| OCZ Agility-2 SandForce Solid State Drive |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Storage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Olin Coles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Friday, 30 July 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
OCZ Agility 2 SandForce-Driven SSD ReviewSolid State Drive storage devices have become the hot ticket for high-performance computer enthusiasts. Impartial towards either PC, Linux, or Apple platforms, SSDs have the power to transform slow computers into blazing-fast speed machines. The SandForce SF-1200 has quickly become the de facto SSD controller for companies seeking recognition, and for good reason. The OCZ Agility 2 embraces the SF-1222TA3-SBH processor to produce up to 20,000 IOPS with only 7% over-provisioning to generate maximum performance with optimal capacity. The increase in storage capacity over 28% over-provisioned SandForce SSDs has earned the OCZ Agility 2 the 'Extended' title. Just when PCs were starting to seem irrelevant in this fast-paced world of mobile gadgets and smart phones, along comes a new product that changes the entire landscape. SSDs, or more formally Solid State Drives, have finally lifted computers beyond the age of spinning metal magnetic platters. Delivering a boost in speed that no memory upgrade or new processor could ever dream of, solid state drive technology has sent hard disk drives packing. OCZ Technology, an enthusiast memory company and pioneer of consumer SSD products, further commits to their passion for high-speed storage and delivers the OCZ Agility 2. Based on the SandForce SF1200 controller, the OCZ Agility 2 Extended SSD delivers up to 20,000 IOPS with incredible bandwidth speed. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the 120GB OCZ Agility 2 Extended OCZSSD2-2AGTE120G against some of the fastest storage solutions on the market. SandForce is clearly the driving force in SSD controller technology for 2010, offering outstanding bandwidth speed and operational performance. OCZ utilizes the SandForce SF-1222TA3-SBH (SF-1200) processor in their Agility-2 enthusiast MLC SSD series, which features hand-picked high-performance NAND flash memory modules. SandForce RAISE technology provides redundant protection for single SSD computer systems, while data is automatically secured with AES-128 encryption. With transfer speeds nearly saturating the SATA-3GB/s interface, and operational IOPS performance reaching SLC-NAND levels, it makes sense for OCZ to use the new industry leader.
As of June 2010, the SandForce SF-1200 SSD controller has already found its way into many of the fastest SSDs available: ADATA S599, Corsair Force, RunCore Pro-V, Patriot Inferno, OWC Mercury Extreme Pro-RE, G.Skill Phoenix Pro, OCZ Vertex-2, PhotoFast G-Monster 2, Mach Xtreme, and now the Agility-2 series. As we've discovered with our previous SandForce reviews, operational performance and SSD bandwidth speed is very similar across the spectrum. Selling virtually identical products has forced manufacturers to offer other consumer incentives, such as an extended warranty periods or custom SandForce firmware. The biggest mistake PC hardware enthusiast make with SSDs is grading them by their speed. File transfer speed is important, but only so long as the operational IOPS performance can sustain that bandwidth under load. Benchmark Reviews tests the OCZ Agility-2 SSD against some of the most popular storage devices available and demonstrates that 4K IOPS performance is more important than bandwidth speed. Additionally, Benchmark Reviews has used two similar SSDs to publish our SandForce SF1200 RAID-0 SSD Performance review. For decades, the slowest component in any computer system was the hard drive. Most modern processors operate within approximately 1-ns (nanosecond = one billionth of one second) response time, while system memory responds between 30-90 ns. Traditional Hard Disk Drive (HDD) technology utilizes magnetic spinning media, and even the fastest spinning desktop storage products exhibit a 9,000,000 ns - or 9 ms (millisecond = one thousandth of one second) initial response time. In more relevant terms, The processor receives the command and waits 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; which is usually the hard drive. The theoretical goal for achieving optimal performance is for system memory to operate as quickly as the central processor, and the storage drive to operate as fast as memory. With present 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, just consider 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. The difference a SSD makes to operational reaction 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 HDD counterparts.
