OCZ Vertex 3
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We have collected 10 reviews of the OCZ Vertex 3. Experts rate OCZ Vertex 3 8.6/10. Reviewsor.com helps you find reviews, best prices, user reviews of the OCZ Vertex 3 and OCZ SSD hard drives.
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OCZ Vertex 3 Reviews
OCZ Vertex 3 (480GB)
We've examined two other solid-state drives (SSDs) in OCZ's Vertex 3 series, at capacities of 120GB and 240GB (the latter earning our Editors' Choice award). So it seemed like it would be worth the time to see how the highest-capacity model, the 480GB version, fares—especially given OCZ's recent releases of both its Octane and now Vertex 4 drives of similar size. As it turns out, pretty well, and across a broad range of applications. In certain circumstances you might want to default to one of the others, but for regular use this is a solid go-to SSD—provided you can afford its steep ($769.99 list) cost. Unlike the Octane and the Vertex 4, which have been outfitted with controllers from Indilinx (which OCZ acquired last year), Vertex 3 drives like this 480GB model still utilize SandForce SF2200 hardware. This delivers top read speeds of 530MBps and write speeds of 450MBps—interestingly, both lower than the most you can expect from the 120GB (550MBps and 500MBps) or especially 240GB (550MBps and 520MBps models). The 480GB drive, which offers about 447GB of usable space once it's formatted, does slightly better than the other drives in terms of 4KB random reads (it's rated for 50,000, as opposed to 20,000 for the 120GB drive and 40,000 for the 240GB drive) and slightly worse in terms of random writes (40,000, as compared with 60,000 for the others).
OCZ Vertex 3 (120GB)
When it comes to solid-state drives (SSDs), all capacities are not created equal. The 240GB version of the OCZ Vertex 3 earned our Editors' Choice award for being the fastest consumer-level SSD we've tested, but ringing in at around $500 it's beyond the reach of all but the most affluent and enthusiastic enthusiasts. Something like the Vertex 3's 120GB variation, which lists for about $210 but can be found at some online retailers for less, may seem like an attractive substitute. Just know that by saving money you'll be giving up some stellar performance along with 120GB of storage. It's not enough to keep this from being an upper-tier SSD, but it's sufficient to prevent us from giving it the same wholehearted recommendation the 240GB model so richly deserves. The reason for this is fairly simple: Because the 120GB drive uses half the number of 25nm NAND devices of the 240GB version, it's able to write less in parallel, with diminished performance the result. (Using the same number of devices, but of smaller capacity, would make the 120GB model as fast as the 240GB one, but that's not the route OCZ took here.)
OCZ Vertex 3
Two years ago, Intel was the clear leader in the SSD controller. For those seaching for an SSD with good performance and reliability, Intel was the choice to go with. As with many emerging technologies though, the field is wide open and there are opportunities for newcomers to shine and grab the market share, even when facing a Goliath like Intel. SandForce is one such company that emerged from an unknown obscurity back in 2009, becoming the dominant player in the SSD market. SandForce entered the SSD market in 2010 with the SandForce SF-1200 and SF-1500 controllers. Due to good performance and reliability, the market quickly embraced SSDs based on SandForce controllers. Keeping up with the momentum, SandForce started 2011 with the SandForce SF-2000 controller that promised even better performance. Around the same time that SandForce emerged as the leading force in the SSD controller market, OCZ Technology, a company that is known for its memory, shifted its focus to concentrate on SSD storage. A quick glance through OCZ's website shows that the company carries no less than 10 lines of SSDs with different form factors and different interfaces.
OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SATA 6Gbit/s SSD Review
Solid-state drives have always held a bit of a fascination with me, at least ever since 2008 when Intel brought them to the attention of the consumer market. SSDs have progressed a long ways in the three years since, a feat I find particularly underscored by the SSD in today's review. The simple fact is, there isn't another part of the computer industry where leaps of 50% let alone 100% or more are still occurring with every successive generation of hardware. The change from the SandForce-based SF-1200 to the SF-2281 controller that powers the OCZ Vertex 3 solid-state drive is one of those leaps. Granted, the new SATA 6Gb/s interface featured on the Vertex 3 has a significant role in the new levels of performance, but it is only due to the SandForce controller that the Vertex 3 is able to set new levels of performance previously only seen from dual and even quad-controllers in RAID 0 before now. It should therefore go without saying that consumers wishing to get the full performance out of a Vertex 3 or Agility 3 SSD will need a system or laptop with an available SATA 6Gb/s port. The Vertex is OCZ's premier model of solid-state drive.
