Mushkin Atlas 240GB mSATA SSD Review – Top Performance at an Unbeatable Price
It seems that the LSI SandForce Flash Storage Processor (FSP) combined with Toshiba Toggle Mode NAND is the perfect mix for solid state drives if we follow recent trends. Some manufacturers are even re-releasing SSDs with premium Toggle Mode NAND as the upgrade for that IOPS boost.
The Mushkin Atlas 240GB mSATA SSD contains both ingredients and our analysis will put the theory to the test.
INTRODUCTION
The Mushkin Atlas mSATA SSD is available in capacities of 60, 120 and 240GB and is presently available at retailers for $84.99, $129.99 and $239.99. It is a SATA 3 mSATA SSD measuring 50.80 x 29.85 x 4.35mm and weighing about 7 grams. This form factor is the smallest and most powerful storage medium available for today’s computer and the Atlas comes with a three year standard warranty. Performance is listed at 560MB/s read and 530MB/s write with 80,000 IOPS at 4k aligned random right disk access.
Packaging for the Atlas is as we should see all mSATA SSDs and consists of a plastic casing that is clicked open or closed from the top. Marketing for the SSD is very simple and appealing, as it should be, considering those looking for an mSATA SSD already know exactly what they want.
ATLAS COMPONENTS
The Mushkin ATlas is driven by a LSI SandForce SF-2281 FSP and contains four modules of Toshiba 24nm Toggle Mode NAND Flash Memory (TH58TEG9D2HBA89), identical to the memory used in the MyDigitalSSD BP3 256GB SSD we recently reviewed. We also believe that this is the same memory of our recent MyDigitalSSD SMART 256GB SSD Review (aka AData SX300), however, this cannot be confirmed as the memory of that device cannot be identified by its external branding.
Each module is 64GB in size for a RAW total of 256GB, however, SandForce over provisioning, firmware needs and formatting leave the end user with 224GB of available storage space.
- pcuser
- simply_eff
