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Best SSDs For The Money: October 2012

Best SSDs For The Money: October 2012
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Have you held off on an SSD upgrade? You may not need to. Vendors are cutting their prices yet again, and 256 GB drives under £170 are particularly tempting. We've heard rumors as to why SSDs are so cheap, though, and we're not sure this is sustainable.

Detailed solid-state drive specifications and reviews are great—that is, if you have the time to do the research. However, at the end of the day, what an enthusiast needs is the best SSD within a certain budget.

So, if you don’t have the time to read the benchmarks, or if you don’t feel confident enough in your ability to pick the right drive, then fear not. We at Tom’s Hardware have come to your aid with a simple list of the best SSD offered for the money.

October Updates

With the launch of Samsung's 840 Pro (Samsung 840 Pro SSD: More Speed, Less Power, And Toggle-Mode 2.0), the solid-state storage scene is exciting once again. Without question, this is the fastest and most energy-efficient SSD we've ever tested (and that's saying a lot, given how many drives make their way through our lab). Everyone at Tom's Hardware shares this opinion, including the German team that conducts its own testing, independent of what we do in Southern California.

Our conclusion comes with its own little asterisk, though. When it sent out samples for the launch, Samsung chose to only sample a 512 GB capacity. We understand why. SSD vendors want to put their best foot forward, and when it comes to solid-state drives, the larger models generally perform best. Thus, it's pretty common to see 256 GB and larger SSDs sent out first.

We haven't tested any of the smaller 840 Pros, even though some vendors are already taking pre-orders. Until we're able to benchmark the 64, 128, and 256 GB models, we'll leave Samsung's latest out of our hierarchy chart. We expect performance to at least match the 830 series, of course, but it's important that we validate that before making any recommendations.

In addition to the 512 GB 840 Pro, we also have Samsung's vanilla 840 drive in our lab. As you no doubt already know it employs triple-level cell (TLC) NAND, an evolutionary move from the multi-level cell NAND we're accustomed to, which is able to store two bits per memory cell. Although increasing the number of bits per cell increases data density, it also reduces endurance and performance. Because we haven't benchmarked this drive either, it won't show up in our recommendations.

Some Notes About Our Recommendations

A few simple guidelines to keep in mind when reading this list:

  • If you don't need to copy gigabytes of data quickly or load games in the blink of an eye, then there's nothing wrong with sticking with a mechanical hard drive. This list is intended for people who want the performance/responsiveness that SSDs offer, and operate on a specific budget. Now that Intel's Z68 Express chipset is available, the idea of SSD-based caching could come into play for more entry-level enthusiasts, too.
  • There are several criteria we use to rank SSDs. We try to evenly weigh performance and capacity at each price point and recommend what we believe to the best drive based on our own experiences, along with information garnered from other sites. Some people may only be concerned with performance, but that ignores the ever-present capacity issue that mobile users face ever-presently. Even on the desktop, other variables have to be considered.
  • Prices and availability change on a daily basis. Our picks will be valid the month of publication, but we can't extend our choices very far beyond that time frame. SSD pricing is especially competitive, and a £10 difference can be the reason why one SSD makes the list, while another does not. As you shop, use our list as a guide, but always double-check for yourself.
  • The list is based on some of the best U.S./UK prices from online retailers. In other countries or at retail stores, your mileage will most certainly vary.
  • These are new SSD prices. No used or open-box offers are in the list; they might represent a good deal, but it’s outside the scope of what we’re trying to do.
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    Anonymous , 25 October 2012 02:02
    Why does it not reccomend the samsung 830 128gb, its only £75, cheaper than the vertex 4, and from what i have read its both quicker and more reliable.