OCZ Vertex 3
If you're looking for the fastest consumer-oriented solid-state drive (SSD) out there, OCZ has it. The company's 240GB Vertex 3 is a 2.5-inch marvel that's suitable for almost any application, but offers such astounding speeds that you're wasting its potential if you're not using it as a boot drive. The problem? The price. At $499.99 (list), you're paying nearly $2 per gigabyte. But if you're on the market for an SSD and want the most efficiency you can get for your dollar, our Editors' Choice Vertex 3 is the undisputed way to go. The Vertex 3 utilizes the new SandForce SF-2281 controller, and is loaded with a total of 256GB of Intel 25nm NAND flash memory, of which approximately 224GB is usable once the drive is formatted. (The remainder of the space is dedicated to necessary additional functionality such as data protection and wear leveling.) The drive also supports 6Gbps SATA III, to give you the highest possible transfer speeds when used with supporting hardware. (You're likely to get the fastest rates with newer technology, such as Intel's second-generation Core, aka Sandy Bridge, hardware; we used a Gigabyte motherboard with a Z68 Express chipset for testing.) OCZ boasts that the Vertex 3 is rated for maximum read speeds of up to 550MBps and write speeds of up to 520MBps.
OCZ Vertex 3 240GB Review
Technology continues to evolve at a blistering pace, as it seems that what was once new, hot, and labeled the best product of its kind, is now just old news. No where is this more evident than with solid state drives. NAND controllers continue to evolve and drive performance even higher. The Vertex 3 from OCZ is one of the latest generation drives that includes not only the latest controller from Sandforce, but uses a SATA 6Gbps interface to make sure the bus in not the determining factor in drive capabilities. With its recent acquisition of Indilinx, it is surprising that OCZ chose to use the Sandforce 2281 controller. OCZ has promised this drive has some serious read and write specifications that include maximum 4K write IOPs of 85,000, maximum read performance of 550MB/s, and maximum write performance of up to 520MB/s. These numbers are significant, as they are almost twice as fast as Sandforce's previous-generation controllers. Additional specifications include native TRIM support, 25nm MLC NAND flash, ECC, S.M.A.R.T. monitoring, MTBF of 2 million hours, and OCZ's three year warranty. The Vertex 3, much like other drives, comes in a variety of sizes from 60GB to 480GB, with pricing scaling up to $1799 for the 480GB version.
OCZ Vertex 3 240GB review
Memory controllers are the super-model components of the SSD world, and OCZ is dropping the fastest consumer SandForce SATA 6Gbps controller on the planet with this the OCZ Vertex 3 240GB.SSD's are now so numerous, it's hard to believe that the desktop digital drive in its current NAND-based state hasn't been around that long. That said the enterprise sector has had the pleasure of using SSD's in various guises for a lot longer and solid state storage technology itself has been around longer than you might imagine.You can actually trace its lineage back to the 1950's. The first of what most people would recognise as a modern SSD appeared in 1978 when StorageTek brought out its drive. With a capacity of just 90MB it cost a staggering $8,800 per MB which limited its use to industrial, military, medical and commercial applications.But what transformed the SSD into the desktop drive we know today began life in the 1970's when Fujio Masuoka started to develop NAND flash architecture at Toshiba, the company patenting the technology in 1980 and the concept of NAND flash memory has been evolving ever since.First came SLC (Single Level Cell) and then more recently MLC (Multi Level Cell). So what's the difference, you may ask.
OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SSD Review
About a year ago OCZ released the Vertex 2 solid state drive, a major follow up to their popular Vertex series. The drive hit the market to become one of the first to make use of the yet unheard of SandForce SF-1222 controller. OCZ was quick to jump on this new controller and they were happy to sample pre-production versions to get the word out quickly. Shortly after the Vertex 2, there were countless other SSDs using the same SandForce controller, and yet for many the Vertex 2 remained the best as OCZ led the pack with firmware updates and warranty support. With this sudden initial success, SandForce announced the SF-2000 series in early 2011. The consumer-level performance controller known as the SF-2281 includes support for the SATA 6Gb/s interface, while boasting read and write speeds of 500MB/s+, a mind blowing figure when compared to the previous generation chip. The Vertex 2's SF-1222 controller was limited to SATA 3Gb/s and offered read and write speeds of less than 300MB/s. Even though OCZ recently acquired Indilinx, another well-known memory controller maker, the company has wasted no time jumping on SandForce's latest SF-2281.
