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Comparing SSD's

Could it be that the big SSD price drop is coming to an end? I don't have any clue about that. But if it is, now would be the time to buy, before prices climb any more.

Never an easy decision. And all too often even the best-informed decision will have a person kicking themselves only days later. That's how it works! :pcguru:
 
But....

Looking at its specs, the read / write are a bit lower than that of the sandisk. Although of course, that might not make biggest difference to the actual speed.

Also I read an article which showed various benchmarks. It was interesting to find that the Samsung and Intel SSD's were highest, but the sandisk was the fastest at opening and booting files...

There's also this :

We're a little cautious about the TLC-equipped 120 GB Samsung 840, but much more confident in the 250 GB version, which has so much NAND on-board that endurance across all of those cells is less of an issue. That's good news, considering we're attracted to the price per gigabyte of capacity this SSD offers (it's going for $180 right now on Newegg, a special deal).

You certainly could buy a more proven repository if you're uneasy about a TLC-based SSD. Crucial’s 256 GB m4 would be one we'd recommend to the conservative crowd. It is close to the same price, but doesn't fare as well in our benchmarks. Meanwhile, Mushkin's Enhanced Chronos is the cheapest 240 GB SandForce-based SSD, though it doesn't seem like any better of a bargain. For $165, you save a bit of cash, but give up 10 GB. That's hardly a great trade-off.
Click to expand...
 
I don't think anyone here has anything else to add now :)

Its like you've walked 10 miles in the desert to the nearest shop, walked to the drinks fridge and can't decide between Buxton and Evian. They're both refreshing and you'll find little difference between them.
 
Yeah. You're right. Although they're both from someone's tap ;-)

I guess I just can't decide on what to do, and even though I can't really be disappointed with any choice of I just wanna get the SSD that'll service the best, for the longest, and for the cheapest.

I think I'm gonna buy that sandisk unless anyone can tell me not to.

Sorry for being so indecisive and really dragging out this thread to the point where no one can really do anything. :-P

Sorry!

Some benchmarks on toms hardware show the 840 to be almost twice as good both overall and in the 4K random tests. I think I'm finally ready.

Both the sandisk and the Samsung have 3 years warranty, but they'll last longer than that right?

Edit : checking online, both SSD's are the same price. Samsung seems to offer marginally better performance. I'm assuming it's reliable enough.

So there it is.

Thanks to everyone that helped me out in this thread. I honestly don't know where I'd be without you

Also, the prices of the Sandisk have gone to £150 on Scan.

Now I'm definitely getting that 840 Samsung.
 
Ah hand was forced :)

If it helps, I'd probably get the Samsung too.

I just have a Dell OEM (LITEON) SSD and it made a lot of difference.
 
Yeah, like with choosing my graphics card, I needed that extra push (by digitalcontroller) although that was a different story as I managed to pay
 
Mehta23 said:
I want the SSD for mostly opening up stuff( read) and gaming (write) which is said to be roughly at the same speed.
Click to expand...

Unless your games are radically different to mine, the bulk of the disk I/O ops will be reads. ;)

Mehta23 said:
one or two reviews didn't recommend the 840 for intensive use
Click to expand...

I'd suspect that "intensive use" means something like 24/7 operation in a database file server or similar.... a boot drive in a home PC leads a very pampered life compared to that. :)
 
I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that during gaming, a lot of activity is writing...

My idea of intensive use was a lil bit less...intensive than that :P

I re-read some reviews of the drives. The first times, I stupidly mis read the benchmark data (120Gb Sandisk vs 250Gb Samsung)... With drives of the same size the performance is actually pretty much the same (sorry it took me this long :)

I think I'm gonna go with the SanDisk now. I don't think I'll be handling incompressible data ( main pitfall of Sandforce controllers) and [on some websites] it has a better 4K write speed so I think it's the one for me.
 
The activity during gaming is a far cry from a drive being used as a database server repository. Your idea of intensive is actually quite tame to actual intensive use.

If it is going to be your OS drive, the primary use you're getting out of it is *read* - loading programs into memory. That should help make a decision. However, if you *are* going to game, know that it will quickly show its merits (and faults) when you do so - but even then, the difference between any halfway decent SSD and a mechanical drive will be pretty noticeable.
 
Yeah, I noticed after the second read of the benchmarks that the difference between the drives at times, is like 1MBs. IRL that makes pretty much no difference, but on a chart- that could make a small difference seem much bigger.

DO you think I should get the Sammy then John?
 
Mehta23 said:
I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that during gaming, a lot of activity is writing...
Click to expand...

The only file writes any of my games make are saves, and those are pretty infrequent.

on some websites it has a better 4K write speed
Click to expand...

How does it perform on reads though, both sequential and random? The drive will spend much more time doing those than writing data, unless it's also used as the primary storage volume.
 
