SanDisk Extreme II Solid State Drive SDSSDXP Review

By Olin Coles

Manufacturer: SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK)
Product Name: Extreme II Solid State Drive (SSD)
Model Number: SDSSDXP-240G-G25 (240GB Capacity)
UPC: 619659084080 EAN: 0619659084080
Price as tested: 120GB- $116.99 (Newegg|Amazon), 240GB- $224.99 (Newegg|Amazon), 480GB- $549.99 (Newegg|Amazon)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Sandisk.

Solid State Drives: they’ve come so far in such a short amount of time. It was only a few years ago, or one computer upgrade for some, that your choices were a fast hard drive with not much storage space or a slow disk with lots of room. Back in those days, a memory upgrade was the easiest way to speed-up your system. Now we’ve got the SSD, a device that fetches programs faster than anything else we previously had available to us.

SanDisk may not have been the first name in the solid state drive business, but they’re among the best. Instead of offering a new product like some companies announce a flavor of the week, SanDisk ensures they’ve taken the time to reduce risk and failure to the lowest levels possible for their SSDs. As a result, they’re one of the few remaining brands that can offer consumers a five-year warranty that leads the entire industry.

In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the 240GB SanDisk Extreme II SSD, model SDSSDXP-240G-G25, against the leading competition. This slim 7mm solid state drive is advertised to reach 550 MB/s reads and 510 MB/s writes with its Marvell 88SS9187 SSD processor, while also reaching 95,000 IOPS for random reads. SanDisk then goes beyond simple transfer speeds and TRIM garbage collection by including proprietary nCache non-volatile write cache technology for its 19nm Toggle NAND Flash.

Despite decades of design improvements, the hard disk drive (HDD) remains the slowest component of any personal computer system. Consider that modern desktop processors typically have a 1 ns response time (nanosecond = one billionth of one second), while system memory responds between 30-90 ns. Traditional hard disk technology utilizes spinning media, and even the fastest mechanical storage products still exhibit a 9 ms (9,000,000 ns) initial response time (millisecond = one thousandth of one second). In more relevant terms, the processor sends the command, but must wait for system memory to fetch data from the storage drive. This is why any computer system is only as fast as the slowest component in the data chain, which is usually the hard drive.

In a perfect world all of the components would operate at the same speed: system memory signals as quickly as the central processor, and the storage drive fetches data as fast as memory. With present-day technology this is an impossible task, so enthusiasts try to close the speed gaps between components as much as possible. Although system memory is up to 90x (9000%) slower than most processors, consider that the hard drive is an additional 1000x (100,000%) slower than memory. Essentially, these three components are as different in speed as crawling (HDD) is to walking (RAM) is to running (CPU).

Solid State Drive technology bridges the largest gap in these response times. The difference a SSD makes to operational response times and program speeds is dramatic, and takes the storage drive from a slow ‘crawling’ speed to a much faster ‘walking’ speed. Solid State Drive technology improves initial response times by more than 450x (45,000%) for applications and Operating System software, when compared to their mechanical HDD counterparts. The biggest mistake PC hardware enthusiasts make with regard to SSD technology is grading them based on bandwidth speed alone. File transfer speeds are important, but only so long as the operational I/O performance can sustain that bandwidth under load.

As we’ve explained in our SSD Benchmark Tests: SATA IDE vs AHCI Mode guide, Solid State Drive performance revolves around two dynamics: bandwidth speed (MB/s) and operational performance I/O per second (IOPS). These two metrics work together, but one may be more important than the other. Consider this analogy: bandwidth determines how much cargo a ship can transport in one voyage, and operational IOPS performance is how fast that ship moves. By understanding this and applying it to SSD storage, there is a clear importance set on each variable depending on the task at hand.

For casual users, especially those with laptop or desktop computers that have been upgraded to use an SSD, the naturally quick response time is enough to automatically improve the user experience. Bandwidth speed is important, but only to the extent that operational performance meets the minimum needs of the system. If an SSD has a very high bandwidth speed but a low operational performance, it will take longer to load applications and boot the computer into Windows than if the SSD offered a higher IOPS performance.