OCZ Vertex 3 Series solid-state drive - 480 GB - SATA-600
The OCZ Vertex 3 solid-state drive is the second SSD (after the Plextor PX-256M2S) we've reviewed that supports the new 6Gbps SATA 3 standard. Like the Plextor, the OCZ showed stellar performance in our testing, enough to justify the $500 price tag for the 240GB version or the $250 for the 120GB version. Its 480GB version, however, is outrageously expensive at $1,800. If your computer, be it a Mac or PC, supports SATA 3, then the OCZ Vertex 3 makes a worthwhile investment and will increase the computer's performance significantly. The drive also works with the existing and popular 3Gbps SATA (SATA 2) controllers and at a much faster speed than regular hard drives. However, for SATA 2, you should also consider the slightly cheaper Samsung 470 hard drive. Like the Samsung 470, the OCZ Vertex 3 has the same shape, dimensions, and port design as any standard 9.5-millimeter, 2.5-inch internal hard drive. The drive also includes a drive bay converter to take the place of any 3.5-inch hard drive. This means it will work in any case where a traditional SATA hard drive would be used. The drive supports the latest SATA 3 (6Gbps) and also works with SATA 2 (3Gbps), as these two standards use the same interface ports.
OCZ Vertex 3 SandForce SF-2000 Based SSD Preview
Just last week, we gave you a glimpse of what OCZ has in store for the enterprise SSD market with our preview of the Vertex 3 Pro. Without giving away all of the juicy details, the Vertex 3 Pro essentially buried the competition and offered performance that was significantly better than any current-gen solid state drive. As we mentioned though, the Vertex 3 Pro is an enterprise-class drive, and as such, it sports a price tag outside of the realm of your typical PC enthusiast. OCZ did hint that the \"non-Pro” version of the Vertex 3 was coming soon, however, and stated that it would be priced \"significantly lower”. Well, here we are, just one week later and we've already got a beta Vertex 3 in hand for some initial testing. As you'll see in the specifications below, the upcoming Vertex 3 looks equally as impressive as the Vertex 3 Pro in terms of if features and expected performance, but what's more exciting is that it'll be price more in-line with current SSDs. Take a look... OCZ Vertex 3 240GB Solid State Drive Despite the similar naming convention, the OCZ Vertex 3 is a completely different drive than the Vertex 3 Pro.
Prices
| Retailer | Information | Prices | |
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Vertex 3 Series solid state drive - 60 GB - SATA-600 | $85.99 | See it |
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OCZ 60GB Vertex 3 Harnessing SATA 6Gb/s 2.5 Low Profile 7mm form factor SSD with Max 535MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 80K IOPS For Ultrabook- VTX3LP-25SAT3-60G | $107.99 | See it |
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OCZ 60GB Vertex 3 Harnessing SATA 6Gb/s 2.5 Low Profile 7mm form factor SSD with Max 535MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 80K IOPS For Ultrabook- VTX3LP-25SAT3-60G | $107.99 | See it |
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OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-60G 60GB 2.5 SATA III Solid State Drive (SSD) | $113.86 | See it |
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OCZ 60GB Vertex 3 SATA 6Gb/s 2.5-Inch Performance Solid State Drive (SSD) with Max 535MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 80K IOPS- VTX3-25SAT3-60G | $116.34 | See it |
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OCZ 60GB Vertex 3 SATA 6Gb/s 2.5-Inch Performance Solid State Drive (SSD) with Max 535MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 80K IOPS- VTX3-25SAT3-60G | $116.34 | See it |
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Vertex 3 Series solid state drive - 90 GB - SATA-600 | $116.99 | See it |
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60GB Vertex 3 Series - Solid state drive - Internal - 2.5 - SATA-600 | $119.99 | See it |
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OCZ 120GB Vertex 3 SATA 6Gb/s 2.5-Inch Performance Solid State Drive (SSD) with Max 550MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 85K IOPS- VTX3-25SAT3-120G | $125.98 | See it |
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OCZ 90GB Vertex 3 SATA 6Gb/s 2.5-Inch Performance Solid State Drive (SSD) with Max 550MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 85K IOPS- VTX3-25SAT3-90G | $134.89 | See it |
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Ocz 120GB Vertex3 SATA-III 2.5 Inches Solid State Drive. New Retail F | $135 | See it |
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OCZ Technology Vertex 3 120 GB 2.5 Internal Solid State Drive | $135.73 | See it |
