Testing
Normally, in testing a storage device, we’d run it through the usual set of benchmarks, a file copy operation or two, and call it done. The point of a SSD, though, is not to serve as mere mass storage. At this point, hard drives still do that better and cheaper. The point of a SSD is to provide blisteringly fast access to the things that need it most; namely the operating system and heavy-duty programs. Towards that end, we’ve gone through the process of installing a bare-bones system onto the RealSSD C300, and we’ll be running our benchmarks with this drive as the boot/system volume.
Important note: because of the significantly different way SSDs handle low level operations like file creation and deletion, no system will achieve optimal long-term performance unless it supports the TRIM command. Currently, this means Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Linux 2.6.33, FreeBSD 9, or later. At time of writing, Mac OSX does not support TRIM, so use of aftermarket SSDs such as this one is not recommended.
| Test System | |
| CPU | AMD Phenom II X4 910e @ 2.6GHz |
| Heatsink | GlacialTech Igloo 5760 |
| Motherboard | Jetway Hummer HA-09 |
| Chipset | AMD 890GX |
| Graphics card | Sparkle GeForce GTX 465 |
| RAM | 2x2GB GeIL DDR3-1333, 7-7-7-24 timings |
| Sound | Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Edition |
| SSD | Crucial RealSSD 256GB SATA 6Gb/s |
| HDD 1 | Seagate 7200.10 500GB |
| HDD 2 | Western Digital Caviar Green 5900RPM 500GB |
| Power Supply | Nexus RX-6300 630W |
| Case | Silverstone Fortress FT-02 |
| OS | Windows 7 Ultimate |
| Drivers | Forceware 258.96 |
HDTune Pro
Right from the start, we begin to see why the words “up to” are a staple of performance claims. While the raw read numbers are quite blistering in comparison to any disc drive, they’re nowhere close to the 355MB/sec claimed on the package. Also, note the shape of the response curve. Unlike hard drives, which get faster as you approach the edge of the disc, SSDs are equally fast regardless of where the data is located. Since the wear-leveling algorithms have data blocks bouncing all over the place, this is a very good thing.
With the first run of the file benchmark, we see how block size impacts performance. With block sizes below 32k, performance is relatively bad, with an especially noticable dip at 8k. Above 32k, the RealSSD begins to hit its stride, finally reaching its stable peak at 4m.
With a larger filesize, the same test yields rather more favorable results. Again, speeds are poor at lower block sizes, but the ramp up to full speed is much smoother and happens much sooner than with the 32k file test. Otherwise, similar results obtain.
[…] Quote: Slow secondary storage has been the biggest persistent gripe about PC gaming for quite a while now. While CPUs, RAM, graphics cards and system busses have all been improving at a steady rate; hard drives have stayed more or less stagnant for the past decade. Enter the solid state drive. At its most basic level, a SSD has the same basic structure as a USB flash drive: a bunch of NAND flash memory chips, a controller to tie them together, and an interface that talks to the outside world. Where a SSD pulls ahead is, naturally enough, in the performance of those three components. Today we’ll be looking at the RealSSD C300 256GB SSD from Crucial. Taking advantage of the still-uncommon SATA 6.0 GBps interface, this drive promises to deliver blisteringly fast performance. LINK: http://www.techwarelabs.com/crucial-realssd-c300-256gb/ […]
[…] Quote: Slow secondary storage has been the biggest persistent gripe about PC gaming for quite a while now. While CPUs, RAM, graphics cards and system busses have all been improving at a steady rate; hard drives have stayed more or less stagnant for the past decade. Enter the solid state drive. At its most basic level, a SSD has the same basic structure as a USB flash drive: a bunch of NAND flash memory chips, a controller to tie them together, and an interface that talks to the outside world. Where a SSD pulls ahead is, naturally enough, in the performance of those three components. Today we’ll be looking at the RealSSD C300 256GB SSD from Crucial. Taking advantage of the still-uncommon SATA 6.0 GBps interface, this drive promises to deliver blisteringly fast performance. LINK: http://www.techwarelabs.com/crucial-realssd-c300-256gb/ […]
[…] Quote: Slow secondary storage has been the biggest persistent gripe about PC gaming for quite a while now. While CPUs, RAM, graphics cards and system busses have all been improving at a steady rate; hard drives have stayed more or less stagnant for the past decade. Enter the solid state drive. At its most basic level, a SSD has the same basic structure as a USB flash drive: a bunch of NAND flash memory chips, a controller to tie them together, and an interface that talks to the outside world. Where a SSD pulls ahead is, naturally enough, in the performance of those three components. Today we’ll be looking at the RealSSD C300 256GB SSD from Crucial. Taking advantage of the still-uncommon SATA 6.0 GBps interface, this drive promises to deliver blisteringly fast performance. LINK: http://www.techwarelabs.com/crucial-realssd-c300-256gb/ […]
[…] Quote: Slow secondary storage has been the biggest persistent gripe about PC gaming for quite a while now. While CPUs, RAM, graphics cards and system busses have all been improving at a steady rate; hard drives have stayed more or less stagnant for the past decade. Enter the solid state drive. At its most basic level, a SSD has the same basic structure as a USB flash drive: a bunch of NAND flash memory chips, a controller to tie them together, and an interface that talks to the outside world. Where a SSD pulls ahead is, naturally enough, in the performance of those three components. Today we’ll be looking at the RealSSD C300 256GB SSD from Crucial. Taking advantage of the still-uncommon SATA 6.0 GBps interface, this drive promises to deliver blisteringly fast performance. LINK: http://www.techwarelabs.com/crucial-realssd-c300-256gb/ […]
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ChrisTWL, tcpflorida, Josh, Cory Blomenkamp, Tom Gowing and others. Tom Gowing said: Review: Crucial RealSSD C300 256GB – http://www.techwarelabs.com/crucial-realssd-c300-256gb/ […]