TRIM Performance:
While SSDs 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 SSD 830's TRIM function, 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. This had very little effect on the SSD 830's read speed. However, its average writing speed dropped to 253.0 MB/s.
Samsung SSD 830 - Dirty
To see how well the SSD 830 could recover, I let the computer sit for a few hours and then reran the test. Looking at the screenshot above, you can see that the drive's average writing speed had increased to 276.5 MB/s.
Samsung SSD 830 - After Trim
Lastly, I used Samsung's SSD Magician software to perform a secure erase of the SSD 830. With the drive wiped clean, its average writing speed jumped up to 282.1 MB/s.
Samsung SSD 830 - Secure Erase
Final Thoughts:
Samsung's 830 Series is a worthy alternative to the myriad of "SandForce Driven" SSDs on the market today. Instead of using off the shelf components, Samsung has designed and built everything, including the MCX controller, Toggle Mode NAND flash and DDR2 SDRAM cache, entirely in house. The end result is an attractive, ultra-slim drive with good, all around performance. In our sequential read and write tests, the 128GB version of the SSD 830 was able to read at speeds as high as 547 MB/s and write at speeds in excess of 320 MB/s. The drive's performance wasn't nearly as impressive when doing random writes. However, it performed equally well with compressible and incompressible data and was able to sustain these speeds, even after intensive use. The 830 Series also ships with an excellent software bundle and is available by itself or as part of a user-friendly installation kit.
The 830 Series is available now in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities. Prices on Amazon.com currently range from $123 up to $800, with the 128GB desktop installation kit reviewed here going for about $200. You can save about $15 by buying the standalone drive. However, if you're truly on a budget, the Plextor PX-128M3S may be a better choice as it can be picked up for around $160.
Highs:
- Available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities
- Excellent read speeds
- Performs equally well with compressible and incompressible data
- Consistent speeds, even after intensive usage
- Good looking, ultra-slim design
- SATA 6Gb/s interface
- Toggle NAND flash
- 256MB DDR2 SDRAM cache
- Supports TRIM, SMART, garbage collection and wear leveling
- Software bundle includes SSD Magician, Norton Ghost and Batman: Arkham Asylum
- Available as part of a notebook or desktop installation kit
- Reasonably priced
- 3 year warranty
Lows:
- Slower than other drives when doing random writes
