NEW G.Skill TITAN SSD review ...

[cischico]

So possibly same chips but cheaper controller and no cache (compared with Vertex)?

Hmmm. Whether the price difference is worth it will be up to the consumer if that's the case.

Even if that is the case, at these price points they'd make a good deal for anyone with a hardware RAID card or who plan on using it as a drive where SteadyState is an option (not that it would be the majority of people).

I'm thinking that it does use the same chips from Samsung as you said, but the Vertex would use a different controller and has cache. Like Brahmzy I can't wait for the Vertex to be available and I'm dying to see a review of it too. OCZ's Vertex should be exciting as we may finally get an alternative to Intels now overpriced MLC SSDs. I really do hope the Vertex delivers.

[m^2]

So possibly same chips but cheaper controller and no cache (compared with Vertex)?

Hmmm. Whether the price difference is worth it will be up to the consumer if that's the case.

Even if that is the case, at these price points they'd make a good deal for anyone with a hardware RAID card or who plan on using it as a drive where SteadyState is an option (not that it would be the majority of people).

Considering that SteadyState is beta, I can't think of any use for it.

For the drives - yes, probably there are some uses in the industry where you don't mix reads with writes and don't access it randomly and need either speed or ruggedness.

As OS drive? No, thanks.

[Serra]

Now I'm not going to get into the stutter debate, but I will say this - I use an OCZ Core Series (v1) as an OS drive in my laptop and although my usage habits are what I would call "regular" (ie. just general browsing, small document editing) I haven't really run into a stutter more than 1 or 2 times that I noticed. I realize it's very much based on usage habits though so I'm just going to leave it there. Mileage may vary.

[slim142]

Yeah to wait is actually the best advice.

Apex = 2*Solid in RAID 0. According to specs, RAIDing gave little in terms of speed. JMicron, so avoid unless you're sure you can live with stuttering.
Don't remember price or exact specs, it's surely not an option for me, so I didn't bother.

Vertex = all new, with cache. Almost surely way better, but $249 for 60 GB.

I guess Vertex is the way to go. Thanks for the explanation.
Would you consider another brand before OCZ?

[flopper]

I guess Vertex is the way to go. Thanks for the explanation.
Would you consider another brand before OCZ?

wait for reviews, only way to get some good info and user experiences.

[m^2]

I guess Vertex is the way to go. Thanks for the explanation.
Would you consider another brand before OCZ?

I'll repeat that I agree with flopper, better wait.

Now all cheap brands sell the same drives, the main difference and reason to choose one over another is the sticker color.

Possibly it's changing now, apparently G-Skill is not Vertex, more like Apex...but with 40 MB/s slower reads. Either different implementation of the same idea or the same drive with more realistic specs.

[NapalmV5]

only explanation for titans results is cache

or its super duper jmicron

[m^2]

only explanation for titans results is cache

or its super duper jmicron

See the pics, there's no DRAM.

They didn't do mixed R/W, so no word about stuttering.

But indeed, very good for JMicron.

[NapalmV5]

yeh i just went thru the review.. cache not evident

[WRC]

ok I just found this site but I don't speak german. It looks like it does uses the J-micron controller or maybe 2 J-micron controllers http://ht4u.net/reviews/2009/gskill_...ssd/index2.php

[NapalmV5]

yep raid

[Brahmzy]

This really makes me wonder about the upcoming Intel ICH11R - pretty sure it'll be SATA3. How hard would it be to stick a little bit of cache on the mobo?

But yeah, as attractive as the price and percieved performance is of the TITAN 128GB, I'm afraid the Vertex is still the way to go. Maybe reviews will prove me wrong... and maybe I'm going to get so impatient I order 2 of them and find out for myself...

[RealTelstar]

But yeah, as attractive as the price and percieved performance is of the TITAN 128GB, I'm afraid the Vertex is still the way to go.

For me it is for one reason: capacity, i need smaller drives to use more of them

[Locke]

raid shouldnt give a big increase as the SSD is already electronic, with platter drives the raid allows writing to one while reading form the other at the same time so you get a big increase over the mechanical disadvantage... and with raiding you have the potential of more problems and BSOD's.

also from what I have found, the SSD's aren't that great for a boot drive. I might wait to see more people doing this before booting from one. I want to get one and use as a gaming drive, but want to wait till the technology stabilizes a bit.

[Serra]

raid shouldnt give a big increase as the SSD is already electronic, with platter drives the raid allows writing to one while reading form the other at the same time so you get a big increase over the mechanical disadvantage... and with raiding you have the potential of more problems and BSOD's.

