Discussion Hardware Review Wishlist – SSDs

[OPStellar]

Sean Webster has been doing an excellent job documenting and testing specs for the latest and greatest SSDs! 👏
However, I've seen several cards that boast higher performance than what Sean has managed to review.
Recently, Phison's E18 controller has shown to outlast Phoenix and Micron controllers in sustained sequential writing performance as well as top speed.
Here are a few Gen4 PCIe NVMe SSDs that Mr. Webster has yet to cover: (key: ####/#### = Read/Write MB/s)

• Corsair MP600 PRO Hydro X Edition – Corsair claims this version is a lot more stable with its liquid-cooling component.
  • 2TB: 7000/6,550
• TEAMGROUP T-Force CARDEA Graphene A440 – with DRAM SLC Cache and Graphene Copper Foil 3D NAND TLC
  • 1TB: 7000/5500
  • 2TB: 7000/6900 (fastest listed write speed of any SSD)
• Mushkin Gamma – Phison E18 controller
  • 1TB: 7150/5600
  • 2TB: 7175/6800
• Titanium Micro TH7175 – Phison E18 controller
  • 1TB: 7150/5600
  • 2TB: 7175/6800
• PNY XLR8 CS3140
  • 1TB: 7500/5650
  • 2TB: 7500/6,850
• Addlink S95 TLC
  • 1TB: 7000/5000
  • 2TB: 7100/6800
• ReleTech P400 EVO – Micron B27B TLC
  • 1TB, 2TB: 7000/6850

And here are some of the less-speedy Gen4 SSDs that still do a good job, which have also not yet been reviewed:

• Corsair MP600 CORE
  • 1TB: 4700/1950
  • 2TB: 4950/3700
  • 4TB: 4950/3950
• Mushkin Delta – Phison E16 controller
  • 1TB: 4700/2100
  • 2TB: 4975/3750
  • 4TB: 4975/3975
• Titanium Micro TH4985 – Phison E16 controller
  • 1TB: 4800/2100
  • 2TB: 4985/3750
  • 4TB: 4985/3975
• Inland Performance TLC
  • 500GB: 4500-4950/2200
  • 1TB, 2TB: 5000/4300
• ADATA XPG GAMMIX S50 – NVMe 1.3
  • 1TB, 2TB: 5000/4400
• Addlink S90 TLC
  • 1TB, 2TB: 5000/4400
• FireCuda 520 – Phison E16 controller
  • 500GB, 1TB, 2TB: 5000/4400

I've spent a lot of time scouring the web for the fastest possible also found a few PCIe Gen3 SSDs that are worth testing (high performance claim, satisfied customers, bargain price)

• Archgon HS-1110 – Most of Archgon's SSDs are external only, but they all use Phison controllers. (It wouldn't surprise me if their next wave implements the E18.) Their Thunderbolt 3 external SSDs boast internal-level speeds. Those who risked an investment have not been disappointed!
  • 480GB ($90), 960GB ($150), 1920GB ($280): 3400/3000
• Digifast Ace – Toshiba BiCS3 NAND and Phison PS5012-E12/E12C controller
  • 256GB: 3100/1100 ($46)
  • 512GB: 3400/2020 ($77)
  • 1TB: 3470/3000 ($136) (superior)
  • 2TB: 3470/2750 ($345)
• SEKC SM250 – (all sizes) 3300/3100 Atto (see CDM MB/s + IOPS values listed below)
  • 128GB: 1500/500 (CDM) + 70K/100K IOPS
  • 256GB: 1700/1000 (CDM + 130K/190K IOPS
  • 512GB: 1700/1500 (CDM) + 200K/310K IOPS
  • 1TB: 2400/1800 (CDM) + 210K/330K IOPS (superior)
  • 2TB: 2000/1150 (CDM) + 90K/240K IOPS
• LEVEN JPR700 – Micron 64L TLC
  • 512GB: 3400/2600
  • 1TB: 3400/3000
• Asgard – (this company is making DDR5 in China)
  • AN3 (1TB): 3200/2000
  • AN3+ (1TB): 3500/2500
• Topmore TPCIE500-0G/0M – Phison E12
  • 512GB: 3461/2127
  • 1TB: 3466/3058
  • 2TB: 3200/2800 (discontinued)
• ReleTech – Also uses Phison and sometimes Micron
  • P400 (PCIe 3.1)
    • 256GB: 3500/1300
    • 512GB: 3500/2600
    • 1TB, 2TB: 3500/3100
  • P400 Pro (PCIe 4.0)
    • 500GB, 1TB, 2TB: 5000/3600-3700
  • P400 EVO (NVMe 1.4 PCIe Interface 4.0 Gen4 x4 Micron B27B TLC)
    • 1TB, 2TB: 7000/6850
• Micron
• Inland Platinum (PCIe 3.1) – Mentioned only once on Tom's Hardware
  • 1TB: 3400/1900
  • 2TB, 4TB: 3400/3000
  • 8TB: 3300/3000

