| 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 Solid State Drive |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Storage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Olin Coles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wednesday, 17 April 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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OCZ Vertex 3.20 Solid State Drive Review
Manufacturer: OCZ Technology Group, Inc. Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by OCZ. OCZ Technology launched their Vertex 3 solid state drive based on the second-generation LSI-SandForce SF-2281 processor back in early 2011, making it a familiar storage product among high-performance enthusiasts. Two years later they've revisited the popular design, and made several improvements. Now available with 20nm Synchronous Multi-Level Cell (MLC) NAND flash components, Vertex 3.20 is designed to offer better performance for less cost. Vertex 3.20 arrives in 120GB and 240GB capacities, both offering 550 MB/s reads and 520 MB/s writes. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 SSD (model VTX3-25SAT3-240G.20), and compares it against both the 120GB model as well as the fastest SATA 6GB/s storage solutions available. What makes the Vertex 3.20 different than it's original namesake is the use of 20nm Synchronous Multi-Level Cell (MLC) NAND flash components, and refined controller firmware. The Vertex 3.20 SSD is based on the second-generation LSI-SandForce SF-2281 SATA 6Gb/s controller, which debuted back at the start of 2011, making it one of the most mature SATA controllers found in modern storage devices. Vertex 3.20 arrives in 120GB and 240GB capacities, both offering 550 MB/s reads and 520 MB/s writes. The second-generation SF-2281 SSD processor maintains all of the original core technology SandForce originally introduced in the SF-1200 series, but now improves SSD performance with 20% faster IOPS and 40% faster sequential read/write throughput. LSI-SandForce has enhanced BCH ECC capability, and the new processor now supports ATA-7 Security Erase. Finally, the new SF-2200 series implements cost-effective 20nm-class NAND flash from all leading flash vendors with Asynch/ONFi1/ONFi2/Toggle interfaces. OCZ promises 20K/40K read/write IOPS from the 120GB the Vertex 3.20 SSD, and 35K/65K IOPS from the 240GB version.
Solid State vs Hard DiskDespite decades of design improvements, the hard disk drive (HDD) is still the slowest component of any personal computer system. Consider that modern desktop processors have a 1 ns response time (nanosecond = one billionth of one second), while system memory responds between 30-90 ns. Traditional hard drive technology utilizes magnetic spinning media, and even the fastest spinning mechanical storage products still exhibit a 9,000,000 ns / 9 ms initial response time (millisecond = one thousandth of one second). In more relevant terms, the processor receives the command and must then wait for system memory to fetch related data from the storage drive. This is why any computer system is only as fast as the slowest component in the data chain; usually the hard drive. In a perfect world all of the components operate at the same speed. Until that day comes, the real-world goal for achieving optimal performance is for system memory to operate as quickly as the central processor and then for the storage drive to operate as fast as memory. With present-day technology this is an impossible task, so enthusiasts try to close the speed gaps between components as much as possible. Although system memory is up to 90x (9000%) slower than most processors, consider then that the hard drive is an added 1000x (100,000%) slower than that same memory. Essentially, these three components are as different in speed as walking is to driving and flying. Solid State Drive technology bridges the largest gap in these response times. The difference a SSD makes to operational response times and program speeds is dramatic, and takes the storage drive from a slow 'walking' speed to a much faster 'driving' speed. Solid State Drive technology improves initial response times by more than 450x (45,000%) for applications and Operating System software, when compared to their mechanical HDD counterparts. The biggest mistake PC hardware enthusiasts make with regard to SSD technology is grading them based on bandwidth speed. File transfer speeds are important, but only so long as the operational I/O performance can sustain that bandwidth under load. Bandwidth Speed vs Operational PerformanceAs we've explained in our SSD Benchmark Tests: SATA IDE vs AHCI Mode guide, Solid State Drive performance revolves around two dynamics: bandwidth speed (MB/s) and operational performance I/O per second (IOPS). These two metrics work together, but one is more important than the other. Consider this analogy: bandwidth determines how much cargo a ship can transport in one voyage, and operational IOPS performance is how fast the ship moves. By understanding this and applying it to SSD storage, there is a clear importance set on each variable depending on the task at hand. For casual users, especially those with laptop or desktop computers that have been upgraded to use an SSD, the naturally quick response time is enough to automatically improve the user experience. Bandwidth speed is important, but only to the extent that operational performance meets the minimum needs of the system. If an SSD has a very high bandwidth speed but a low operational performance, it will take longer to load applications and boot the computer into Windows than if the SSD offered a higher IOPS performance.
