Crucial RealSSD-C300 SSD Review

Solid State Drive technology has helped transform computers into high-performance machines. Adding to the mania, 6.0-Gbps SATA-III bandwidth has cleared any bottlenecks that may have previously limited SSD speeds. Based on the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 SSD processor, the 256GB Crucial RealSSD-C300 becomes the industry's first SATA-6G consumer Solid State Drive. Likewise, the C300 is also the first SSD to use ONFI 2.1 synchronous NAND flash. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1 model rated for 355/215 MBps read and write speeds using the HighPoint Rocket 620LF PCI-Express host controller.

Just over two years ago there were only five companies involved in Solid State Drive technology, and as of January 2010 there are nearly 140 names in the business. Without doubt, the SSD market has enjoyed a powerful growth period with relatively painless consumer acceptance. Benchmark Reviews has been on top of the SSD scene since retail products were first introduced at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show

In such a short amount of time, the entire SSD market has created and recreated itself several times over. Counting the generations of SSD processors has become difficult for experienced experts, and keeping-up with controller architecture has come with its own set of challenges. Benchmark Reviews has already tested dozens of Solid State Drive products, and we've seen everything from dual-SATA controllers in RAID-0 to large cache buffer modules used inside of them. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 SSD controller, which is used in the Crucial RealSSD C300 Solid State Drive by Micron Technology.

While the SSD industry grows daily, only a few select manufacturers offer popularly-accepted Flash NAND SSD controllers. The most popular consumer controllers at the moment are: Indilinx IDX110M00-FC "Barefoot", Intel PC29AS21AA0, JMicron JMF612, Toshiba T6UG1XBG, Samsung S3C29RBB01-YK40, Marvell 88SS8014-BHP2, SandForce SF-1200/1500, and now the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 SATA-III SSD controller.

EDITOR'S NOTE 04-May-2010: Crucial Technologies has released the first public firmware update (version FW0002) for the RealSSD C300 SSD series, available here. Based on our experience, this update must use IDE-mode on a SATA-3GB/s controller. The drive will not be recognized if AHCI or RAID mode is used.

About Crucial Technology

Crucial is a key brand in the Lexar Media family of products. As the Memory Experts, we're the only DRAM supplier that's part of a major memory manufacturer.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Micron Technology, Inc., Lexar Media, Inc. boasts one of the most comprehensive offerings of memory product lines in the industry. We deliver high-quality, award-winning products in every memory category: USB flash drives, all popular form factors of memory cards and card readers, DRAM computer memory for PCs and Mac systems, and solid state drives (SSD). We back our products with outstanding customer support and industry-leading warranties, and we strive to expand our offerings to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers - customers just like you.

The Lexar brand has long been synonymous with reliable, high-performance products, which is reflected in the award-winning memory products and USB flash drives sold under the Lexar name.

Our Crucial brand reflects our status as the only consumer memory upgrade supplier that's part of a major DRAM manufacturer. We sell high-quality memory that has been qualified and approved by most major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The Crucial.com website features innovative online tools and an intuitive design that makes it easy to find compatible memory and recommended upgrades. And because we carry over 250,000 upgrades for more than 40,000 systems, we've got options for nearly every system out there.

Lexar Media has more than 10 years experience in the memory industry. Our strong retail brands, along with our direct online and OEM presence, make Lexar Media a global player in every major customer channel, including value-added resellers, system builders, and e-commerce. And we've built a name synonymous with quality, innovation, and customer service.

About Micron Technology

Micron is one of the world's leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Micron's DRAM and Flash components are used in today's most advanced computing, networking, and communications products, including computers, workstations, servers, cell phones, wireless devices, digital cameras, and gaming systems.

Solid state technology is changing the way data is stored. And, not surprisingly, Micron is a major contributor to the changing NAND landscape. From cost-effective embedded storage to high-performance client SSDs and high-endurance enterprise solutions, our RealSSD products are setting the bar high.

We're able to offer such highly tuned solid state storage because we're one of the few SSD manufacturers who also makes NAND Flash memory. Leveraging our industry-leading advanced process technologies and integration of ONFI interface standards, we're helping push storage to greater heights.

Our groundbreaking RealSSD C300 drives are the fastest client SSDs on the market. Built on our high-speed MLC NAND and the SATA 6Gb/s interface, these drives dramatically improve boot and application load times. Find out how our C300 drives can help optimize the performance of your computing applications.

