TRIM Performance:
While SSD's offer many benefits, there are some downsides to using flash memory. One of the biggest issues people run into is performance degradation. Over time, an SSD will run out of fresh blocks and will have to write over data the file system has marked as deleted. This procedure is very complicated and can slow an SSD's write speeds considerably.
To fix this problem, most manufacturers have added TRIM support to their SSDs. The TRIM command allows an operating system, such as Windows 7, to tell an SSD which data blocks are no longer in use. Using this information, the drive pro-actively erases these blocks and adds them to the free block pool.
To test the ARC 100's TRIM and garbage collection functions, I first put the drive in a "dirty" state. I used Iometer to fill the entire drive and then ran a random write test for 30 minutes. Looking at the screenshot below, you can see that the ARC 100's average read and write speeds dropped to 229.4 MB/s and 126.8 MB/s, respectively.
OCZ ARC 100 - Dirty
I let the computer sit for about an hour and a half and then reran the test. The drive's average write speed jumped back up to 322.1 MB/s. However, its read speed lagged a bit behind, averaging out at 251.9 MB/s.
OCZ ARC 100 - After TRIM
Lastly, I used OCZ's Toolbox utility to perform a secure erase on the ARC 100. With the drive wiped clean, it had average read and write speeds of 377.3 MB/s and 366.6 MB/s, respectively.
OCZ ARC 100 - Secure Erased
Final Thoughts:
OCZ's ARC 100 SSD is an excellent choice for the cost-conscious consumer looking to upgrade their storage to a faster or higher capacity solution. Powered by the same Indilinx-infused Barefoot 3 M10 controller as the Vertex 460, the ARC 100 uses Toshiba's A19nm Toggle Mode MLC NAND flash to deliver a fast and responsive computing experience. In our sequential read and write tests, the 240GB version of the drive was able to read at speeds as high as 502 MB/s and write at speeds in excess of 430 MB/s. It also did reasonably well in our random write tests, producing more than 55,000 IOPS at low queue depths. Increasing the queue depth did lead to better results. However, the ARC 100 still had a hard time keeping up with other entry-level drives like the Samsung 840 EVO.
The ARC 100 is available now in 120GB, 240GB and 480GB capacities. Prices on Amazon and Pricegrabber currently range from $65 up to $215, with the 240GB version reviewed here going for about $105.
Highs:
- Available in 120GB, 240GB and 480GB capacities
- Good sequential and random read and write performance
- Performs equally well with compressible and incompressible data
- SATA 6Gb/s interface
- Toggle Mode MLC NAND flash
- Large DRAM cache
- Supports TRIM and idle background garbage collection
- Well constructed design
- Ultra-slim form factor
- AES 256-bit encryption
- Reasonably priced
- 3 year ShieldPlus warranty
Lows:
- Random write performance at low queue depths could be better
- Does not support DEVSLP
- Does not support TCG Opal or eDrive encryption
