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6. PCMark Vantage x64 HDD Suite
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
This is our favorite evaluation program and, if you have been following along through our reviews, its a bit obvious. Its with good reason though. It is the only test that can match any drive to another, regardless of what controller is in use. It measures speed, plain and simple.
The results we receive should almost mirror that of the X25 series and lets keep it real. Its just wrong to put this SSD beside a Revo, SATA 3 or any SandForce driven drive. What kind of marks would you expect from a SSD that weighs under 10 grams, sits lower than a coin and is 2″x1″ in size?
Surprisingly, the PCMark Vantage HDD Suite score of the Intel 310 Series 80GB SSD fared higher than expected with 33570 points, a score that placed it above the X25m as well as several other recent releases as seen here:
FINAL THOUGHTS
Somebody at Intel just has to be getting alot of handshakes right about now for getting this idea off the ground. Its not new and I am sure we all wondered if it was going to occur when Sandisk announced the worlds smallest 64GB SSD which is the size of a quarter. The problem was everyone seemed to skip over the laptop crowd when envisioning products to house that SSD and here we are with Intel, not only taking it off the ground but also, gaining a major commitment from Lenovo.
I am not a psychic but I would bet dollars to donuts (intentional Canadian term) that when Lenovo releases their new Thinkpads with native SSD boot drives and a hard drive, every other manufacturer will be scratching their heads and wondering why they weren’t the first to do so. Where is Michael Dell in all of this? Dell was the first to release a laptop with the SSD and we were the first to review that!
We all owe a thank you to Intel and then to Lenovo because their partnership has pretty much guaranteed that we will see SSDs in every new laptop release within the next few years.
As for the Intel 310 Series 80GB SSD, I got it back from my trusted companion and had to dry it for a bit but it is up and running and we are going to do some long term testing with it. Absolute great idea Intel! Absolute great SSD and a huge step forward that many of us have been waiting for!
Pg 1 – Introduction and Specifications
Pg 2 – SSD Build and Test Protocol
Pg 3 – Benchmarks
Pg 4 – More Benchmarks
Pg 5 – PCMark Vantage Testing and Final Thoughts
I wish the 310 SSD series had a SATA controller on board, allowing use of this solution in any notebook with an empty mini-PCIe slot (assuming BIOS compatibility). In present state, the drive can only be used in notebooks (mainly netbooks and, AFAIK, Dell Precision M4500, M6400 and M6500) equipped with an mSATA connector.
Luckily I just bought the Dell M6500 and I was desperately searching for the correct spec mSATA SSD as nobody sells the Samsung PM800 that’s supposed to go in there, so this release from Intel is a godsend. There is an equivalent made by renice that claims to be faster than the Intel, so might be worth doing a comparison test if possible. Thanks for the review.