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The SSD Review uses benchmark software called PCMark Vantage x64 HDD Suite to create testing scenarios that might be used in the typical user experience. There are eight tests in all and the tests performed record the speed of data movement in MB/s to which they are then given a numerical score after all of the tests are complete. The simulations are as follows:
- Windows Defender In Use
- Streaming Data from storage in games such as Alan Wake which allows for massive worlds and riveting non-stop action
- Importing digital photos into Windows Photo Gallery
- Starting the Vista Operating System
- Home Video editing with Movie Maker which can be very time consuming
- Media Center which can handle video recording, time shifting and streaming from Windows media center to an extender such as XBox
- Cataloging a music library
- Starting applications
If you are new to testing and considering benchmark software, this is the best you can get because the program goes well beyond the results of simulated testing as we have already done. In comparing SATA 2.0 SSDs, we have reached the bandwidth limit and the performance of most new SATA 2 SSDs is as high as it can get with typical high sequential access speeds in the area of 280MB/s read and 270MB/s write.
We needed a way to differentiate these drives and to find a method that can actually put one drive above another and this is exactly what Vantage testing does. Its tests combined can provide an accurate comparison between drives and its tests individually can assist a smart shopper in finding the best SSD for their needs. Next to actual ‘true to life’ testing which can take an insurmountable length of time, PCMark Vantage is the only program that can compare any SSD, side by side, regardless of SATA interface or controller in use.
SUPER TALENT EXPRESS USB 3.0 FLASH DRIVE VANTAGE RESULTS
The RC8 pulled out of Vantage testing with a Total Points score of 28893 and a high transfer speed of 346MB/s in Test 6 when testing in Windows Media Player. This speed is somewhat unusual and we have word in with both SandForce and Super Talent as it technically shouldn’t be possible with a SF-1200 processor, however, the results were consistent in five separate runs.
The fastest drive we reviewed previously was the Super Talent SuperCrypt which was also a USB 3.0 SSD as its engine consisted of a JMicron controller which was accompanied by eight channels of Samsung NAND flash memory and 64MB of on board cache. The RC8 is significantly faster in specific areas as can be seen in this chart:
Now lets place it beside a few SSDs that had similar Vantage results:
This being a USB 3.0 flash drive, we never truly expected it to stand up to any SSDs simply because of the added necessity of the SATA to USB 3.0 bridge which would naturally affect performance to some degree. The fact that it does indeed place amongst them is great to see.
THE VERDICT
The Super Talent Express RC8 USB 3.0 50GB flash drive is the only ‘SandForce Driven’ flash drive that we are aware of which immediately puts it into a class of its own. Pushing out speeds of 263MB/s read, 202MB/s write, with small 4k random disk access of 51MB/s, is unbelievable and its benefit to technological advance will be seen soon enough. With USB 3.0 becoming native to motherboards by the next year, it becomes possible to have your entire Windows 7 environment, data, music, videos and pictures on a flash drive such as the RC8 and boot it at SSD speeds from any compatible computer.
There is a price to being ahead of the game, however, and you won’t be seeing the Express RC8 dropping anywhere near the price of a typical SSD anytime soon. The RC8 is a premium item and will be found in the hands of task oriented users more so than that of the typical consumer although you can get your hands on one for as little as $110.
Imagine though, being able to carry your entire computer as you see it in front of you right now and being able to boot it from any system.
Nice release ST!
INDEX
Pg1 – Introduction & Channels Explained
Pg2 – Test Protocol and Initial Tests
Pg3 – Crystal Disk Mark, AS SSD & Anvil Pro
Pg4 – A Perfect Match With Ceedo
Nice article. The SanForce SF-1200 controller is integrated with AES-128 bit encryption. Can you provide any info on how the drive enables the built in encryption?
“Imagine though, being able to carry your entire computer as you see it in front of you right now and being able to boot it from any system.”
With a vast amount of different hardware setups it, driver incompatibilities would end up being a cluster fuck.
For windows yes. For Linux it would be perfect. Plug it in, and 9/10 times it would probably run perfect, other times it might need a quick kernel tweak.
“Quick kernel tweak” lololol