Intel SSD 320 Series 300GB Solid State Drive Review

Name: Intel SSD 320 Series 300GB Solid State Drive Review - Page 9
Brand: Intel

by Marco Chiappetta — Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 01:00 PM EDT

Performance Summary: The Intel SSD 320 series 300GB drive proved to be one of the better performing SATA II drives we have tested. Overall, the SSD 320 series drive is faster than the previous-gen X25-M G2, especially in sequential write speeds. Versus the SandForce SF-1200 driven OCZ Vertex 2, the Intel SSD 320 series drive is able to pull off a few benchmark victories, but the SandForce drive offered better overall random read and write performance with highly competitive and sometimes better sequential transfer performance.

Intel SSD 320 Series 300GB SATA II Solid State Drive

Had Intel released the SSD 320 series drives around the same time as drives based on SandForce’s SF-1200 / 1500 series controllers, we’d probably be decidedly more positive in our final analysis. As it stands today, the Intel SSD 320 series drive we tested is certainly one of the better SATA II solid state drives available (or at least soon to be available). And the security and reliability features built into the drive are attractive features for sure. But at this juncture, there are already a number of SATA III-based drives available that offer much better sequential performance with competitive random reads and writes as well, including Intel's own SSD 510 series drives. The Intel SSD 320 series drive is a solid product that may prove to be one of the most reliable on the market over time, but its performance is hard to get excited about having already tested a handful of next-gen drives.

With that said, we have to acknowledge that the install base for SATA III-capable systems is miniscule versus SATA II capable machines currently. If you’re an owner of a SATA II equipped system looking for an SSD and aren’t planning a motherboard upgrade anytime soon, the Intel SSD 320 series drive is a fine option. Intel SSD 320 prices (in 1K-unit quantities), are as follows: 40GB for $89 ($2.25 per GB); 80GB for $159 ($1.98 per GB); 120GB for $209 ($1.74); 160GB for $289 ($1.80 per GB); 300GB for $529 ($1.76 per GB) and 600GB for $1,069 ($1.78 per GB). All models include a 3-year warranty. Those MSRPs are competitive with SandForce SF-1200 series drives, which is a good thing, but hopefully street prices will be somewhat lower, making the Intel SSD 320 series a bit more attractive in light of competing drives in its class.


Good Performance Competitive Pricing Security and Reliability Features	Doesn't Clearly Outpace Some Much Older Drives "Only" SATA II

Tags: Intel, SSD, Storage, solid state, SATA II, 320

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com