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TSSDR X99 ASROCK EXTREME11 TEST BENCH
SSD Testing at TSSDR differs slightly, depending on whether we are looking at consumer or enterprise SSDs. For consumer SSDs, our goal is to test in a system that has been optimized with our SSD Optimization Guide. To see the best performance possible the CPU C states have been disabled, C1E support has been disabled and Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST) has been disabled. Benchmarks for consumer testing are also benchmarks with a fresh drive so, not only can we verify that manufacturer specifications are in line but also, so the consumer can replicate our tests to confirm that they have an SSD that is top-notch. We even provide links to most of the benchmarks used in the report.
This is a brand new test bench and, as such, we would love to thank those who jumped in specifically to help the cause. Key contributors to this build are our friends at ASRock, Corsair, Kingston with components from past contributors to include In-Win, EVGA, beQuiet, and QNIX. We have detailed all components in the table below and they are all linked should you wish to make a duplicate our system as so many seem to do, or check out the price of any soul component. As always, we appreciate your support in any purchase though our links!
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
This Test Bench build was the result of some great relationships and purchase; our appreciation goes to the below mentioned manufacturers for their support in our project. Our choice of components is very narrow, in that, we choose only what we believe to be among the best available and links are provided to each that will assist in hardware pricing and availability, should the reader be interested in purchase.
| PC CHASSIS: | InWin D-Frame Open Air Chassis |
| MOTHERBOARD: | ASRock X99 Extreme11 Socket LGA 2011-3 |
| CPU: | Intel Haswell-E I7-5930K 6-Core CPU |
| CPU COOLER: | Corsair Hydro Series H105 Extreme Water Cooled |
| POWER SUPPLY: | be quiet Dark Power Pro 10 1000W PSU |
| SYSTEM COOLING: | be quiet Silent Wings 2 PC Fans |
| GRAPHICS CARD: | EVGA GTX 770 Superclocked with ACX Cooler |
| MEMORY: | Kingston HyperX Predator DDR4 |
| KEYBOARD: | Corsair Vengeance K95 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard |
| MOUSE: | Corsair Vengeance M95 MMO/RTS Laser Mouse |
| MONITOR: | QNIX 27? QX2710 2560×1440 |
| SYSTEM SSD | Intel P3700 800GB NVME SSD |
BENCHMARK SOFTWARE
The software we will be using for today’s analysis is typical of many of our reviews and consists of ATTO Disk Benchmark, Crystal Disk Info, Crystal Disk Mark, AS SSD, Anvil’s Storage Utilities, and PCMark Vantage. We prefer to test with easily accessible software that the consumer can obtain, and in many cases, we even provide links. Our selection of software allows each to build on the last and to provide validation to results already obtained.
Crystal Disk Info is a great tool for displaying the characteristics and health of storage devices. It displays everything from temperatures, to the number of hours the device has been powered, and even to the extent of informing you of the firmware of the device.
Although many of the SMART attributes are vendor specific, Super Talent still leaves enough available to be able to monitor this drive over time.
ATTO Disk Benchmark is perhaps one of the oldest benchmarks going and is definitely the main staple for manufacturer performance specifications. ATTO uses RAW or compressible data and, for our benchmarks, we use a set length of 256mb and test both the read and write performance of various transfer sizes ranging from 0.5 to 8192kb. Manufacturers prefer this method of testing as it deals with raw (compressible) data rather than random (includes incompressible data) which, although more realistic, results in lower performance results.
Considering that specifications list read and write performance at a conservative 500MB/s and 400MB/s, our highs of 554MB/s read and 446MB/s write are well above that, and also more in line with what we might expect to see from this controller in such an environment. Taking a look at a similar program with Quickbench, we pull in a bit lower reads and higher write performance:
Sooo is there any real reason for anyone to select this drive over say an 850 Evo or an MX100 when dealing with potentially harsh environments like mobile (automobile) applications? It seems like a reasonably good drive, but I don’t see any clear advantages over others. With specific applications in mind.
This is not a consumer SSD.
Yeah, I got that, and I realize that that means that for the vast majority of users that read this article, none of it applies to them. So why write the article unless you are outlining the reasons WHY this drive matters to the automotive industry over something like an off the shelf Samsung, adata, SanDisk, Kingston, etc?
I’m not criticizing the article, but I don’t understand the point of writing it if not to outline the specific use cases that this drive would be considered over a standard SSD or why Super Talent specifically marketed it toward the automotive industry. I’ve read dozens of articles about decent to great performing drives with very little to differentiate them from a dozen others beyond slight variances in performance in synthetic tests that bare little to no relation to real world applications or human experience.
Obviously, from a consumer standpoint, that’s fantastic as it means that unlike way back when I bought my first Vertex Turbo, there are now tons of great options out there. What it doesn’t tell me is where we should be searching now for differentiators? How do the admittedly few of us that obsess over the details, look to identify not just a “good enough” SSD, but the perfect one for the task?
I’ve purchased OCZ drives, SanDisk, Kingston, Samsungs, etc. Always after extensive research with the intent to identify the perfect solution for a given application. It’s interesting to hear about how a drive or controller was designed and what the designer considered as a priority. Some drives shine on synthetic benchmarks, while barely budging the needle in real world applications. Others come in specialized form factors or with special hardware encryption built in. As I work with
I would like to see that modded Lian Li case 🙂
My guess is they wrote the article to inform anyone who look to thessdreview.com first when looking for details that the manufacturers don’t provide. In other words, because articles like these are why TSSDR exists. TSSDR answers the question every time for me when I wonder about the price tag attached to any SSD product, low or high.
SuperTalent is marketing it toward the automotive market. It isn’t TSSDR’s job to substantiate their marketing claim – it is to provide the critical details about SSD products as they always do so that people like you and me can make fully informed decisions regardless of what our or our customer’s application might be.
Wow thank you… As much as we love watching flash storage evolve, it is comments like this that keeps us going. There are a lot of late nights and early mornings in this job. Yesterday was the perfect example where I was up until 4 am trying to get site caching working properly and then got an email from Sean stating he was putting the Crucial SSD he only received two days ago down for the night….err morning. This comment was very well timed and thanks much.
Joseph Kavinsky-
From the Super Talent website: “The AT7 has excellent resistance to shock, vibration, dust, temperature extremes and other environmental hazards…geared specifically for applications that require high shock and vibration tolerance.”
Also, the two other drives you mention are TLC while this AT7 is SLC or MLC.
This drive is an interesting option. I have a few Super Talent SD cards and they are solid as a rock.
Jim
Hello Jim?you metion that you are deploying SD cards?Could I know your application?if you are interested in storage cards(industrial grade),conctact me .
hi,Joseph,as you said,there is not clear concept on the SSD special features,May the below link would help you to make a little clear on SSD application or its outstanding features,any questions,kindly to solve for you via selena@renice.co
http://www.renice-tech.com