Conclusion
Breaking the 1 GBps mark is a monumental step for any storage subsystem, and to push nearly 30% faster than that in certain tests is a testament to the solid design of the OCZ Vertex 2 drives. The Intel PCH67 is definitely getting a workout running these drives at such phenomenal speeds, but it handled them very well without complaining or losing performance.
The SF-1200 controller used in the Vertex 2 series is almost a year old now and still manages to stay on top of the pack with both speed, durability and price. Multiple drive configurations are best used on ICH10 or PCH67 at this point in time with an Intel Core i7 processor. Hardware RAID cards may be recommended for most uses, especially when paired with battery backup units. When scaling past two SandForce drives, however, much care has to be taken in selecting a dedicated RAID card, and particular attention needs to be paid to the IO controller used on the cards and the bandwidth caps they carry.
Overall the Vertex 2 drives in RAID0 are a bit of let down. It was easy to power up a system before and run to the bathroom or grab a cup of coffee and come back to a just-ready desktop. With the massive performance increase that these drives provide, the desktop will be ready before you even leave the room. Due to the non-existent latency and ridiculous bandwidth that these drives can produce, a user might find himself trying (and failing) to load up enough programs in startup to allow him time to take a break! It just will not happen.
All kidding aside, there are two drawbacks to performance like this. Attaching five drives in a PC can be a bit of a wiring nightmare. Some PC cases come with adapters to fit 2 SSDs into a single 3.5 bay, but quality PSUs tend to have stiffer wires, placing strain on the SATA power ports of the drives. Also, 90 degree data cables can not be used with drives placed so closely together.
The only other drawback to the Vertex 2 RAID0 array is longevity. Not to be confused with durability of the SSDs, which is proven to be top class for MLC based configurations, only to the amount of time that these drives will be the most kick ass storage that you can get in a drive design. OCZ is on the pinnacle of bringing the next technology to market, and it will always be sooner, rather than later that they will produce a new product that enthusiasts will be clamoring for. (Hint: It starts with Vertex and ends with a 3).
At this time though, one can do no better than to look at the Vertex 2 series for world class performance, competitive pricing and excellent customer service and support. For all this and more, we happily give the OCZ Vertex 2 40GB SSDs the TechREACTION Gold Silicon Award!
You can find the OCZ Vertex 2 40GB drives at various online stores, including Newegg!
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