OCZ Vertex EX SLC SSD OCZSSD2-1VTXEX120G

Written by Olin Coles

Wednesday, 06 May 2009

Table of Contents: Page Index
OCZ Vertex EX SLC SSD OCZSSD2-1VTXEX120G
Features and Specifications
First Look: OCZ Vertex SSD
Vertex EX Internal Components
SSD Testing Methodology
Random Access Time Benchmark
Basic IOPS Performance
Random Access IOPS Tests
Linear Bandwidth Speed
I/O Response Time
Sequential Performance Tests
Buffered Transaction Speed
Windows XP Startup Times
The Truth Behind Heat Output
Solid State Drive Final Thoughts
OCZSSD2-1VTXEX120G Conclusion

Page 6 of 16

System Speed Test

I doubt that when DOS was put to rest, Vladimir Afanasiev ever thought he would see his System Speed Test software used again in professional reviews. This program offers comprehensive system information, but it also has a powerful benchmarking tool for memory, processor, and disks. In terms of disk performance, it measures interface and physical transfer rates, seek and access times at the hardware level, and it does so without delay or interference from Operating System software or running processes. This is why Benchmark Reviews will continue to use this test: it polls its results directly from the hardware without the need for Windows!

To detect the Random Access Time, each device runs the full test routine a total of five times. The highest and lowest scores were ignored, and the remainder was averaged. This would be prove pointless however, because the access time benchmark for every single SSD recorded identical test results between runs.

Using the System Speed Test software, the top Random Access Time benchmarks places the OCZ Vertex EX, Mtron Pro 7500, and ACARD ANS-9010 at the very top of our results. With a lightning-fast 0.08 ms access time, every other SSD is forced to live in the shadow that these products have just created. The other sub-0.1ms top performers include: MemoRight GT, Mtron Pro 7000, Mtron MOBI 3500, Intel 80GB X25-M, OCZ Vertex and Mtron MOBI 3000.

The mid-level Random Access Times fall between 0.14ms and 0.23ms, and include: OCZ SATA-II OCZSSD2-1S64G, Samsung MCCOE64G5MPP, Silicon Power SP032GBSSD750S25, OCZ Apex OCZSSD2-1APX120G, G.Skill FM-25S2S-64GB, Patriot Warp PE128GS25SSDR and the original OCZ OCZSSD64GB.

At the slower end of our SSD Response Time chart is the original SATA Silicon Power SP064GBSSD25SV10, OCZ Core Series, Crucial's CT32GBFAB0, and the Super Talent MasterDrive MX finishing out the list. In reality you couldn't begin to perceive these subtle differences, and MLC or SLC construction has a lot to do with Random Access Time. It is understandable then, that the newer SSD products do not maintain the lightning fast response time that much more expensive SLC products do. Still, the slowest SSD product (0.51ms) is 14x more responsive than the fastest desktop hard drive.

It's also worth keeping in mind that Hard Disk Drive alternatives are much slower to react. Even the very best of the desktop hard drive products, Western Digital's VelociRaptor 150GB WD1500HLFS, could produce 7.15ms at its best. The Western Digital Raptor took 8.53ms to respond, followed by 12.99ms for the Seagate 7200.11, and 15.39ms for the 7200 RPM Hitachi Travelstar 7K100 notebook drive. The worst performer was the standard 5400 RPM notebook drive (Hitachi Travelstar 5K160 HTS541640J9SA00), which recorded a painfully slow 17.41ms Random Access Time.