Manufacturer: OCZ Technology Group, Inc. Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by OCZ Technology Group, Inc. 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. SandForce SF-1200 FeaturesSandForce SF-1200 SSD Processors enable commodity flash memory to reliably operate in cost and power sensitive client computing environments. The SF-1200 is a true single-chip SSD Processor designed for volume manufacturing and outstanding performance. Innovative DuraClass technology delivers world class reliability, endurance, performance and power consumption.
Endurance and Longevity
Performance and Power Optimization
Mobile Computing Security
Data Protection and Reliability Source: SandForce, Inc. OCZ Agility 2 SpecificationsBased on a cutting-edge new architecture, Agility 2 Solid State Drives deliver unprecedented performance while maintaining an affordable storage solution for early adopters looking to update their systems with the latest technology. OCZ designed the Agility 2 to excel in both sequential and random read/write rates to take your PC or notebook productivity to the next level, featuring superb 4k random writes up to 10,000 IOPS to give a performance edge over the previous generation. Using the latest controller technology, Agility 2 not only provides a faster, more responsive PC experience, but promotes cooler, quieter, and more energy efficient conditions compared to traditional mechanical hard drives. With solid performance coupled with supreme reliability, the Agility 2 is designed to push the envelope in storage technology for those who place a premium on speed, reliability and efficiency, but demand the affordability of MLC flash memory. Built with SATA 3Gb/s, the Agility 2 Series easily integrates into today's mobile and desktop platforms and features TRIM support to optimize performance over the drive's lifespan as the ultimate Windows 7 notebook or desktop upgrade. Agility 2 is available in 40GB to 480GB capacities and comes backed by a 3-year warranty and 2 million hour MTBF for ultimate peace of mind. Source: OCZ Technology Group, Inc.
Closer Look: OCZ Agility 2 ExtendedSSDs are catching on quickly because they work equally well in PC, Linux, or Apple Mac computers. For this article Benchmark Reviews is testing the OCZ Agility 2 'Extended' capacity SSD, which is expected to reach speeds of 280 MB/s for sequential reads and 270 MB/s sequential writes. The OCZSSD2-2AGTE120G kit is built using the SandForce SF-1222 controller with 7% over-provisioning, which means that 120GB out of 128GB NAND flash contained in this SSD are allocated for data use. The standard OCZ Agility 2 is available with the exact same performance specifications, but utilizes 28% over-provisioning and comes in 50/100/200/400GB capacities. On the outside OCZ displays a green and silver Agility 2 label atop a black metal casing, which is identical to the 'standard capacity' 28% over-provisioned Agility 2 product line.
The OCZ Agility 2 SSD is best suited for performance-orientated notebook, and works extremely well for enthusiast-level desktop computer systems. Additionally, the OCZ Agility 2 Extended could also be utilized for mission-critical backups or high-abuse data server systems. SandForce SF-1200 series SSDs have been designed with a focus on high-performance operational and data transfer speeds, and includes encrypted data protection and improved NAND wear-leveling through their proprietary DuraWrite technology. Although OCZ Agility 2 SSDs do not offer an integrated USB Mini-B port, which appeared on some early-generation SSDs, the retail market offers several 2.5" SATA enclosures that utilize the SuperSpeed USB-3.0 standard for high-performance portable file transfers.
Standard 2.5" drive bay mounting points are pre-drilled and threaded into the OCZ Agility 2 SSD chassis, which allows for quick upgrade or addition into any existing notebook and other compact computer system. Packaged with a 3.5" into 2.5" tray adapter, the Agility 2 SSD easily installs into desktop computers as well. 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 without a hitch.
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 OCZ utilizes a standard two-piece metal enclosure for their Agility 2 SSD series, which reveals the internal components after removing four small counter-sunk Phillips-head screws located at the bottom of this SSD. One of these scews are covered with a 'Warranty Void' label, which OCZ attaches to the chassis on all of their SSDs, and by removing the enclosure cover it will also remove your consumer protection with it. Benchmark Reviews will reveal all of the internal components on our next section anyway, so just be patient and save your product warranty.
