SSDs - State of the Product?

[Mercutio]

Windows 7 once told me that a machine with a Vertex 3 on a 6Gpbs SATA port only scored a 5.9 on the experience index. I re-ran the tests a couple times and on the third run it jumped up to 7.8.
I really don't think the Experience Index measures anything meaningful.

 

[LunarMist]

The stone force drives use such compression that I'm not surprised the reuots are all over the place.

 

[MaxBurn]

Well seems like the 30 day trial of ghost won't actually do anything without being registered and the intel version of arconis doesn't like whatever apple does with hard drives. Guess I will look into other options.

 

[MaxBurn]

I think I just paid about the same for twice the capacity.

SSD prices plummeted by 48 percent over the past*year
http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/22/3109811/ssd-price-stats-cost-per-gb-june-2012

 

[Mercutio]

I've been saying that for about a week. There was a huge drop about a month ago. Maybe 25%? This is a very good time if you're a builder, because consumers haven't caught up with the change yet; my $425-including-the-Windows-license machines sold for $700 apiece and the people who got them thought I was doing them a favor for selling SSD-equipped systems so cheap.

 

[LunarMist]

Capacity is not moving up fast enough though. In 2008 some members were expecting SSDs to take over. I'm still waiting for the 1TB consumer SSDs.

 

[Mercutio]

We don't need 1TB consumer SSDs. We need $75 250GB drives and magnetic drives at Q2 2011 prices.

 

[LunarMist]

The problem with many of the smaller and even not-so-small, but thin, laptops is that they have only a fixed 256GB of storage. They are basically useless for me.

 

[Mercutio]

You're in the vanishing market segment that might legitimately benefit from a hybrid drive right now. Personally I didn't think a Momentus XL did much besides make startup and resume faster but I guess that's still better than a kick in the teeth.
Do remember that some notebooks offer the miniPCIe slot as a possible location for a secondary drive as well. You do have more options than just buying a ridiculously expensive SSD.

Though I bet you'll wind up doing that anyway.

 

[LunarMist]

I may have to try the miniPCIe, if I survive that long. I'm regretting not buying a new computer about 14 months ago. I just hate to pay about the same or even more for a dated model. I'm not sure if it has the sl;ot.

 

[sechs]

The problem with many of the smaller and even not-so-small, but thin, laptops is that they have only a fixed 256GB of storage. They are basically useless for me.

I'd like to point out the Internet.

 

[Bozo]

Most operating systems allow you to shut of a hard drive after a pre-determined amount of time. Do you think this is safe for an SSD to turned off and on constantly.
What do you gain by turning off a SSD?

 

[LunarMist]

Saving a bit of power in a laptop?

 

[Mercutio]

It's an inert, solid-state device with no moving parts. Obviously the cells are going to wear out eventually, but in theory electronics like that shouldn't wear out just for being powered on or off, right?

I popped an SSD in a database server for the first time last night. Going by event logs, it looks like customer I did that for has apparently rebooted their server seven times since 9AM just to watch it boot up.

 

[MaxBurn]

As I understand it SSDs draw next to nothing when not being accessed so no real advantage to tell it to spin down and go to sleep anyway.

 

[sechs]

As I understand it, most SSDs draw more power when idle than a spun-down rotating disk drive. They also use considerably less when under load.

What differing power states do SSDs support, and what savings is there in them?

 

[Howell]

I suppose the thermal cycling to the SSD chips would be no greater risk than the cycling to the controller board on a spinning drive.

IIRC, a spinning drive is fed 12V for the motor and 3?...5? V for the controller board.

How much power is fed to an SSD?

 

[LunarMist]

The specs vary, but SSDs designed as rerpacemets for 5V mobile drives should be not be much more than the 2.5W typical for such drives.

 

[MaxBurn]

Anandtech 330 review.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5817/the-intel-ssd-330-review-60gb-120gb-180gb

 

[Mercutio]

Anand is still harping on how much of a crime against humanity Sandforce is, I see.

 

[time]

:lol:

 

[LunarMist]

Which would be better on an SATA 3Gbps ports, the Cherryvale 520 or Samsung 830? The compressor in the Intel won't help, correct?

 

[ddrueding]

Correct. The data isn't compressed until after it is transferred the drive.

 

[LunarMist]

So is there any relative differential between the drives on SATA 3 vs. 6?

 

[ddrueding]

Not anything measurable in my experience.

 

[LunarMist]

Maybe I'll get an 830 if they are ever on sale.

 

[Bozo]

Intel adds Trim support for RAID. Only RAID 0 and only on their newest chipsets though.

 

[LunarMist]

Fuji

 

[ddrueding]

Japan?

 

[LunarMist]

I am now a decrepit owner of the 830. :cheers:

 

[Handruin]

I am now a decrepit owner of the 830. :cheers:

Where did you find the best deal on one? What size did you buy?

 

[LunarMist]

I don't remember. It was a sale price, but 128GB is not so costly anyway. I wish they made a 1TB version. That would be great in a laptop.

 

[Stereodude]

I don't remember.

:tdown: That's almost believable...

 

[LunarMist]

Why's that? Vendor was on the egg, but I don't remember the price of every cheap thing I buy on the internet.

 

[LunarMist]

Japan?

That was supposed to be in the fruits thread, i.e. Fuji Apple.

 

[LunarMist]

The drive is of the very thin type, so it rattles around and is difficult to align. I wish it were provided with a spacer, but screwing would void the warranty.

In the first round of personal tests it is about the same as the Cherry dale. Unfortunately my computer has only 3PGs and the Samsung is even slower than the Intel on the LSU 6Gbp controller.

 

[Stereodude]

Why's that? Vendor was on the egg, but I don't remember the price of every cheap thing I buy on the internet.

He didn't ask how much it was, he asked where you bought it.

 

[LunarMist]

D'OH! It must be the tablet. The display is too close to my brain.

 

[ddrueding]

The drive is of the very thin type, so it rattles around and is difficult to align. I wish it were provided with a spacer, but screwing would void the warranty.

Use the foam backed double sided tape. It is about the right thickness and quiets the rattling.

 

[sdbardwick]

The retail notebook upgrade kits come with the spacer (and a handy USB/SATA dongle).