Closer Look: OCZ Vertex 3.20 SSDSolid state drive devices have gained quick popularity with performance-minded consumers because they work equally well in PC, Linux, or Apple computer systems. Likewise, these drives install quite easily into both desktop and notebook platforms without modification. The OCZ Vertex 3.20 SSD Series is best suited for performance-orientated users, giving personal computers a much faster response time and boosting productivity. In this article Benchmark Reviews will test the 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 SSD series, which comes packaged in a plastic clamshell container. OCZ Technology offers the Vertex 3.20 SSD series in only two capacities: 120 GB and 240 GB. These models share the same part numbers with a capacity designator: VTX3-25SAT3-240G.20 that represents the 240 GB model. All OCZ Vertex 3.20 solid state drive products measure 99.8 L x 69.63 W x 9.3mm H. The 120GB version is available for $119.99 (Newegg/Amazon), and 240GB capacity for $229.99 (Newegg/Amazon).
The 240GB model we received (VTX3-25SAT3-240G.20) is specified to reach 550 MB/s for sequential reads and 520 MB/s sequential writes. OCZ specifies 4K random reads up to 35,000 IOPS and random writes up to 65,000 IOPS. Although Vertex 3.20's product specification advertise extremely fast performance ratings, these solid state drive products are designed with a focus on product reliability. The SandForce SF-2281 controller and firmware inside Vertex 3.20 SSDs receive a long validation cycle to ensure optimal stability is delivered to the consumer, and receive an OCZ Technology three-year product warranty. These features could help factor into the consumer's decision, as it improves long-term value. Unlike fragile Hard Disk Drive (HDD) storage products, SSDs are not nearly as sensitive to impact damage and do not require (or benefit from) any kind of special vibration dampening or shock-proof enclosures. Once installed the SSD is usually hidden away from view, which explains why OCZ has maintained a conservative appearance on the Vertex 3.20 series.
The OCZ Vertex 3.20 SSD features a 9.3mm thick chassis that comes painted black finish. OCZ utilizes a standard two-piece metal enclosure for Vertex 3.20-series SSDs, with a series branding label at the top panel and product information label on the bottom. Internal components are revealed by removing four small counter-sunk screws located at the bottom of this solid state drive. Standard 2.5" drive bay mounting points are pre-drilled into the SSD chassis with fine screw threading, allowing this drive to fit directly into notebook computers that use SATA connections. The SSD mounting positions matched up to the drive bracket on my notebook computer, and after only a few minutes of upgrading I booted-up from a restored Windows 7 System Backup Image with ease. Optionally, by using the included 3.5" to 2.5" tray adapter this SSD will also install directly into ATX desktop computers. Backwards compatible with SATA 1.5 GB/s and 3.0 GB/s interfaces, all LSI/SandForce SSD controllers offer: native TRIM garbage collection in supporting Operating System (such as Microsoft Windows-7), Native Command Queuing (NCQ) with 32 command slots, and basic Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) command set. LSI/SandForce built the SF-2200 series to produce 500 MB/s sequential read and write bandwidth with 60K (burst)/20K (sustained) IOPS random write (4K transfers). More detail is available in our LSI/SandForce SF-2000 Series SSD Processor Overview article.
