GSKill Phoenix Pro: Little Drive, Lotta Performance
PCMark Vantage (Cont)
With the exception of the Application Loading benchmark, the next series of Vantage tests will stress write performance. Applications like video editing, streaming and recording are not what we would call a strong suit for the average SSD, due to their high mix of random write transactions.
 |
|
We should also note that it's not so much a weakness of the memory itself, but rather the interface and control algorithms that deal with inherent erase block latency of MLC NAND flash. SSD manufacturers are getting better at this, but comparative results can vary widely.
The Phoenix Pro and F100 are again neck-and-neck here, but the C300 and the X25-M are actually the most interesting match-up in Vantage. While the Intel X25-M wins more tests, if we average out the performance delta between the two, the Crucial drive leads by 28 percent in its three wins while Intel leads by 32 percent in its five.
This actually highlights one of the enduring frustrations of SSD performance--it varies considerably depending on workload. One could argue that the SF-1200 controller actually improves on this trend, insomuch as drives based on it are unilaterally faster than either of the other two options.
