Final Words & Conclusion
Final Words & Conclusion
It is fun to see an AMD SSDs being injected into the storage arena, and guys & gals, the AMD Radeon R7 series SSDs are extremely fast for even enthusiast class consumers as that write performance is out of this world. You know, AMD could have taken the easy route and release an uber low priced mainstream performing SSD but really the Radeon R7 kicks the proverbial toosh big-time with sheer amazing numbers. AMD opted a partner that ensures quality and performance. I mean to see a 33GB MKV file write to the SSD at close to 500 MB/sec is testimony of that. The IOPS performance screams loud above 90K on 4K random aligned reads and writes, the file trace performance is very fast and the file compression performance is staggering as well. So yes, AMD was wise to choose OCZ Storage solutions as a partner. The biggest benefit for you as a consumer is that you will obtain the experiences from OCZ's R&D, endurance and lifespan. I know in the Sandforce era there has been a fair share of problems, but really guys these are things from the past. OCZ's failure and RMA rates are at an all-time low and their SSDs are truly excellent. OCZ has refined firmware and retains the up-most reliability and performance.
Architecture & Perf
Performance and features wise the SSD series is actually darn close to the OCZ Vector 150, Vertex 460 and ARC 100 we recently tested and overall it is quite a bit faster than the Crucial MX100 and Samsung drives really. An MX100 will drop in performance fast once you start to really utilize that SSD over time, that's not the case with this Radeon R7 series though, have a look:
The long term performance of this SSD will remain fairly high and fast - this is 3.3 TB of date written with game and workload traces.
The Radeon R7 is based upon the Indilinx Barefoot architecture controller as well, paired with A19nm Toshiba NAND Flash memory and the symbiosis seems to work out really well. The SSD IOPS performance is exceptionally good but we stated it before though, IOPS is not something you as a consumer should worry about too much unless you are doing a lot of database related stuff on your PC. Then again this SSD certainly hauls the proverbial ass on IOPS perf. Our trace testing shows impressive results as well. Our 64-bit trace run for example shows excellent numbers. This is a trace test and can emulate what you guys do on your PC but then multiplied with factor 100. The results with the SSD are very good. Zoom in at both IOPS and Trace performance then you'll notice that the SSD can manage very high workloads without breaking a sweat as well. Also sequential writes did not disappoint, copying an ISO or MKV file of 4 GB takes merely a few seconds to write to the SSD.
Software
Alongside the SSD comes the OCZ Toolbox, which is a handy utility alright. The tool will check for available firmware and updates it trouble free, 9 out of 10 times it can flash your drive non volatile and thus keep your data intact. Very handy. The software will also allow you to erase your drive and check out some functions. Also included for free is Acronis Clone backup software so that you can clone your HDD from your laptop or PC and install your complete OS on the SSD.
Overall SSD Usage
An SSD is enjoyable, very much so. If you put a drive like this into your SATA 3 compatible laptop or SATA 3 compatible PC, you'll have no idea what is about to hit you. We very much enjoy the grand sustained performance of this SSD series, if you copy a vast amount of compressed data, then the OCZ Vector will perform seriously fast in performance. Make no mistake, replacing a HDD with an SSD in your desktop PC or laptop eliminates the random access lag of the HDD head, it is no longer mechanical. That combined with the performance SATA3 offers these days is simply a massive difference and probably the best upgrade you can make for your computer anno 2014.
SATA Controllers
Some overall recommendations then. Should you be in the market for a SATA 3 SSD then we have a couple of hints though. First and foremost if you have a SATA2 controller only on your motherboard, then you'll get limited at roughly 270 MB/sec read and writes. SATA3 (6Gbps) will free you up from that allowing the SSD to perform in the 500 MB/sec range. It is however important that you connect your SSD towards the proper controller. We absolutely prefer the performance of the Intel Series 6 and 7 (H67/P67/Z68/Z77/H77/Z87/X79/H97/Z97/X99) integrated SATA 6G controller over anything else available in the market. If you run the SSD from a 3rd party controller like say a Marvell 6G controller, you will see lower performance. The new AMD 85X chipsets also offer fantastic performance. The more recent Asmedia controllers we spotted lately on motherboards are also offering good performance, albeit still 20% ~ 25% slower than Intel's controllers. Also make sure you run your drive in AHCI mode, it does make such a difference in performance... really guys, a big difference.
Warranty
OCZ will be responsible for warranty and they just introduced their excellent ShieldPlus warranty, we checked this and this warranty applies to the Radeon R7 series SSDs as well.
As explained you receive four years warranty with your Radeon R7 SSD:
- With no original proof of purchase required, end-users simply provide their ARC serial number and a dedicated OCZ customer service representative will provide high-caliber troubleshooting and support.
- In the event that the product is determined to be defective, a brand-new ARC SSD of the same capacity will be advance shipped to the customer.
- When the replacement is received, end-users will find a pre-paid return label and need only to place their original drive in the box for a free return to OCZ.
- With the value added ShieldPlus Warranty there is no support hassle, no endless return loops, no shipping costs, and end-users will benefit from significantly reduced downtime to maximize their SSD experience and productivity.
- OCZ ShieldPlus is available in both North America and EMEA at time of launch, and additional supported regions will be announced in the future.
With the security of the ARC’s ShieldPlus Warranty customers will have the peace of mind that they not only have a quality solid state drive, but also the very best service and support should they ever require it.
Concluding
Now this is an OCZ product with an AMD sticker on it, period. However AMD made a very smart move to partner up with OCZ Storage Solutions. See, OCZ anno 2014 delivers incredibly fast and reliable SSDs and I consider OCZ to be a Tier1 high quality SSD manufacturer these days. Especially now that they are owned by Toshiba it really makes all the difference. OCZ will also bring in the entire experience, from durability, endurance, encryption compatibility, blazing fast performance and of course reliability. The Radeon R7 SSD series is testimony of that as it is among the fastest and most sweet SATA3 SSDs we have tested to date. No compromises are made with this Radeon R7 series, it is all about endurance, reliability and super fast performance. You also receive the entire fun bundle, including a 3.5" bracket and great Acronis Clone backup software so that you can clone your HDD in your laptop or PC and install your complete OS on the SSD. AMD will give you four years warranty with these SSDs rated at 30GB writes per day 365 days a year. That's close to 44 TB written. Make no mistake as that's not an EOL value, I mean this SSD will probably pass 15 years of usage with these writes. Pricing wise the product is competitive though it could to be a tiny notch better. AMD will release three models with the following prices:
- 74.99 EURO for the 120GB
- 122.06 EURO for the 240GB
- 195.75 EURO for the 480GB
The Radeon R7 series SSDs are being placed into a highly competitive and saturated market, and that is not making your purchasing choices any less difficult. IMHO I find this model to be good to almost exceptional. Both read and write performance at all fronts are incredible and that certainly does warrant a price that is a tiny hint higher. But consumers show no remorse, they do seek the lowest price per GB and care less about quality and endurance. So let me reiterate that on the long term this SSD will retain its very fast performance where cheaper models and brands will spiral downwards over time. You also receive Acronis Disk Clone backup software included which is 40 bucks extra value. Last words, the AMD Radeon R7 SSD series is very fast, has a greatly refined Barefoot controller with accompanying firmware and Toshiba's latest A19nm NAND flash memory. It is a product you'll like and use for a long time. I also dare to state that it is one of the most reliable product on the market anno 2014, combined with the excellent new ShieldPlus warranty this is a pure win in our book, and as such it comes very much recommended by Guru3D.com
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