The SSD Update: Vertex Gets Faster, New Indilinx Drives and Intel/MacBook Problems Resolved
by Anand Lal Shimpi on March 30, 2009 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Storage
SuperTalent’s Indilinx Drive: The UltraDrive ME
Just before I left for GDC I got another SSD: SuperTalent’s UltraDrive ME. This is SuperTalent’s Vertex-equivalent, it actually uses the same Indilinx Barefoot controller. As far as I can tell, the drive uses the same firmware as OCZ’s 1275.
While I barely had any time with OCZ’s 1275 firmware, I had even less time with the UltraDrive ME. I ran my iometer random write test to see if this thing performed like the updated Vertex; it did:
I spoke to three more manufacturers evaluating the Indilinx Barefoot controller during my time out in the bay area. The only complaints I’ve heard are that Indilinx is a very small company and the Barefoot controller is perhaps priced a little too high. With pressure from additional manufacturers, and as volumes go up, we should see these drives get even more affordable.
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monoton - Monday, March 30, 2009 - link
Hello Anand,I've read your articles about SSD with great interest and enjoyed the in-depth reviewing very very much.
Now with this update all I asked myself when seeing the headline was: Does it stutter (again)? You do mention random write performance but the maximum latency for random 4kb writes isn't stated at all. You were dwelling on that part so extensively in the other article that I thought it might have been a good idea to have it updated here. Please, pretty please, with sugar on top ;) let us know about it. Why else should we pay the extra cash to get the Intel...
One other thing also: You had a comment in that other article about the method of simulating the "used" drives - did you also fill up the spare blocks this time? Because the comment says, that it would bias the test results towards the Intel drive.
All in all no biggies, and I hope you continue to do these amazing reviews for a long time!
Best,
monoton
monoton - Monday, March 30, 2009 - link
Btw. the comment I'm referring to is the top one on pg. 19 of the comments.mschira - Monday, March 30, 2009 - link
Did you test any SSD directly plugged into the PCI-e slot likethe Fusion-io?Cheers
M.
LinkerX - Monday, March 30, 2009 - link
Anandtech has become the go to site since Toms Hardware turned in to junk. Keep up the great work.JonnyDough - Monday, March 30, 2009 - link
"Your words and support are what inspire me to, even today almost 12 years since I started AnandTech, continue to work on things like The SSD Anthology or The RV770 Story. Thank you."(quote button doesn't work so I just used quotes)
You mean you don't get paid for your articles? Tell the crustacean man to get on it.
Akkuma - Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - link
I recently told my roommate I read AnandTech and have been doing so for years (about 6 or so now). He told me about how he went to high school with him (he is from Raleigh, NC) and was driving Porsches back then, handing out freebies from all the stuff he got to friends, bought his parents a home, etc..I don't hold it against the guy, but he is making some extremely serious bank from the site when he is one of the original computer hardware review sites.
strikeback03 - Thursday, April 2, 2009 - link
Least he earned the money. We had people in my HS driving (brand new) Porsches that their parents had bought them.Bladen - Monday, March 30, 2009 - link
Keep up the good work.I have always seen this site as the most professional of it's kind.
RyuDeshi - Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - link
I agree. I can never read through an entire THG article.. yet I managed to real almost every last word of multiple SSD articles Anand has posted. Keep up the excellent work!semo - Monday, March 30, 2009 - link
"OCZ and Indilinx want to slot their drive in between the JMicron garbage and the Intel drive"gold. those scumbags must have set back ssd adoption by years in certain sectors. i still hear the AMD processors are too hot nonsense every once in a while.