Thanks to hand-picked NAND flash memory modules paired to the SandForce SF-1222 SSD controller, the OCZ Agility 2 Solid State Drive suggests transfer speeds of 280/270 MBps read/write for high-performance enthusiasts. Now that you're acquainted with the basic exterior features of this SSD, it's time to peek inside the metal enclosure and inspect the internal components... SandForce SF-1200 SSD ControllerThe SandForce SF-1200 SATA-3GBps controller is new to the industry, but many manufacturers are already hailing it as the replacement for Indilinx's industry-leading Barefoot processor. Both are second-generation SATA products limited to 3.0 GB/s transfer speeds, and both offer similar specifications. SandForce adds DuraClass technology to their SF-1200 processor, which claims to provide best-in-class endurance, performance, and lower power consumption. DuraWrite technology extends the endurance of MLC-NAND memory by providing at least five year lifecycles measured with 3000-5000 cycle MLC flash. Additionally, SandForce RAISE technology provides RAID-like protection for single SSD computer systems, and data is secured with AES-128 automatic encryption. SandForce has hit the 2010 SSD industry with full force, much the same way that Indilinx did back in 2009. Finished-goods companies can utilize the SandForce SF1200 processor in their own product line, which then receives a "SandForce Driven" badge. The SandForce SF-1222 processor is presently available in the ADATA S599, Corsair Force, RunCore Pro-V, Patriot Inferno, OWC Mercury Extreme Pro-RE, G.Skill Phoenix Pro, OCZ Vertex-2, OCZ Agility-2, PhotoFast G-Monster 2, and Mach Xtreme SSD series.
From the view above the printed circuit board (PCB), it doesn't look like there's anything dramatically innovative on the SandForce Solid State Drive. Eight flash NAND modules make a horseshoe around the SandForce SF-1200 SSD processor, and plenty of electronics fill in the remaining space atop the printed circuit board. But once the SandForce SSD board is turned to expose the underside, the difference is obvious: SandForce has used their DuraClass technology to remove the DRAM buffer.
The 2nd-generation SATA-3.0GBps SandForce SF-1222TA3-SBH processor is part of their SF-1200 family of SSD controller chips, and SSDs will utilize either the SF-1200 processor for retail consumers or SF-1500 for enterprise devices. All SandForce SSD controllers offer native TRIM support in Microsoft Windows-7, Native Command Queuing (NCQ) with 32 command slots, and Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) command set. While not directly important to transfer speeds or operational performance, SandForce utilizes a Tensilica Diamond Core DC_570T CPU inside the SF-1200 processor.
Another benefit of SandForce's SF-1200 architecture is that the SSD keeps all information on the NAND grid and removes the need for a separate cache buffer DRAM module. The result is a faster transaction, albeit at the expense of total storage capacity. SandForce SSDs utilize over-provisioning technology, which allocates a portion of NAND for data storage and the remainder reserved for transaction and cache buffer space. SandForce has also marketing custom firmware to the finished-goods companies that sell their SSDs, which remove performance restrictions. The SF-1200 SSD processor provides ECC data protection and includes 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 SandForce DuraClass technology automatically stores data in AES-128 encrypted format, preventing data extraction directly from the physical flash memory modules.
Sixteen multi-layer cell Intel 29F64G08CAMDB flash NAND modules are joined to the SandForce SF-1200 controller. On professional-level 28% over-provisioned SandForce SSDs, these NAND modules may combine for 128GB of physical storage space yet only 100GB of this capacity is designated for data. Consumer-level SandForce SSDs receive 7% over-provisioning and 128GB devices will yield 120GB of usable storage space. Because the SandForce SF-1200 SSD processor inside many SSDs is a non-exclusive component available market-wide, Benchmark Reviews expects to see many new solid state storage products using this controller in the near future. Please continue on for details and performance results for this Solid State Drive... 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 32 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
Drive 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 read and write performance, the 120GB OCZ Agility 2 Extended Solid State Drive produced 207.85 MB/s read speed, and 134.59 MB/s write performance. The sequential file transfer speeds have traditionally been low with this benchmark tool, especially for SandForce controllers, which is why we will concentrate on the operational IOPS performance for this section. Single-threaded 4K IOPS performance delivers 21.28 MB/s read and 62.80 MB/s write, which is among the highest results we've recorded. Similarly, the 64-thread 4K reads recorded 125.47 MB/s while write performance was 94.45 MB/s... both earning the OCZ Agility 2 a spot among the top performance results in our charts.
