Boot SSD - Quick Advice Needed

[__Miguel_]

Hi there, guys.

A quick question, if I may: I'm considering getting an SSD for my tablet PC (HP TM2-2150ep, btw) without breaking the bank, for cooler operation and faster access. It's got to be small, since 80GB+ drives are still absurdly expensive where I live, though that's not much of a problem, all my user data is available on the network, and I don't really need to carry more than 2GB of data (music not included, but that's on another device) with me at any given time.

Right now I can choose from:

1) 64GB Samsung 470 - €99,90;
2) 64GB G.Skill Falcon (FM-25S2S-64GBF1) - €89,90;
3) 60GB OCZ Vertex 2 (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) - €89,90;
4) 60GB OCZ Agility 3 (AGT3-25SAT3-60G) - €99,50.

There is also a 60GB OCZ Solid 3 (SLD3-25SAT3-60G) for €105,00 and the Corsair Force3 (CSSD-F60GB3-BK) for €109,40, though if at all possible I'd prefer not to go over €100.

So, can you guys recommend me an SSD? From what I've read, the Agility 3 seems to be best price/performance option, but I'm not up-to-date regarding SSDs... Oh, and yes, I know, choice is rather slim... hehe

Thanks in advance!

 

[ghost6303]

if i had to choose from those, id probably go with the corsair. otherwise, if (and only if) that vertex 2 was made with 34nm flash chips (the old style, good ones) i would say that one. although it pains me to promode OCZ after their recent antics.

remember that when you are going with smaller drives, there are less physcial chips in it that can run in parrallel. the more parrallel chips you have, the faster the drives can be (like RAID). larger 120gb or 240gb drives have more parrallel flash chips which is the reason for their speed (though i realize they are out of your price range).

also- those prices are considerably higher than they are in the US... by about 2x

 

[Valaire]

Samsung 470. Solid, reliable SSD that is often overlooked.

 

[Forceman]

Stay away from the OCZ drives - just too many issues lately. What's the pricing on the Crucial M4 there?

 

[__Miguel_]

First up, thank you everyone for your input.

if i had to choose from those, id probably go with the corsair. otherwise, if (and only if) that vertex 2 was made with 34nm flash chips (the old style, good ones) i would say that one.

OK, Corsair, then. The V2 are newer models, I believe. And even if they're not, I won't risk it. Shame, though, the V2 is the cheapest of the bunch... hehehe

remember that when you are going with smaller drives, there are less physcial chips in it that can run in parrallel.

Yes, I know that, thank you. I know the basics of SSD tech, I'm just not up-to-date on what is better right now... hehe Sadly, though, bigger drives are just way too over my price range. Even 80GB is like €160+, 128GB is usually €200+, way too much for a secondary laptop (which will probably get a phenomenal boost in HDD performance with even a tiny 60GB SSD...).

also- those prices are considerably higher than they are in the US... by about 2x

Actually, the Agility 3 appears on Tom's Hardware recommended SSD list for August on the "$100" slot. Thing is, prices on US retailers and online publications like [H], Anandtech, Tom's Hardware and so on are pre-tax. In the EU stores are legally bound to show retail prices in € post-tax for end consumers (VAT is 23% right now in Portugal, so a big chunk goes there), plus you get to add customs, too. Generally speaking, a $100 PC part in the US will end up costing €100 to a Portuguese consumer. Has been that way for at least a decade, now (though there was a time it was a bit less, thanks to the HUGE $:€ ratio)

Samsung 470. Solid, reliable SSD that is often overlooked.

Would you go for one of those, even knowing the Agility 3 or Force 3 would be able to saturate the SATA2 bus, but probably not the 470?

I'm usually partial to Samsung drives myself, I just want to make sure I get a good deal.

Stay away from the OCZ drives - just too many issues lately. What's the pricing on the Crucial M4 there?

Hmm, I could actually find an M4 listed on two online stores... Funny, didn't think they were available here... €99.95, so pretty much the same as the rest. Might need to find out if my usual store can ship them to me, I don't really know one of the stores, and the other one charges you like €20 for shipping a €100 item (I can get away with a €3 next-day delivery on my usual store, or free shipping for orders over €250 - which I tend to do anyway, I order once a year or less, so...)

Again, thank you for your input until now.

Given the M4 is actually available here, do your opinions change? Right now it seems there is only one constant, "not OCZ", which I'll take not of.

[EDIT] So... Guess what, that store I referred to actually has A LOT more SSDs to choose from (whether or not they're all available is a mistery, but still...). I've managed to skim the list available here to pick up a couple more:

1) Corsair Nova 2 60GB (CSSD-V60GB2) - €89,90;
2) Muskin Callisto Deluxe 60GB (MKNSSDCL60GB-DX) - €99,85.

Both seem 1st-gen Sandforce, and WOW for actually having Muskin available to buy in Portugal. [/EDIT]

 

[baldrik]

If you can get the Crucial M4, I'd take that over everything else you listed. Both the Agility3 and the Force3 have Asynchronous NAND, which is just not as good as Synchronous when it comes to the Sandforce 2200 series controllers.

 

[__Miguel_]

Thanks, baldrik.

I'll keep that in mind, though a bit of a snag has come up with another part of the upgrade (a controller for my NAS), so this might have just been pushed back a week or so.

In any case, keep your thoughts coming.