intel X25-V shipped :)

[burningforce]

hello all,

I got confirmation from newegg that my intel X25-V SSD has been shipped. I should recieve it sometime next week

this would be my first SSD and I will be using it strictly for Wow. The cost was $129 with free shipping at newegg, so i decided to hop on it.

As for the drive itself, it is exactly like the intel X25-M 80GB except that the X25-V drive is only 40GB and the controller is intentionally limited for read/write speed. I can't say I am too thrilled about the write speed (only 35 MB/second ) but the read speed makes up for it and the drive supports TRIM. This is a SSD for money concise people or for people who want to get their feet wet with new SSD technology without spending a fortune on a drive that will only last a few years.

here is a great tech write-up and review of the X25-V
**NOTE**
although it is a kingston drive, it is exactly like the X25-V just rebranded and no firmware update for the kingston drive(as of yet). So this is how the drive may perform with read/write speed, etc

Kingston 40GB V series review

also there is a deal at microcenter that seems like a great one. you buy a OCZ vertex 30GB drive for $140 + tax and you get a mail-in-rebate for $40. so basically you are getting the drive for $100 + tax. I would of bought this one but I decided I did not want to deal with a rebate and I thought the $30 for a few more GB of space would be better.

here is the drive I am talking about at microcenter Micro Center - Vertex 2.5" 30GB SATA II Solid State Drive

[Ualaa]

Intel is the top company for SSD's.
It's nice to see they've introduced a better priced drive.
Maybe this will start the prices coming down a bit on these drives.

Intel drives aren't that good, for write speed (other then X25-E), but write is not why we go with SSD's. Raptor (platter drives) without Raid, write faster then the X25-M's. Still, Intel has phenomenal read speed and supports TRIM.

The read speed will greatly improve your zone times and loading times. And the seek time, is phenomenal compared to a platter drive. I think you'll really like your SSD ).

I don't like the price to size ratio, but all SSD's are much the same in that regard.

Congratulations on your SSD.
It should really boost your warcraft experience.
After more ram (if running with not enough), this is probably the biggest single upgrade for a system in regards to warcraft.

[Tim]

So if they intentionally limit write speeds, is there a way to workaround this, such as a 3rd party flash you can do?

[burningforce]

@ualaa
thanks for the info. I knew the write speed would be terrible, for all intel drives. I just thought it would be a great drive for warcraft only. the price is not that bad considering this is still new technology + it supports TRIM.

@Tim
I am not sure, but I do believe it would be impossible. The amount of NAND flash chips on a regular drive is 10(i believe, not sure though), but on the x25-V it only has 5 NAND chips. So it would be a hardware limitation not a firmware.

[pinki104]

I bought my vertex turbo on eBay about $130 and it's great

[Tim]

It doesn't matter much since it is all about read speed.

You're gonna love the SSD

EDIT: replaced write speed with read speed, nice catch Ualaa!

[burningforce]

Originally Posted by Tim

It doesn't matter much since it is all about write speed.

You're gonna love the SSD

yup I think I will

down the line when they release even faster and cheaper SSD's, I think I will get a better/faster one.

and fyi if you ever buy from newegg, do not use their "free eggsaver" shipping that they advertise on some products. Its taking longer then i expected rather then the 3-day shipping for $6 more. Might not even get it tomorrow either and sunday no mail runs in the U.S. so i wil have to wait til monday(my b-day ). So I guess it will be a nice b-day present hehe

[Ualaa]

Pretty sure that was a typo.
We only really care about the read speed, as far as gaming goes.
And the read speed is phenominal.

Not only the read speed, but also the seek time which is usually a fraction of a millisecond for SSD's, as opposed to 30+ milliseconds for platter drives.

I am really considering getting 2x 160GB Intel X25-M's. Stripe them into Raid 0, and put the operating system on them. My SSD is 3/4's the speed of an Intel drive (read), but 40GB is not a lot of space for wow and win7. 320GB will be plenty for an operating system, warcraft and assorted odds and ends. I work seasonally in the summer (and assorted jobs at other times), but have a lot of discretionary income over the summer. It is that, or a second monitor... two 30" SyncMaster 305T's would rock, one for the slaves, and the whole monitor for the master. Probably won't go both options, but never know.

Anyway, I really love my SSD, and am pretty sure yours will rock too.

[Tim]

Nice catch, yup I typo'd the write/read.

Ualaa I have to say that these Patriots perform VERY well. I might have mentioned earlier, but I used to own 4x of the Intel x25e (E not M, the server class ones), generation 1. I can say with all certainty that the Patriot 128G drive is far faster.

Right now I can push consistantly 250+ mb/sec read, and 210+ mb/sec write. From what I recall, I was right around 220 mb/read on the intel and 180mb/sec write.

So from what I can see, the Patriots are much better.

Not to mention that the Intel x25e that I had, all 4 of them, broke after 24hrs of doing stress tests. Thankfully Newegg.com cracked to my pressure and took returns for full cash refunds on all of them.

I bought a 64G Patriot SSD and after 24 hrs it did not break. I returned it anyway and got a 128G instead. The 128G SSD is working absolutely AMAZING.

[burningforce]

ok got my SSD, hooked it up and flashed to the newest firmware provided by intel.

My question is do I use AHCI mode or IDE mode for my hard drives? I enabled AHCI and windows blue screened and I learned I have to enable ahci mode in the windows 7 registry first then change it in the bios.

Now my system seems a little slower then before and I am not sure what the deal is. I thought ahci mode was better and faster then ide.

also where is the setting to enable TRIM in windows 7? I seen a post at ocz forums but i can not find it anymore. FYI, I am not using the SSD as a boot drive but using it as a drive for Wow.