| CoreRise Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Storage | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Olin Coles | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thursday, 24 May 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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CoreRise Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD Review
Manufacturer: CoreRise Electronics Co., Ltd. Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by CoreRise. Suzhou CoreRise Electronics Corporation is new to the industry, but they're starting off big. As the 91st manufacturer to join the Solid State Drive industry, CoreRise introduced themselves into the market back in 2010 with an Indilinx-based SSD, and have returned to expand their product family using LSI-SandForce technology for the new Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD. Designed for the SATA 6 GB/s interface, Venus Pro 3 features 555 MB/s reads and 525 MB/s writes of compressed data. CoreRise advertises the Comay Venus Pro 3 to produce 4KB random read IOPS up to 40,000, and write up to 85,000 IOPS. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the CoreRise Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD against the fastest storage devices available. LSI-SandForce's second-generation SF-2281 SSD processor maintains all of the original core technology introduced in the SF-1200 series, but now improves performance with 20% faster IOPS and 40% faster sequential read/write throughput. They've enhanced BCH ECC capability, and the new processors now support 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. For many within the industry, LSI-SandForce was considered in control of the 2010 consumer storage market in much the same way that Indilinx did in 2009. The difference now is that LSI-SandForce's platform offers several technical benefits that the old Indilinx Barefoot platform was not capable of. Well into 2012, the SSD landscape is approximately the same, but with some interesting new twists. Benchmark Reviews confirms that 2nd-generation LSI-SandForce processors are keeping up with their past reputation, using performance tests on the Intel SATA 6Gb/s controller.
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 IOPS 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 (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: Comay Venus Pro 3SSDs are quickly gaining popularity because they work equally well in PC, Linux, or Apple computers. Likewise, they easily install into both desktop and notebook platforms without modification. For this article Benchmark Reviews is testing the Comay Venus Pro 3 Solid State Drive, which is specified to reach speeds of 555 MB/s for sequential reads and 525 MB/s sequential writes. The 240GB model we received for testing is built using the LSI-SandForce SF-2281 SSD controller and 25nm synchronous Intel-Micron NAND flash components. The Comay Venus Pro 3 uses synchronous NAND flash components, which offers higher performance when compared to the asynchronous NAND flash inside other SSDs. CoreRise offers several capacities for their Venus Pro 3 series of solid state drives: 40GB, 60GB, 90GB, 120GB, 180GB, 240GB, and 360GB. Performance specifications improve with capacity as a result of the SSDs increased buffer size, which will help drive consumers to the larger models. The Comay Venus Pro 3 measures 3.94"/100mm long, by 2.76"/70mm wide, by 0.37"/9.5mm tall.
The Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD is best suited for performance-orientated personal computers, but could also work well for SOHO computer workstation systems. LSI-SandForce SF-2200 series SSDs have been designed with a focus on high-performance operational and data transfer speeds, and includes 256-bit encrypted data protection and improved NAND wear-leveling through their proprietary DuraWrite technology. Although Comay Venus Pro 3-series SSDs do not offer an integrated USB Mini-B port, which appeared on some early-generation SSDs, the retail market offers several different 2.5" SATA enclosures that utilize the SuperSpeed USB-3.0 standard for high-performance portable file transfers.
CoreRise recognizes that once installed, the SSD will be hidden away from view inside a notebook computer or desktop workstation, so they've remained conservative towards the design of their solid state drive's appearance. Each half of the drive enclosure is given a textured brushed aluminum finish, which does not show fingerprints or smudges like a glossy painted surface would. Comay branding is marked at the top of the SSD enclosure, with a label attached to the bottom that denotes model and capacity. Standard 2.5" drive bay mounting points are pre-drilled and threaded into the Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD chassis, which allows for quick upgrade or addition into any existing notebook and other compact computer system. Using any universal 3.5" to 2.5" tray adapter (not included with this kit), this SSD fits easily into desktop computers. The mounting positions matched up to the drive bracket on my notebook computer, and after only a few minutes I was booting from a restored Windows 7 System Image with ease.
Unlike most Hard Disk Drive (HDD) storage products, SSDs are nearly impervious to impact damage and do not require (or benefit from) any kind of special vibration dampening or shock-proof enclosures. CoreRise utilizes a standard two-piece metal enclosure for their Comay Venus Pro 3-series SSDs, which reveals the internal components after removing four small counter-sunk screws located along the sides of this solid state drive. The seam along the side is covered with a 'Warranty Void' label, which patriot attaches to warn consumers against taking apart their product. By removing the SSD cover it will also remove your consumer protection with it.
