extra weight load is not ideal. However, the SDD5000 also comes in a massive aluminum case.
