The CPU and GPU maker expands to SSDs
The market for solid-state storage has gotten pretty crowded, and most SSDs can use up all available bandwidth on the SATA III bus. With SATA Express and M.2 devices emerging, the transition away from older, slower technology is in full swing. Despite this, AMD is expanding its Radeon brand from video cards and RAM sticks to SSDs. But the R7 is not the company’s own tech, so its investment is much lower than usual.
This line (available in 120GB, 240GB, and 480GB sizes) is the product of OCZ Storage Technology, which Toshiba bought this year. The unit is very similar to OCZ’s Vector 150, but with a lower-clocked Barefoot 3 controller chip, and a more up-to-date set of NAND memory. The Radeon SSD also has a f our-year w arranty, one more than standard. Like the Vector 150, it has hardware-accelerated 256-bit AES encryption and ships with a 3.5-inch drive bay adapter and download code for Acronis True Image HD, a popular tool for creating backups and managing drive partitions.
Looking at performance, we see results similar to the OCZ Vertex 460, which also uses the Barefoot 3 controller. Neither drive fully saturated the SATA III bus in our tests, but the R7 SSD also fares oddly in the ATTO benchmark. At the 64KB file size, it’s reading and writing at about 400MB/s. We usually see numbers closer to 500MB/s. At the 128KB tier and above, the drive shoots up to the normal range of 525–550MB/s. If you’re moving a lot of image fi les, the performance gap will become apparent.
But as a boot drive, the sheer access time of SSD technology matters more, and the Radeon R7 does fi ne there. Plus it’s possible to fix some performance quirks with a fi rmware update. You’ll be able to use the OCZ Toolbox software for updates and secure erases. It doesn’t come with the drive, but you can easily download it.
Money Matters
Transfer speeds aren’t as high as we’d hoped, given the $160 MSRP. OCZ’s Vertex 460 has a street price of $125 and also bundles True Image HD, though its warranty is only three years. Then there’s the Crucial MX100, a popular competitor at $110. So a lot of the R7's appeal depends on where the street price lands, and how much you want True Image HD. Since 2012's original Vector, OCZ hasn't been known for aggressive pricing, but new ownership and a collaboration with AMD could spell change.
We’re more confi dent about its warranty, with its “ShieldPlus" support. You can use the drive’s serial number, instead of a receipt, and OCZ claims it will replace it with a brand-new unit (rather than refurbished products). It’ll provide shipping labels and it’ll do “advanced product placement,” meaning it will ship you a new SSD before it’s received your old one. It looks like OCZ and AMD are eager to please. If they stick to a support plan of this caliber, it can increase their appeal in a highly competitive sector. Samsung has shown that people are willing to pay a premium for high-quality SSDs.
From maximumpc
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