Crucial RealSSD Features:

The RealSSD C300 drive was designed by Micron Technology, using the company's award-winning 34-nanometer NAND technology and a high-speed ONFI 2.1 NAND interface. Product features include:

• 128GB Capacity: MTFDDAC128MAG-1G1
• 256GB Capacity: CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1
• 2.5-inch form factor
• SATA 6Gb/s system interface
• 4.3W / 94mW average power (active/standby)
• Up to 355 MB/s sustained sequential read speed
• Up to 215 MB/s sustained sequential write speed
• 1500 G/1ms shock and 2Hz to 500Hz at 3.1G vibration
• 0°C to +70°C temperature range
• 75g weight

	Features	Benefits
Capacity	C300: 128GB to 256GB	Industry standard for notebook applications
Form Factor	2.5-inch	Drop-in replacement for existing designs that use HDDs
System Interface	C300: SATA 6Gb/s	Next-generation SATA 6Gb/s provides ultra-high bandwith for unprecedented performance
Average Power (active/standby)	C300: 3.9W / <100mW	Improves battery life and heat dissipation
Sustained Sequential Read/Write Speeds	C300: up to 355 MB/s read and 215 MB/s write	Improves operating system boot and application load times
Shock and Vibration	1500 G/1ms shock 2Hz to 500Hz at 3.1G vibration	Absence of any moving parts enables reliable operation in the most demanding environments
Temperature Range	0°C to +70°C	Ideal for rugged environments
Weight	2.5-inch: 75g	Lighter than HDDs, making them better for portable applications

MTFDDAC256MAG Specifications:

• Micron MLC NAND Flash
• RoHS-compliant package
• SATA 6Gb/s interface
• ATA modes supported
  - PIO mode 3, 4
  - Multiword DMA mode 0, 1, 2
  - Ultra DMA mode 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
• Industry-standard, 512-byte sector size support
• Hot-plug capable
• Native Command Queuing support with 32 command slot support
• ATA-8 command set compliant
• ATA security feature command set and password login support
• Secure erase (data page) command set: fast and secure erase (clear, sanitize)
• Self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology (SMART) command set
• Performance:
  - PCMark Vantage (HDD test suite score): 45,000 (SATA 6Gb/s), 35,000 (SATA 3 Gb/s)
  - Sequential READ: up to 355 MB/s (SATA 6Gb/s), up to 265 MB/s (SATA 3 Gb/s)
  - Sequential WRITE: up to 215 MB/s (140 MB/s for 128GB drive)
  - Random 4k READ: up to 60,000 IOPS (SATA 6Gb/s), up to 50,000 IOPS (SATA 3 Gb/s)
  - Random 4k WRITE: up to 45,000 IOPS (30,000 IOPS for 128GB drive)
  - READ latency: 55μs (TYP SATA 6Gb/s), 70μs (TYP SATA 3 Gb/s)
  - WRITE latency: 60μs (TYP SATA 6Gb/s), 95μs (TYP SATA 3 Gb/s)
• Reliability
  - MTBF: TBD
  - 3-year warranty
  - Static and dynamic wear leveling
  - Field-upgradable firmware
  - Uncorrectable bit error rate (UBER): <1 sector per 1015 bits read
  - Low power consumption
• Endurance: Total bytes written (TBW) - 72TB
• Mechanical
  - SATA connector: 5V ±5%
  - 2.5-inch drive: 100.45mm x 69.85mm x 9.5mm
  - Weight: 75g (MAX)
• Capacity (unformatted): 128GB, 256GB
• Operating temperature: Commercial (0°C to +70°C)
  
  

  First Look: Crucial RealSSD

  Micron Technology, the parent company behind the Lexar and Crucial brands, has a long history of product development. Manufacturers will often dress-up their new product to help them sell, but consumers shouldn't get caught-up in the flashy stickers or packaging because they drop out of sight soon enough. When it comes to notebook computer drives consumers need to remember that once installed, that SSD gets hidden away from view and forgotten.

  Because this is a premium-priced Solid State Drive storage device with no moving parts, it takes some extra attention towards product presentation to keep consumers feeling comfortable with their high-dollar purchase. To this extent Crucial has pulled out all the stops, and delivered their new RealSSD-C300 in my favorite color combination: black and yellow. This takes me back to my childhood when I would watch stock-car races and cheer for the machine painted with these same colors. Hopefully Crucial's RealSSD-C300 will be just as fast.

