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TECHNOLOGY X TEST BENCH AND PROTOCOL
SSD Testing at Technology X differs slightly depending on whether we are looking at consumer or enterprise SSDs. For consumer SSDs, our goal is to test in a system that has been optimized with our SSD Optimization Guide. To see the best performance possible the CPU C states have been disabled, C1E support has been disabled, Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST) has been disabled. Benchmarks for consumer testing are also benchmarks with a fresh drive so, not only can we verify that manufacturer specifications are in line but also, so the consumer can replicate our tests to confirm that they have an SSD that is top-notch. We even provide links to most of the benchmarks used in the report.
This is an updated test bench and, as such, we would love to thank those who jumped in specifically to help the cause. Key contributors to this build are our friends at ASUS for the motherboard and be quiet! for the PSU and cooling fans. We have detailed all components in the table below and they are all linked should you wish to make a duplicate of our system as so many seem to do, or check out the price of any single component. As always, we appreciate your support in any purchase though our links!
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
This Test Bench build was the result of some great relationships and purchase; our appreciation goes to the below mentioned manufacturers for their support in our project. All of the components we use for testing and evaluation can be easily purchased at a relatively affordable price. The links provided below can assist in pricing, as well as availability for those of you who may find interest in our equipment.
| PC CHASSIS: | Corsair 650D |
| MOTHERBOARD: | Asus Maximus VI Extreme |
| CPU: | Intel Core i5-4670K |
| CPU COOLER: | Thermalright Silver Arrow |
| POWER SUPPLY: | be quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 850W |
| SYSTEM COOLING: | be quiet! Silent Wings 2 |
| GRAPHICS CARD: | MSI GTX 660 Ti PE OC |
| MEMORY: | G.Skill Ares DDR3-1866Mhz Memory |
BENCHMARK SOFTWARE
The software we will be using for today’s analysis is typical of many of our reviews and consists of ATTO Disk Benchmark, Crystal Disk Info, Crystal Disk Mark, AS SSD, Anvil’s Storage Utilities, PCMark Vantage, and PCMark 8. In consumer reports, we prefer to test with easily accessible software that the consumer can obtain, and in many cases, we even provide links. Our selection of software allows each to build on the last and to provide validation to results already obtained.
Crystal Disk Info is a great tool for displaying the characteristics and health of storage devices. It displays everything from temperatures, to the number of hours the device has been powered, and even to the extent of informing you of the firmware of the device.
Crystal Disk Info doesn’t report too many S.M.A.R.T. values for the Samsung 850 Pro, however, all essential attributes are listed, including the write counter and temperature. Under features, in addition to the typical TRIM and NCQ support we see that the new drive supports DEVSLP which is the lowest power state for SATA.
ATTO Disk Benchmark is perhaps one of the oldest benchmarks going and is definitely the main staple for manufacturer performance specifications. ATTO uses RAW or compressible data and, for our benchmarks, we use a set length of 256mb and test both the read and write performance of various transfer sizes ranging from 0.5 to 8192kb. Manufacturers prefer this method of testing as it deals with raw (compressible) data rather than random (includes incompressible data) which, although more realistic, results in lower performance results.
ATTO shows us a high of 563MB/s read and 472MB/s write. These results surpass the listed specifications of 550MB/s read and 470 MB/s write.
Review Overview
Build
Performance
Consistency
Features
SSD Warranty
The Frist Consumer VNAND SSD!
The Samsung 850 Pro is the highest performing SATA 6Gb/s SSD we have reviewed to date. Packed with new innovative 3D V-NAND, full encryption support, and backed by an industry leading 10 year warranty, it is definitely worth a look!
Do you feel like this is a game changer as far as SSD’s go? or just a good alternative to buying the Samsung 840 pro(which I own) ?
Well, performance has only slightly been improved, not enough to really be perceivable compared to your own 840 Pro. We don’t have any consistency tests of the old pro so we can’t direct compare for you yet. But the 10 year warranty, endurance increase, and the new V-NAND are definitely game changers.
Yeah I had a feeling that was going to be the case with the SSD, so if you do not already have an SSD and looking for a top of the line product in the consumer product then the 850 pro is a very good way to go. I remember with the EVO cam out with the RAPID technology and how pumped some enthusiasts were about the idea. I also remember that you mentioned it would eventually be able to be used by a 840 pro model, and one day while updating my firmware, it said Rapid available for these models and I was pretty excited. Especially because their is not just benchmark differences but also real world difference. Do you know if this SSD will have access to something similar? or maybe another a in the 850 line will. Thanks for the reply and keep writing man, I’ll keep reading.