MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 Series Review

Manufacturer: MyDigitalDiscount.com
Product Name: MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 Series 2.5 Inch SATA III/6G SSD
Model Number: MDS7-BP4-240 (240 GB Capacity)
UPC: 60GB - 689466624748, 120GB - 689466624755, 240GB - 689466624762, 480GB - 689466624779
Prices: MDS7-BP4-60 $49.99, MDS7-BP4-120 $89.99, MDS7-BP4-240 $159.99, MDS7-BP4-480 $349.99

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by MyDigitalDiscount.com.

MyDigitalDiscount.com Inc. was founded in 2001 by Matt Dawson out of his passion for the latest gadgets and has since grown into a globally recognized retailer catering to technology users. The MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 Series SATA Solid State Drive is their latest high-performance storage solution, designed with an ultra-slim 7mm profile to fit all SATA notebooks as well as desktop PCs. Equipped with a Phison PS3108-S8-I SSD controller and Toshiba TH58TEG7DCJTA20 19nm Toggle NAND Flash, the 240GB BP4 Slim 7 model MDS7-BP4-240 sent to Benchmark Reviews for testing is made to produce up to 560 MB/s reads and 530 MB/s writes with 4K Aligned Reads reaching 46,000 IOPS and 4K Aligned Writes as high as 79,000 IOPS.

The last time Benchmark Reviews tested a Phison-based solid state drive, it was the Patriot Torqx 2 SSD back in May 2011. That particular drive utilized the PHISON Electronics Corporation PS3105-S5 controller, good for read and write speeds of only 250/220 MB/s. The new fourth-generation 'Bullet Proof' BP4 SATA SSD by MyDigitalDiscount features the Phison PS3108-S8 controller, with speeds more than doubled over the PS3105-S5 and operational IOPS performance well beyond previous versions. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the 240GB MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series solid state drive MDS7-BP4-240.

Solid State vs Hard Disk

Despite 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 Performance

As 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: MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 Series

Solid 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 MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series SSD 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 MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 solid state drive. The 240GB model we received (MDS7-BP4-240) is specified to reach 560 MB/s for sequential reads and 530 MB/s sequential writes. MyDigitalDiscount specifies 4K aligned read operations reaching 46,000 IOPS and 4K aligned write operations as high as 79,000 IOPS. MyDigitalDiscount sells the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series solid state drive in bulk packaging, and includes a three-year product warranty.

MyDigitalDiscount offers the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series in several capacities: 60, 120 GB, 240 GB, 480, and soon-to-be-announced 960 GB. All models share the same part numbers with a capacity designator: MDS7-BP4-240 represents the 240 GB model. Although the product specification advertise extremely fast performance ratings, MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 solid state drives are designed with a focus on product reliability and value. As of February 2013 there are four capacities listed for sale: MDS7-BP4-60 $49.99, MDS7-BP4-120 $89.99, MDS7-BP4-240 $159.99, MDS7-BP4-480 $349.99.

The MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series features a 7mm thick chassis painted with black texturing. The BP4 SATA SSD measures approximately 3.95" (100mm) long, 2.75" (69.9mm) wide, and 0.275" (7mm) tall. MyDigitalDiscount utilizes a standard two-piece metal enclosure for their BP4-series SSDs, with a series branding label on 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.

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 MyDigitalDiscount has maintained a conservative appearance on the BP4 Slim 7-series solid state drive.

The Phison PS3108 is a SATA 6.0 GB/s controller that includes features such as Native Command Queuing (NCQ), S.M.A.R.T. health monitoring, and TRIM-based garbage collection. The BP4 Slim 7 SSD is backwards compatible with SATA 1.5 GB/s and 3.0 GB/s interfaces, and is designed to be compatible in RAID arrays.

In the next few sections Benchmark Reviews will test the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series, comparing this solid state drive to other high-performance retail products intended for notebook and desktop installations.

Features and Specifications

Source: MyDigitalDiscount.com

MyDigitalSSD proudly introduces the BP4 Slim 7 Series, the 4th generation of their critically acclaimed and award-winning Bullet Proof line of solid state drives. BP4 Slim 7 drives are easy to install SATA III (6G) replacement upgrades designed to eliminate the bottle-neck found in stock hard drives to increase user productivity up to 70X.