Similar to other second-generation LSI/SandForce-driven SSDs, OCZ Vertex 3.20-series SSDs feature a SF-2281VB1-SDC SATA 6Gb/s processor. Offering 8 flash channels with 8 Byte lanes configured (one lane per channel), the SF-2281 maintains a BGA-256 package. The SF-2281 controller offers advanced ECC engine correcting up to 55 bits per 512-byte sector to assure high data integrity and support for future generations of flash memory. The SF-2281 SSD processor provides enhanced ECC with BCH data protection, and also includes LSI/SandForce's unique RAISE (Redundant Array of Independent Silicon Elements) technology. RAISE provides the protection and reliability of RAID on a single SSD drive, thanks to flash architecture, without the significant write overhead of parity. The LSI/SandForce DuraClass technology automatically stores data using Trusted Computing Group (TCG) OPAL security with 256-bit AES encryption and automatic, line-rate double encryption with a drive-level password, preventing data extraction directly from the physical flash memory modules. In the next few sections we'll test the OCZ Vertex 3.20 solid state drive, comparing this solid state drive to other retail products intended for notebook and desktop installations. OCZ Vertex 3.20 SpecificationsSource: OCZ Technology The OCZ Vertex 3.20 SSD is built around smaller, state-of-the-art 20nm NAND flash process geometry, extending its availability and enabling mainstream users of mobile and desktop platforms to improve gaming, multimedia, and the overall computing experience over traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) and other competing SSDs.
1. Maximum sequential speeds are determined using ATTO SSD Testing MethodologySolid State Drives have traveled a long winding course to finally get where they are today. Up to this point in technology, there have been several key differences separating Solid State Drives from magnetic rotational Hard Disk Drives. While the DRAM-based buffer size on desktop HDDs has recently reached 64 MB and is ever-increasing, there is still a hefty delay in the initial response time. This is one key area in which flash-based Solid State Drives continually dominates because they lack moving parts to "get up to speed". However the benefits inherent to SSDs have traditionally fallen off once the throughput begins, even though data reads or writes are executed at a high constant rate whereas the HDD tapers off in performance. This makes the average transaction speed of a SSD comparable to the data burst rate mentioned in HDD tests, albeit usually lower than the HDD's speed. Comparing a Solid State Disk to a standard Hard Disk Drives is always relative; even if you're comparing the fastest rotational spindle speeds. One is going to be many times faster in response (SSDs), while the other is usually going to have higher throughput bandwidth (HDDs). Additionally, there are certain factors which can affect the results of a test which we do our best to avoid. SSD Testing DisclaimerEarly on in our SSD coverage, Benchmark Reviews published an article which detailed Solid State Drive Benchmark Performance Testing. The research and discussion that went into producing that article changed the way we now test SSD products. Our previous perceptions of this technology were lost on one particular difference: the wear leveling algorithm that makes data a moving target. Without conclusive linear bandwidth testing or some other method of total-capacity testing, our previous performance results were rough estimates at best. Our test results were obtained after each SSD had been prepared using DISKPART or Sanitary Erase tools. As a word of caution, applications such as these offer immediate but temporary restoration of original 'pristine' performance levels. In our tests, we discovered that the maximum performance results (charted) would decay as subsequent tests were performed. SSDs attached to TRIM enabled Operating Systems will benefit from continuously refreshed performance, whereas older O/S's will require a garbage collection (GC) tool to avoid 'dirty NAND' performance degradation. It's critically important to understand that no software for the Microsoft Windows platform can accurately measure SSD performance in a comparable fashion. Synthetic benchmark tools such as ATTO Disk Benchmark and Iometer are helpful indicators, but should not be considered the ultimate determining factor. That factor should be measured in actual user experience of real-world applications. Benchmark Reviews includes both bandwidth benchmarks and application speed tests to present a conclusive measurement of product performance. Test System
Storage Hardware TestedThe following storage hardware has been used in our benchmark performance testing, and may be included in portions of this article:
Test Tools
Test Results DisclaimerThis article utilizes benchmark software tools to produce operational IOPS performance and bandwidth speed results. Each test was conducted in a specific fashion, and repeated for all products. These test results are not comparable to any other benchmark application, neither on this website or another, regardless of similar IOPS or MB/s terminology in the scores. The test results in this project are only intended to be compared to the other test results conducted in identical fashion for this article. AS-SSD BenchmarkAlex Schepeljanski of Alex Intelligent Software develops the free AS SSD Benchmark utility for testing storage devices. The AS SSD Benchmark tests sequential read and write speeds, input/output operational performance, and response times. AS-SSD Benchmark uses compressed data, so sequential file transfer speeds are reported lower than with other tools using uncompressed data. For this reason, we will concentrate on the operational IOPS performance in this section. Beginning with sequential transfer performance, the 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 solid state drive produced speeds up to 498.77 MB/s for reads and 317.22 MB/s writes. Single-threaded 4K IOPS performance tests deliver 17.04 MB/s read and 64.87 MB/s write, while the 64-thread 4K reads recorded 181.96 MB/s and write performance was at 232.56 MB/s.