  

  In addition to notebook and desktop computer installations, the 256GB Crucial RealSSD-C300 MLC SSD could also be utilized for mission-critical backups or high-abuse data systems; but its real focus is on high-performance data transfer speeds. Although the Micron CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1 model does not offer an integrated USB Mini-B port, there is a USB-to-SATA (and SATA power) adapter for making this into a portable backup storage device. Honestly, this should be standard equipment for all SSD storage products, and I'm happy to see Crucial lead by example.

  

  Standard 2.5" drive bay mounting points are pre-drilled and threaded into the Crucial RealSSD-C300, which allows for quick upgrade or addition into any existing notebook or desktop system. The mounting positions matched up to the drive bracket on my notebook computer, and after only a few minutes of drive cloning I was quickly loading the Windows O/S.

  

  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. Crucial utilizes a textured metal enclosure for their CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1 model, which reveals the internal components after removing just four small counter-sunk Phillips-head screws from the top side. The Crucial RealSSD-C300 has a warranty-void sticker along the seam, and removing the enclosure cover will remove consumer protection with it. Benchmark Reviews will reveal all of the internal components on our next section anyway, so just be patient.

  

  Thanks to a new SATA-III Marvell 88SS9174 controller architecture (detailed in the next section), the Crucial RealSSD-C300 Solid State Drive offers outstanding transfer speeds for high-performance enthusiasts. Now that you're acquainted with the basic exterior features for this 256GB C300 SSD, it's time to peek inside the metal enclosure and inspect the internal components...

  
  

  Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 SSD Controller

  Micron utilizes the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 Solid State Drive controller inside their 256GB Crucial RealSSD-C300 SSD, model CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1. While the SSD industry grows daily, only a few select manufacturers offer popularly-accepted Flash NAND SSD controllers. The most popular consumer controllers at the moment are: Indilinx IDX110M00-FC "Barefoot", Intel PC29AS21AA0, JMicron JMF612, Toshiba T6UG1XBG, Samsung S3C29RBB01-YK40, Marvell 88SS8014-BHP2, SandForce SF-1200/1500, and now the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 SATA-III SSD processor introduced by Crucial.

  

  In most respects, the new Marvell SSD circuit board follows the design of several past products. Illustrated from the top-view image above, you'll notice that the printed circuit board (PCB) utilizes a dense component layout for the Micron flash NAND modules and Marvell 88SS9174 SSD-controller with few electronics filling the remaining area. Marvell's 88SS9174 SATA-III SSD processor is joined by up to sixteen flash NAND modules (Micron 0AB12 used here), and a single DRAM chip for buffered transactions. Although only a 256GB capacity has been revealed for the Crucial RealSSD-C300, anything is possible as demand grows for more storage space.

  

  The Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 processor used in this architecture was taken from the Crucial RealSSD-C300 Solid State Drive model CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1. The Marvell 88SS9174 supports Native Command Queuing (NCQ) with 32 command slots. Similar to other modern SSD controllers, the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 processor was built to support native TRIM and Secure Erase commands. Additionally, the Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) command set is also supported on the Crucial RealSSD-C300.

  Bandwidth estimates for the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 SSD controller claim speeds up to 355 MB/s read-from and 215 MB/s write-to, however these are dependant on the flash-NAND and DRAM buffer used (the Crucial RealSSD-C300 CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1 is referenced here).

  

  Since Crucial is a Micron brand, it's not surprising to see Micron NAND used in the RealSSD-C300 Solid State Drive. The flash NAND used on the CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1 (256GB) model are built with 34-nanometer technology and utilizes Micron's high-speed ONFI 2.1 NAND interface for 166 MT/s with 512-byte industry standard sector size. Each 32GB NLC NAND module requires 3.3V, and is marked as OAB12 NW172 (Micron part MT29F32G08CBABBWP-12).

  

  The ONFI 2.1 specification pushes NAND performance levels into a new performance range: 166 MB/s to 200 MB/s. This new specification is the first NAND specification to specifically address the performance needs of solid-state drives to offer faster data transfer rates in combination with other new technologies like SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.0 and PCI Express Gen2.

  The 128MB Micron OAD12-D9LGQ DDR DRAM module offers decent cache performance for fast transaction buffering, which will become more important as SATA-III 6.0Gbps transfers are observed.

  

  While the Marvell 88SS9174-BJP2 processor is an ambiguous component, we respect that our sample came inside the Crucial RealSSD-C300 series. Please continue on for details and performance results for this Solid State Drive..

OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SATA 3 SSD Review – RAID 0

A quick search on the internet defines Goliath as being of colossal power or achievement.

As much as we are going to introduce you to a new age in solid state drives with this pre-release review of the OCZ Vertex 240GB SATA 3 SSD, the name is as suitable for SandForce as it is for this drive itself.

