12 replies to this topic

[Knight_72]

Hey guys,

So recently my 1Tb WD Caviar Black Sata6G drive has been giving me corruption of data and an abundance of problems - not unexpected considering the number of times its been formatted in its +- 2 years of use.

So what I want to do is get a SSD and use it for my Windows 7 64 bit OS, Office stuff and non-gaming programs while installing games/Steam/storage to my other 500Gb Seagate HDD and once the HDD prices drop, I will replace this with a 1Tb drive for games/Steam/storage.

Now I am a total noob when it comes to SSDs I need your help deciding on a good brand SSD which uses SATA 3.0 aka 6Gbps and is reliable - dont want this thing to die very quickly on me My budget is probably around $200 on newegg so around Performance Pro 128Gb, Force GT 120Gb, OCZ Vertex 3 120Gb, Patriot Wildfire 120Gb and all drives priced like that

So lets discuss ...

[ComputerEd]

Of the drives with the size you want and the price point I have used the GT and the Agility and both are outstanding drives. For $204 you can also add the Kingston Hyper X to that mix. You are not going to go wrong with any of these drives. From a speed point of view do not get to caught up in the throughputs as they look impressive on paper but in real world usage do not really amount o much. An SSD gets the real performance boost from the access times.<br><br>If you want to stay under $200 right now then I would go with the Corsair GT, the drive is very snappy and stable. I personally am using a Hyper X which I felt in my testing was a little snappier in day to day performance but the price difference makes this decision tough.<br><br>

[RockyJ]

Let me caution you. Resistance is futile, Once you experience the difference you will be assimilated by the SSD revolution.

I am currently running 2 Agility3 120GB SSD's and couldn't be happier. Absolutely no issues to report, I am aware there were issues reported earlier with these drives but it appears like the 2.15 firmware took care of all that. With the rebates offered they can be had in the $125 range. (Micro Center)

Using a SSD at least for your OS and you will be impressed..

The only issue in my mind is will they last a reasonable (to me) length of time in use. Of course if you need terabytes of storage then cost is a very real issue... for now.

[DanTheGamer11]

A SDXC Card

[Shurman292]

I'd grab a Vertex 3 120gb, they have more IOPS than the Agility series and better NAND memory.

[vandreadstriker]

I'd agree with ComputerEd. The Kingston HyperX 120GB. It's by far the second greatest SSD I've seen (Lost only to the OCZ Vertex3 120GB MAX IOPS by a margin)
In my list its:
OCZ Vertex3 < Patriot Wildfire < Kingston HyperX < OCZ Vertex3 MAX IOPS


A point to remember, the HyperX comes in 2 version: Upgrade Kit & Stand-alone drive
The upgrade kit includes software for easy cloning and other goodies (for people who don't want hastle) and comes at an extra cost.
The Stand-alone drive is the typical SSD package (Instructions and an adapter)

Edited by vandreadstriker, 04 February 2012 - 10:50 AM.

[Stonerboy779]

Hey Nyt you seem to be able to waste money so get 4x256GB Crucial M4s and dump them in Raid 0.
Also pick up a 1TB USB 3.0 external HDD to clone the Raid 0 array to weekly.

Sound good?

Any etailers you can link in sa?

[Knight_72]

Hey Nyt you seem to be able to waste money so get 4x256GB Crucial M4s and dump them in Raid 0.
Also pick up a 1TB USB 3.0 external HDD to clone the Raid 0 array to weekly.

Sound good?

Any etailers you can link in sa?

Well I actually have a 1Tb USB 3.0 external

Well there is one over here : http://rebeltech.co....&sort=3a&page=4 - Anything under R2800 I can get

Im kinda leaning to a Corsair Performance Pro 128Gb (cant get the Crucial M4 over here ). The Marvel controller is more reliable and it still has good speeds yet performs well in the real world ... Plus it has an extra 8gb compared to others in my range And its only R2500

[Prunes]

Now I haven't tried any of the SSD's. However, I've only heard good about the Corsair GT. I've been looking into it myself a little and everyone is very positive about it. And Corsair in general makes good quality products. The OCZ one is also supposedly very good. I guess the SSDs are like most other computer tech, when you're looking at the big brands. There is little to no difference between them. It often ends up being either price or looks.

[PremiumAcc]

Well I actually have a 1Tb USB 3.0 external

Well there is one over here : http://rebeltech.co....&sort=3a&page=4 - Anything under R2800 I can get

Im kinda leaning to a Corsair Performance Pro 128Gb (cant get the Crucial M4 over here ). The Marvel controller is more reliable and it still has good speeds yet performs well in the real world ... Plus it has an extra 8gb compared to others in my range And its only R2500

That is why I went with my Plextor 128GB M3 SSD. That, and because it has a 5 year warranty.
It was either a Marvell SSD or the Corsair Force GT.
I would recommend Crucial M4 256GB since money is not an issue for you. But since it is not available these other SSDs are just as good (in no particular order): Corsair Performance Pro, Samsung 830, Plextor M3 (how could I not recommend the SSD I use? ).

[Fogel]

The Marvel controller is more reliable and it still has good speeds yet performs well in the real world ... Plus it has an extra 8gb compared to others in my range And its only R2500

The Marvell controller had its issues at launch too ...and they were far worse than the issues SandForce had at launch. I have a Patriot Wildfire and I experienced the issues at the beginning. They were annoying to say the least, but they have patched those issues across all of the SF drives. At this point, you can't go wrong with either Marvell or SF. Though you do bring up a good point on the M4 having an extra 8gb - that is something worth arguing for.

[Speedway]

I love my Force GT, in a bidding war right now to try snag another at $150 But, Corsair makes great products period, and I have been very happy with the SSD

edit: Won 240GB of SSD RAID 0 space, here I come! Also Nyt, congrats on finally making the best upgrade choice and getting an SSD, you will get addicted quick! SSD space is to a PC enthusiast as crack is to a crackhead