So... which 2.5 SSD is the one to buy? (AOA150)

Discussion in 'Storage' started by vautrin44, Apr 9, 2009.

  1. vautrin44

    vautrin44

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2008
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    I have been reading the posts - as well as SSD reviews over the net - to help me decide which SSD to buy for my AAO 150. It seems the X-25E Intel hard drives are out of the question, as AHCI is needed for them to work (correct me if I´m wrong). OCZ Vertex drives work, but the speeds are in the 80 - 100 mb/s range. So, which is the one to buy? An OCZ very basic SSD with speeds close to 80-100 mb/s, since that is the most I´ll get anyway? An OCZ Vertex since maybe I could get more than that? An Intel X-25 E, since I am wrong and they do work with the AAO 150?

    On a final note, I am NOT using Win XP, I am using Xubuntu. The brand names I used are inconsquential, I just used them because those are the drives I´ve read about (so if you know of another SSD that will work beautifully with the AAO... or won´t work at all, please post about it). And yes, I am leaning more towards SLC just because my data is important (law school) and the higher MTBF gives me extra peace of mind.


    Thanks.
     
    vautrin44, Apr 9, 2009
    #1
  2. vautrin44

    goofball

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2008
    Messages:
    710
    Likes Received:
    0
    You don't "need" AHCI.
    Intel X-25M, OCZ Vertex, or SuperTalent ME are the MLC ones to get.
    SLC, they are all pretty good. Samsung 64GB at geeks.com is the best priced if it comes back in, though the speeds aren't as high as the current SLC models.
    You can get more than 80-100 but it depends moreso on the ICH-7M than the SSD itself since the ICH is limiting the speeds on the SSD.
     
    goofball, Apr 9, 2009
    #2
  3. vautrin44

    fridtear

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2009
    Messages:
    72
    Likes Received:
    0

    Yes, you can get a little bit more than 80-100, as my OCZ Solid Series reaches 120/80 in ATTO and Crystal, but still it is not running at its full speed, which should be around 150/90.

    Thus I don't think one can make any SSD running much faster than 120/80 with the crippled ICH7M in AAO, even if you purchase Intel X25-M or OCZ Apex.
     
    fridtear, Apr 10, 2009
    #3
  4. vautrin44

    goofball

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2008
    Messages:
    710
    Likes Received:
    0
    Correct but the real advantage to getting an Indilinx/Samsung/Intel controller is their ability to handle high I/O, as opposed to the JMicron based SSD's. They are terrible at dealing with lots of writes/IO requests, and especially with the typical random 4k writes experienced in Windows.
     
    goofball, Apr 11, 2009
    #4
  5. vautrin44

    runtohell121

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2009
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    0
    are Patriot SSD v2 good for the Acer Aspire One? it has a 100mb Write speed and 175mb read speed
     
    runtohell121, Apr 11, 2009
    #5
  6. vautrin44

    El Matarife

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2008
    Messages:
    55
    Likes Received:
    0
    I too would like to find a drop-in replacement for the stock SSD that my AAO shipped with.

    No great leaps seem to have occured in netbook processor speeds. So to keep my AAO at the cutting edge I figure all I need for the time being is a larger, faster SSD.

    I'm very keen on the benefits of solid state technology for ultra-portability and am not interested in using a hard drive instead.

    So it would be great if there was a list of compatible SSDs for the AAO series here on the forum - a la the list of compatible memory modules (which is most useful and appreciated).
     
    El Matarife, Apr 12, 2009
    #6
  7. vautrin44

    goofball

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2008
    Messages:
    710
    Likes Received:
    0
    Patriot V2 uses JMicron controller, use at your own risk, they are prone to stutter sessions where you cannot do anything with the OS during the pauses/stutters.

    Any 2.5" SATA SSD will work in the AAO provided you have the AAO 150 model. The A110's use a smaller 1.8" PATA SSD connected by ZIF cable.

    It's not really a compatibility issue with the 2.5" models, it's about buying one with a controller that can handle decent amount of IOPS, and the Jmicron based ones are just simply no good at this. You need to go with one of the previously listed types (Intel, Samsung, Indilinx,MTron) to get a real good experience.
     
    goofball, Apr 12, 2009
    #7
  8. vautrin44

    vautrin44

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2008
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    Hi. Thanks for the responses. Goofball, I searched again and found out where I read about the AHCI and Intel SSDs, and it was on a review on Newegg. Apparently, Intel SSDs require AHCI enabled by the bios and the OS. Here is the link to Intel´s FAQ:

    http://www.intel.com/support/ssdc/hpssd ... 029623.htm

    That´s why I asked about compatibility with my AAO. Is there a way to make them work with the AAO?

    Also, regarding the Samsung drive, Goofball,were you talking about the 1.8 SLC Samsung SSD? Because if you were, I´m wondering if I need the SATA to MicroSATA adapter. This drive does seem like the best choice for my needs. Very good price, SLC memory, 2 million hours MTBF, and 100/80 megs read/write speed.
     
    vautrin44, Apr 12, 2009
    #8
  9. vautrin44

    vautrin44

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2008
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    I agree with you.
     
    vautrin44, Apr 12, 2009
    #9
  10. vautrin44

    goofball

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2008
    Messages:
    710
    Likes Received:
    0
    AHCI isn't "needed". It will still work just fine.

    geeks.com had the 2.5" model for $199 which is a steal even if it is last gen SLC controller but they are out of stock now and no idea if they will get more. If you get the 1.8" SATA Samsung, you would need the micro-sata adapter since it needs the voltage conversion on the power cable.
     
    goofball, Apr 12, 2009
    #10
  11. vautrin44

    goofball

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2008
    Messages:
    710
    Likes Received:
    0
    There isn't a need for that. As I've mentioned, any 2.5" SATA SSD will work with the HDD models of AAO. For the SSD equipped AAO's, there is a much smaller selection but I'm sure I've seen a thread on this forum about upgrading the SSD so your info is probably there.
     
    goofball, Apr 12, 2009
    #11
  12. vautrin44

    vautrin44

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2008
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    Well, I bought an OCZ Vertex 30g. I´ll invest in an SLC in one to two years.

    In Ubuntu / Xubuntu 8.04 = 80-83 mb/s read speed

    In Ubuntu / Xubuntu 9.04 = 93 mb/s read speed (pretty consistent)

    The performance increase is not phenomenal, but it's good enough, and -more importantly- now I don't have to worry about dropping the computer and losing my data.

    Thanks for all the info.

    PS - Ended up reinstalling Linpus.
     
    vautrin44, Apr 18, 2009
    #12
  13. vautrin44

    vautrin44

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2008
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    Update: Tested the OCZ Vertex 30gb on Windows XP. 125 mb/s read speed. Didn´t test write speed.
    Around 23-25 seconds boot time (from the moment the on button is pressed to when I can press the start button).
     
    vautrin44, Apr 20, 2009
    #13
Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments (here). After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.