SSD Ranking: The Fastest Solid State Drives

[Feb. 2012 update] Want to remove the speed limit on your PC? How about revving up the transfers and reads on your servers? Here’s the list of the fastest SSDs around at the time of this writing. This listing is not aspiring to be the final word on SSD performance–only a rough guide to NAND Flash-based storage. It is partly based on sequential read and write speeds in ideal circumstances, but there are other factors that should be taken into consideration when choosing a solid state drive, not least reliability. For example, the old hard drive MTBF (Mean Time Before Failure) value is still commonly (and erroneously) used by manufacturers but is a defunct measurement in the SSD era. An SSD’s life span is determined by the number of times each block can be written to before it wears out, where SLC (Single-Level Cell) NAND is superior to MLC (Multi-Level Cell) and the older (e.g. 34nm) production process is more durable than the newer (e.g. 25nm) process. For the average home or office user this is not a major issue, since a 25nm MLC drive will still last for many years and likely outlive the rest of the computer, but it is a critical factor if you plan to use it in a database server for example. Hence the separate lists for ‘consumer’ and ‘enterprise’ 2.5-inch drives.

Table of Contents
Top 10 Consumer SSDs
Top 10 Enterprise SSDs
Top 10 PCI-Express SSDs

Consumer/Client Drives (2.5-inch MLC)

1. OCZ Vertex 3 MAX IOPS Edition

Available Capacities: 120GB – 480GB
Interface: SATA 3 6GBps
Price: From $399.00 to $1,899
550MB/s read (240GB)
520MB/s write (240GB)

After some firmware updates, we opted to bump up the Vertex 3 Max IOPS Edition to first place (again). It has proven in countless reviews that it delivers where it counts, although it has to be pointed out that its a very tight race between the SandForce SF-2281 drives at the top. The current-gen SandForce SATA 3 SSD processor is completely dominating the field right now when it comes to performance SSDs, and there are only slight differences between the manufacturers.

With sequential read and write speeds of up to 550MB/s and 520MB/s respectively, the 240GB drive is actually somewhat faster than both the 120GB and 480GB models, although the differences are small. With the ‘MAX IOPS Edition’, OCZ has also pushed the envelope a little further by enhancing the drive’s IOPS performance.

The 120GB drive offers the same 550MB/s maximum read throughput and 500MB/s write, whereas the 480GB capacity delivers read/write speeds of up to 530MB/s and 450MB/s. Their IOPS figures are no less impressive: 60,000 IOPS (random write 4KB aligned) for the 120GB and 240GB drives and 40,000 IOPS for the 480GB drive. Native TRIM support is also available and the drives specified to work in RAID setups.

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2. Mushkin Chronos Deluxe

Available Capacities: 120GB – 240GB
Interface: SATA 3 6GBps
Price: From $204.99 to $999.00
560MB/s read (240GB)
520MB/s write (240GB)

As our reader Itchy kindly pointed out, the numbers on the new Mushkin Chronos are indeed good. Just like so many other drives in the top tier of the SSD game it uses the SandForce SF-2281 processor, which consistently break new speed barriers as the manufacturers quietly improve their drives with new and more efficient firmware iterations.

The Chronos (also available in a “Deluxe” version) is available in the 120GB and 240GB capacities and do not only deliver excellent throughput in the sequential read/write area (560MB/s and 520MB/s, respectively), it also excels in 4K random writes with 90,000 IOPS with synchronous NAND.

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3. Corsair Force GT

Available Capacities: 60GB – 240GB
Interface: SATA 3 6GBps
Price: From $204.99 to $999.00
555MB/s read (240GB)
525MB/s write (240GB)

Built upon the latest iteration of the SandForce controller (benchmarks here), SF-2281. It has broken the speed barrier by using 25nm synchronous NAND, a much more expensive solution compared to the asynchronous NAND found in drives such as the Agility 3 and many others. Overall, from speed to read/write to build quality, the Force GT is indeed the best SSD in our book.

The 120GB and 60GB drives have the same 555MB/s maximum read throughput. The difference lies in the write throughput: 525MB/s for the 240GB, 515MB/s for the 120GB and 495MB/s for the 60GB. The IOPS measures are equally high at 85,000 IOPS (random write 4KB aligned) for the 240GB and 120GB drives and 80,000 IOPS for the 60GB drive.

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4. Kingston HyperX

Available Capacities: 120GB – 240GB
Interface: SATA 3 6GBps
Price: From $269.99 to $519.99
555MB/s read
510MB/s write

Using the same SandForce controller as the Corsair Force GT as well as synchronous NAND, this SSD from Kingston is also a cut above a majority of the SF-2281-based drives . With compressible data and a SATA 3.0 interface, it leapfrogs to 555MB/s for both drive capacities. The HyperX also has some other very good numbers: 60,000 IOPS on sustained random 4K writes and 95,000 IOPS random read.