Unlike their predecessors, BP4 drives have been over provisioned for improved Random Read/Write performance and IOPS, extended performance endurance to reduce sluggishness as the drive fills with data, prolonged drive life, reliability, and low power consumption - all at the unequaled price to performance ratio synonymous with MyDigitalSSD Bullet Proof SSDs.

Backwards compatible with SATA II applications; BP4 Slim 7 drives feature a 9.5mm drive screw hole alignment to upgrade virtually any notebook with a 2.5" SATA port or SATA desktop workstation using a standard mounting adapter bracket, PC or Mac.

Highlights

• Unequaled price to performance ratio
• 19nm Toggle NAND Flash
• Large storage capacity
• Easy installation
• Improve boot up and application load times
• High-speed SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III) interface
• Backward compatible to SATA 3Gb/s (SATA II)
• Withstand extreme shock and vibration
• Support DDR3 I/O interface
• Power management supported
• NCQ command set
• TRIM support
• RAID support
• SMART support
• Three year replacement warranty

About the Controller

MyDigitalSSD BP4 SSDs feature the Phison S-Module III S8 controller to deliver all the advantages of Flash Disk technology with the Serial ATA III interface, fully compliant with standard mSATA form factor. The S-Module III S8 is based on the mSATA form factor which is generated by JEDEC, designed to operate at a maximum operating frequency of 300MHz with 40MHz external crystal.

The S8 can reach 500MB/s throughput based on ONFI/Toggle NAND (with DDR3 cache enabled and measured by CrystalDiskMark) with markedly lower power consumption than that of a traditional Hard Drive.

Note: Solid State Drives DO NOT require defragmentation. It may decrease the lifespan of the drive.

MDS7-BP4-240 Specifications

Package Contents

• 240GB MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 Series 2.5 Inch SATA III/6G SSD

Warranty

• 3 Year Warranty

SSD Testing Methodology

Solid 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 Disclaimer

Early 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

• Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 EVO (Intel P67 Sandy Bridge Platform, B3 Stepping)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4 GHz Quad-Core CPU
• System Memory: 4GB Dual-Channel DDR3 1600MHz CL6-6-6-18
• SATA 6Gb/s Storage HBA: Integrated Intel P67 Controller
  • AHCI mode - Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver 11.7.0.1013
• SATA 3Gb/s Storage HBA: Integrated Intel P67 Controller
  • AHCI mode - Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver 11.7.0.1013
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition 64-Bit with Service Pack 1

Storage Hardware Tested

The following storage hardware has been used in our benchmark performance testing, and may be included in portions of this article:

• Crucial RealSSD-C300 CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1 256GB SATA 6Gb/s MLC SSD
• Crucial m4 CT256M4SSD2 256GB SATA 6Gb/s MLC SSD
• Intel X25-E Extreme SSDSA2SH032G1GN SATA 3Gb/s SLC SSD
• Intel SSD 311 Series Larson Creek SSDSA2VP020G2E
• Intel SSD 320 Series MLC Solid State Drive SSDSA2CW160G3
• Intel SSD 335 Series Solid State Drive SSDSC2CT240A4K5
• Intel SSD 520 Series MLC Solid State Drive SSDSC2CW240A3
• MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 Series MDS7-BP4-240 240GB MLC SSD
• OCZ RevoDrive OCZSSDPX-1RVD0120 120GB MLC PCI-Express SSD
• OCZ RevoDrive X2 OCZSSDPX-1RVDX0240 240GB MLC PCI-E SSD
• OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2 RVD3X2-FHPX4-480G 480GB MLC PCI-E SSD
• OCZ Agility 2 OCZSSD2-2AGTE120G 120GB MLC SSD
• OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-240G 240GB MLC SSD
• OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE120G 120GB MLC SSD
• OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-240G 240GB MLC SSD
• OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS VTX3MI-25SAT3-240G MLC SSD
• OCZ Vertex 4 VTX4-25SAT3-256G MLC SSD
• OCZ Octane OCT1-25SAT3-512G MLC SSD
• OCZ Vector VTR1-25SAT3-256G MLC SSD
• Patriot Torqx 2 PT2128GS25SSDR 128GB MLC SSD
• WD SiliconEdge-Blue SSC-D0256SC-2100 256GB MLC SSD

