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 address 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 Pyro SE'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. Looking at the screenshot below, you can see that the Pyro SE's average read and write speeds dropped to 280.8 MB/s and 212.4 MB/s, respectively.
Patriot Pyro SE - Dirty
To see how well the Pyro SE could recover, I let the computer sit for a few hours and then reran the test. The drive's average read speed climbed up to 297.1 MB/s. However, its write speed still lagged a bit behind, averaging out at 266.7 MB/s.
Patriot Pyro SE - After Trim
Lastly, I used Parted Magic to perform a secure erase on the Pyro SE. With the drive wiped clean, its write speed jumped back up to 349.6 MB/s.
Patriot Pyro SE - Wiped
Final Thoughts:
With the Pyro SE, Patriot has filled the performance gap between the high-end WildFire and the budget friendly Pyro. Aimed at performance users and gamers, the Pyro SE combines SandForce's SF-2281 controller with Micron's 25nm synchronous NAND flash. As you saw in our review, this combination produced some impressive performance numbers. In our sequential read and write tests, the drive was able to read at speeds as high as 554 MB/s and write at speeds in excess of 470 MB/s. It also took the top spot in our random write tests, delivering more than 73,000 IOPS. As with other SandForce drives, the Pyro SE's performance did take a hit when reading and writing incompressible data. However, thanks to its synchronous NAND flash, its performance didn't suffer nearly as much as some other drives.
The Pyro SE is available now in 60GB, 120GB and 240GB capacities. Despite its $125 price tag, I have a feeling that most enthusiasts will skip the 60GB Pyro SE in favor of the 120GB and 240GB models. The 120GB Pyro SE currently retails for around $205 on Amazon or for as little as $165 after rebate at places like Newegg. This is a very good price for a 120GB SandForce-based SSD, even when you consider the extra $5-$10 it would cost to buy a desktop bracket. The 240GB Pyro SE currently goes for as little as $410 after rebate, which is in line with the SSDs from the OCZ and Corsair. However, if you look hard enough, you can actually find the 240GB WildFire for less. As usual, we'll leave the choice up to you.
Highs:
- Available in 60GB, 120GB and 240GB capacities
- SandForce SF-2281 processor with DuraClass, DuraWrite and RAISE technologies
- Excellent sequential read and write speeds
- SATA 6Gb/s interface
- Synchronous NAND flash
- Supports TRIM, SMART and NCQ
- Very well constructed
- 3 year warranty
- 60GB and 120GB versions are reasonably priced
Lows:
- Does not include a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter bracket
- Not as fast when writing incompressible data
- 240GB version is still pricey
