Testing methodology
Test Bench |
| CPU |
Intel Core i7-4770K (3.5GHz, 8MB cache, quad-core) |
| Motherboard |
Asus Z97-A |
| Memory |
16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro (2x8GB) DDR3 @ 1,866MHz |
| Storage Controllers |
Intel Z97 PCH (SATA 6Gbps, AHCI) |
| Graphics |
Integrated HD 4600 Graphics |
| Power Supply |
Corsair AX760i |
| Operating System |
Windows 8.1 (64-bit) |
Comparison Drive Configurations |
| |
Total Capacity |
Controller |
Firmware |
Interface |
| Plextor M6e Black Edition |
256GB |
Marvell 88SS9183 |
1.0 |
PCIe x2 |
| G.Skill Phoenix Blade |
480GB |
SandForce SF2281 |
1.0 |
PCIe x8 |
| Corsair Neutron XT |
240GB |
Phison PS-3110-S10 |
1.0 |
SATA 6Gbps |
Benchmarks |
| ATTO Disk Benchmark |
The freeware ATTO benchmark provides basic sequential speed results for both read and write operations. Using the default queue depth of four, we record read and write speeds during 1MB transfers. |
| CrystalDiskMark |
CrystalDiskMark provides various storage benchmarks, but we're interested in the returned 32-thread 4K performance numbers to see how well the drives fare when tasked with numerous small transfers. |
| PCMark 8 |
PCMark 8's storage test is a collection of workloads that isolate the performance of the PC's storage system. The Expanded Tests dig deeper into performance by looking at how the drives respond when in a degraded, steady and recovery state. |
Notes
We're testing the Plextor M6e Black Edition in both standard and PlexTurbo-enabled modes, with the latter possible when downloading the latest Plextool software. When enabled the application can write data to both the M6e Black Edition SSD and to a maximum of 4GB system RAM concurrently, choosing the faster DRAM option when tasked to access data that is frequently used. Of course, this approach doesn't work on a 'cold' drive where data is being accessed and stored for the first time.
Comparisons are provided by a PCIe x8-toting G.Skill Phoenix Blade SSD and one of the fastest SATA drives in the form of the Corsair Neutron XT.