LSI-SandForce introduced their new second generation solid state drives to both consumer and enterprise segments, with seven different processor models to choose from. On the consumer (retail) side you've got models using the older SATA 3Gb/s interface as well as the latest SATA 6Gb/s interface, while all enterprise drives utilize the 3rd-generation SATA 6Gb/s interface. More than any other factor, it's the Flash Channels/Byte Lanes configuration that these separate models. LSI-SandForce's SF-2000 series of SSDs continue to feature up to 8 data channels organized into 16 Byte lanes; similar to the previous generation of SF-1222/SF-1565 series SSD controllers, but now some models are scaled down for usage scenarios not requiring massive IO activity. On second-generation LSI-SandForce-driven SSDs, a new SATA 6Gb/s LSI-SandForce SF-2281VB1-SDC processor is part of their SF-2200 family of retail SSD controller chips, although and identical SF-2181 processor exists for older SATA 3Gb/s connections. Offering 8 flash channels with 8 Byte lanes configured (one lane per channel), the SF-2281 maintains a BGA-256 package whereas the top-end SF-2282 delivers two lanes per channel on a BGA-400 package. More detail is available in our LSI-SandForce SF-2000 Series SSD Processor Overview article. 
LSI-SandForce SF-2281VB1-SDC ControllerAll 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). The firmware controls the performance variables on LSI-SandForce SSDs, and some manufacturers have licensed custom firmware to unlock additional performance for their products. The SF-2200 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.
Micron 29F128G08CFAAB Synchronous NAND FlashLSI-SandForce processors enable support for advanced 30nm- and 20nm-class NAND flash from all leading flash vendors with synch/asynch/ONFi1/ONFi2/toggle interfaces that offer data transfer rates up to 166 Mega Transfers per second. Their latest generation of controllers also 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. On the 240GB Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD, sixteen multi-layer cell Intel/Micron Flash Technology (IMFT) 29F16B08CCME3 synchronous NAND Flash modules are joined to the LSI-SandForce SF-2281 controller. Consumer-level SandForce SSDs generally allocate 7% capacity over-provisioning, which means a 128GB device will yield 120GB of usable storage space and 256GB device will yield 240GB. LSI-SandForce SF-2200 Features
Endurance and Longevity
Performance and Power Optimization
Mobile Computing Security
Data Protection and Reliability SF-2281 Specifications
Source: LSI-SandForce Technology 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 HD Tach and PCMark 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. Because this software receives frequent updates, Benchmark Reviews recommends that you compare results only within the same version family. Beginning with sequential transfer performance, the Comay Venus Pro 3 solid state drive produced speeds up to 502.43 MB/s for reads and 307.74 MB/s writes. Because this benchmark uses compressed data, 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 for this section. Single-threaded 4K IOPS performance tests deliver 18.85 MB/s read and 63.44 MB/s write, while the 64-thread 4K reads recorded 214.64 MB/s and write performance was 243.06 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 these 64-thread 4KB IOPS performance tests the OCZ Octane series did not outperformed many other SSDs, but did surpass the older Indilinx Barefoot series. 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 Comay Venus Pro 3 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. This 240GB model reports 558 MB/s maximum read speeds that plateau from approximately 128-8192 KB file sizes, and 534 MB/s peak write bandwidth plateaus from 512-8192 KB. These results both exceed CoreRise's performance specifications of 555/525 MBps for the Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD series.
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 in its benchmark tests, so sequential file transfer speeds appear lower compared to those tested with other tools using uncompressed data. This section concentrates on operational IOPS performance using compressed data. CrystalDiskMark 3.0 reports sequential speeds for the Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD reaching 495.4 MB/s reads and 322.4 MB/s writes. 512K test results reached 425.9 MB/s read and 319.6 MB/s write performance. 4K tests produced 32.64 read and 78.42 write performance.
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 LSI-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:
Illustrated above are our Iometer tests, which are configured to use 32 outstanding I/O's per target and random 50/50 read/write distribution. The Intel SSD 520 Series solid state drive holds a narrow lead over the CoreRise Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD. LSI-SandForce SSDs generally outperform the competition when tested with this large queue depth, and the latest SATA 6Gb/s storage solutions lead the pack. SSDs using the PCI-Express bus offer some of the highest I/O we've tested, but even these SATA-based SSDs deliver far beyond the needs of multi-tasking power users and hardcore gamers. 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 EVEREST Disk Benchmark are connected to the Intel P67-Express SATA 6Gb/s controller and use a 1MB block size option. Read performance on the Comay Venus Pro 3 solid state drive measured average speeds of 490.8 MB/s, with a relatively close maximum peak speed of 500.0 MB/s. Everest linear write-to tests are next...