Solid state drive devices have gained quick popularity with performance-minded consumers because they work equally well in PC, Linux, or Apple computer systems. Likewise, these drives install quite easily into both desktop and notebook platforms without modification. The SanDisk Extreme II SSD is best suited for performance-orientated users, giving personal computers a much faster response time and boosting productivity.

In this article Benchmark Reviews will test the 240GB SanDisk Extreme II solid state drive. SanDisk Corporation offers the SanDisk Extreme II SSD series in three popular capacities: 120, 240, and 480GB. These models share the same part numbers with a capacity designator: SDSSDXP-240G-G25 that represents the 240 GB model. All SanDisk Extreme II solid state drive products measure 100.5 mm Long x 69.85 mm Wide x 7 mm Height. SanDisk Extreme II is presently available online: 120GB- $116.99 (Newegg|Amazon), 240GB- $224.99 (Newegg|Amazon), and 480GB- $549.99 (Newegg|Amazon).

Unlike fragile Hard Disk Drive (HDD) storage products, SSDs are not nearly as sensitive to impact damage and do not require (or benefit from) any kind of special vibration dampening or shock-proof enclosures. Once installed the SSD is usually hidden away from view, which explains why SanDisk has maintained a conservative appearance on the Extreme II SSD series.

The SanDisk Extreme II SSD features a 7.0 mm thick chassis that receives a black painted finish. SanDisk utilizes the standard two-piece metal enclosure for their Extreme II-series SSDs, with a series branding label at the top panel and product information label at the back. Internal components are revealed by removing four small counter-sunk screws located at the bottom of this solid state drive.

The 240GB model we received is specified to reach 550 MB/s for sequential reads and 510 MB/s sequential writes. SanDisk specifies random reads up to 95,000 IOPS and random writes up to 78,000 IOPS. Although product specifications advertise extremely fast performance ratings, these solid state drive products are designed with a focus on product reliability. The Marvell 88SS9187 controller and firmware insideExtreme II has receive a long validation cycle to ensure optimal stability is delivered to the consumer, enabling SanDisk to offer an industry leading five-year product warranty. These features could help factor into the consumer’s decision, as it improves long-term value.

In the next few sections we’ll test the SanDisk Extreme II SSD, comparing this solid state drive to other SATA-based storage products intended for notebook and desktop installations.

Source: SanDisk Corporation

SanDisk Extreme II SSD Features

• SATA 6 Gb/s compliant ; Backwards compliant to SATA 3 Gb/s & SATA 1.5 Gb/s
• ATA8-ACS v6
• NCQ support up to queue depth = 32
• Support for TRIM
• S.M.A.R.T. feature supported
• Advanced Flash Management:
  • nCache™ – Non Volatile Write Cache
  • Dynamic and Static Wear-leveling
  • Bad Block Management
  • Background Garbage Collection
• Advanced features:
  • Tiered caching – Volatile and non-volatile cache
  • Supports multi stream – improves user experience in multitasking systems
  • Minimal write amplification – increases endurance and performance
• Support for Thermal throttling
  • Performance will be throttled in the event junction temperature of critical components is measured to be exceeding the maximum allowable for the product

SanDisk SDSSDXP Specifications

Solid State Drives have traveled a long winding course to finally get where they are today. Up to this point in technology, there have been several key differences separating Solid State Drives from magnetic rotational Hard Disk Drives. While the DRAM-based buffer size on desktop HDDs has recently reached 64 MB and is ever-increasing, there is still a hefty delay in the initial response time. This is one key area in which flash-based Solid State Drives continually dominates because they lack moving parts to “get up to speed”.

However the benefits inherent to SSDs have traditionally fallen off once the throughput begins, even though data reads or writes are executed at a high constant rate whereas the HDD tapers off in performance. This makes the average transaction speed of a SSD comparable to the data burst rate mentioned in HDD tests, albeit usually lower than the HDD’s speed.

