Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240GB SATA 3 SSD Review – PCMark Vantage Comparison and The Verdict

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

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.  This observation can again be seen with drives of different manufacturers that utilize similar components within and have very similar specifications.

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.

MUSHKIN CHRONOS DELUXE 240GB SATA 3 SSD VANTAGE RESULT

The Mushkin Chronos Deluxe Vantage Total Points result was 66157 points with a high transfer speed of 407MB/s when testing attributes of Windows Media Center.  This is an excellent score which shows us that it, in fact, is an upper tier SSD.  Lets take a look at the Vantage scoring:

Now lets place it in with the rest of the pack in our hierarchy chart:

THE VERDICT

The Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240GB SATA 3 SSD is one of the fastest solid state drives available today and its performance is indicative of such.  Our initial concerns with high sequential write scores, as shown in testing both compressible and incompressible data, were overcome with very high results in low random 4k aligned write disk access and IOPS testing as seen in Anvil Pro benchmarks.

We then took a look around the web to see how the Chronos Deluxe fit in with the clan with respect to value and were surprised to find the best price for this SSD right on the Mushkin Webpage at $477.49.  At that price, the Mushkin Deluxe performs similar to, if not better than, other popular manufacturers yet at a slightly lower price which is good news.

At the end of the day, its been a long voyage in finally getting a Mushkin SSD tested and up on The SSD Review and we have to say it was worth the wait.  The Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240GB SATA 3 SSD is certainly a solid state drive that we would recommend and with company values as spoken of by their President that stretch outside customer service and into the community, we would love to see Mushkin put to the test yet again!

INDEX

Pg1 – Introduction, Components & Test Protocol

Pg2 – ATTO, Crystal DiskMark & Anvil Storage Utilities

Pg3 – HDTune Pro Benchmarks

Pg4 – PCMark Vantage Comparison and The Verdict

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