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5. Patriot Wildfire

Available Capacities: 120GB – 240GB
Interface: SATA 3 6GBps
Price: From $279.99 to $519.99
555MB/s read (240GB)
520MB/s write (240GB)

Patriot has stepped up its game as well, bringing its own SandForce-powered drive to the fray. The SF-2200 controller powers this MLC storage device to power through 555MB/s sequential read and 520MB/s sequential write. The 85,000 IOPS for the Wildfire is also nothing to scoff at.

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6. OCZ Vertex 3

Available Capacities: 60GB – 480GB
Interface: SATA 3 6GBps
Price: From $137.99 to $1,199.00
550MB/s read (120GB and 240GB models)
520MB/s write (240GB model)

The Vertex 3 sports some new internals this time around and is now SATA 3-compatible. It’s not that quite different from its MAX IOPS sibling but you will find it priced at a more appealing level. The fastest capacity is the 240GB version, but the others are not far behind.

The 60GB model has 535MB/s read and 480MB/s write. The 120GB version can reach 550MB/s read and 500MB/s write. The 240GB capacity drive has a maximum of 550MB/s on read and 520MB/s on write. Finally, the 480GB version has a modest 530MB/s read and 450MB/s write. The maximum IOPS for the series is 85,000 IOPS for the 120GB and 240GB models with the 480GB clocking in at 40,000 IOPS and the 60GB one at 80,000 IOPS.

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7. Samsung SSD 830

Available Capacities: 64GB – 512GB
Interface: SATA 3 6GBps
Price: From $100 to $800 (approx.)
520MB/s read (256GB)
400MB/s write (256GB)

Samsung’s SATA III (6GBps) drive has gone from strength to strength in reviews across the web, and here is our comparison to the Vertex 3. Unlike all of the above drives, this SSD is built entirely by Samsung and comes with Samsung’s exceptional reliability track record as an added bonus. It doesn’t quite measure up to some of the SF-2281 based drives in some areas such as compressed sequential read speeds, but exceed them in others. While the maximum sequential read speeds are the same in all capacities, the 400MB/s write speed is only reached with the 256GB and 512GB versions.

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8. Corsair Force 3

Available Capacities: 60GB – 240GB
Interface: SATA 3 6GBps
Price: From $159.99 to $589.99
550MB/s read(240GB)
520MB/s write (240GB)

The Corsair Force 3 is based on the latest SF-2200 series controllers from SandForce. It’s is an incredibly fast drive that delivers amazing speeds over the SATA III interface. It reads and writes without the need for separate DRAM on the PCB. There is a marginal difference between the available capacities: The 60GB drive’s maximum write performance is 490MB/s compared to 510MB/s for the 120GB model.

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9. Crucial m4

Available Capacities: 64GB – 512GB
Interface: SATA 3 6GBps
Price: approx. $99 to $699
500MB/s read (250GB model)
270MB/s write (250GB model)

The Crucial m4 is another alternative to the myriad SF-2281 SSDs and outperforms them in many areas where incompressible data is involved. It became even better with the update to firmware revision 0009 (review here) and is definitely an option to consider when looking for a good all-round SSD. A detail worth noting is that the higher-capacity drives offer better performance.

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10. OCZ Agility 3

Available Capacities: 60GB – 240GB
Interface: SATA 3 6GBps
Price: From $145.00 to $485.00
525MB/s read (240GB)
500MB/s write (240GB)

The Agility 3 series includes a 60GB drive, while dropping the largest 480GB capacity. It is OCZ’s budget variety of its SandForce-based lineup and slower than the Vertex 3. It is still a fast drive that delivers 525MB/s sequential read speeds and 500MB/s writes in he 120GB and 240GB sizes, while the 60GB drive is somewhat slower at 475MB/s maximum write speeds. IOPS figures are also high; 85,000 IOPS (4K aligned) for the 120GB and 240GB drives and 80,000 IOPS for the 60GB model.

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Enterprise Drives (2.5-inch SLC) Note: Update Pending

1.

