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Another SSD recommendation

J

jamsomito

2[H]4U
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
3,202
I'm in the market for an SSD, but I don't have a huge budget. I'm looking for deals to hit my budget, so MIR's are ok as long as the company's rebate processing is reputable.

I've noticed larger SSD's are faster, simply because there are more "channels" to work with, so I'm having a hard time finding the best bang for buck. I could go with a smaller, "better" drive, or a larger one from a not-so-reputable company, but I'm having a hard time understanding the tradeoff of speed vs size. I want something that is compatible and that has longevity. See my system in my sig (RedDevil). I may be upgrading the mobo / CPU in a year or so, so I'd like something SATA III.

The drive would be used for Windows and a few commonly used programs / games. Data will be on my existing 500GB spinner.

Here's a summary of what I'm looking for:
$100 - $125 max (including shipping and/or tax)
60GB +
SATA III for futureproofing
Compatible with AMD / Intel systems
Lifespan (2-5 years or longer would be nice)
Decent garbage collection
TRIM support


Does this exist?
 
You can get a 120 GB Kingston HyperX for $130 after rebate from Amazon today. Go to slickdeals.net and look for the link over to Amazon. I think there's one w/ an upgrade kit too.
 
jamsomito said:
Thanks for the suggestions guys. It looks like the Crucial M4 is not the fastest, but is one of the best in terms of reliability and compatibility.

I saw this deal on newegg today. I know the drive is SATA II, but has anyone had any experience with it? Any good?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167047&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-20-167-047-_-Homepage2011
Click to expand...

Ok I just rechecked that Intel 320 and it says $70 AR for 80 GB. That's a pretty good deal IMO.
 
$55 rebate is heavy, but the HyperX is stupid fast and that's a good price for a 120GB drive. Kingston is usually pretty quick about getting your money to you, as well. A month or so on average.

The 320 is a proven performer but is choked by SATA2. It has a 5 year warranty which is almost unheard of, though -- the only other company I know running a 5 year warranty on SSDs is Plextor.

Here's a 320 review comparing it to more "modern" drives. In the real world I doubt you will see a huge difference outside of moving huge files.
 
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I wouldn't discount the Intel 320 just because it is SATA 3GB. You aren't going to use the drive to store large files and copy stuff back and forth (probably) so you aren't going to see the benefit from SATA 6GB in any case. Random access is where SSDs shine, and SATA speed is much less of a factor there. Plus it is cheap (after rebate), reliable as heck, and backed by Intel's warranty.
 
I agree with the above replies. One additional area where a good Sata III SSD would help is in some games with large level loads and even the smallest increase in load time makes a difference in an online game.

Outside of that, 90%+ of users would not know the difference if someone throttled back their Sata III SSD to Sata II speeds.

I would get an Intel 320 over most other Sata III SSDs out there... in fact, I did. ;)
 
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