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Sequential Write
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Both SM951s generate nearly the same performance in our sequential write test. Here, the bottleneck is the flash, and not the protocol. Many hope that Samsung introduces a PCIe-based NVMe client SSD with 3D V-NAND at its SSD Global Summit, an annual gathering for the press it usually puts on in July. If that product comes to pass, we will finally get to compare Samsung's 1xnm MLC to 3D V-NAND without SATA interfering.
I find the preamble about comparing these M.2 drives to regular SATA drives a little odd. When SSD's first came out, of course they were compared to HDD's because that was precisely the question of the moment — how much more performance can one expect from the more expensive SSD's. With this new generation of SSD's, it's only natural to want to see them compared to the old, cheaper stuff. How else are we going to evaluate whether it's worth it to upgrade?
If it only resulted in an extra 10% on a real-world test, then it wouldn't make any sense to spend double or more on a NVMe drive. With these solid numbers, though, the massive performance leap will be well worth the cost for those who can afford it.