Displayed in the chart below, the 64-thread 4KB IOPS performance results for several enthusiast-level storage products helps to illustrate which products offer the best operational input/output under load:
Drive Hardware
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.
Our basic bandwidth speed tests begin with the OCZ Agility 2 SSD connected to the Intel ICH10 controller in AHCI mode, as the ATTO Disk Benchmark tools performs file transfers ranging from 0.5 KB to 8192 KB. The 120GB 'Extended' model we received reveals 286 MBps maximum read speed that plateaus from 128-8192 KB file chunks, and 277 MBps peak write bandwidth plateaus from 64-8192 KB. These both exceed SandForce specifications, and also exceed OCZ's 280/270 MBps manufacturer specification. In fact, OCZ's Agility-2 actually performs approximately the same as their Vertex-2 in terms of transfer speeds. Fortunately for the Vertex 2, it's the operational performance that counts most.
Drive Hardware
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 ICH10 controller set to 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. Our tests of the 120GB OCZ Agility 2 Extended SSD were each consistent, but only the maximum speeds were charted below. Sequential tests on the Agility 2 SSD produced a maximum read speed of 216.1 MB/s, while the write speed was only 143.8 MB/s. The sequential file transfer speeds have traditionally been low with this benchmark tool, especially for SandForce controllers, which is why we will concentrate on the operational IOPS performance for this section. CrystalDiskMark 3.0 reported 512K results of 205.4 MB/s read and 142.1 MB/s write performance. 4K tests produced 22.34 read and 80.55 write performance. 4KB queue depth 32 IOPS is one area where SandForce-based SSDs truly excel, and performance for the 120GB Agility 2 leads the other SandForce SSDs.
Displayed in the chart below, the maximum 4KB queue depth 32 IOPS performance results for several enthusiast-level storage products illustrate which products offer the best operation under load:
Drive Hardware
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). 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. The chart below illustrates combined random read and write IOPS over a 120-second Iometer test phase, where highest I/O total is preferred:
From the onset, SandForce SSDs clearly outperform the competition when tested which a larger queue depth. In our Iometer tests, which use 32 outstanding I/O's per target and a random 50/50 read/write distribution, only the 'unrestricted' SandForce SSDs approach 50,000 IOPS. OCZ's Agility 2 promises 10,000 IOPS each way, and yet it delivers 23,376 total - outperforming their specification once again . The SandForce-Driven SSDs demonstrate the highest IOPS performance we've ever seen on a consumer storage device, and the 'unlocked' firmware further extends the performance level to as high as 50,000 IOPS. Benchmark Reviews discusses this topic in more detail in our SandForce SF-1200 SSD Firmware Comparison article. Drive Hardware
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 tested with EVEREST Disk Benchmark are connected to the Intel ICH10 controller and use a 1MB block size option. Read performance on the 120GB OCZ Agility 2 SSD measured an average 269.2 MBps with a nearly identical maximum peak of 270.2 MBps. Linear write-to tests were next...
The waveform chart below illustrates how the integrated buffer manages file transfers, and makes linear write performance appears relatively even. The results seen here are still relatively consistent compared to most other SSD products we've tested in the past. The OCZ Agility 2 SSD recorded an average linear write-to speed of 258.3 MBps, with a maximum performance of 261.3 MBps.
