Final thoughts and rating
The performance on offer from OCZ's Vertex 3 is simply mind-boggling. In the space of a single generation, the speed of the Vertex SSD has jumped by over 90 per cent, leaving OCZ with a drive that runs circles around most of the competition.
Sequential read and write speeds come close to saturating the bandwidth available to the SATA 6Gbps interface, and impressive 4KB performance at high queue depths make the Vertex 3 an excellent all-rounder.
But while the raw power might have you champing at the bit, it's worth noting that the obscene performance won't be immediately obvious to every user. During general use, we've found it difficult to discern between the Vertex 2 and Vertex 3 - a good SSD is a good SSD, and the added performance benefits of SATA 6Gbps aren't anywhere near as pronounced as the transition from mechanical hard-disk to solid-state storage.
Factor in the initial price premium associated with the Vertex 3 line - a 240GB model costs roughly £80 more than the equivalent Vertex 2 - and the market for this blazing-fast drive becomes limited to the enthusiast demanding the very best.
There's no ignoring the facts, though: OCZ's Vertex 3 has set a new benchmark for 2.5in SSD performance. Should solid-state storage continue to evolve at this pace, we'll be needing a quicker alternative to SATA 6Gbps by the end of the year.
The Good
The fastest 2.5in SSD we've ever tested
Makes good use of the SATA 6Gbps interface
First SandForce SF-2281 drive to reach the market
The Bad
Fetches a hefty premium over Vertex 2
Struggles to match last-generation drives over SATA 3Gbps
HEXUS Rating
OCZ Vertex 3 (240GB)
HEXUS Awards
OCZ Vertex 3 (240GB)
HEXUS Where2Buy
The 240GB OCZ Vertex 3 SSD is available to pre-order from SCAN.co.uk* with availability expected in the first week of April.
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
*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.
