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2011 was the year that saw SandForce based Solid State Drives take off once and for all, but they seem to keep improving more and more leading into this year 2012. We recently took a look at the Samsung 830 Series 128GB SSD which proves to be one of the best models on the SandForce market, we are hoping to see a similar performance from this new M3 range from Plextor we have here today...
You may not have noticed but there's been a changing of the guard when it comes to SSDs based on Marvell controllers. The first Marvell SATA 6G drive to enter the market was the Crucial C300. The C300 battled it out with the first generation SandForce controller which at the time were limited to SATA 3G speeds of 285MB/s read. The C300 took advantage of SATA 6G and mustered an impressive 375MB/s read speed in our tests of the 256GB model. At that time Crucial was the only SSD manufacture using a Marvell controller. Last year Crucial released their second product based on a Marvell controller, the Crucial m4. The exclusivity was lost though as more companies started churning out products based on the Marvell design, mainly Intel, Corsair and Plextor.
The competition wasn't favorable for Crucial and the Marvell SSD market was pretty evenly divided amongst the newly formed Team Marvell group. For the most part each of these Marvell products resembled the other and there wasn't a real standout. Intel jumped ship completely and is now playing for Team SandForce, partly because they couldn't compete with their IMFT flash and the Marvell controller. Crucial is in that same boat as of now but with 20nm IMFT flash far on the horizon they are a ship without a paddle. Then there is the unbound.
The Marvell 88SS9174 isn't quite sixty years old, but the controller first hit the scene in January 2010, a long time in computer component years. Just like the 911, each minor revision adds to the speed and functionality. Also like the 911, the components that surround the main controller have changed to produce a better product.
When we reviewed the Plextor M3 256GB SSD earlier this year our verdict was pretty positive. That model is based on the Marvell 88SS9174 controller combined with 24nm Toshiba ToggleFlash NAND chips. Its performance was excellent, the warranty impressive (five-year factory warranty) but the price was a bit steep in our opinion.
A lot has happened in the world of SSDs in the few months that have passed since then. We've witnessed the arrival of new models such as the OCZ Vertex 4, but also the beginning of a price war. Many popular SSDs such as Crucial's m4 and Intel's new SSD 330 series are in the meantime available for significantly less than £1 per GB.
Plextor has yet to join the price race to the bottom, and instead says it prefers investing in performance and quality. For a short while now the M3 Pro has been available in the M3 series, and its specifications indicate improved performance. Hardware.Info tested the 256 GB model.
Plextor is not a name that you would have immediately associate with SSD manufacture – they’re probably best known to old timers as a leading manufacturer of CD/DVD drives – but they’ve been in the business a while. Unlike Intel or Samsung who have made their mark with their own brand controllers and software, Plextor has opted to go for a third party Marvell controller. These controllers are used to great effect in the popular Crucial M4, but require some special firmware to really unlock their potential.
Today we are going to be reporting on the Plextor M3P 256GB SATA 3 SSD. Pairing Marvell’s venerable 88SS9174 controller with the latest Toshiba 24nm Toggle Mode NAND, the Pro is not much different from the Plextor M3 SSD that we reviewed a short time ago. Aside from the new thinner 7mm chassis, the only difference you’ll find between the regular M3 Standard and the M3 Pro is the custom Plextor firmware being employed. That might just be enough to put it over the top.
The Plextor M5 Pro 128GB is the fastest 120/128 GB SSD that we've ever tested. It set new records in PCMark Vantage, PCMark7 and AS SSD. Generally speaking, this SSD is faster than any SandForce-based models, faster than any Marvell 88SS9174-based models, faster than the Samsung SSD 830 and even a bit faster than the OCZ Vertex 4 128 GB which is built around the same chip. Add to that five years of warranty and a fitting package (bracket and data migration software) and we can easily conclude that the Plextor M5 Pro is the ultimate SSD currently on the market.
Plextor has given its M5 Pro 128GB SSD the Xtreme firmware treatment. We put it up against the 128GB kings from Samsung (840 Pro) and OCZ (Vector) to see how it goes.
Plextor uses the new Marvell 9287 controller, new Toshiba 19nm Toggle Mode Flash and gives us a new understanding of what it means to be fast
We can basically write the same conclusion for the Plextor M5 Pro 256GB as we did for the 128GB model. It's the fastest SSD in its category, and set new records in AS SSD and PCMark Vantage, and came up 15 points short of the high score in PCMark 7. Very impressive figures indeed. The incredible performance, the good warranty conditions and outstanding track record of both Marvell and Plextor make this an excellent product.
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