Corsair F90 Force Series 90GB SSD Review – Vantage Performance and Conclusions

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

Our testing of the Corsair F90 Force Series 90GB SSD was kind of expected as it was a new release and Corsair is one of the top SSD manufacturers to be found.  The final result was a HDD Suite score of 43188 points which puts it in the top 3 solid state drives that we have tested to date overall.  Thats an excellent result and the individual results are listed as such:

If we paint the picture with it shown amongst our top competitors, we start to see the best of the best in the PCMark Vantage HDD Suite 40,000 Point Club:

Would it surprise you that the top five performing solid state drives are all SandForce processors and the last of the five is actually the SF-1500 processor?  As coincidental as it seems the first four are brand new released drives with the most recent firmware update only available through SSD sales and not as a consumer f/w drive update.

CONCLUSIONS

We would lose all credibility if we tried to state that this drive is anything but one of the best SSDs on the market.  The listed MSRP for the F90 is $189.99 and $399.99 for the 180GB version which brings this release to just above the $2/GB price point.  We can attest to the fact that the consumer is receiving a SSD with performance that was originally directed at the enterprise level and this proven through rigorous testing with PCMark Vantage x64 along with HDTune Pro Random Access evaluations.

A smart consumer will take a close look at this as their next purchase because they know that the firmware within this drive places it above many at the same capacity and price point that have been on the market for awhile.  As most SSDs have reached the bandwidth limit of SATA II, it is through programs like PCMark Vantage that we can take the comparisons to the next level with simulated real life tests.  Corsair is also known for its great customer service and the Force Series drives carry a 3 year warranty.

Pg1 – Introduction & Physical Characteristics

Pg2 – Testing Protocol & ATTO Disk Benchmark

Pg3 – Benchmark Evaluation

Pg4 – PCMark Vantage & Conclusions