Quite frankly, the results pulled from this SSD were completely unexpected.

The Vertex 3 blew away all of our SSD RAID configuration benchmarks as well as OCZ’ own RevoDrive and fared just behind the RevoDrive x2.  The reasoning is simple and great news for SSD enthusiasts everywhere; 4KB random performance has hit the sky.

INTRODUCTION

The OCZ Vertex II 240GB SSD is the first client release of several similar oem  SSD announcements expected in the next while and is powered by the new SandForce 2281 Client Processor.

Specifications describe it as having a maximum read performance of 550MB/s and write at 525MB/s with 4kb random write at an unheard of 60,000 IOPS in a consumer release.

You are going to want to pay attention to these 4kb random results because they alone make this drive much more special than the high sequential read and writes which have never been attained previously in a non-RAID SSD.  OCZ lists this drive as capable of 20% faster IOPS and 40% faster sequential access thorough-put than their previous generation of Sandforce based solid state drives.

The Vertex 3 SSD contains the SandForce SF-2281VA1-SDC-ES SATA 3 processor and the 240GB version contains 16 modules of Micron 16GB NAND flash (29F128G08CFAAB). This brings the drive to a total capacity of 256GB, however, over provisioning (7%) and firmware gives the end user a final available capacity of 223GB.

SPECIFICATIONS

Performance

• Max Read: 550 MB/s
• Max Write: 525 MB/s
• 4KB Random Write (aligned): Up to 60,000 IOPS
• Achieved on Intel Sandy Bridge platform which is recommended to show full potential of the drive

Key Features

• SATA III / 6Gbps
• Implements SandForce 2281 Client SSD Processor
• Enhanced BCH ECC capability
• Supports SATA-7 Security Erase
• Efficient Write Amplification Factor of less than 1 (4K database transfer workload)
• Significantly improved performance over previous generation
• Delivers 20% faster IOPS, and 40% faster sequential read/write throughputs
• Consumer solution that implements cost-effective2Xnm MLC NAND Flash to deliver an excellent balance of performance and reliability
• MTBF: 2 Million Hours
• 3 Year Warranty

P

Kingston HyperX 240GB SSD Review

By Steven Walton

Although Kingston hasn't made as big of a name for itself in the high-end SSD market as Intel and OCZ have, the company has remained highly competitive by focusing on the budget segment. Although its oft-used Toshiba controllers have modest read and write speeds of around 200MB/s, the Kingston SSDNow V+ range delivers surprisingly strong and affordable performance. On that particular drive Windows 7 boot times are surprisingly fast, plus the low power consumption means you should get a little more life out of mobile devices.

While Kingston has been content with Toshiba's controllers, it seems like everyone else jumped aboard the SandForce express. The SandForce SF-1200 (1222) controller was a big hit, with the shortlist of SSDs using it includes the ADATA S599, Corsair Force, G.Skill Phoenix, Mushkin Callisto, OCZ Vertex 2, Super Talent FT, Patriot Inferno, and Team Group Xtreem-S1. There were many others, but you get the point.

Furthermore, manufacturers didn't stop at a single SF-1200-based SSD. For example, OCZ released numerous iterations with the same SandForce chip, including the Vertex 2, Agility 2, Onyx 2 and RevoDrive. Having accumulated such a following, SandForce didn't hesitate to deliver its next series of flash drive controllers.

First demonstrated by OCZ's Vertex 3, the new SandForce SF-2200 (SF-2281) controller offers incredible read and write performance of over 500MB/s. Unfortunately, Toshiba has yet to produce a competing solution, so Kingston has adhered to the old adage "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

Kingston's new HyperX SSD range comes four months after we reviewed Vertex 3, so it might seem like the company is a bit tardy. However, its late arrival could prove beneficial when you consider the firmware issues others have been experiencing.

Firmware is a major contributor to the speed of SSDs and this has been a big selling point of the OCZ drives, as well as Intel's. That said, OCZ has had a fair amount of trouble with the second-gen SandForce controllers, as users report various errors including BSODs when running Windows. While OCZ and other SandForce partners who released early SF-2281 products have been working hard to correct these issues, it certainly makes you question their reliability. Corsair even had to recall a faulty batch of their Force SSDs.

By sitting on the sidelines, Kingston has been afforded the luxury of refining its firmware. The company says it's spent time ironing out the bugs in order to bring a stable and high performing product to market. It also claims that the HyperX range has undergone extended rigorous testing and qualifications. With that in mind, it's only fair to believe Kingston's latest addition will be a rock solid representation of the SandForce SF-2200 controller. Let's press on here and see if the HyperX can live up to that expectation.