The chart below shows the average linear read and write bandwidth speeds for a cross-section of SATA 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. Drive Hardware
In the next section I share my final thoughts on the struggle between SSD and HDD technology, as well as their new hybrid counterpart, before delivering my conclusion and final product rating. HDD vs Hybrid Drive vs SSDIt's been the same argument for over two years now: SSDs offer the best performance, but HDDs still offer the best capacity and price. Now that Solid State Hybrid drives are available, that argument changes. While the optimal blend of bandwidth speed, operational performance, storage capacity, and value has yet to be delivered, products like the Seagate Momentus-XT offer an ultra-affordable start in the right direction Installed as a primary drive for notebook and value-conscious enthusiasts, the Solid State Hybrid Drive delivers up high-capacity storage space while starting Windows and opening programs like a SSD. The last days of old technology are always better than the first days of new technology. Never has this saying been more true than with the topic of storage technology, specifically in regard to the introduction of Solid State Drive technology a few years ago. The only things standing in the way of widespread Solid State Drive (SSD) adoption are high storage capacity and affordable price of Hard Disk Drive (HDD) devices. Because NAND flash-based SSD technology costs more per gigabyte of capacity than traditional magnetic hard drives, the benefits of immediate response time, transfer speeds, and operational input/output performance often get overlooked. Like most consumer products, it wasn't a question of how much improvement was evident in the new technology, it was price. I'll discuss product costs more in just a moment, but for now consider how each new series of SSD product employs greater performance than the one before it, convincing would-be consumers into waiting for the right time to buy. There's also a gray area surrounding SSD performance benchmarks that has me concerned. You might not know this, but SSDs can be very temperamental towards the condition of their flash NAND. My experience testing dozens of Solid State Drives is that a freshly cleaned device (using an alignment tool) will always outperform the same device once it's been formatted and used. A perfect example are Indilinx Barefoot-based SSDs, which suffers severely degraded performance when writing to 'dirty' flash NAND. The reason that all of this will matter is simple: the performance results reported to consumers in product reviews (such as this one) often report the very best performance scores, and the process used to obtain these results is not applicable to real-world usage. This is where garbage collection techniques such as TRIM become important, so that end-users will experience the same performance levels as we do in our tests.
Garbage Collection (GC) is the current solution for keeping flash NAND in 'clean' condition, while maintaining optimal performance. Windows 7 offers native TRIM support, and most retail SSDs also include this special GC function or at least offer a firmware update that brings the drive up-to-date. For anyone using an Operating System or SSD that does not offer Garbage Collection functionality, you'll be using 'dirty' flash NAND modules and suffering sub-optimal performance for each write-to request. A few SSD manufacturers offers free tools to help restore peak-level performance by scheduling GC to 'clean' used NAND sectors, but these tools add excessive wear to the NAND the same way disk defragmenting tools would. SLC flash modules may resist wear much better than MLC counterparts, but come at the expense of increased production cost. The best solution is a more durable NAND module that offers long-lasting SLC benefits at the cost of MLC construction. Adoption is further stalled because keen consumers aware of this dilemma further continue their delay into the SSD market. Getting back to price, the changes in cost per gigabyte have come as often as changes to the technology itself. At their inception, high-performance models such the 32GB MemoRight GT cost $33 per gigabyte while the entry-level 32GB Mtron MOBI 3000 sold for $14 per gigabyte. While an enjoyable decline in NAND component costs forced consumer SSD prices down low in 2009, the price of SSD products has been on the rise during 2010. Nevertheless, Solid State Drives continue to fill store shelves despite price or capacity, and there are a few SSD products now costing only $2.03 per gigabyte. Although the performance may justify the price, which is getting dangerously close to the $0.79 per gigabyte for the WD VelociRaptor hard drive, costs may still close some buyers out of the market. Price notwithstanding, the future is in SSD technology - or possibly a SSD hybrid - and the day when HDDs are obsolete is nearing. OCZ Agility 2 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. Our performance rating considers how effective the 120GB OCZ Agility 2 'Extended' SSD performs in operations against direct competitor SATA storage solutions. For reference, SandForce specifies the SF-1200 at 260 MB/s read and write, while OCZ increases performance expectations to 280 MB/s read and 270 write. In our benchmark tests, the Agility 2 SSD performed at or above this rating, and often matched the Vertex 2 series. For example, the OCZ Agility 2 SSD delivered 286/277 MBps peak read and writes speeds using ATTO Disk Benchmark SSD speed tests with Everest Disk Benchmark produced 269/258 MB/s, making this one of the fastest SATA-3GBps MLC SSD's Benchmark Reviews has ever tested. The retail OCZSSD2-2AGTE120G kit that OCZ sent for testing uses a custom 1.11 firmware release, and operational performance measured 23376 when tested with Iometer. The Agility 2 series dominates the other SSDs lacking SandForce technology, and proved that OCZ's investment into custom firmware has paid off. Enthusiasts can expect high operational speeds and functionality for demanding applications.