STEC ZeusIOPS XE

Interface: SAS
Available Capacities: up to 600GB
Price: Contact STEC
500MB/s read
275MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 70K IOPS

STEC recently launched the successor to its ZeusIOPS–the ZeusIOPS XE–which is allegedly three times as durable as previous generations thanks to its so-called enterprise MLC NAND (eMLC). It connects over SAS and reaches up to 115,000 IOPS when reading and 70,000 IOPS when writing.
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2. Pliant LB 150S

Interface: SAS
Available Capacities: 150GB
Price: $3,800.00
420MB/s read
220MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 35K IOPS

Pliant might not be as well known as other drive makers or even as established (they were founded in 2006), but it certainly is out to change that with the LB 150S. Part of their Lightning Series, this drive features two full duplex SAS ports, unlimited read and write endurance and end-to-end data protection with T10 DIF support. We’ve found that of the 2.5-inch SAS drives available, the LB150S is the fastest around.
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3. Seagate Pulsar XT.2

Interface: SAS
Available Capacities: 100GB – 400GB
Price: Contact Seagate
360MB/s read
300MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 22K IOPS

The Pulsar XT.2 is the fastest drive from Seagate. It’s currently shipping to OEMs and is expected to be more widely available during Q2 2011. Among its top features are a 25 petabyte written lifetime, self-encrypting drive option and having the fastest write speed for a 2.5-inch SAS drive.
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4. Micron RealSSD P300

Interface: SATA 3
Available Capacities: 50GB – 200GB
Price: Contact Micron
360MB/s read
275MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 45.2K IOPS

The P300 is Micron’s entry to the enterprise SLC market. In terms of durability, it was tested and found able to handle 3.5 petabytes of data writes in its lifetime, or about 2TB every day for five years. It’s also low-power at only 2.1W consumption, making it a good choice for server locations that want to be more green.
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5. OCZ Vertex 2 EX

Interface: SATA 2
Available Capacities: 50GB – 200GB
Price: $924.00 to $3,693.99
285MB/s read
275MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 50K IOPS

The Vertex 2 EX boasts both exceptional performance plus very high reliability. It has a built-in supercapacitor for backup power to ensure that in case of sudden power loss, it can continue its functions and minimize data loss. It also supports AES-128 bit encryption and ECC, making it one of the more secure drives available.

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6. Runcore Glory IV

Interface: SATA 2 Available Capacities: 32GB – 128GB
Price: Contact Runcore
262MB/s read
201MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 2560 IOPS

With a cache of 64MB, this drive minimizes wait times and reduces wear. It also claims 80 year write endurance and 1M hours MTBF.
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7. RunCore Kylin II

Interface: SAS Available Capacities: 50GB, 100GB
Price: Contact Runcore
260MB/s read
260MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 30K IOPS

What stands out immediately about this drive is it’s gold casing. Aside from that, another noticeable quality about the Kylin II is it supports 128-bit AES encryption with an optional disk password, as well as ECC.
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8. Intel X25-E Extreme

Interface: SATA
Available Capacities: 32GB, 64GB
Price: $371.90, $543.90 respectively
250MB/s read
170MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 3300 IOPS

Built upon the success of the X25-M, the X-25-E now utilizes SLC NAND for better performance. While not exceptional in terms of specs, it does provide an affordable entry for IT pros on a budget.

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9. WD SiliconDrive N1x

Interface: SATA
Available Capacities: 32GB – 128GB
Price: $351.29 to $3,404.20
240MB/s read
140MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 3500 IOPS

WD markets this drive as for “write-intensive embedded systems requiring superior performance and reliability.” To attest to this, the SiliconDrive N1X can have a maximum of 701.4GB of data written to it everyday and all drives are backed with a 5-year warranty. Other features include advanced error correction, wear-leveling and data integrity protection.

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10. STEC MACH16

Interface: SATA
Available Capacities: up to 400GB
Price: Contact STEC
225MB/s read (IOPS version)
200MB/s write (IOPS version)
Random 4K Write: 15K IOPS (IOPS version)

The MACH16 promises speed and protection in one package. It includes power down protection, best-in-class error correction and wear leveling. These class of devices are often used in military settings which should attest to the quality of these drives.
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Top 10 PCI Express SSDs

1. FusionIO ioDrive Octal

Interface: PCI-Express x16 Gen2.0
Available Capacities: 5.120TB
Price: Contact FusionIO
6000MB/s read
4400MB/s write
Random 512B Write: 1.18M IOPS

The ioDrive Octal is by far the fastest drive we’ve gone through. It has eight ioDrives on a single PCIe card (hence the name). It’s been used by the US government and the deployment of 220 Octals was able to reach a staggering 1TB/s bandwidth. Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, even speaks highly of this product which is probably why he joined them as chief scientist.
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2. Foremay EC188 D-Series

Interface: PCI Express Single, Dual and Hexa-Bus
Available Capacities: 125GB – 12TB
Price: Contact Foremay
4500MB/s read (Model-W Hexa Bus)
3500MB/s write (Model-W Hexa Bus)
Random 4K Write: 180K IOPS (Model-W Hexa Bus)

