FullmetalCowboy :
@lord conrad
The m4 looks awesome, and its so much cheaper. and i just read pretty deep into it and it has the same real world performance as the vertex 3. the vertex kills it in benchmarks, but hey all i need is performance, not numbers.
@metawin
I dont think i would be able to get the cash together for two SSDs. Just a single one would be so incredibly faster than my hdd though. The m4 is looking great.
Im going to have a regular Hdd for music, videos, and generally space consuming crap. and also as a back up for the SSD(would i need to make a separate partition for the back up?)
Would there be a large performance increase with 2 500 gb drives in raid 0? or should i just get a 1 terabyte drive and be done with it?
Thanks so much!
The M4 does not have anywhere near the performance or quality of a Vertex 3 in the real world or otherwise, its like comparing apples and oranges.
The M4, while just released is not truly next gen as it still uses the same controller as the C300 with only some firmware tweaks.
The new M4 is just a rehashed C300.
The Vertex on the other hand is the best of the next gen, only falling behind the MAX IOPS Vertex 3 which is essentially the same drive.
Don't underestimate the difference having a Sandforce controller makes.
You can read what I am talking about here, which is also a good site to get some other good in depth SSD reviews.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4253/the-crucial-m4-micron-c400-ssd-review
I understand that you can't afford two right now (who can? lol) but I still say get one now and IF YOU NEED IT (or would just like to double its speed) you can get another one later. That is what I am doing on my new build right now and I doubt you will be able to get it for $250 again for long while and I have ordered mine today
Just like your PSU, your main drive is NOT the place to cut corners on any system.
If $250 is still a little high, I recommend the Agility 3 as a second choice.
It has the sandforce controller and gets the same results in benchmarks as the Vertex 3 only lagging behind in incompressible data transfers, while coming in at a much better price point due to its use of different less expensive (and less quality) NAND than the Vertex 3.
It is also reviewed on the site that I linked you if you would like to know more.
I would just like to say that saving is good, (and you are saving by getting the Vertex at a discount and not the MAX IOPS) but where you choose to save can make a huge difference in how happy you are with your PC.
I would emphatically say that a good SSD is an upgrade that you can defiantly feel in everyday use and is an important factor in the performance of a number of things in your PC.
Hope it helps and good luck with your upgrade!