Silicon Power V30 SATA 3 240GB SSD Review

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.

SILICON POWER VELOX V3 SATA 3 240GB SSD RESULTS

The Velox sailed through Vantage testing with 66964 total points and a high transfer speed of 407MB/s when using Media Player.  That is definitely SATA 3 speed!  In examining all tests conducted of ‘new gen’ SATA 3 drives tested by us this year, this places the Velox just above the OWC 6G SSD and just below the Corsair Force GT SSD, both as well being 240GB SSDs with the same SandForce processor.  Let’s take a closer look at the Vantage result and some of the test transfer speed results:

Now lets take a look at the chart depicting all results received to date with ‘new gen’ SATA 3 SSDs:

REPORT ANALYSIS AND FINAL THOUGHTS

The Silicon Power Velox V30 SATA 3 240 GB SSD flew through each and everyone of our tests and nothing less than this was expected.  It is a premium SSD and, as we stated earlier in the report, has virtually the same physical structure as the Kingston HyperX.  The test results we saw when testing in ATTO, Crystal DiskMark, AS SSD, Anvil and PCMark Vantage were very similar to that of which we might see in any upper tier ‘SandForce Driven’ solid state drive.

The reasoning for such, of course, is that today’s upper tier, or premium SSDs, are all using toggle mode or synchronous NAND flash memory that has much better transfer speeds than we might see in the value conscious asynchronous NAND flash memory SSD.  It is a simple trade off; performance or value.  As much as we never expected such, the sales are showing that the consumer still wants to rely on the performance.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I like the Velox V30. I would recommend it in a heartbeat.  There is a negative, however, and that is Silicon Powers ability to reach the consumer without using mainstream e-tailers as I had recently mentioned of another great product in a previous report.  Amazon may succeed to reach a certain level of consumer but, like it or not, the most popular SSDs are available on NewEgg.  We saw this first hand after our review of the Runcore T50 SATA 3 mSATA SSD where e-mail received from potential buyers stacked up with requests of where the drive could be purchased and if the merchant selling could be trusted.  I know its the politics of it all and people don’t like hearing it but, personally, I hate seeing a great product get overlooked because the visibility isn’t there. The Silicon Power Velox V30 is just that great product.

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