AS-SSD 64-thread 4KB IOPS performance results are displayed in the chart below, which compares several enthusiast-level storage products currently on the market. In the 64-thread 4KB IOPS performance tests, the 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 SSD easily surpassed the 120GB version, but was still outperformed by several recently-released solid state drives. The chart below is sorted by total combined performance, which helps illustrate which products offer the best operational input/output under load:
In the next section, Benchmark Reviews tests transfer rates using ATTO Disk Benchmark. ATTO Disk BenchmarkThe ATTO Disk Benchmark program is free, and offers a comprehensive set of test variables to work with. In terms of disk performance, it measures interface transfer rates at various intervals for a user-specified length and then reports read and write speeds for these spot-tests. There are some minor improvements made to the 2.46 version of the program that allow for test lengths up to 2GB, but all of our benchmarks are conducted with 256MB total length. ATTO Disk Benchmark requires that an active partition be set on the drive being tested. Please consider the results displayed by this benchmark to be basic bandwidth speed performance indicators.
ATTO Disk Benchmark: Queue Depth 4 (Default)Our bandwidth speed tests begin with the 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 solid state drive attached to the Intel P67-Express SATA 6Gb/s controller operating in AHCI mode. Using the ATTO Disk Benchmark tool, the test drive performs basic file transfers ranging from 0.5 KB to 8192 KB. The 240GB model provided to Benchmark Reviews for testing produced 554 MBps maximum read speeds that plateau from around 1024-8192 KB file chunks, and 528 MBps peak write bandwidth that plateaus from 512-8192 KB. These results agree with OCZ's performance specifications of 550/520 MBps for all 120/240GB Vertex 3.20 SSDs.
In the next section, Benchmark Reviews tests sequential performance using the CrystalDiskMark 3.0 software tool... CrystalDiskMark 3.0 TestsCrystalDiskMark 3.0 is a file transfer and operational bandwidth benchmark tool from Crystal Dew World that offers performance transfer speed results using sequential, 512KB random, and 4KB random samples. For our test results chart below, the 4KB 32-Queue Depth read and write performance was measured using a 1000MB space. CrystalDiskMark requires that an active partition be set on the drive being tested, and all drives are formatted with NTFS on the Intel P67 chipset configured to use AHCI-mode. Benchmark Reviews uses CrystalDiskMark to illustrate operational IOPS performance with multiple threads. In addition to our other tests, this benchmark allows us to determine operational bandwidth under heavy load. CrystalDiskMark uses compressed data, so sequential file transfer speeds are reported lower than with other tools using uncompressed data. For this reason, we will concentrate on the operational IOPS performance in this section. CrystalDiskMark 3.0 reports sequential speeds reaching 486.8 MB/s reads and 326.2 MB/s writes. 512K test results reached 419.6 MB/s read and 322.2 MB/s write performance. 4K tests produced 32.01 read and 92.87 write performance. All CrystalDiskMark results produced by this 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 SSD were roughly equal to the previous-generation Vertex 3 series, yet trailed behind some recently released solid state drive products.