Kingston HyperX in Detail

The HyperX series is aimed at performance buffs, with SF-2281-based models offering capacities of 120GB and 240GB. There are no signs of a 480GB model yet. The HyperX has a slim 2.5" design, measuring 10.1 x 6.9 x 9.3mm and weighing 94 grams. It consumes 2.0 watts of power when in use and just 0.455 watts in standby.

Kingston claims the same 555MB/s read and 510MB/s write performance for the 120GB and 240GB HyperX, whereas OCZ lists slightly different performance for each of its models.

The Vertex 3 120GB touts read and write speeds of 550MB/s and 500MB/s, the larger 240GB version is slightly faster with 550MB/s reads 520MB/s writes. The largest model offers 480GB of storage and is actually the slowest, rated at 530MB/s reads and 450MB/s writes.

Naturally, using SATA 6Gb/s is essential to achieving those speeds. The only issue with this is that Intel's Sandy Bridge platform is the only one that provides native SATA 6Gb/s support -- and it does so with only two ports.

Third party embedded solutions such as the Marvell 88SE9128 can provide motherboards with SATA 6Gb/s support, but offer very poor results compared to Intel's implementation. That said, Marvell's new 88SE9182 controller can mimic the performance of Intel's 6-series chipsets, so 6Gb/s SATA support is improving.

Both HyperX models are loaded with Intel MLC NAND (25nm) flash memory. Our review sample has sixteen 16GB NAND ICs for a total capacity of 256GB, but it's marketed as 240GB because 16GB is reserved for data parity (8GB for RAISE), garbage collection, and block replacement.

Once formatted in Windows, the original 240GB drops to 224GiB, meaning you lose roughly 7% from the GB to GiB conversion. With a retail value of $499 ($549 with an upgrade kit), the HyperX 240GB costs $2.07 per gigabyte -- not bad by SSD standards.

Like the original SF-1200, the SF-2200 uses data compression technology called DuraWrite that's designed to help lower write amplification and extend the drive's life by using fewer program-erase cycles. The upside is that this doesn't require a memory buffer, but it uses more storage space.

The SF-2200 uses the same Tensilica DC_570T CPU found in its predecessor and although the CPU remains the same, the compression engine has improved. The second-gen SandForce controllers have a bigger block of silicon dedicated to DuraWrite technology, while the garbage collection algorithms have also been enhanced.

The HyperX is backed by a three-year warranty, which is fairly common among competing drives and should let customers sleep comfortably at night. We'd like to drop a friendly reminder here that this won't protect your data, so be diligent about backups.

The SSD Review and OWC Combine To Achieve HWBot PCMark Vantage World Record

The SSD Review would like to thank our team Captain Paul Alcorn for coming out of the gate flying for the introduction of The SSD Review HWBot World OverClocking Team!!

In his very first submission, Paul was able to establish a world record in the PCMark Vantage overall point category for a Quad Core system by posting a high score of 34311 marks. This can be seen at the HWBot Hall of Famewhere all scores are registered and posted on verification.

Paul’s complete system details can be seen in our recent review of the Areca 1880 RAID Card where he was able to achieve unbelievable speeds of 3.2GB/s read and 3.6GB/s write speeds while combining the Areca with eight OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE (RAID Enhanced) SSDs. Imagine downloading a full blue ray movie in less than a second!

Heres a quick pik of the system with the SSD drives! Just out of range of the bottom of this shot happens to be Pauls fire extinguisher.

Pauls efforts have immediately pushed The SSD Review Team to position 353 of 1473 as can be seen at our Team Page and we think this is a great start for our entry into the world of overclocking performance and speed. It never came without a bit of concern, however, as our effort to push the fold has already resulted in a bit of a spillage while testing our new LSI 9265 MegaRAID card, piks of the card and spillage available on our Forum Page. Luckily, all affected components were salvaged and work fine.

The SSD Review would like to thank Other World Computing for jumping in to be a part of our move to RAID testing and, as can be clearly seen thus far, the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro RE SSDs used are fully capable of accomplishing much more than the job at hand.

Anyone interested in becoming part of The SSD Review HWBot Team is invited to join our Forums and jump into the community. Not only can you find assistance in SSDs from finding and installing SSDs, but you will also find that our worldwide community has the expertise to tackle any computing question you might have. Who knows…you just may win an Intel i7-975 Extreme Processorvalued at over $1000!!