Review: Intel SSD DC S3500 Series (600GB)

Conclusion

Following on from the introduction of the award-winning DC S3700, Intel has expanded its range of enterprise drives with the keenly-priced DC S3500.

Trading-in endurance and performance to meet a more affordable price, the new drives partner Intel's latest-generation controller technology with 20nm MLC NAND to create a package that's ideally suited to read-intensive environments.

Available in a choice of 1.8in or 2.5in form factors, and with capacities ranging from 80GB to 800GB, the drives are a welcome alternative to the range-topping S3700. While ultimately not quite as impressive on all fronts, the S3500 maintains amazing consistency and a healthy set of enterprise-specific features, making this one of Intel's most attractive data centre SSDs to date.

We're hoping to see Intel bring this level of consistent performance to the consumer market, but for now, these drives are primed for server use, where multiple S3500s in a RAID array will deliver predictable performance at an affordable price.

The Good

Excellent performance consistency
Available in 1.8 and 2.5in form factors
Capacities ranging from 80GB to 800GB
Competitive pricing for an enterprise drive

The Bad

Write performance not as strong as the S3700

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Intel SSD DC S3500 Series (600GB)

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The Intel DC S3500 Series SSDs are available to order in a range of capacities from Scan Computers*.

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