OCZ Vertex 3 MI SSD Conclusion

IMPORTANT: Although the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at various points in time. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer changes which occur after publication that could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on our conclusion, as it represents our product rating specifically for the product tested which may differ from future versions. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate.

NOTE: Solid state drive owners experiencing stability issues with their product are encouraged to use the latest OCZ SSD firmware available.

SandForce SSDs have taken the market by storm, which has helped companies like OCZ to expand their reach deep into the high-performance storage hardware segment. Not only are these SandForce-driven solid state drives extremely fast, but more importantly they're capable of SLC-level operational performance I/O and NAND durability. The OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS (MI) SSD builds from the powerful SandForce SF-2281 solid state processor, which brings innovation to the SSD industry by prolonging MLC NAND flash module lifetime and delivering RAID-like data redundancy. When one SandForce product is physically identical to another, the overall value depends on price, warranty, and customer support. If you're price shopping, a quick stroll through our Storage Section reviews will reveal how other SSD options compare.

Our performance rating considers how effective the OCZ Vertex 3 MI solid state drive performs in operations against direct competitor storage solutions. For reference, SandForce specifies the SF-2281 with 500 MB/s read and write, which OCZ increases to 550 MB/s read and 500 write maximum speeds for the Max IOPS model. In our SSD benchmark tests, the 240GB OCZ Vertex 3 MI performed at or above this speed, and surpassed every other SATA-based SSD we tested. Our test results proved the OCZ Vertex 3 MI was good for delivering 559/519 MBps peak read and writes speeds using ATTO Disk Benchmark SSD speed tests. Everest Disk Benchmark produced 490/462 MB/s, confirming the Vertex 3 MI as the fastest MLC SSD Benchmark Reviews has tested to date.

The 240GB retail kit VTX3MI-25SAT3-240G that OCZ sent us for testing is advertised to deliver 120,000 maximum combined IOPS. Using a SandForce-provided configuration for our own Iometer operational performance tests, we used a queue depth of 32 outstanding I/O's per target that measured 83,117 combined IOPS performance. In this test, the formatted OCZ Vertex 3 MI SSD leads all other SATA-based storage devices benchmarked with this configuration, and positions itself between the SandForce-driven PCI-Express options. In the 4K 32QD tests with AS-SSD and CrystalDiskMark, the OCZ Vertex 3 SSD topped our charts and became the new leader for high-performance consumer storage devices. With the results we've received in our tests, hardware enthusiasts can expect extremely high operational performance and storage functionality for demanding applications and extreme I/O environments.

Solid State Drives are low-visibility products: you see them just long enough to install and then they're forgotten. Like their Hard Disk Drive counterparts, Solid State Drives are meant to place function before fashion. Anything above and beyond a simple metal shell is already more than what's expected in terms of the appearance. OCZ has created a back-to-basics look with the black textured finish and white branding on their Vertex-series SSDs. As solid state storage controllers become faster and more advanced, heat dissipation through the enclosure walls may demand that chassis designs become more beneficial than they previously needed to be. This isn't the case yet, and a metal chassis suits SandForce SSDs nicely.

SSDs are not prone to mechanical failure, but if any Vertex 3-series solid state storage product does happen to fail during the 3-year warranty period end-users may contact OCZ Technology via their company website or extensive support forums. Fortunately, there's also a toll-free telephone number (800-459-1816) for free technical support and customer service questions. OCZ has been proven to be one of the best companies in the business when it comes to customer service, and replacement parts are often sent with priority delivery.

In terms of overall value, OCZ has priced their premium Vertex 3 Max IOPS Edition SSDs to be relatively comparable to their standard Vertex 3 SandForce-driven products of the same capacity. OCZ offers the Vertex 3 SSD series in only two different capacities: 120GB: VTX3MI-25SAT3-120G and 240GB: VTX3MI-25SAT3-240G. As of late May 2011, the 120GB model sells for $310 (Newegg) or $360 (Amazon),while the 240GB model costs $557 (Amazon).

In summary, there's a lot worth considering in the OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS Edition SSD. To begin with, this solid state drive nearly saturated all available bandwidth on the SATA 6Gb/s interface by reaching 559 MB/s with ATTO Disk Benchmark. In addition to impressive tranfer speeds, the Vertex 3 MI also produced the highest 4K IOPS we've seen from any SATA-based storage device - and at the same time outperformed the PCI-Express OCZ RevoDrive SSD. Our test results provide solid proof that OCZ's Vertex 3 MI SSD has redefined storage expectations by delivering unmatched performance never before seen by consumers. Computer hardware enthusiasts will clearly benefit by ultra-fast transaction response times, which allows applications to open in near-instant reaction. Based on the SandForce SF-2281VA1-SDC-ES processor, the OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS Edition delivers native TRIM garbage collection and basic SMART support with impressive 559 MB/s transfer speeds. More importantly, SandForce DuraClass technology adds their proprietary RAISE and DuraWrite features not available to other SSDs, and the end result is a product that could last up to five times longer with less wear on NAND flash modules. Considering the level of performance we've experienced with the Vertex 3 Max IOPS SSD, it's easy recommend this solid state drive to high-performance computer hardware enthusiasts and hardcore power-users. The blazing fast transfer speeds and outstanding operational performance at a fair price earn the OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS Edition SSD our Golden Tachometer Award.

Pros:

+ Delivers nearly 90K IOMeter IOPS performance
+ Outstanding 559/519 MBps read/write speed with ATTO
+ TCG OPAL security with 256-bit AES encryption
+ SandForce SF-2281 processor supports TRIM, SMART, and RAISE
+ DuraWrite technology extends NAND lifetime
+ Top-level enthusiast operational I/O performance
+ 3-Year OCZ product warranty support
+ 120/240GB high-speed SSD storage capacities
+ Lightweight compact storage solution
+ Resistant to extreme shock impact
+ Low power consumption may extend battery life

Cons:

- Some manufacturers offer five-year warranty
- Expensive enthusiast-level product

Ratings:

• Performance: 9.75
• Appearance: 8.75
• Construction: 9.50
• Functionality: 9.75
• Value: 7.75

Final Score: 9.1 out of 10.

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

Benchmark Reviews invites you to leave constructive feedback below, or ask questions in our Discussion Forum.

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