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ANVIL STORAGE UTILITIES PROFESSIONAL (BETA)
You may not see this for long (and its definitely not common) but you get a freebee simply for reading! Over the last little while, we have been assisting with beta besting new benchmark software called Anvil Storage Utilities which is an absolutely amazing SSD benchmarking utility. Not only does it have a preset SSD benchmark, but also, it has included such things as endurance testing and threaded I/O read, write and mixed tests, all of which are very simple to understand and utilize in our benchmark testing. Recently, we published the exclusive public release here and, if you happen to check it out, there is a FREE download of the software! Lets see how the Patriot Pyro fares on the Avil Pro:
Things we particularly like about this software include system identification at the bottom left, storage identification at the bottom right as well as response time, total file size read, IOPS and tansfer speed for each disk access method. Something we particularly liked about the initial result was seeing 76,819 IOPS at 4kQD16, something that was not even considered possible several months back. Letssee if we can stretch that out just a bit shall we?
76861 IOPS at 4K QD 32 is pretty much maxed out but the Anvil Pro has opened the door to adjusting the block size and queue depth with the click of a mouse. Its quick and easy.
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 270MB/s read and 270MB/s write.
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.
Although we have yet to reach SATA 3 bandwidth max, there will be a number of manufacturers introducing SATA 3 drives in the next few months. 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.
PATRIOT PYRO 120GB SATA 3 SSD
The Patriot Pyro Total Vantage HDD score was 62318 with a high transfer speed of 390MB/s in working with Windows Media Center. The score is an excellent result and places it just above the Corsair Force 3 which returned a 62227 points. Lets display our transfer speeds of the 8 tests in a side by siade comparison with the OCZ Agility, another Async SSD.
INDEX
Introduction & SSD Composition
Test Protocol and Initial Tests