Intel Z68 Express with Smart Response Technology
Smart Response SSD Cache Testing
We also ran a number of tests in an attempt to illustrate the performance impact of Intel’s Smart Response SSD caching technology. What we’re showing you here on this page are the eight tests that comprise the PCMark Vantage HDD benchmark suite. We ran these tests in four different configurations: with the system outfitted with a standalone, 10K RPM HD, with an Intel 311 SSD, and finally with Smart Response enabled using the HD and 311 SSD together, in both Enhanced and Maximized performance modes.
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(Note: Intel Smart Response scores are an average of 4 runs of the benchmark)
The first thing that becomes immediately apparent is the gargantuan performance advantage the SSD has over the hard disk in these tests. If you have the funds, using a standalone SSD of sufficient capacity as a boot volume is absolutely the way to go if you seek all-out performance. Using a small SSD like the 20GB 311 model featured here in a Smart Response configuration, however, results in some huge performance gains for a relatively modest investment. With Smart Response enabled, the Z68 Express-based system offered data transfer speeds multiple times that of the HD alone.