I think you should get whichever you feel most comfortable with - I opted for Intel drives myself b/c of their superior customer service. I've never owned a Samsung device, but I have *many* SanDisk UFDs - so, if my choices were down to those two companies, you can bet your bottom dollar I'd opt for SanDisk just b/c of past experience.

But, in the end, its what *you* want. I'll never had a WD HD in any of my systems - and I know 3 friends who say the same about Seagate, which is what I use solely for mech drives. I may end up picking a drive b/c of my previous experiences that is slightly less spec worthy - but as you already noted, on paper and real world performance are often two completely different animals.

So, there you have it - I'd go with my past experiences and pick SanDisk. What you do is what you do.
 
Think I'm gonna go for the Sandisk. Although it's from Amazon, I'm hoping I wouldn't need to bother with RMA's ( their RMA base is in the UK. by any chance, is it?)
 
Not entirely sure about that at all. I think it might be a good idea to contact them directly and ask.

Yet another consideration when buying - where to buy from.
 
Asked the question, waiting for a reply now. Just looked on the reviews on Amazon UK

My main issue: Their RMA process is backwards- Wait 48 hours for RMA approval, then they send you a shipping label. Once you send them your drive they will send you a replacement drive within 7-10 business days. I have replaced drives with other companies over the years, and the process has been:
- Send the customer a replacement drive immediately
- Customer returns defective drive using the return address label included with the replacement drive package
- If the defective drive isn't returned within 30 days, the customer is charged for the replacement drive
Click to expand...
 
Good on ya. Now you're getting somewhere.

I've also been known to pay up to 1% more for a device if I get it from a reputable place that gives me no hassles for returns.

For me CS is one of the biggest deal makers / breakers when purchasing items. Any items. Even cars. Hence my love for all things Nissan, even though my current vehicle is a Mercedes.
 
1% would be £1.30... Unless you meant 10.

From Scan, the Samsung is £128, the Sandisk is £147.
On Amazon the Samsung is £130, the Sandisk is £138.

Other sellers on amazon sell both drives for £150+

(Scan have a 1year Return To Base period + 3 years manufacturers warranty on top. )

But it looks like the sandisk rma procedure is good for me (no shipping charges) so as soon as I get my confirmation from Sandisk I think I'll be ready.
 
lol oops, yeah, 10%.

Now that you've graduated from online shopping 101, pass on some of your expertise to your friends. You'd be surprised at just how uneducated people really are.

One more thing: If you buy from an auction house, it's usually best to buy at 10-15% *UNDER* cost at other places - after all there is almost no Return procedure at most auction houses other than that specified by the actual sellers.
 
Graduated... I lol'd :-D

10% would mean max £153... So the Scan £147 price would be recommended by you? Or do you think the direct sandisk rma would be sufficient?

The only problem with spending a Lil bit more is that it brings the cost closer to some of the higher drives (840 pro)
However, that £40 saved by not getting a 840Pro would be handy for the desperately needed new mouse :-P

Oh no! Kingston Hyper X 240GB is also £140 on Amazon.

But again, there's hardly any performance difference, and i think I'd prefer the sandisk...


I've just realised that if the SSD is my boot drive... Any problem would mean my PC is unusable :-( so a quick rma would probably be very valuable actually.
 
Both of you might be interested in this - but you better hurry.

SAMSUNG SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD250KW 2.5" 250GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Limit 3 per customer.
250GB SSD
SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD250KW 2.5" 250GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Regular price $209.99
Your Price: $149.99
With Promo Code
EMCYTZT2903
Shop Now
Deal valid between 9:00am on 2/9/13 to 8:59am PST on 2/10/13


See Newegg.com - DEALiCIOUS Weekenders: $60 OFF 250GB SSD, Incredible Deal on a LG LED TV + MORE!
 
I'm from the UK, so no Newegg here :-( I'd love a 840 Pro but spending nearly £200 is a bit much for me.

Quick question: how often do you normal have to write incompressible data?
 
johnlgalt said:
Both of you might be interested in this - but you better hurry.

SAMSUNG SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD250KW 2.5" 250GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Limit 3 per customer.
250GB SSD
SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD250KW 2.5" 250GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Regular price $209.99
Your Price: $149.99
With Promo Code
EMCYTZT2903
Shop Now
Deal valid between 9:00am on 2/9/13 to 8:59am PST on 2/10/13


See Newegg.com - DEALiCIOUS Weekenders: $60 OFF 250GB SSD, Incredible Deal on a LG LED TV + MORE!
Click to expand...

Truthfully, I don't need an SSD that is bigger than 128GB. I'm primarily using it as a boot drive, and maybe for applications like Adobe Dreamweaver/Photoshop. That's about it though. I might put a game like Skyrim on it.
 
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