Lastly, there are some reviews that get a bit confusing. Particularly surrounding Team Group T-Force's Cardea and Corsair's MP600, which have seven and five models, respectively (underlined models are found in Tom's Hardware news or reviews):

• Cardea – (240GB, 480GB) undisclosed
• Cardea II (also has TUF Gaming Alliance, liquid cooling heatsink, and Transform IOPS versions)– (512GB, 1TB) 3400/2000-3000
• Cardea Zero Entry Z330 – (512GB, 1TB, 2TB) 1800-2100/1500-1700-1600 (inferior)
• Cardea Zero Advanced Z340 – (256GB, 512GB, 1TB) 3000-3400/1000-2000-3000
• Cardea Zero Xtreme Z440 – (1TB, 2TB) 5000/4400
• Cardea Ceramic C440 (Z440, but it's white) – (1TB, 2TB) 5000/4400
• Cardea Graphene A440 with DRAM SLC Cache + Graphene Copper Foil – 7000/5500-6900
• MP600 PRO – (1TB, 2TB) 7000-6850/[5500-5600]-6550
• MP600 PRO Hydro X Edition – (2TB only) 7000/6550
• MP600 CORE – (1TB, 2TB, 4TB) 4700-4950/1950-3700-3950
• Force MP600 – (500GB, 1TB, 2TB) 4950/2500-4250
• Force MP600 PRO – (upcoming)

If you've made it this far, drop a comment or a reply with what SSDs you want reviewed!

 

[Maxxify]

I've passed this post on to him. By the way, he's a moderator for my discord server which focuses on SSDs. If you are not already a member you should check it out as you can directly ask about these drives - other members may have tested them.

Be mindful that "up to" sequential speeds don't really matter much. A lot of these drives also share the same basic hardware with minor firmware differences. That is to say, you can largely extrapolate performance. There are multiple spreadsheets available that track the hardware in drives.

 

[OPStellar]

I've passed this post on to him. By the way, he's a moderator for my discord server which focuses on SSDs. If you are not already a member you should check it out as you can directly ask about these drives - other members may have tested them.

Be mindful that "up to" sequential speeds don't really matter much. A lot of these drives also share the same basic hardware with minor firmware differences. That is to say, you can largely extrapolate performance. There are multiple spreadsheets available that track the hardware in drives.

Discord? Now you're speaking my language! Where can I find the join link?

As I investigated these, I learned that there's pretty much three kinds of hard drives: Phison, Micron, and Phoenix. Occasionally, something will join up with another company, like how Digifast's card is based on both Toshiba and Phison. Other speed advantages are sometimes software-based, like how an Intel-brand (or Intel-certified) SSD might work better with an Intel CPU through a recognition effect or something, or how multiple chips of the same manufacturer can transfer data to one another more easily than to other models of the same generation.

I'm mostly interested in viewing an all-encompassing comparison of the Sustained Sequential Write speeds. I feel like all hard drives should advertise filled-cache speed before empty-cache speeds, and maybe also an indicator telling how many seconds it takes at minimum before its cache gets full.

