SATA Express Performance on ASUS Hyper Express Drive
Test System
All tests were performed on a fresh and up-to-date install of Windows 8.1 Pro x64 with Update 1 and all available important patches. No other applications running beside the benchmark or test files needed. AHCI mode was enabled through the UEFI. Synthetic Benchmarks were run with the OS loaded on a Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB SSD. All components were set to their default speeds and are listed below.
Intel Z97 Test Bench
| Intel LGA 1150 Test Platform | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Brand/Model | Live Pricing | |||
|
Processor |
Core i7 4770k | ||||
|
Motherboard |
ASUS Z97-A | ||||
|
Memory |
Corsair Platinum 2133MHz 8GB | ||||
|
OS Drive |
Corsair Neutron 240GB | ||||
|
Power Supply |
Corsair AX860i | ||||
|
Operating System |
Windows 8.1 Pro 64-Bit | ||||
CrystalDiskInfo 6.1.12 Readout:
For the ASUS Hyper Express 256GB drive, the readout on CrystalDiskInfo 6.1.12 shows that both NCQ and S.M.A.R.T. are enabled, but this drive does not support TRIM and the interface does not show up as SATA Express. The firmware version that we are running at the time of testing was 140324. ASUS was not sure what the best way to secure erase this drive is yet and there are no drive maintenance tools available yet.
Let’s have a look at the performance!