Maximum 4KB IOPS performance results at queue depth 32 are reported in the chart below. These values represent the performance levels for several enthusiast-level storage solutions, and illustrates which products offer the best operational performance under load:
In the next section, we continue our testing using Iometer to measure input/output performance... Iometer IOPS PerformanceIometer is an I/O subsystem measurement and characterization tool for single and clustered systems. Iometer does for a computer's I/O subsystem what a dynamometer does for an engine: it measures performance under a controlled load. Iometer was originally developed by the Intel Corporation and formerly known as "Galileo". Intel has discontinued work on Iometer, and has gifted it to the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL). There is currently a new version of Iometer in beta form, which adds several new test dimensions for SSDs. Iometer is both a workload generator (that is, it performs I/O operations in order to stress the system) and a measurement tool (that is, it examines and records the performance of its I/O operations and their impact on the system). It can be configured to emulate the disk or network I/O load of any program or benchmark, or can be used to generate entirely synthetic I/O loads. It can generate and measure loads on single or multiple (networked) systems. To measure random I/O response time as well as total I/O's per second, Iometer is set to use 4KB file size chunks over a 100% random sequential distribution at a queue depth of 32 outstanding I/O's per target. The tests are given a 50% read and 50% write distribution. While this pattern may not match traditional 'server' or 'workstation' profiles, it illustrates a single point of reference relative to our product field. All of our SSD tests used Iometer 1.1.0 (build 08-Nov-2010) by Intel Corporation to measure IOPS performance, using a SandForce-created QD30 configuration: 4KB 100 Random 50-50 Read and Write.icf. The chart below illustrates combined random read and write IOPS over a 120-second Iometer test phase, where highest I/O total is preferred:
In our Iometer tests, which are configured to use 32 outstanding I/O's per target and random 50/50 read/write distribution, SandForce SSDs generally outperform the competition when tested with this large queue depth. The OCZ Vertex 4 SSD delivered the best combined IOPS performance we've seen from any SATA-based SSD with 83,494, followed by the Intel SSD 520 Series at 80,433 peak combined IOPS, then the Intel SSD 335 Series with 80,015. This 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 solid state drive produced 56,135 IOPS, keeping pace with the OCZ Vector SSD. The 120GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 solid state drive trailed behind because of its lower capacity, which limited it to producing only 32,711 combined IOPS. It should be noted that nearly all modern SSDs deliver I/O far beyond the needs of multi-tasking power users and hardcore gamers, and would be ideal for workstation systems running utilizing virtual machines. In our next section, we test linear read and write bandwidth performance and compare its speed against several other top storage products using EVEREST Disk Benchmark. Benchmark Reviews feels that linear tests are excellent for rating SSDs, however HDDs are put at a disadvantage with these tests whenever capacity is high. EVEREST Disk BenchmarkMany enthusiasts are familiar with the Lavalys EVEREST benchmark suite, but very few are aware of the Disk Benchmark tool available inside the program. The EVEREST Disk Benchmark performs linear read and write bandwidth tests on each drive, and can be configured to use file chunk sizes up to 1MB (which speeds up testing and minimizes jitter in the waveform). Because of the full sector-by-sector nature of linear testing, Benchmark Reviews endorses this method for testing SSD products, as detailed in our Solid State Drive Benchmark Performance Testing article. However, Hard Disk Drive products suffer a lower average bandwidth as the capacity draws linear read/write speed down into the inner-portion of the disk platter. EVEREST Disk Benchmark does not require a partition to be present for testing, so all of our benchmarks are completed prior to drive formatting. Linear disk benchmarks are superior bandwidth speed tools in my opinion, because they scan from the first physical sector to the last. A side affect of many linear write-performance test tools is that the data is erased as it writes to every sector on the drive. Normally this isn't an issue, but it has been shown that partition table alignment will occasionally play a role in overall SSD performance (HDDs don't suffer this problem).