What? RAID that reads from one disk and writes to the next? I think what you're thinking of is NON-RAIDed disks. RAID-0 (used as it is the level being discussed) reads from both *simultaneously* and writes to them both *simultaneously*, pulling/pushing 1/2 the total data to/from each disk. Hence RAID doesn't give a small increase in speeds, it's a *theoretical* doubling from 1 to 2 disks (dropping off as you go to more).

also from what I have found, the SSD's aren't that great for a boot drive. I might wait to see more people doing this before booting from one. I want to get one and use as a gaming drive, but want to wait till the technology stabilizes a bit.

Why would SSD's not be that good for a boot drive? Because they're ridiculously faster in sequenial reads? Because they're hundreds of times faster in random seeks? I'll admit that if your usage habits are combined with a drive which is prone to stutter that could be an issue - but the solution to that is to buy a drive (or controller) with cache... or just get an SSD with a better controller in the first place. SSD's aren't bad as boot drives - they're notably superior in every way except capacity.

[Brahmzy]

also from what I have found, the SSD's aren't that great for a boot drive. I might wait to see more people doing this before booting from one. I want to get one and use as a gaming drive, but want to wait till the technology stabilizes a bit.

HUH?!
Dude, SSDs as boot drive are EXACTLY where they shine right now. You're completely contradicting all known experience/facts etc. Typo?

[XS Janus]

I find the lack of OCZ representatives in this thread disturbing!

Set the thread straight...

[Brahmzy]

I find the lack of OCZ representatives in this thread disturbing!

Set the thread straight...

Me too - there all kind of ignoring the hole thing. Either the Vertex line has a HUGE problem that has delayed the released (could be with the new technology, like an emergency firmware revision fix before release to resellers) or the Vertex is just so awesome that anybody that has witnessed them in action was so astounded, they can longer unction as a normal human being.

[koda]

As you could see, Titan's design is based on a raid controller Jmicron JMB390 (SATA to 2 Port SATA Raid Port Multiplier RAID 0/1/JBOD) in front of 2 Jmicron JMF602 (Hi-Speed USB & SATA II 3.0G Combo to flash 8-CH), each one in front of 8 memory IC.





Regards

[XS Janus]

Wouldn't this RAID0-ing two drives internaly be concidered cheating of some sort?
I mean sure it will pump up the sinthetic numbers fast, but would it bring as much of real world performance like a single controller SSD of matching speeds would?
I hope someone gets to the botom of this when we have enough products to make a feasable comparison...

[Chosen.]

Wouldn't this RAID0-ing two drives internaly be concidered cheating of some sort?
I mean sure it will pump up the sinthetic numbers fast, but would it bring as much of real world performance like a single controller SSD of matching speeds would?
I hope someone gets to the botom of this when we have enough products to make a feasable comparison...

Most modern SSDs today use NAND flash that is capable of 25Mb/sec. The Intel X25-E SLC SSD is using a 10-channel controller and achieves the 250Mb/sec. Mtrons use 4 or 5 channels with the same/simlar NAND flash chips.
But those MLCs are doing it in a different way: they put two V2/Solid SSDs in one packaging with a separate controller to handle both of them.
Kinda like the native & glued-together dual core debate with the Pentium-D and the Athlon X2 CPUs, or the Phenom Vs Kentsfield quads. Only in the case of these drives it's more like 2 Celerons glued together

[m^2]

It's far cheaper than designing a new controller and it works.
IMO it's OK.

[Praz]

I find the lack of OCZ representatives in this thread disturbing!

Set the thread straight...

Why would anyone from OCZ be posting is a thread about a G.Skill product? That it is being compared to an OCZ product doesn't really mean anything. I'm sure everyone at OCZ has more to do then chase after speculation throughout the web.

[karateo]

Why would anyone from OCZ be posting is a thread about a G.Skill product? That it is being compared to an OCZ product doesn't really mean anything. I'm sure everyone at OCZ has more to do then chase after speculation throughout the web.

Well, things prove you wrong
This is why people expect such behavior from OCZ.

The marketing works well for the fools

[swiftex]

Wouldn't this RAID0-ing two drives internaly be concidered cheating of some sort?
I mean sure it will pump up the sinthetic numbers fast, but would it bring as much of real world performance like a single controller SSD of matching speeds would?
I hope someone gets to the botom of this when we have enough products to make a feasable comparison...

Easy now, the idea is brilliant!
It's a step in the right direction towards cost/value which hopefully leads to use by the masses..................