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. OCZ has created an back-to-basics look with the black and silver label on their Agility 2 SSD series, while the black metal chassis matches the others in their product line. As solid state 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. Construction is probably the strongest feature credited to any solid state product line, and the OCZ Agility 2 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. If an OCZ Agility 2 SSD Series product does happen to fail during the 3-year warranty period, end-users may contact OCZ via the company website, or extensive support forums. Fortunately, there's also a toll-free telephone number (800-459-1816) for free technical support and customer service questions. Benchmark Reviews has tested the OCZ Agility 2 SSD against many of its closest competitors, and the performance results were impressive by their own merits. In fact, the OCZ Agility 2 offered faster speeds than most other SSDs, including the Vertex 2. Operational performance tests still placed the Agility 2 very high, but not to the level of 'unlocked' 50,000 IOPS SSDs, such as the aforementioned Vertex 2. High-performance computer enthusiasts will enjoy the a noteworthy 0.15 ms response time, which assures a nearly-instant reactions when called upon. Based on the SATA-3.0 SandForce SF-1222TA3-SBH processor, the OCZ Agility 2-series delivers native TRIM garbage collection (in Windows 7) and SMART support with impressive transfer speeds. 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 due to 7% over-provisioning. SandForce SSDs are taking the storage market by storm, has helped the OCZ Agility 2 dominate the high-performance PC hardware segment. Not only are SandForce-based Solid State Drives extremely fast, but more importantly they're capable of SLC-level operational performance I/O and NAND durability. The OCZ Agility 2 series builds from the powerful SandForce SF-1222 solid state processor, which brings innovation to the SSD industry by prolonging MLC NAND flash module lifetime and delivering RAID-like data redundancy. When one SandForce product is physically identical to another, the overall value depends on price, warranty, and customer support. If you're price shopping, a quick stroll through our other recent SandForce SF-1200 product reviews will reveal other SSD options. As of 21 September 2010, OCZ's Agility-2 SSD series dominates every capacity with an extremely competitive price point. There are several capacities available, which are sold in standard (28% over-provision) or extended (7% over-provision) Agility 2 models:
Prices between standard and extended Agility 2 SSDs are intended to be comparable, with frequent promotions and rebates further reducing costs. Consumers must decide which is most important: less capacity with more over-provisioned NAND intended for a longer Enterprise-class lifetime, or more capacity with less over-provisioning more befitting of end-users. Since both versions offer extremely durable data storage lifetimes, and replacement/refreshment cycles generally run 3-5 years, my recommendation goes for choosing the Vertex 2 'Extended' series. Additionally, NewEgg's pricing it hard to recommend the 120GB Agility-2 we tested over the Vertex-2 of the same capacity. Until the prices get sorted out (and they change by the hour), compare products and look for the best value. OCZ's Agility 2 SSD series has pushed bandwidth speed performance to the highest point we've seen from a 2nd-generation SATA-3GB/s drive. Delivering an exceptionally attractive operational performance (IOPS) reaching past 23K, the Agility 2 could be suited for home and small business servers. Consumers should consider the Agility-2 and Vertex-2 series identical products; except for that Agility-2 delivers 20K IOPS while Vertex-2 is good for up to 50K. Pricing will also guide consumer decisions, and there's at least one example where Vertex-2 is the better buy. Nevertheless, OCZ's Agility 2 easily outmatches previous non-SandForce multi-layer cell SSDs, and competes head-on with Enterprise-level MLC storage solutions. OCZ offers the Agility 2 in huge assortment of capacities, allowing for a storage solution at every price point. All Agility-2 kits come with a 2.5" into 3.5" converter tray, which desktop computer enthusiasts should welcome. In summary, OCZ's Agility 2 dominates nearly every capacity with extremely attractive pricing, and still keeps the three-year product warranty. For high-performance enthusiasts and hardcore gamers, the OCZ Agility 2 offers blazing fast transfer speed and excellent operational performance. Pros:
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Comments
I'm so glad that people are finally coming to understand where speed comes from for most computer-related tasks.