TRIM and True Speed:
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.
The M5 Pro is the latest drive to ship with their Plextor's exclusive True Speed technology. By leveraging the power of advanced firmware, True Speed ensures that the SSD works at its full potential even after extensive use and long periods of operation. Along with support for TRIM, the M5 Pro's firmware incorporates Plextor's Bad Block Management, Global Wear Leveling and Instant Restore technologies. Where Bad Block Management and Global Wear Leveling optimize the way data is written on the drive, Instant Restore maintains "like new" performance by reorganizing data to maximize the number of free cells.
Plextor's True Speed technology works very well, as I saw very little performance degradation, even after hours of testing. I was finally able to overwhelm it by using Iometer to fill the entire drive and then running a random write test for 30 minutes. This had little impact on the PX-256M5P's read speed. However, its average writing speed dropped to 132.2 MB/s when in this "dirty" state.
Plextor PX-256M5P - Dirty
The PX-256M5P's average write speed bounced back up to 310.3 MB/s within a matter of minutes. However, its average read speed dropped down to 387.3 MB/s while it was recovering.
Plextor PX-256M5P - Recovering
I let the computer sit for a few hours and then reran the test. Looking at the screenshot below, you can see that the PX-256M5P's average write speed had increased to 336.8 MB/s.
Plextor PX-256M5P - After TRIM
Plextor's Plextool utility does not work with the M5 Pro yet. However, I was able to use LtnSSD to pre-format the PX-256M5P. With the drive wiped clean, it had average read and write speeds of 366.6 MB/s and 418.7 MB/s, respectively.
Plextor PX-256M5P - Wiped
Final Thoughts:
For Plextor, the M5 Pro SSD is an outstanding achievement, not only in regards to performance, but the technologies it brings together. Designed with prosumer and business users in mind, the M5 Pro combines Marvell's new 88SS9187 controller with Toshiba's 19nm Toggle Mode NAND flash to deliver some of the best all around performance we've seen. In our sequential read and write tests, the PX-256M5P was able to read at speeds as high as 547 MB/s and write at speeds in excess of 440 MB/s. It also did reasonably well our random write tests, producing nearly 67,000 IOPS at low queue depths. Increasing the queue depth did lead to better results. However, the PX-256M5P still had a hard time keeping up with the OCZ Vertex 4.
Impressive performance isn't the only thing the M5 Pro has to offer. The drive supports Plextor's exclusive True Speed technology, which does an excellent job of maintaining original performance levels, even after intensive use and long periods of operation. The M5 Pro also features an enterprise-grade double-data protection system to protect the integrity and confidentiality of your data. This system includes 256-bit AES encryption as well as Plextor's new True Protect technology, which ensures that data is stored and retrieved without error. To top it all off, Plextor backs the M5 Pro with an industry-leading five year warranty.
The M5 Pro is expected to ship later this month and, if the suggested retail prices of the PX-128M5P ($190), PX-256M5P ($320) and PX-512M5P ($650) are any indication, it will probably end up costing about the same as the M3 Pro. That being said, the M3 Pro is not exactly cheap and with OCZ's Vertex 4 selling for less than $1/GB, the M5 Pro is going to be a tough sell, especially for consumers and enthusiasts on a budget.
Highs:
- True Speed technology
- Available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities
- Excellent sequential read and write speeds
- Performs equally well with compressible and incompressible data
- Consistent performance, even after intensive usage
- SATA 6Gb/s interface
- Toggle Mode NAND flash
- Large DRAM cache
- Exclusive firmware with Instant Restore, Global Wear Leveling and Bad Block Management
- True-Protect double-data protection technology
- 256-bit AES encryption
- Supports TRIM, SMART and NCQ
- Ultra-slim form factor
- Includes a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter bracket
- Includes NTI SSD Utility Suite
- 5 year warranty
Lows:
- Random write performance at low queue depths could be better
- Does not work with Plextor's PlexTool utility yet
- Pricey