The high-performance storage products we've tested with Lavalys EVEREST Disk Benchmark are connected to the Intel P67-Express SATA 6Gb/s controller and use a 1MB block size option. Charted above, read performance on the 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 solid state drive measured average speeds of 463.0 MB/s with a relatively close maximum peak speed of 477.8 MB/s. These read results matched the 120GB version and were among the highest we've tested, remaining very consistent across the full range of capacity. Everest linear write-to tests were next...
The waveform chart below illustrates how well the 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 manages file transfers, and makes linear write performance appears relatively uneven. The results seen here are consistent with most other SSD products we've tested in the past that use a DRAM cache buffer. The 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 solid state drive recorded an average linear write-to speed of 472.4 MB/s, with maximum performance reaching 483.1 MB/s. These write-to performance results were near the top of our charts, and the 120GB version was not very far behind. The chart below shows the average linear read and write bandwidth speeds for a cross-section of storage devices tested with EVEREST:
Linear tests are an important tool for comparing bandwidth speed between storage products - although HDD products suffer performance degradation over the span of their areal storage capacity. Linear bandwidth certainly benefits the Solid State Drive, since there's very little fluctuation in transfer speed. This is because Hard Disk Drive products decline in performance as the spindle reaches the inner-most sectors on the magnetic platter, away from the fast outer edge. In the next section we use PCMark Vantage to test real-world performance... PCMark Vantage HDD TestsPCMark Vantage is an objective hardware performance benchmark tool for PCs running 32- and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7. PCMark Vantage is well suited for benchmarking any type of Microsoft Windows Vista/7 PC: from multimedia home entertainment systems and laptops, to dedicated workstations and high-end gaming rigs. Benchmark Reviews has decided to use the HDD Test Suite to demonstrate simulated real-world storage drive performance in this article. PCMark Vantage runs eight different storage benchmarks, each with a specific purpose. Once testing is complete, results are given a PCMark score while and detailed results indicate actual transaction speeds. The 240GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 SSD produced a total PCMark Vantage (secondary) HDD Test Suite score of 59225, which was slightly ahead of the 120GB version that produced a score of 57826. Specific speeds are reported below:
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Comments
Are they or not? They keep coming out with new products so apparently not.
I'd forward the article but now I can't find it.
/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20789
I'm disappointed not to see any RAID configurations thrown into the mix (most notably, how a Raid-0 of the 120 compares to a single 240.)
With a 120GB SSD running at almost exactly have the price as it's 240GB older brother, the possible performance increase over running two 120's over two SATA-III ports vs running a single 240 over just one SATA-III port, seems a bit near-sided.
You only obtain a faster speed and still have only the capacity of one 120GB ssd. The designation "240 GB's" is meaningless when describing this.
Paying twice just for a bump in speed is what's completely stupid.
If you lose one drive then you lose the info on both drives in RAID-0.
RAID-0 is just fine for hdd's to get a worthwhile gain in speed.
For SSD's the speed increase is not worth the expense. Just a complete waste of money.
I use 500 GB Samsung SSD's and don't RAID them. They're more than fast enough as is and running a pair in RAID-0 would just be ludicrous.
I own 5 of these, so far, that cost $319.99 each. I am more than happy with their speed as is.
If it were possible, all I would do is run them as JBOD. Same speed but double capacity.
I'm not sure what you're talking about. But then again, neither do you.
The pitfalls of using Raid-0 (lose one drive and lose everything) is the same whether you use SSDs or HDDs. I ran Raid-0 with two HDDs for years with no problem. SSDs are (no longer) more susceptible to failure than most HDDs.
You claim Raiding SSDs is "not worth the expense", but with two 120GB going for $240 and a single 240GB going for $220, the "expense" is only $20 whereas the performance gains might more than justify the extra money (but we don't know b/c they never tested it.)
Whether YOU are satisfied with the speed of your single SSDs is a matter of usage and personal preference. *I* however edit LARGE A/V files frequently that would greatly benefit from the faster Read/Write speeds of Raid-0.