
2 expert reviews - 0 user reviews
Follow
0
0
Want it
0
Have it
0
Had it
0
We have collected 2 reviews of the Intel 520 Series 120 GB. Experts rate Intel 520 Series 120 GB 8/10. Reviewsor.com helps you find reviews, best prices, user reviews of the Intel 520 Series 120 GB and Intel SSD hard drives.
The 2.5-inch standard Intel 520 Series SSD comes with the same SandForce controller as many others on the market but with special firmware, version 400i, developed by Intel to improve performance. And the drive for the most part delivered, offering very fast performance in my testing. The drive's also aesthetically pleasing and rugged with an all-aluminum casing, and comes with all you need to install it in a desktop computer. The only complaint I have about the drive is the pricing, which is about $2 per gigabyte, making it one of the most expensive solid-state drives (SSDs) on the market. If you can live with that, the 520 Series will make an excellent hard-drive replacement, especially for ultraportable laptops and desktops, thanks to its 7-mm thickness option and included accessories. If you want something of similar quality and slightly better performance but costing less for your standard laptop, however, I'd recommend the Samsung 830 Series. The Intel 520 Series SSD is a special solid-state drive. For one, it's only 7 millimeters thick, whereas the standard SSD thickness is 9.5mm. This is basically another push of Intel to promote its ultrabook campaign. To make it also fit in a standard 9mm, 2.5-inch hard-drive bay, the drive comes with a frame piece on top that adds another 2.5mm.
The 120GB could be the SSD sweet-spot, but can Intel's SSD 520 Series 120GB drive hit that head-on?Intel has done the obvious thing and stuck a SandForce controller in its desktop SSDs. If the larger members of the new 520 Series, like the Intel SSD 520 240GB, are a little punitive on pricing, what about the Intel SSD 520 Series 120GB, could it offer the best compromise between price, performance and capacity?One thing it certainly shares with the larger 520 Series solid state drive is Intel's SSD firmware development and validation regime. It will take time for the true long-term performance of this latest Intel SSD family to shake out, but Intel has a well-earned reputation in this area.The only slight snag is that smaller drives make for fewer memory chips and in turn fewer memory channels and a little less performance. The optimal drive for performance in the range is the Intel SSD 520 Series 240GB model. But that's a much more expensive drive. Instead this 120GB drive must do battle with the likes of the Corsair Force GT 120GB and OCZ's Vertex 3 120GB.
| Retailer | Information | Prices | |
|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Intel 520 Series 120GB 2.5 SATA III Solid State Drive - Drive Only | $139.36 | See it |
![]() |
Intel 520 Series 120GB 2.5 SATA III Solid State Drive - Drive Only | $143.99 | See it |
![]() |
Intel 520 Series 120gb 2.5 Sata Iii Solid State Drive - Drive Only | $143.99 | See it |
![]() |
Intel 520 Series 120gb 2.5 Sata Iii Solid State Drive - Drive Only | $144.99 | See it |
![]() |
Intel 520 Series Solid-State Drive 120 GB SATA 6 Gb/s 2.5-Inch - SSDSC2CW120A3K5 (Reseller Kit) | $149.99 | See it |
![]() |
Intel 520 Series Solid-State Drive 120 GB SATA 6 Gb/s 2.5-Inch - SSDSC2CW120A310 (Drive Only) | $161 | See it |
![]() |
Intel Cherryville 120GB SSD520 SATA 6GBps Form Factor 2.5 Inches MLC I | $167 | See it |
![]() |
Intel Corp. SSDSC2CW120A310 520 Series 120GB 2.5 in. OEM | $174.15 | See it |
![]() |
Intel 520 Series Solid-State Drive 120 GB SATA 6 Gb/s 2.5-Inch - SSDSC2CW120A3K5 (Reseller Kit) | $174.99 | See it |
![]() |
Intel Corp. SSDSC2CW120A3K5 520 Series 120GB 2.5 in. Reseller | $189 | See it |
![]() |
520 Series 120GB 2.5'''' Reseller 520 Series 120GB 2.5'''' Reseller | $235 | See it |