Hands-On: A Second mSATA-Based SSD Emerges

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When it comes to storage, the 3.5” and 2.5” form factors are most popular. But they're not always suitable for notebooks and netbooks. Samsung is the second vendor to introduce an mSATA-based SSD, after Intel demonstrated its SSD 310 earlier this year.

Comparison Table And Benchmark Setup

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ManufacturerSamsungSamsung
FamilyPM810PM810
Model NumberMZMPA064HMDRMZ5PA256HMDR
Capacity64, 128 GB64, 128, 256 GB
Flash TypeMLCMLC
ControllerSamsung MAXSamsung MAX
Form FactormSATA2.5"
InterfaceSATA 3 Gb/sSATA 3 Gb/s
Cache (MB)128 MB128 MB
NCQyesyes
Height3 mm9.5 mm
MTBFUnknown1 500 000 hours
Operating Temperature0-70°C0-70°C
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System Hardware
HardwareDetails
CPUIntel Core i7-920 (45 nm, 2.66 GHz, 4x 512 KB L2 Cache, 8 MB L3 Cache)
MotherboardSupermicro X8SAX
(Socket 1366)Revision: 1.0, Chipset Intel X58 + ICH10R, BIOS: 1.0B
RAM3 x 1 GB DDR3-1333 Corsair CM3X1024-1333C9DHX
HDDSeagate NL35 400 GB, ST3400832NS, 7200 RPM, SATA 1.5Gb/s, 8 MB Cache
Power SupplyOCZ EliteXstream 800 W, OCZ800EXS-EU
Performance Measurementsh2benchw 3.16 PCMark Vantage 1.0.2.0
I/O PerformanceIOMeter 2008.08.18 Fileserver-Benchmark Webserver-Benchmark Database-Benchmark Workstation-Benchmark Streaming Reads Streaming Writes 4k Random Reads 4k Random Writes
System Software & Drivers
Operating SystemWindows 7 Ultimate

If available, test results include hard drive performance data to facilitate a direct comparison between the two SSD types (mSATA versus 2.5”), and hard drives in the 3.5” and 2.5” form factor. Unfortunately, our lab in Germany did not have an Intel 310 SSD available to generate directly comparable performance numbers.