The EC188 D-Series is one of most versatile lines from Foremay. It is available from single bus to hexa bus, bringing more storage space and more bandwidth with it. It’s been used in a wide array of fields from medical imaging and scientific research to mobile content servers and security applications.
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3. FusionIO ioDrive2 Duo

Interface: PCI-Express x4/x8 or PCI Express 2.0 x4
Available Capacities: 1.2TB – 2.4TB
Price: Contact FusionIO
3000MB/s read (1.2TB)
2600MB/s write 1.2TB)
512B Write: 937K IOPS (1.2TB)

The ioDrive2 Duo replaces the older ioDrive Duo and offers incredible performance for enterprise users. It is available in two different capacities–1.2TB (SLC) and 2.4GB (MLC)–and the SLC version is the fastest with 2,600MB/s write bandwidth and 3,000MB/s read bandwidth. Write IOPS (512B) is above 900K for both capacities.
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4. OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2

Interface: PCI Express 2.0 x 4
Available Capacities: 240GB – 960GB
Price: From $599.99 to $3,099.99
1500MB/s read
1300MB/s write (960GB model)

This PCI drive boasts OCZ’s proprietary Virtualized Controller Architecture 2.0 (VCA) technology and OCZ’s SuperScale storage accelerator. It exceeds its predecessor’s performance record and has an amazing 230,000 IOPS maximum random write (4KB aligned).

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5. Foremay PC166 W-Series

Interface: PCI Express Single and Dual Bus
Available Capacities: 100GB – 4000GB
Price: Contact Foremay
1500MB/s read (Dual Bus)
1100MB/s write (Dual Bus)

The PC166 was specifically designed with TRIM in mind and complies with the Windows 7 SSD TRIM command, imporving write speed significantly and reducing writing degredation.
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6. OCZ Z-Drive R2 P88

Interface: PCI-Express interface (x8), 8 x SATA Controllers
Available Capacities: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
Price: $2,249.00, $3,750.00 and $8,199.00 respectively
1400MB/s read
1400MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 30K IOPS

One of the main upsides of the Z-Drive is its ability to be used as a bootable device, making it a compelling choice for SANs, servers and workstations. Some of its other features are a 512MB cache, SAS compatibility and 3-year warranty.

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7. OCZ Z-Drive R2 E88

Interface: PCI-Express x8, 8 x SATA Controllers
Available Capacities: 512GB
Price: $9,149.00
1400MB/s read
1400MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 7200 IOPS

The main difference between this an the P88 is the usage of SLC NAND instead of MLC, dramatically increasing reliability and reducing wear. One of the main upsides of the Z-Drive is its ability to be used as a bootable device, making it a compelling choice for SANs, servers and workstations. It also consumes less power compared to hard drive arrays.
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8. Photofast GM-PowerDrive

Interface: PCI-Express 2.0 x8
Available Capacities: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Price: Contact Photofast
1400MB/s read
1500MB/s write

This drive from Photofast is one of the few that has its maximum sequential write speed (1500MB/s) actually exceed its maximum read (1400MB/s). It is also one of the few housed in a sleek red housing. This is an Asian only device though but if you are in Japan or nearby, you might be able to get a hold of this.
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9. OCZ VeloDrive 3

Interface: PCI-Express x8, 4 x SATA controllers
Available Capacities: 160GB – 320GB
Price: Contact OCZ
1100MB/s read
1010MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 75000 IOPS

This drive has an onboard RAID controller so you can execute both hardware RAID and software RAID, though for the software you will need to find your own as OCZ doesn’t provide this. For hardware raid, it can reach up to 1100MB/s read and 1010MB/s write with a random 4K aligned write of 75,000 IOPS. Maximum performance for software RAID is 1,100MB/s read, 1030MB/s write and 125,000 IOPS random 4k aligned write.

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10. OCZ Z-Drive R3 P84

Interface: PCI-Express 2.0, X8 slot, half height, half length, 4 x SATA Controllers
Available Capacities: 300GB, 600GB, 1.2TB
Price: Contact OCZ
1000MB/s read
970MB/s write
Random 4K Write: 135K IOPS

The smaller footprint of the R3 should entice those who want faster storage for their compact servers. It also has a redesigned heatsink and a Super-Cap that will let it complete write operations in the even of a power failure.
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We’ve tried our best to compile the most comprehensive list of SSD drive available and used this to create the lists you see above. Since there seems to be a new set of drive launched each month, we shall update our list and ratings regularly. Also, if you think we’ve omitted something or need correction, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or contact us.