OCZ Core Series SATA-II SSD

EDITORS NOTE: Please read Solid State Drive (SSD) Benchmark Performance Testing to understand how the benchmarks used in this article should be interpreted.

EDITORS NOTE: Many visitors have purchased the OCZ Core series SSD based on this positive review of the product, however it should be noted that Benchmark Reviews received our sample unit directly from OCZ and was asked to return it after only a few days. This arrangement did not allow us to complete long-term testing for stability and product reliability.

Sometime shortly after the whole Y2K scare I decided to build an elite-level high-performance computer system for myself. At the time DDR2 was a new format that had just made its way into stores, so availability was somewhat limited (similar to DDR3 system memory is now). Even though I had been reselling Crucial memory for years through my business, I decided on a low-latency low-voltage kit from OCZ so that I could do some modest overclocking and keep the system stable. Thus, my relationship with OCZ began.

Since then, Benchmark Reviews has tested a bit of everything from this manufacturer. Our review of the OCZ Reaper HPC 1150MHz DDR2 kit could only be outdone by the OCZ 1600MHz DDR3 memory kit. Later on OCZ developed their first Solid State Drive (SSD) product, and despite lackluster performance in their original SATA SSD, OCZ later returned with a very potent SATA-II SSD that featured extremely good performance at a relatively reasonable price. Now things are different, because OCZ has found a way to deliver top-level performance at the lowest price for an SSD the market has seen.

The OCZ Core Series delivers the performance and reliability of the latest SSDs at a 50% less price per gigabyte than other high speed offerings currently on the market. OCZ Core Series Solid State Drives enable enhanced productivity in everyday computing and intensive multi-tasking applications. Perfect for notebooks, the Core Series is ideal for energy-efficient mobile computing to extend battery life, increase access time, and provide a durable alternative to conventional hard disc drives with superior shock resistance. High capacities and low power consuming NAND flash technology provide the necessary performance and battery life boosts generated by the proliferation of mobile gaming and new ultra-thin laptops. With fast access and seek times combined with excellent reliability, the OCZ Core Series SSDs are the answer for consumers demanding this latest storage technology.

Since first making an initial commercial debut to the public at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Solid State Drives have been a topic of hot discussion among performance enthusiasts. With virtually no access time delay, these nonvolatile flash memory-based drives were quick to promise a more reliable storage device with greater performance while operating at a fraction of the power level. Moving further into 2008 they have become a reality for many performance-minded power users. I suppose it's been a slow ramp-up for consumers to accept Solid State Drive technology, similar to the struggle DDR3 SDRAM has seen.

Solid State Drives are a perceived as the new animal in the computer hardware kingdom. They've been around for several years already, yet a very slow consumer acceptance has made the Solid State Drive (SSD) an elusive product to spot in the wild. There really hasn't been a heavy appetite for these premium-priced products; especially since they haven't exactly pushed the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) into extinction. However, the big-game hunters are beginning to see SSDs really crowd the habitat, and their performance has often times eclipsed that of the HDD.

According to a Q1 2008 report by the semiconductor market research firm iSuppli, the SSD market will grow at an annualized average of 124 percent during the four-year period from 2008 until 2012. iSuppli now projects SSD sales to increase by an additional 35 percent in 2009 over what it projected last year, 51 percent more in 2010, and 89 percent more in 2011, and continue to show dramatic increases in subsequent years.

About the company: OCZ Technology

Entering the memory market in August 2000, OCZ Technology was built around the determination to manufacture the best high speed DDR and RDRAM. OCZ was founded by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts, and their commitment to the end-user has not digressed. OCZ Technology has been an innovator in many areas.

We were the first manufacturer to make Dual Channel optimized memory available to the public, which originally took advantage of nVidia's Twinbank or Dual DDR architecture, found in their nForce chipset. We have now taken that technology and tailored it for the Canterwood, and Granite Bay chipset's. OCZ developed and was the first to implement ULN technology, which has been a critical element in the manufacturing process for some time.

We at OCZ diligently work to improve communication with CPU and motherboard chipset manufacturers prior to the release of their products. Only in this manner can we fine-tune the memory's SPD settings, ensuring a synergistic relationship between the memory module, memory controller, and microprocessor. In today's rapidly evolving semiconductor industry, such communication is not simply research, but a necessary component of the manufacturing process.

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