OCZ Agility EX Series SSD Review
Our Summary and Conclusion
Performance Summary: The Agility EX Series SSD performed well in our testing. Throughout the benchmarks, the average maximum read speed was 250 MB/s while average maximum write speed reached 197 MB/s. Although it never blew away the competition, the Agility EX consistently finished at or near the top in performance. Specifically, the drive turned in impressive scores during ATTO and CrystalDiskMark testing. But from these results, its clear that the performance advantage SLC drives once held over their MLC counterparts has been largely erased as both technologies as they are implemented in current SSDs are reaching the limits of SATA 3G transfer rates.
While we compared the performance of OCZ's SLC based drive to some of the fastest MLC SSDs on the market, price comparisons between the two types of drives are not as straightforward. At $400, the Agility EX costs over $6 / GB while the MLC drives we compare it to sell for half as much, about $3 / GB. While the price difference is considerable, its a lot closer than it has previously been. For example, the Vertex EX SLC drive runs over $10 / GB while Intel's X25-E sells for over $12 / GB.
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The Agility EX is a fast drive, no doubt about it. But at 60GB, it won't take very long to fill up. After installing the operating system and a handful of important programs, there is not a lot of room left over. In addition, the market is already saturated with MLC based SSDs that can largely match its performance while providing more storage with lower prices. So the question remains, who wants this drive? This product provides an option for consumers who require the additional reliability that SLC memory offers. And as an aside, we'd like to give credit to OCZ for being the first to offer an affordable SLC based drive for the enthusiast market. While there are many options available for those who are looking to upgrade to an SSD, the Agility EX Series drive is a very attractive choice for anyone who requires the added longevity of SLC technology.
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