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OCZ Technology Vertex 3 120 GB 2.5 Internal Solid State Drive - SATA | $138 | See it |
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OCZ Vertex 3 120GB 2.5 SATA III Solid State Drive | $139.99 | See it |
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OCZ Technology 120G Vertex 3 Series 20nm MLC 2.5-Inch SATA III Solid State Drive with Max. Read 550MB/s and Max. Write 520MB/s- VTX3-25SAT3-120G.20 | $139.99 | See it |
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OCZ Technology Vertex 3 120 GB 2.5 Internal Solid State Drive - SATA | $147.99 | See it |
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OCZ 120GB Vertex 3 SATA 6Gb/s 2.5-Inch Performance Solid State Drive (SSD) with Max 550MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 85K IOPS- VTX3-25SAT3-120G | $148.4 | See it |
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OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS 120GB SATA 6Gb/s VTX3MI-25SAT3-120G 2.5 Solid State Drive (SSD)with up to 550MB/s read and 75k IOPS write | $193.99 | See it |
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OCZ 120GB Vertex 3 Harnessing SATA 6Gb/s 2.5 Low Profile 7mm form factor SSD with Max 550MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 85K IOPS For Ultrabook - VTX3LP-25SAT3-120G | $198 | See it |
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OCZ 120GB Vertex 3 Harnessing SATA 6Gb/s 2.5 Low Profile 7mm form factor SSD with Max 550MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 85K IOPS For Ultrabook - VTX3LP-25SAT3-120G | $198 | See it |
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OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS 120GB SATA 6Gb/s VTX3MI-25SAT3-120G 2.5 Solid State Drive (SSD)with up to 550MB/s read and 75k IOPS write | $208.2 | See it |
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Ocz Technology Vertex3 SATA-III SATA 6GBps 240GB 2.5 Inches Solid Stat | $240 | See it |
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OCZ Technology 240 GB Vertex 3 SATA III 6.0 Gb/s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive VTX3-25SAT3-240G | $242 | See it |
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OCZ Technology 240 GB Vertex 3 SATA III 6.0 Gb/s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive VTX3-25SAT3-240G | $248.58 | See it |
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OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS 240GB SATA 6Gb/s VTX3MI-25SAT3-240G 2.5 Solid State Drive (SSD) with up to 550MB/s read and 65k IOPS write | $254.99 | See it |
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Vertex 3 Series solid state drive - 240 GB - SATA-600 | $259.99 | See it |
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OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS 240GB SATA 6Gb/s VTX3MI-25SAT3-240G 2.5 Solid State Drive (SSD) with up to 550MB/s read and 65k IOPS write | $259.99 | See it |
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OCZ Technology 240G Vertex 3 Series 20nm MLC 2.5-Inch SATA III Solid State Drive with Max. Read 550MB/s and Max. Write 520MB/s- VTX3-25SAT3-240G.20 | $268.14 | See it |
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OCZ Technology 240G Vertex 3 Series 20nm MLC 2.5-Inch SATA III Solid State Drive with Max. Read 550MB/s and Max. Write 520MB/s- VTX3-25SAT3-240G.20 | $280.48 | See it |
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OCZ Technology OCZ SSD V3LT-25SAT3-240G.OEM 240GB Vertex3 OEM S32.5inch Brown Box | $299.99 | See it |
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OCZ 120GB Vertex 3 max IOPS Series SATA III 2.5 Inch Solid State Drive | $310 | See it |
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OCZ Technology VTX3-25SAT3-240G 240G VERTEX3 240GB SATA 6Gb-s 2.5 in. Retail | $312.75 | See it |
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OCZ Vertex 3 480GB 2.5 SATA III Solid State Drive (SSD) | $449.99 | See it |
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OCZ 480GB Vertex 3 SATA 6Gb/s 2.5-Inch Performance Solid State Drive (SSD) with Max 530MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 40K IOPS- VTX3-25SAT3-480G | $464.99 | See it |
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OCZ 480GB Vertex 3 SATA 6Gb/s 2.5-Inch Performance Solid State Drive (SSD) with Max 530MB/s Read and Max 4KB Write 40K IOPS- VTX3-25SAT3-480G | $464.99 | See it |
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OCZ Technology OCZ SSD V3LT-25SAT3-240G.OEM 240GB Vertex3 OEM S32.5inch Brown Box | $479.95 | See it |
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OCZ Vertex 3 240GB 2.5 SATA III Solid State Drive (SSD) | $751.99 | See it |
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OCZ Vertex 3 : (8.6/10)
10 expert reviews
0 user reviews
