OCZ Apex 120GB SSD Review

Manufacture Page: OCZ Technology | OCZ Apex Series SATA II 2.5" SSD
Product ID: OCZSSD2-1APX120G
TechWiki Info: OCZ Apex 120GB SSD
Price: Click Here to Compare Prices
Warranty: 2 Years



Many think of OCZ as one of the forefront innovators when it comes to the modern Solid State Drive. Indeed, a quick look at their forums and knowledge bases confirms that they are hell-bent on dominating the SSD market through listening to customer feedback and producing drives which improve upon their predecessors. Over the last while, they have split their SSD line up into three easy to understand tiers: Solid, Apex and Vertex. The Solid line is the value orientated line, the Apex is now their middle tier / “mainstream” model and the Vertex is their pro / enthusiast model. By doing this, OCZ has cleared up any confusion regarding what the true expectations of a given SSD line are. Up until now many consumers have seen “SSD” and instantly thought “enthusiast” and expected pricing to be absolutely out of their league. What OCZ has done with their move to distinct product segments is to simplfy what a customer will expect from a given SSD. Basically, if you are looking for insane performance at any price, grab a Vertex. On the other hand, if you are looking for most of the benefits that come with SSDs and aren't willing to sell your kidney then the Solid is for you.

Today we will be looking at OCZs mainstream, middle of the road model: the Apex or to be more precise the 120GB OCZSSD2-1APX120G. Very recently, we reviewed our first RAID 0 SSD, the Titan from G.Skill and in many ways this OCZ version of the Samsung reference design is quite similar to that drive. However, with OCZ being OCZ we fully expect this RAID 0 SSD to have a couple of tricks up its firmware sleeve and it should be interesting to see how it performs in comparison to not only the Titan but the de facto gold standard: Intel's X-25M.

Where this is an OCZ product, you will easily find it throughout the country in numerous retailer and e-tailers. Of course since this drive isn't from their budget Solid line, expect to pay a slight premium of about $400 for this particular iteration of the Apex line.

Where this is not the first RAID 0 SSD we have reviewed it will certainly be interesting to see how it stacks up; however, the biggest question which comes to mind is not how it performs, but whether or not it is worth the price premium over more budget-friendly drives.

Over the years, we have come to know and respect OCZ for their exceptional warranty and their above and beyond tech support. When it comes to SSDs, the FAQs, help and “how to guides” available for free on the OCZ forum are usually worth the minor price premium. As you will see during this review they do go that extra mile. However, everyone has their own priorities and hopefully by the end of this review you will have a good idea whether or not this is the right model (or even brand) for YOU.