Best SSD based on my computer?

[LesEnfantsTerribles]

Think I've put off buying a SSD for long enough, now. My budget is anywhere from $100-200.

I don't know what specifications I need to meet in order to achieve maximum speed/reliability/efficiency within that budget. Or compatibility, even. So if someone can help me pick out a SSD, it'd be awesome.

My rig details:

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k
Motherboard: Asus P8P67 Deluxe
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 580
OS: Windows 7 64-bit
Power: Corsair Professional Series AX1200 (1200W)
Case: CoolerMaster Haf X
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz

 

[ericjohn004]

I had the same amount of money with 200$ and I went with the Crucial m4 256Gb. And I am getting pretty great speeds with it and it is the cheapest 256Gb SSD and from what I hear one of the most reliable. They also have great customer support. But I cannot say I do not regret getting the Samsung 840 pro series. The Samsung 840 pro is simply the best. It is good at EVERYTHING. It may cost a little more, at I think 260ish but I would definitely save up a little more and get that one. Overall it doesn't matter at all which brand you use as long as you use a fairly popular one as all SSD's will dramatically increase speed with everything you do on a computer. But the best advice I can give is if you want the best go with the Samsung 840pro, if you want a really good one that is reliable and has been tested, go with the Crucial m4. But no matter WHAT! Do yourself a favor and get 256Gb version. Other brands recommended are: Samsung 830, OCZ Vertex 4, Corsair Neutron, and if you are really strapped for cash or have a SATA ll system go with the Crucial v4 which sells as low as 160 while still getting you SSD performance. I wouldn't do that but just a suggestion. Good luck.

 

[ericjohn004]

Also if your wondering whats the difference between SATA ll and SATA lll... SATA ll is 3Gb/s, SATA lll is 6Gb/s. But if you have SATA ll I would still get a SATA lll SSD as they are backward compatible and will still give you better performance than a SATA ll SSD. If you want to know which one you have, I do not know for sure. I do know you can download CrystalDiskInfo and once downloaded and opened it will either say SATA 300 or SATA 600 under which interface you use. I hope I helped you out.

 

[LesEnfantsTerribles]

The Samsung 840 (256GB) sells for about $300 here in Canada and it's a bit out of my budget. What about the Samsung 830? It's on sale for $220.

BTW, I can also see taht the Samsung 840 (250GB) is a lot cheaper than the 256GB. Why such a huge price difference?

So ultimately, it boils down to the Crucial M4 or Samsung 830. Hmmm...

 

[LesEnfantsTerribles]

So I looked into the Crucial M4 some more, and there are like 6 different versions:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148530
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148613
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148443
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148526
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148449
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148534

Which one is the right one for my computer?

 

[EpicLegend86]

Hope you didnt buy one yet, here is some good advice. I had purchased 2 240GB Mushkin (about a year ago) and put them in RAID 0. I couldnt be more happy with them. They are THE FASTEST SSD's in the price range/category with 90,000 IOPS and 560MB/s read 520MB/s write. 2 of these in Raid 0 I still achieve over 1000MB/s Read/write after nearly a year. I have never had an issue with them, never a BSOD, nothing, they work perfectly, and they are priced at $179.99 USD on NewEgg for 240GB. If you want to set up a RAID 0 for rediculously awesome desired but un-needed speed and your price is still around $200, they have 120GB models for $104.

 

[jemm]

You can´t go wrong with Mushkin Enhanced Chronos Deluxe MKNSSDCR240GB-DX 2.5" 240GB SATA III http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226226&Tpk=Mushkin%20Enhanced%20Chronos%20Deluxe

Best SSDs For The Money: October 2012 http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-recommendation-benchmark,3269.html

 

[danchuu]

OCZ vertex 4 is great Value and performance