Test Setup
HEXUS 2020 Test Platform |
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|---|---|---|
| Component | Product Page | |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | amd.com |
| Motherboard | Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula | asus.com |
| CPU Cooler | Corsair Hydro Series H150i Pro RGB | corsair.com |
| Graphics Card | Sapphire Nitro+ RX 5700 XT 8G GDDR6 SE | sapphiretech.com |
| Memory | G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3200 (2x16GB) | gskill.com |
| Storage | 2TB Corsair MP600 | corsair.com |
| Power Supply | be quiet! Straight Power 11 Platinum 1,000W | bequiet.com |
| Network Card | Asus XG-C100C 10GBase-T PCIe Adapter | asus.com |
| Chassis | Fractal Design Define 7 Clear Tempered Glass | fractal-design.com |
| Monitor | Philips Momentum 436M6VBPAB | philips.co.uk |
| Keyboard | Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Low Profile Rapidfire | corsair.com |
| Mouse | Corsair Ironclaw RGB | corsair.com |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Pro | microsoft.com |
Comparison Drive Configurations |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Capacity | Form Factor | Controller | Firmware | Protocol / Interface | Reviewed Price |
HEXUS Review |
| Corsair Force Series MP600 | 1TB | M.2 2280 | Phison E16 | EGFM11.3 | NVMe / PCIe 4.0 x4 | £195 | N/A |
| WD Blue SN550 | 1TB | M.2 2280 | WD In-House | 211070WD | NVMe / PCIe 3.0 x4 | £110 | Link |
| Kioxia Exceria | 1TB | M.2 2280 | Toshiba TC58NC1202GST | 12.7 | NVMe / PCIe 3.0 x4 | £105 | Link |
| Crucial MX300 | 1TB | 2.5in | Marvell 88SS1074 | M0CR070 | AHCI / SATA 3.0 | NA | N/A |
Benchmarks |
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|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 7 | CrystalDiskMark provides various storage benchmarks, but we're interested in the sequential and and 4K numbers. |
| Custom Torture Test | Copying a 93.8GB, 20,704-file folder back on to the drive. |
| Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers | An alternative storage benchmark used to gauge game load time. |
| PCMark 10 Storage | PCMark 10's full system drive test is a demanding workload with a heavy, continuous load. |
| SPECworkstation 3.0.4 | Hammering the drive by running the intensive SPEC workstation storage trace program and recording raw results. |
Notes
We've added an older SATA-based drive in the form of the Crucial MX300 into these benchmarks. The purpose is to show the supposed benefits of moving from traditional SSD storage to M.2 NVMe drives offering faster performance everywhere it matters. Consider the MX300 as defining the baseline storage performance for a system in 2020.
We also test the drives without the heatsink provided by the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula motherboard. The reason for doing so rests with ensuring the drives function as advertised in normal conditions.
