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 proactively erases these blocks and adds them to the free block pool.
To test the S80'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 about 30 minutes. This had very little effect on the S80's read speed. However, its average write speed dropped to a mere 19.6 MB/s.
Silicon Power S80 480GB - Dirty
To see how well the S80 could recover, I let the computer sit for a few hours and then reran the test. The drive wasn't able to reach the factory fresh performance shown in our earlier tests. However, its average write speed climbed up to 112.5 MB/s.
Silicon Power S80 480GB - After Trim
Lastly, I used Parted Magic to perform a secure erase on the S80. With the drive wiped clean, its write speed jumped back up to 263.1 MB/s.
Silicon Power S80 480GB - Secure Erase
Final Thoughts:
While not the fastest or most feature packed SSD to come through the 'Labs, Silicon Power's new Slim S80 delivers a lot of bang for your buck. This slim, lightweight drive combines Phison's PS3108 controller with Toshiba's Toggle mode MLC NAND flash to deliver a cost-effective upgrade solution for ultrabooks and ultra slim notebooks. While the results varied from one benchmark to another, the 480GB S80 performed relatively well in our sequential read and write tests. When working with incompressible data, the drive was able to read at speeds as high as 524 MB/s and write at almost 400 MB/s. Unfortunately, the S80 didn't do nearly as well in our random write tests. Even at high queue depths, the drive produced less than 24,000 IOPS. This is a far cry from what we saw from the Samsung 850 EVO or even the SanDisk Ultra II. However, it's still a huge step up over traditional hard drives.
The S80 is available now in 240GB, 480GB and 960GB capacities. Prices on Amazon range from $90 up to $500, with the 480GB version reviewed here going for about $180.
Highs:
- Available in capacities up to 960GB
- Slim 7mm form factor
- Phison PS3108-S8 controller
- Good sequential read and write performance
- SATA 6Gb/s interface
- Toggle Mode NAND flash
- Supports SMART, TRIM and Garbage Collection
- Well constructed design
- Includes 3.5" adapter bracket and mounting spacer
- Reasonably priced
- 3 year warranty
Lows:
- Lackluster random read and write performance
- Not as fast when writing incompressible data
