Help me choose a SSD :)

[mjpd1983]

Hey guys,

Well I've pretty much got my rig sorted now since the new 580 so the only thing holding me back is the mechanical HDD's.

I want to go SSD but since it's going to be the first one I buy, I could sure use peoples opinions that have tried some out.

I only really shop at one PC store as it is very local to me and I've been going there for years, plus I like to buy things local as I am impatient and do not like sending things away and waiting for replacements/delivery's etc. :)

So, the website for this store is Welcome to PLE Computers Online so could anyone take a look in the SSD section and recommend me a SSD and give reason for doing so?

I have researched a lot into threads about SSD's but hearing peoples personal experiences is always more reassuring when you are forking out money.

Also money is no issue but I obviously will just be running the OS on it so I wont need anything above the 60GB selection. I am definitely after QUALITY so again money is no issue :)

I've heard so many stories about the OCZ Vertex 2's dying very early :/

Many thanks in advance

[ipaine]

Well looking at the selection I would go with either the OCZ Vertex 2 120GB or the Corsair Force 120.

I know you mentioned that you are only going to be putting the OS on there and only need the 60, but trust me the 60 is too small. I have a 120 and it is too small in my mind. I got Windows 7, office, photoshop, a bunch of little programs and like one modern game on it. Plus I have my docs and pics on a different machine. Heck really if you could afford it I would recommend getting a 240.

As for issues with the Vertex drives I actually haven't really heard too much about them dying just the different NAND size and what affect that can have on performance and life span. I believe that you can now tell by the model number if you are getting one with the old NAND or not but I'll wait until someone else with more knowledge on that chime in.

[mjpd1983]

Thanks for the speedy response and your input, I look forward to the hearing more about this :)

[boris_37]

Unless you are getting the 16chip solution, do not buy a vertex 2.

Crucial C300 is a great drive, probably one of the best for this generation and they are SATA 3 compatible, have garbage collection and did i mention they are really fast? I got 2x64gb and they are faster then my friends 2x128gb vertex 2's, mainly since i'm on sata 3.

[M] SSD Roundup Fall 2010

Good article covering all the drives. Note the only drive that comes close and in some situations beats the C300 is the OLD Vertex 2(equivalent of the 16chip drive). If you can't get the 16chip solution it will not even compete. They are something like 30% slower.

Do not use the marvel driver on newer boards. Intel ICH10 all the way.

Now if you want to wait, you could get the Vertex 3. If money is no option get the Revodrive X2,another friend got this, total waste of money IMO, but it's fast!.

[AkG]

The C300 128GB is SLIGHTLY faster on real world scenarios than a Vertex 2 120GB (seq speed is an Epeen only issue, look at the 4K speeds for closer to RL performance and here they are neck and neck) . However, the same can not be said of the c300 64 vs Vertex 2 60. The C300's really, really are dif beasts depending on which size you buy (256 is faster again). Plus on SATA 2...they are slower than the Vertex 2.

Its been a little while, but IIRC OCZ will exchange any 25nm Vertex 2 with a 16 chip solution (though not for free).

More to the point...the OP cant buy the C300 at the store he listed.

To the OP. Get the biggest one you can afford. It will not only last longer (as you will have more free space and thus more room for wear leveling to work with), but the 120s are faster than the 60s. Not a whole lot faster...but faster.

As for the dieing early bit....its a mass produced item. There are good ones and there are bad ones. You NEVER hear about the good ones...only the bad ones. With that being said there seemed to have been a bad batch of NAND used awhile back in the Vertex 2s (and probably all the others as well...as they ALL use the lowest bidder nand and that varies from batch to batch). It happens. OCZ and Corsair are simply amazing when it comes to RMA. I've never had to RMA a G.Skill SSD, but others have and they were almost always positive too. ;)

Out of that ass short list of SSDs they have Id pick the Vertex 2 120 or Force 120. THOUGHT those prices are out to lunch! NICX has the Vertex 2 120 for 180. After MIR thats 150 vs 230! For that coin Id bring one in by air and "deal" with having to wait an extra day. Hell, if you want a GUARANTEED 16 chip vertex 2 (and dont want to deal with the hassle or RMAing one for it), Ncix has it for 220. Thats still ten bucks less than what that store wants to rape you for. :P

NCIX.com - Buy OCZ Vertex 2 Extended Sandforce New 16 Chip Solution 120GB 2.5IN SATA2 Solid State Disk Flash Drive - OCZ Technology - OCZSSD2-2VTX120G - in Canada
NCIX.com - Buy OCZ Vertex 2 Extended Sandforce 120GB 2.5IN SATA2 Solid State Disk Flash Drive SSD - OCZ Technology - OCZSSD2-2VTXE120G - in Canada

[Galcobar]

OCZ won't exchange any 25 nm, because all the drives their shipping now are 25 nm. However, they will, for free (including sending you a shipping label) exchange a 25 nm drive using 64Gbit chips to one using 32 Gbit chips, which is to say on the 64GB drives they will exchange an eight-chip drive for a 16-chip drive. The 16-chip drive still uses 25 nm NAND, however.

The problem is that the 64Gbit chips, being bigger, demand more room for RAISE, which means your capacity drops. In Windows, capacity on a 64GB 16-chip drive is 58.8GiB versus 55.1 GiB for an eight-chip drive (aside from over-provisioning there's the difference between GB and GiB, though Windows uses GiB it lists it as GB). And of course, fewer channels populated means lower speeds.

Drives built with 3X nm NAND are still faster than their 25 nm equivalents -- according to OCZ staff, which I used to ensure my faulty drive was replaced with 34 nm NAND -- but you're kind of stuck there.

[AkG]

Yup 34nm is EOL. The only ones still using it are the ones who still have a stock pile of it (or have a contract for it). Whether we like it or not 25nm is here to stay.

Good to hear that they pay both ways for the exchange. Last I heard they weren't...then again I stopped buying first gen SFs a little while ago. I personally prefer the C300 to the SF12xx....and I love the performance of the second gen SF drives, thus making the "need" for a vertex 2, Force, etc etc...well....nonexistent. :)~

[astro_man]

Would you consider the M4 128GB at 210$ the best buy for the money, even though my mobo only supports sata II?

[oppo4sale]

I cant recommend anything else beside the OCZ Vertex 3 right now, its just so good :O

[Luay79]

Crucial M4 64GB for $157 is the best thing out there.

Originally Posted by astro_man

Would you consider the M4 128GB at 210$ the best buy for the money, even though my mobo only supports sata II?

Where on earth can you get the 120GB for $210?