OCZ Trion 100 SSD Review (240GB/480GB/960GB)

HD TUNE PRO

HD Tune is a Hard Disk Utility with many functions from error checking, health testing (S.M.A.R.T.), and of course benchmarking.

 

Finally, we decided to throw one more synthetic benchmark at the Trion 100 just to see if it has some sort of SLC caching as other TLC SSDs have. After just a few GB the 240GB model drops down to about 100MB/s write. The 960GB model hits about 125MB/s average after about 50-60GB written. Sure enough we can see that it does indeed utilize a pseudo SLC cache mode.

POWER CONSUMPTION

For our power consumption testing, we have the drive connected to the system as a secondary drive. To record the wattage, we use an Amprobe AM-270 multimeter connected in line with the 5v power on our SATA power cable to the drive. The multimeter records the min/max amperage draw from the drive over our testing period.

We also record the drive’s sequential and random read and write power draw using Iometer. We then take the values recorded and calculate the wattage of the drive. Some of the results may seem high compared to a standard notebook HDD because as these are peak values under load. When we see average power draw, SSDs are still more power efficient because they only hit max power for a short period of time.

In terms of power consumption, the biggest issue with the Barefoot 3 controller was that it consumed quite a bit of energy during idle. After looking at the results from the new Toshiba TC58 controller we can see that idle power consumption is very low. OCZ rated these SSDs with an active power rating of 4.8W. Based upon our results we can agree with them. The highest power consumption resulted from sequential writes to the 960GB model and reached a bit high at 5.5W. Overall, however, results are about average.

REPORT ANALYSIS AND FINAL THOUGHTS

The Trion 100 is a very bare bones product, especially since the MSRPs on these SSDs are lower than anything released yet. It is a cheap SSD option for those looking to break away from hard drives. OCZ is now the third competitor in the market with a TLC NAND based SSD, their competition being Samsung with their 850 EVO line up and SanDisk with their Ultra II series. Now, how does this SSD compare to them? While the Trion doesn’t deliver the mainstream performance others might in synthetic tests (specifically 4K random performance), it shows decent performance and actually surprised us in our more real world PCMark testing.

The pseudo SLC caching helps improve write speeds, but we can see in the lower capacities that users will run into lower speeds when they are trying to copy multi-GB files around often. Also thanks to more advanced ECC,  the endurance ratings for the 480GB and 960GB models are quite impressive when compared to that of most other mainstream SSDs, let alone for a value product. Crucial as an example rates theirs for only 72TBW, the 480GB Trion 100 is rated for 120TBW and the 960GB model is double that.

Our only qualm with this SSD is its price. While we can see that the MSRPs are very low, we hope to see market prices that are lower as this is an entry level product, otherwise consumers are better off spending a few dollars more on something else.

Since their overhaul OCZ has been doing a great job with customer support and warranty service as well as offering new and more reliable SSDs as technologies advance. It is about time they took advantage of Toshiba’s IP for a product, with the inclusion of both the Toshiba TC58 controller and second generation A19 TLC NAND this time around. Hopefully this is just the beginning of things to come with both Toshiba and OCZ working closer together.

As an SSD that is targeted towards those looking to upgrade from a hard drive to speedy flash storage, the Trion 100 should prove to be a decent buy in that market segment, if prices are more competitive. If you are looking for a cheap SSD to throw into a client’s build or possibly for your parent’s laptop, the Trion 100 may be a drive worth considering.

Check out the Trion 100 on Amazon Today!