I almost want to invent an SSD that performs like no other:

• Low write speeds that gradually build up to higher speeds (current trend is high that degrade to low as the cache fills) by force-dumping the cache before it gets full
  • This would also prevent throttling since it gives the card a chance to cool down before demanding more energy
• Payloads are delivered at varying speeds depending on the virtual weight of the data transfer
  • With these two factors at play, most data transfer jobs up to a certain size could all take the same amount of time
• All data transfer operations become easily abort-able within a given time frame
  • With software, all jobs would have a more accurate estimated completion time since the card would control that delivery speed
• The material of the card itself, and its components, would be intended to generate less heat while still delivering high output and receiving high (controlled) input
  • Carbon fiber is one of the toughest light materials and perhaps the lightest tough material; this might make for a strong protective rim (the card would be slightly thinner to make room for a CF border)
  • Titanium is both tough and heat resistant, albeit quite heavy and a poor conductor of electricity; as a foil, it could give a strong intermediate layer to cover any empty space on the surface of the card
  • Tungsten is also very heat resistant, but is highly conductive (though it produces a lot of heat as a result; it just doesn't fall victim to the heat as much); I don't know what use it could possibly serve, but it seems right 😛
  • Copper's a given; almost impossible to avoid using it, even on a heatsink
  • Aerogel… somewhere in there… would serve as a heat shield to prevent the card from spreading its heat to adjacent cards, as well as to prevent the heat generated by adjacent cards from affecting it

I'm getting off topic.

 

[Maxxify]

Discord? Now you're speaking my language! Where can I find the join link?

As I investigated these, I learned that there's pretty much three kinds of hard drives: Phison, Micron, and Phoenix. Occasionally, something will join up with another company, like how Digifast's card is based on both Toshiba and Phison. Other speed advantages are sometimes software-based, like how an Intel-brand (or Intel-certified) SSD might work better with an Intel CPU through a recognition effect or something, or how multiple chips of the same manufacturer can transfer data to one another more easily than to other models of the same generation.

I'm mostly interested in viewing an all-encompassing comparison of the Sustained Sequential Write speeds. I feel like all hard drives should advertise filled-cache speed before empty-cache speeds, and maybe also an indicator telling how many seconds it takes at minimum before its cache gets full.

I almost want to invent an SSD that performs like no other:

• Low write speeds that gradually build up to higher speeds (current trend is high that degrade to low as the cache fills) by force-dumping the cache before it gets full
  • This would also prevent throttling since it gives the card a chance to cool down before demanding more energy
• Payloads are delivered at varying speeds depending on the virtual weight of the data transfer
  • With these two factors at play, most data transfer jobs up to a certain size could all take the same amount of time
• All data transfer operations become easily abort-able within a given time frame
  • With software, all jobs would have a more accurate estimated completion time since the card would control that delivery speed
• The material of the card itself, and its components, would be intended to generate less heat while still delivering high output and receiving high (controlled) input
  • Carbon fiber is one of the toughest light materials and perhaps the lightest tough material; this might make for a strong protective rim (the card would be slightly thinner to make room for a CF border)
  • Titanium is both tough and heat resistant, albeit quite heavy and a poor conductor of electricity; as a foil, it could give a strong intermediate layer to cover any empty space on the surface of the card
  • Tungsten is also very heat resistant, but is highly conductive (though it produces a lot of heat as a result; it just doesn't fall victim to the heat as much); I don't know what use it could possibly serve, but it seems right 😛
  • Copper's a given; almost impossible to avoid using it, even on a heatsink
  • Aerogel… somewhere in there… would serve as a heat shield to prevent the card from spreading its heat to adjacent cards, as well as to prevent the heat generated by adjacent cards from affecting it

I'm getting off topic.

Check my subreddit here. There's a Discord tab at the top and it's also linked in the pinned SSD Help thread.

There's far more than three. Again, check our spreadsheet resources. All this information is available. The pinned SSD Guides & Resources thread has my spreadsheet as well as Johnny Lucky's and Gabriel Ferraz's - the latter has the full details you seem to want.

There's already drives with NO caching. Pretty much all enterprise/DC drives, but others like the upcoming Plotripper Pro as well. Controllers already determine workloads and have behavioral profiles for them. Again, this is covered in my resources (SSD Compilation) as well as my patent/article posts (search the flair on Reddit).

I cover a lot of these topics in detail on my discord server, to the point of it being too technical at times.

 

[CRamseyer]

Not everyone can be Chris Ram and review every single SSD shipped to the consumer market (plus all capacities).