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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. 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.
OCZ NOCTI 120GB mSATA SSD VANTAGE TOTAL POINT SCORE
The Total Point score for the OCZ Nocti was 41240 points with a high transfer speed of 230MB/s when testing in Windows Media Center. That score just happens to be one of the top Vantage scores pulled off from a SATA 2 mSATA drive which is great.
Our next chart is a hierarchy which has been determined solely based on PCMark Vantage HDD Suite Total Point scores:
REPORT ANALYSIS AND FINAL THOUGHTS
The SSD Review has evaluated just about every mSATA SSD on the market to date, some of which are available to the consumer and some not. We have tested mSATA SSDs in our test bench, in laptops and ultrabooks and, also, we have done extensive testing with mSATAs being used as a caching SSD, something that promises to be the next big step forward in Ultrabook and laptop success. Even with this ‘portfolio’ of testing, we don’t believe we have even seen the tip of the iceberg in mSATA SSD success as of yet.
The OCZ Nocti 120GB SATA 2 mSATA SSD is a ‘SandForce Driven’ SSD that contains the latest and greatest in controller technology with the SandForce SF-2181 processor. It’s performance is top end and, unlike many other high end and high capacity mSATA SSDs, it is available for the consumer now at e-tailers such as NewEgg.
The OCZ Nocti provides a solution to a problem that so many have experienced in their search for speed and capacity with the introduction of today’s solid state drives. Laptops such as the Lenovo X220, Acer Travelmate and Dell Precision Series provide an opportunity for career professionals to now have the power and capacity they need to keep up with to days intense software.
To think, this is available in something that weighs less than 10 grams in weight, is as thick as a twenty-five cent piece and only a third the size of a business card. This is definitely a ‘Must Have’ for so many in the business world. Great Job OCZ!
What makes the RunCore so much faster? Sych or toggle nand?
The Runcore T50 is a SATA 3 SSD which accounts for the lionshare of difference in its performance, however, it also uses synchronous NAND flash memory.
Ahh…sata 3…that would explain it..lol
You mentioned “talk now of cached SSDs present in the not far too distant future.” Are you talking about drives such as the synapse used to speed up platter based HDD’s or are you talking about sticking some higher speed memory (ram) on the silicon and using the ram as a cache for the ssd?
Its an interesting concept that would probably require ultrathin 7mm hard drives along with mSATA SSDs with caching software although your latter idea is very interesting.
If it ever comes to market i’d like to people to know that I submitted the idea. No trademarks necessary I’d just like recognition 😛
It looks like a UFO in that picture of the snow…2nd pine tree from the left..at the tip.
That is a UFO. We get tons of them in Canada. They were the first to put me onto SSDs you know. eheh
Have you tested this drive in the Z830? i have the standard tosh drive in my Z830 currently and would like to know if this is a worthy upgrade as the flaky nature of SATA3 discovered in the SSDReviews Z830 is not enough to swing me towards a SATA3 drive currently!
Yes this drive works fine in th Z830 and this is a SATA 2 drive.
excellent, so it shows better performance on the Z830 than the standard tosh drive (which we all know is frankly a bit pants) as in i wont be stuck on crummy 5.9 windows experience and woeful benchmark results in my shiny sexy Z830? 🙂
I am in Germany so I can’t test the WEI score with that drive but can assure you it is a huge step up from the Toshiba. As a matter of fact, any mSATA I have tested is a step up from the Tosh.