The waveform chart below illustrates how well the Comay Venus Pro 3 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 an integrated cache buffer (generally all SandForce products). The Comay Venus Pro 3 solid state drive recorded an average linear write-to speed of 471.8 MB/s, with maximum performance reaching 483.6 MB/s. 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 CoreRise Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD produced a total PCMark Vantage (secondary) HDD Test Suite score of 51976, which are among the best of any SATA-based storage device we've tested. Specific test speeds reported below:
Our tests were conducted on an Intel P67-Express Sandy Bridge motherboard using the onboard native SATA 6Gb/s controller with 64-bit Windows 7. Performance results are displayed in the chart below:
In the next section, I share my review conclusion and final product rating. Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD ConclusionIMPORTANT: 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. Compared to toggle and asynchronous components used in older products, synchronous NAND flash used in new products like the Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD represent the future of consumer-level solid state drives. Not only are these components fast, but they maintain better performance throughout the product's lifetime. Compared to toggle and asynchronous NAND flash, synchronous components resist performance degradation as storage capacity is filled. Add this to an already-impressive SandForce SF-2281 solid state processor, and there's a good chance you'll have enough speed and performance to last the drive's lifetime. Our performance rating considers how effective the Comay Venus Pro 3 solid state drive performs in transfer operations against competing storage solutions. For reference, SandForce specifies the SF-2281 with 500 MB/s read and write, which CoreRise increases to 555 MB/s read and 525 write maximum speeds for this SSD model. In our storage benchmark tests, the 240GB Comay Venus Pro 3 solid state drive performed at or above this speed, and outperformed most other SATA-based SSD's. Our test results demonstrated that the Comay Venus Pro 3 was good for delivering 558/534 MB/s peak read and writes speeds using ATTO Disk Benchmark tests. Linear file transfers with Everest Disk Benchmark produced 491/472 MB/s, which exceeds performance of every other SandForce-based SATA solid state drive we've tested. The Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD sent to us for testing is advertised to produce 4KB random read IOPS up to 40,000 and write up to 85,000 IOPS, although it is unclear what tools and configuration were used to produce these specifications. 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 to produce 79,702 combined IOPS performance. Iometer proved that the Comay Venus Pro 3 could outperform every other SandForce SF-2200 based SSD product we've tested, while also competing with Intel SSD 520 series. In the 4K 32QD tests with AS-SSD and CrystalDiskMark, the Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD continued to outperform premium storage products such as the OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS Edition SSD.
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. CoreRise has created a back-to-basics look with the brushed aluminum finish on their Comay Venus Pro 3 SSDs, which hides fingerprints and provides a durable shell. 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. Construction is probably the strongest feature credited to any solid state product line, and the Comay Venus Pro 3 series is no exception. Solid State Drives are by nature immune to most abuses because of their architecture and technology, but the hard metal shell adds a superfluous level of protection. CoreRise offers a three-year product warranty on the Comay Venus Pro 3, along with a 90-day free replacement policy that protects consumers should anything go wrong after the purchase. If any Comay Venus Pro 3 SSD product does happen to fail during the 3-year warranty period, end-users should contact CoreRise to receive support. It's a good practice to first contact the retail outlet where the product was purchased for return authorizations, as they could possibly offer quicker turn-around times. Built with synchronous NAND flash components and a second-generation SandForce SF-2281 SSD processor, the Comay Venus Pro 3 solid state drive delivers native TRIM garbage collection and basic SMART support with an impressive 558 MB/s read speed and nearly 80,000 IOPS. 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. Our testing of the Comay Venus Pro 3 demonstrated impressive performance across every benchmark, often outperforming OCZ's Max IOPS Edition. CoreRise products aren't readily available in North America, but once they do finally land on our shores there's a lot of great features and performance in the Comay Venus Pro 3 that make it an excellent SSD storage solution worthy of any notebook and desktop computer. Pros:
+ Outstanding 558/534 MBps read/write speed with ATTO Cons:
- Limited retail availability and support Benchmark Reviews invites you to leave constructive feedback below, or ask questions in our Discussion Forum.
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Comments
It will still be a wait for USB 3 devices to catch up to the USB 3.0 saturation rate so we can see the benefit of USB3 to something as fast as this device. I can't wait to see CF flash or something similar come into line with the USB3 theoretical. Most cards never got past a little over half of the USB2 specs.
You say this drive is expensive, but I didn't see a price in the review.
Yesterday I saw a sub £140 240GB Vertex3 in the wild. I paid more than that (£170) for my 128GB Samsung 830 only 6 months ago.