checkitman22 :
Regardless of anything I will never purchase an OCZ drive, or any OCZ products. I've had nothing bad bad luck with their PSUs and RAM both. I also hear worst things about their drives. I would just go Patriot or Kingston if I was going to go top dollar but I'm just looking for something reliable that is around the 85-90c per GB mark if I can't find it while still performing epic.
OCZ's drives aren't the problem, it's SandForce. OCZ gets the heat because they are the biggest supplier of SandForce drives, but all SandForce drives have the problems that are seen by OCZ's older drives. Vertex 4 does not have the problems that the older drives had, like all of the other Marvell and other non-SandForce drives. Also, their PSUs are fine if you use the right ones. OCZ does not make PSUs, they simply re-brand other companies' PSUs as OCZ and the newer OCZ PSUs are much better than the old ones. OCZ's RAM was also okay, it often just needed a voltage jump.
OCZ has recovered since their earlier problems, I assure you. Also, if you want supreme reliability, then Patriot and Kingston are NOT the way to go. Go for any non-SandForce drives, or any Intel drives. Vertex 4 is included in that, but if you are so adamant against them for their past problems, then get a Samsung, Plextor, Marvell, Crucial, or Intel drive. Vertex 4 is still my recommendation.
EDIT: I just checked and Vertex 4 is a little out of what you want to pay. The 128GB version is $150 on newegg. I guess OCZ wants to make sure that they get their money's worth when they sell you a top of the line SSD.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167122
Here's an Intel 180GB SSD for only $140 if you use the MIR. Is that acceptable?