Test Tools

• AS SSD Benchmark 1.6.4067.34354: Multi-purpose speed and operational performance test
• ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.46: Spot-tests static file size chunks for basic I/O bandwidth
• CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1a by Crystal Dew World: Sequential speed benchmark spot-tests various file size chunks
• Iometer 1.1.0 (built 08-Nov-2010) by Intel Corporation: Tests IOPS performance and I/O response time
• Lavalys EVEREST Ultimate Edition 5.50: Disk Benchmark component tests linear read and write bandwidth speeds
• Futuremark PCMark Vantage: HDD Benchmark Suite tests real-world drive performance

Test Results Disclaimer

This 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 Benchmark

Alex 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.

Beginning with sequential transfer performance, the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series solid state drive produced speeds up to 503.46 MB/s for reads and 369.70 MB/s writes. It appears that the Phison controller prefers uncompressed data, so since this benchmark tool uses compressed test data we'll concentrate on operational IOPS performance in this section.

Single-threaded 4K IOPS performance tests deliver 25.83 MB/s read and 53.80 MB/s write, while the 64-thread 4K reads recorded 141.75 MB/s and write performance was 225.85 MB/s. These results are on-par with second-generation LSI/SandForce SF-2281 SSDs, such as the Intel SSD 335 or OCZ Vertex 3.

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 MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series performed towards the upper-end of previously tested SATA-based SSDs. 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 Benchmark

The 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 MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series 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 MDS7-BP4-240 solid state drive provided to Benchmark Reviews for testing produced 558 MBps maximum read speeds that plateau from 64-8192 KB file chunks, and 522 MBps peak write bandwidth that peaks at 512 KB. These results agree with the manufacturer's maximum performance specifications of 560/530 MBps for this 240 GB SSD.

In the next section, Benchmark Reviews tests sequential performance using the CrystalDiskMark 3.0 software tool...

CrystalDiskMark 3.0 Tests

CrystalDiskMark 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, similar to digital audio and video multimedia files. This has an impact on the Phison controller inside the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 solid state drive, making sequential file transfer write speeds appear lower in this SSD compared to others that prefer uncompressed data. For this reason, we concentrate on the operational IOPS performance for this section.

CrystalDiskMark 3.0 reports sequential speeds reaching 514.3 MB/s reads and 393.3 MB/s writes. 512K test results reached 319.5 MB/s read and 393.1 MB/s write performance. 4K tests produced 22.42 read and 63.99 write performance. All the results produced by CrystalDiskMark for the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 solid state drive trail behind previously tested 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 Performance

Iometer 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. PCI-Express SSDs have an obvious advantage over SATA counterparts, and lead the performance results. The OCZ Vertex 4 tops our charts as the best-performing SATA-based solid state drive with an impressive combined IOPS of 83,494. The 240GB OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS Edition trails behind with 83,117 IOPS while the Intel SSD 520 Series produced 80,433 peak combined IOPS.

The 240GB MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 Series Solid State Drive received for testing producing a rather disappointing 20,851 combined IOPS in this test. Although not among the highest I/O marks we've seen from a consumer SSD, MyDigitalSSD BP4's still delivers operational performance beyond the needs of multi-tasking power users and hardcore gamers, and would be ideal for systems running 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 Benchmark

Many 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. Read performance on the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series solid state drive measured average speeds of 498.9 MB/s, with a relatively close maximum peak speed of 511.6 MB/s. These read speed results are among the fastest we've tested, and very consistent across the full range of capacity. Everest linear write-to tests were next...

The relatively straight waveform chart above illustrates how well the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 solid state drive manages file transfers, and are consistent with most other SSD products we've tested in the past that use a DRAM cache buffer. The MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 solid state drive recorded an average linear write-to speed of 460.1 MB/s, with maximum performance reaching 467.0 MB/s. Write-to results fell behind many recently-tested SSDs, which could be explained by Vector's mission to deliver superior stability and NAND reliability opposed to raw performance figures.

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 Tests

PCMark 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 MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim-series solid state drive produced a total PCMark Vantage (secondary) HDD Test Suite score of 53928, with specific 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. Because new drivers were used, this test is not comparible to past tests and may not be fairly compared to storage devices attached to other computer systems.

In the next section, I share my review conclusion and final product rating.

MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 Conclusion

IMPORTANT: 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.

Our performance rating considers how effective the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series performs in file transfer operations against competing solid-state storage solutions. For reference, MyDigitalDiscount specifies the BP4 Slim 7 SSD to produce up to 560 MB/s reads and 530 MB/s writes. In our storage benchmark tests the BP4 Slim 7 SSD (240GB model MDS7-BP4-240) performed right up to these speeds. Our test results demonstrated that the 240GB MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 solid state drive was good for delivering 558/522 MB/s peak read and write speeds using ATTO Disk Benchmark SSD speed tests. Linear file transfers with Everest Disk Benchmark produced 499/460 MB/s, which exceeds performance for the OCZ Vertex 4 and Crucial m4 SSDs. Transfer speeds were very fast overall thanks to the Toggle-NAND flash components, and performed near the top of our test results.

The MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7 solid state drive sent to us for testing is advertised to deliver 4K Aligned Reads reaching 46,000 IOPS and 4K Aligned Writes as high as 79,000 IOPS, although it is unclear what tools and configuration were used to produce these specifications. Using Iometer operational performance tests configured to a queue depth of 32 outstanding I/O's per target across 100% of the drive, our benchmarks produced a mere 20,851 combined IOPS performance. While disappointing, these results don't come as a suprise. When we last tested a Phison controller the PS3105-S5 produced only 1,194 total combined IOPS. So while 20,851 IOPS is a tremendous leap over 1,194, it's still a far shot from the leading condenders that produce 70-80,000 IOPS. Regardless, 20K IOPS is still more than enough for workstation computer and high-performance gaming systems.

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. MyDigitalDiscount has created a sleek 7mm profile with a basic finish on their MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series. MyDigitalDiscount sells the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series solid state drive in bulk packaging, so consumers aren't paying extra for a fancy retail box.

Construction is probably the strongest feature credited to the entire SSD product segment. Solid-state storage is by nature immune to most abuses, but add a hard metal shell and the chance of failure is reduced to internal component defects. If any MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series product happens to fail during the 3-year warranty period, end-users may contact MyDigitalDiscount via the company's customer support website or call 1-866-217-1800 for free technical support.

As of February 2013, MyDigitalDiscount.com offers the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series at an introductory price in the following capacities:

• 60GB MDS7-BP4-60: $49.99
• 120GB MDS7-BP4-120: $89.99
• 240GB MDS7-BP4-240: $159.99
• 480GB MDS7-BP4-480: $349.99
• 960GB MDS7-BP4-960: TBA

Overall I consider the MyDigitalSSD BP4 Slim 7-series solid state drive to be a good high-performance storage solution, but there's a whole lot of competition in this segment. If MyDigitalDiscount gives the BP4 an attractive price after this introductory period, consumers could be attracted by the obvious value. Performance was fast, and offered substantial IOPS for power users, so everyone will see an immediate bump in the speed of their applications.

Pros:

+ Outstanding 558/522 MBps read/write speed with ATTO
+ Uses 19nm Toggle NAND Flash components
+ Enthusiast-level operational I/O performance
+ 3-Year Intel product warranty support
+ Lightweight compact storage solution
+ Resistant to extreme shock impact
+ Produced 20,851 combined 4K IOPS

Cons:

- Expensive enthusiast-level product
- Rather low operational IOPS performance

Ratings:

• Performance: 8.75
• Appearance: 8.50
• Construction: 9.50
• Functionality: 9.00
• Value: 7.75

Final Score: 8.7 out of 10.

Recommended: Benchmark Reviews Seal of Approval.

COMMENT QUESTION: Which solid state drive do you want most?

Related Articles:

• NETGEAR XS708E ProSafe Plus 10GbE Switch
• ZOTAC GeForce 8800 GT 512MB AMP! HDMI Video Card
• QNAP TS-209 Pro Gigabit SATA NAS
• Crucial M225 128GB SATA-II SSD CT128M225
• AZiO Levetron GH808 USB Gaming Headset
• NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision Gaming Kit
• Thermaltake Frio CLP0564 CPU Cooler
• Honeywell SecuraDrive 80GB USB 1.8-Inch Pocket Drive
• OCZ VBoost USB Flash Drive for Windows Vista
• Cooler Master HAF-XB Computer Case Enclosure