Final thoughts and rating
Any new Intel product arrives with huge expectations, and the company usually delivers on one of two fronts: price or performance. Yet, at £220, the 120GB Intel 510 Series SSD struggles to deliver on either.
With a heavy focus on sequential throughput, the drive's overall performance credentials aren't as well rounded as competing SandForce solutions, and everything we've seen so far suggests that the upcoming crop of SF-2000 drives will be superior performers. We'll be putting OCZ's eagerly-anticipated Vertex 3 to the test in the very near future, and with pre-order pricing matching Intel's at £220 for a 120GB model, the Vertex 3 may prove to be the next-generation SSD you've been waiting for.
Does that suggest Intel is bowing out of the high-performance SSD race? We don't believe so, and we see the 510 Series is an interim solution - a stop gap, of sorts. With Intel's own Sandy Bridge platform pushing SATA 6Gbps connectivity to the mainstream, the company needed a supporting SSD and the quick-to-market 250GB 510 Series drive's ability to tout speeds of up to 500MB/s is exactly what the doctor ordered.
But the lofty sequential throughput numbers don't paint a complete picture, and lacklustre random performance reveals what the 510 Series really is; a drive baked in previous-generation technology. Using tried-and-trusted 34nm NAND flash memory and an existing controller heavily optimised for sequential throughput, it succeeds at showing off the additional throughput of SATA 6Gbps boards without pushing the boundaries of solid-state storage.
The drive is quick, particularly for users who transfer large files on a regular basis, but comparatively high pricing and an inherent inability to process numerous small files quickly makes it tough to recommend. Newcomers to SSD technology are unlikely to be disappointed by what the 510 Series has to offer, but we're left wanting more from Intel's premium solid-state drive.
The Good
Very good sequential read performance
SATA 6Gbps connectivity
Bundled with Intel's useful SSD Toolbox utility
The Bad
Random I/O performance performance leaves a lot to be desired
Costly at around £1.80 per gigabyte
Likely to be outperformed by upcoming SandForce drives
HEXUS Rating
Intel SSD 510 Series (120GB)
HEXUS Where2Buy
The 120GB Intel SSD 510 Series drive is available to purchase from from SCAN.co.uk*.
HEXUS Right2Reply
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*As always, UK-based HEXUS.community forum members will benefit from the SCAN2HEXUS Free Shipping initiative, which will save you a further few pounds plus also top-notch, priority customer service and technical support backed up by the SCANcare@HEXUSforum.
