Legit Storage Reviews

OCZ RevoDrive 120GB PCI-Express SSD Review

Manufacturer: OCZ Technology
Product: OCZSSDPX-1RVD0120
Date: Wed, Jul 28, 2010 - 12:00 AM
Written By: Joe Evans -
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OCZ RevoDrive - Introduction

OCZ has been on the cutting edge of SSDs since they hit the consumer market and are on the pioneer trail once again with their most affordable PCI-Express based SSD yet - the RevoDrive. As implied, this isn't their first PCI-E drive but it is the first that carries a price tag that rivals that of the more traditional SATA port based SSDs. At an MSRP of $349 for the 120GB version, they aren't what you would consider inexpensive for storage devices in general, but considering the performance, hardware onboard and pricing of similar capacity SSDs, the price point is rather impressive.

OCZ REVODRIVE BOX FRONT

The RevoDrive features a pair of Sandforce SF-1200 controllers in a RAID 0 configuration - all on one card. Think of it like the NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire cards with dual GPU's on one card. You get all the benefits of a traditional RAID 0 configuration without the hassle and expense of multiple drives and add-in RAID controller cards. We've seen the performance of just one Sandforce based drive begin to hit the SATA II bandwidth ceiling, and moving to a higher bandwidth interface will really allow the RevoDrive to stretch its legs.

OCZ REVODRIVE BOX REAR

The trade-off for this extra bandwidth and speed is TRIM will not work with RAID configurations. Nor will idle garbage collection. Before you run off screaming, this is not as bad as it seems. Normal use shouldn't see an appreciable performance drop-off for quite some time although the more full the drive is, the more it will affect long-term performance. After banging on the drive with a battery of benchmarks for many hours (not recommended), I saw some impact on the scores but nothing alarming. With the over provisioning and DuraClass technology, the Sandforce controller does a nice job of maintaining performance over time. Rumor has it that OCZ may be developing a TRIM tool specifically for their PCI-E based RAID drives; although, when that might be is anyone's guess.

OCZ REVODRIVE FRONT

The features and specifications as listed by OCZ are as follows:

  • Read: Up to 540 MB/s
  • Write: Up to 480 MB/s
  • Sustained Write: Up to 400 MB/s
  • Random Write 4KB (Aligned): 75,000 IOPS

  • Available in 50GB to 480GB capacities
  • PCI-Express interface (x4)
  • For use as primary boot drive or data storage
  • Internal RAID 0
  • 181.07 (L) x 21.59 (W) x 125.08mm (H)
  • Shock Resistance: 1500g
  • Seek Time: 0.1 ms
  • Operating Temp: 0°C ~ +70°C
  • Storage Temp: -45°C ~ +85°C
  • Power Consumption: 3W Idle, 8W active
  • MTBF: 2,000,000 hours
  • 3-Year Warranty
  • Compatible with Windows XP 32/64, Vista 32/64, Windows 7 32/64, Linux
OCZ REVODRIVE BOX OPEN

In the box you'll find the RevoDrive with an installation and quick start guide booklet which I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with prior to attempting to install the drive.

OCZ REVODRIVE CONTENTS

Let's have a little closer look at the RevoDrive.

Next Page - OCZ RevoDrive - Closer Look


Review Index
Page 1 - OCZ RevoDrive - Introduction
Page 2 - OCZ RevoDrive - Closer Look
Page 3 - OCZ RevoDrive - Drivers, RAID & Boot
Page 4 - OCZ RevoDrive - Test System
Page 5 - ATTO & AS-SSD Synthetic Benches
Page 6 - HD Tach & CrystalDiskMark Synthetic Benches
Page 7 - PCMark Vantage Synthetic Benchmark
Page 8 - OCZ RevoDrive - Real World Testing
Page 9 - Capacity, Final Thoughts & Conclusions