Intel X25-M 80GB SSD

Most computer enthusiasts will acknowledge the fact that one of the biggest deterrents to a truly blazing rig is the bottleneck created by the traditional storage devices of the day. This is not to say that there haven't been major improvements in the performance of storage devices over the last few years. While these improvements in many cases showed quite a bit of promise, the were still not the extent where lag time and read and write speeds were adjusted to the point that they could keep up with today's other modern components. For the last three years since the first rumors of a full-blown solid state drive first surfaced, I and a number of my colleagues have rested our hopes on a truly fast solid state drive being the saving grace for this issue.

In late 2007 a smattering of the long awaited and highly anticipated solid state drives began to trickle on to the marketplace. Many of these early offerings showed somewhat less than stellar performance while a small percentage set the groundwork for what was to come. As with any new product the launch of this magnitude time is generally the best equalizer as it gives manufacturers real world feedback to help them make necessary product improvements. In June, 2008 Intel announced that it would be joing the ranks of other manufacturers that would diversify their product line to include solid state drives. This announcement from a company of the magnitude of Intel served as validation that at some point in the future the use of solid state drives would grow to a point where they would dominate the market.

In early September, 2008 Intel released their mainstream series of solid state drives. In its initial offfering Intel brought two drives to market, the X18-M and the X25-M built respectively on the 1.8" and 2.5" form factors. The initial capacity of these drives was 80 GB and recently a 160 GB version was released. Solid State Drives are rapidly changing the computing landscape, and many enthusiasts are using SSD technology in their primary systems to help boost performance. Benchmark Reviews has tested nearly all of the products available to the retail market in this sector, and several have done quite well while others fall flat. It used to be that performance was the largest hurdle for mass storage NAND Solid State Drives, followed by stability, and later price. In this review, we will give a thorough overview as well as benchmark test the linear bandwidth performance of the Intel X25-M 80 GB SSDSA2MH080G15E solid state SATA drive and compares it against the top competition.

That time has come to pass, and our collection of SSD reviews is proof. Back in March (2008) we tested the lightning-fast MemoRight GT SSD which finally put the Western Digital Raptor in its place... to the tune of almost $2000. But since that time Benchmark Reviews has tested several SSDs which outperform HDDs. The struggle to finally replace the Hard Disk as the primary drive is getting much closer to victory.

According to a Q1 2008 report by the semiconductor market research firm iSuppli, the SSD market will grow at an annualized average of 124 percent during the four-year period from 2008 until 2012. iSuppli now projects SSD sales to increase by an additional 35 percent in 2009 over what it projected last year, 51 percent more in 2010, and 89 percent more in 2011, and continue to show dramatic increases in subsequent years.

Benchmark Reviews recently published an article that detailed Solid State Drive (SSD) Benchmark Performance Testing. The research and discussion that went into this article changed the way we new test SSD products. Our previous perceptions of the technology were lost on one critically important difference: the wear leveling algorithm that makes data a moving target. Without conclusive linear bandwidth testing, our previous performance results were rough estimates at best. This review is the second to use a new testing methodology, and also introduces real-world performance into the results.

About the Company: Intel

Intel Corporation is the world's largest semiconductor company founded by semiconductor pioneers Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore, and widely associated with the executive leadership and vision of Andrew Grove, Intel combines advanced chip design capability with a leading-edge manufacturing capability. Originally known primarily to engineers and technologists, Intel's successful "Intel Inside" advertising campaign of the 1990s made it and its Pentium processor household names.

Intel pushes the boundaries of innovation so our work can make people's lives more exciting, fulfilling, and manageable. And our work never stops. We never stop looking for the next leap ahead-in technology, education, culture, manufacturing, and social responsibility. And we never stop striving to deliver solutions with greater benefits for everyone. Intel is making PCs more accessible and affordable through innovative PC purchase programs. Through public and private collaboration, Intel has worked closely with government and industry leaders to develop more than 200 programs in 60 countries. With the onslaught of wireless broadband communication technologies like WiMAX, Wi-Fi, and 3G and wireline ADSL and cable, Intel in collaboration with local governments is connecting more people in more places than ever before-no matter how remote.

Intel is committed to improving education on a global scale. With an ongoing focus on students and teachers, we're making an impact with technology solutions that support the development of 21st Century skills, including digital literacy, problem solving, and critical thinking. As citizens use the Internet, the need to create localized content is the key. Intel-sponsored programs provide localized content and services to connect technologies to villages, suburbs, and cities around the world to deliver access to community information, education, and healthcare.

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