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Corsair launches 256GB Performance SSD
Author: Ben HardwidgePublished: 8th April 2009
Corsair’s new 256GB P256 SSD promises an incredible maximum sequential write speed of 200MB/sec.
As with Corsair’s previous 128GB S128 drive, the P256 is based on Samsung NAND chips, as well as a Samsung controller, which sets it apart from many other SSDs using JMicron’s JMF602 controller, which OCZ has now abandoned as well. What’s more, the P256 features a native command queuing-enabled controller, along with 128MB of DRAM cache. Corsair says that the latter “contributes to outstanding, stutter-free performance.”
All of which looks as though it adds up to an incredibly fast SSD, and Corsair’s quoted figures even suggest that it out-perform Intel’s flagship X25-E when it comes to sequential write speeds. Corsair quotes a maximum sequential write speed of 200MB/sec, compared with Intel’s quoted speed of 170MB/sec for the X25-E. However, the P256’s quoted maximum sequential read speed of 220MB/sec is a little behind the 250MB/sec speed quoted for the Intel drive.
Either way, Corsair is making some bold claims about the speed of this SSD, and the company says that these speeds are likely to be consistent too. Corsair says that the drive offers “near instant access times and rapid read and write performance,” adding that this performance “is consistent across the entire capacity of the SSD.” The result of the fast SSD, according to Corsair, is a PC where “games and apps load faster and Windows feels snappier and more responsive.”
Corsair says that the P256 is due to be launched on 10 April and the company tells us that a P256 has been sent out to bit-tech today, so look out for some test results in the future.
Now that SSDs are offering fast speeds and high capacities, are you considering ditching your hard drive for an SSD, or is the technology still too expensive? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.
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I'd just like to have 300 or 600GB of RaptorX goodness for under $300, but I think when I finally get a new HDD it'll be either a 640, 750, or 1TB WD Cav Black. Unless I get a really good paying job, I doubt I'll be testing any SSD's for awhile.
I can see making a switch from platters to solid state sometime in the future but not until they drop in price and improve performance. I feel they're too expensive for what you get to even consider buying one right now.
i'm running a p4d on the asus p5wd2-e which is - by todays standards - ancient hardware. Still it's incredible how much faster and more responsive everything is with 4x ssd in raid0. benchmark results didn't vary too much from reviews, but thats only numbers. comparing vista64 installations i have to say that one of the drives (after partition aligning) is a great way to improve the vista-experience but 4 of them in raid0 ... cocaine for a hummingbird. booting vista: 43sec (vs ~90sec on conventional hdd), photoshop cs4:10 sec (vs ~40sec on conventional hdd), the complete office suite (excel, word, powerpoint) <2sec. Loading time and general performance in games improved a lot too.
My next upgrade will certainly include one (or depending on prices at that time even more) ssd for system/applications.
I would still give the market another year and a half before SSD's become viable replacements. I think the netbook market is helping and with ram prices going the way they are I cant imagine SSD's wont soon follow.