Test: Intel X25-M 80GB SSD

Konklusion

Nu har jeg i knap en måned haft den her X25-M SSD siddende i min maskine, og jeg kan ærligt sige, at jeg ikke et sekund ville tøve med at købe en - på trods af den lidt heftige pris. Faktisk ville jeg gerne have to smidt i RAID, men så langt rækker pengepungen vist heller ikke her midt i finanskrisen. Med deres X25-M har Intel formået at vise, hvad der kan lade sig gøre med MLC-baseret flash-hukommelse: Fantastisk ydelse. Og hvis I, ligesom jeg, går højt op i at hver komponent altid kører hurtigst, er der altså ingen vej uden om denne enhed. I sidste ende er prisen egentlig det eneste, der trækker karakteren lidt ned. 

Innovation/Teknologi - 5

Takket være en aldeles kreativ implementering af både cache og NCQ, synes jeg at Intel’s første SSD sætter en helt ny standard for MLC-baserede SSD-harddiske. Derimod er enheden ikke helt sluppet af med de til tider langsomme skrivehastigheder, der plager MLC, hvilket også kunne ses. Til gengæld må vi konkludere, at Intel’s valg af arkitektur er ekstremt god i forhold til andre producenter, og prøv at lade tankerne flyve og forestil dig hvad kommende generationer af Intel SSD’ere vil kunne præstere.

Design/Layout - 3

Der er ikke så meget at komme efter her - til gengæld er der heller ikke noget at sætte fingeren på. Hvis man er minimalist, vil man sikkert elske de små SSD’ere her. Retailudgaven er dog sluppet for at have stickeren på forsiden, og har i stedet fået en tofarvet overside, der er lidt pænere at se på.

Ydelse - 5

Hvis vi havde karakteren, havde jeg givet den et 6. Intel’s X25 jorder simpelthen alle konkurrenter, hvad enten der er tale om traditionelle harddiske eller andre SSD’ere. Med en søgetid under 1 milisekund, som er helt uhørt for en SSD, og en læsehastighed på op mod (og i visse tilfælde over) 250 MB/sekund, er den det ultimative netop nu. I hvert fald indtil storebror X25-E bliver lanceret.

Pris - 2

Med en vejl. salgspris på omkring DKK 3800,- er prisen vist lige i overkanten for de fleste. Det svarer nemlig til rundt regnet en 50’er pr. GB, eller to Velociraptors eller to lidt billigere SSD’ere. Til gengæld er der intet som kommer tæt på ydelsen, med mindre man begynder at smide flere hurtige storage-enheder i RAID.

Test: Intel X25-M 80GB SSD

Innovation / Teknologi	5
Design - Layout	3
Ydelse	5
Pris	2
Samlet	75%

UK summary

For about a month now I’ve had the X25-M SSD mounted in my computer, and I can honestly say that I would not hesitate for a second to go out and buy one - despite the rather high price. In fact, I would like two of these critters in RAID, but I doubt I can afford to with the current economic crisis. With their X25-M Intel has managed to show what is possible with MLC-based flash-memory: Fantastic performance. And if you’re passionate about every component always doing its best, like me, then there is no alternative to this device. Ultimately the price is the only element reducing the overall verdict here.

Innovation/Technology - 5

Thanks to a very creative implementation of both cache and NCQ, I think Intel's first SSD sets a whole new standard for MLC-based SSD hard drives. In contrast, the device is not completely free from the sometimes slow write speeds that plague MLC, which could also be seen in the review. On the other hand, we must conclude that Intel's choice of architecture is extremely good compared to other manufacturers - and just try to imagine what future generations of Intel SSD's could deliver in terms of performance.

Design/Layout - 3

There is not much to say here - in return there is nothing to put your finger on. If you are a minimalist, you will surely love these small SSD's. The retail version has however escaped the sticker on the front, and has instead been given a two-tone top side, which is a little nicer to look at.

Performance - 5

If we had the grade, I would have given it a 6. The Intel X25-M simply annihilates all competitors, whether they are traditional hard drives or other SSD's. With an access time of less than 1 millisecond, which is unprecedented for an SSD, and a read speed of up to (and in some cases above) 250 MB/second, the X25 is the ultimate storage unit right now. At least until its big brother, the X25-E is launched.

Price - 2

With a recommended selling price of around DKK 3.800,- the price is a bit high for the majority of users. This corresponds to roughly DKK 50,- per GB, or the equivalent of two Velociraptors or two slightly cheaper SSD's. On the other hand there is nothing out there that comes close to the performance, unless you start to throw several fast storage units in a RAID setup.