Comparing a Solid State Disk to a standard Hard Disk Drives is always relative; even if you’re comparing the fastest rotational spindle speeds. One is going to be many times faster in response (SSDs), while the other is usually going to have higher throughput bandwidth (HDDs). Additionally, there are certain factors which can affect the results of a test which we do our best to avoid.

Early on in our SSD coverage, Benchmark Reviews published an article which detailed Solid State Drive Benchmark Performance Testing. The research and discussion that went into producing that article changed the way we now test SSD products. Our previous perceptions of this technology were lost on one particular difference: the wear leveling algorithm that makes data a moving target. Without conclusive linear bandwidth testing or some other method of total-capacity testing, our previous performance results were rough estimates at best.

Our test results were obtained after each SSD had been prepared using DISKPART or Sanitary Erase tools. As a word of caution, applications such as these offer immediate but temporary restoration of original ‘pristine’ performance levels. In our tests, we discovered that the maximum performance results (charted) would decay as subsequent tests were performed. SSDs attached to TRIM enabled Operating Systems will benefit from continuously refreshed performance, whereas older O/S’s will require a garbage collection (GC) tool to avoid ‘dirty NAND’ performance degradation.

It’s critically important to understand that no software for the Microsoft Windows platform can accurately measure SSD performance in a comparable fashion. Synthetic benchmark tools such as ATTO Disk Benchmark and Iometer are helpful indicators, but should not be considered the ultimate determining factor. That factor should be measured in actual user experience of real-world applications. Benchmark Reviews includes both bandwidth benchmarks and application speed tests to present a conclusive measurement of product performance.

• Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 EVO (Intel P67 Sandy Bridge Platform, B3 Stepping)
• Processor: Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4 GHz Quad-Core CPU
• System Memory: 4GB Dual-Channel DDR3 1600MHz CL6-6-6-18
• SATA 6Gb/s Storage HBA: Integrated Intel P67 Controller
  • AHCI mode – Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver 11.7.0.1013
• SATA 3Gb/s Storage HBA: Integrated Intel P67 Controller
  • AHCI mode – Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver 11.7.0.1013
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition 64-Bit with Service Pack 1

The following storage hardware has been used in our benchmark performance testing, and may be included in portions of this article:

• Crucial RealSSD-C300 CTFDDAC256MAG-1G1 256GB SATA 6Gb/s MLC SSD
• Crucial m4 CT256M4SSD2 256GB SATA 6Gb/s MLC SSD
• Intel X25-E Extreme SSDSA2SH032G1GN SATA 3Gb/s SLC SSD
• Intel SSD 311 Series Larson Creek SSDSA2VP020G2E
• Intel SSD 320 Series MLC Solid State Drive SSDSA2CW160G3
• Intel SSD 335 Series Solid State Drive SSDSC2CT240A4K5
• Intel SSD 520 Series MLC Solid State Drive SSDSC2CW240A3
• OCZ Agility 2 OCZSSD2-2AGTE120G 120GB MLC SSD
• OCZ Agility 3 AGT3-25SAT3-240G 240GB MLC SSD
• OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE120G 120GB MLC SSD
• OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-240G 240GB MLC SSD
• OCZ Vertex 3.20 MLC SSD VTX3-25SAT3-240G.20 MLC SSD
• OCZ Vertex 4 VTX4-25SAT3-256G MLC SSD
• OCZ Vertex 450 VTX450-25SAT3-256G MLC SSD
• OCZ Octane OCT1-25SAT3-512G MLC SSD
• OCZ Vector VTR1-25SAT3-256G MLC SSD
• Patriot Torqx 2 PT2128GS25SSDR 128GB MLC SSD
• SanDisk Extreme II SDSSDXP-240G MLC SSD
• WD SiliconEdge-Blue SSC-D0256SC-2100 256GB MLC SSD

• AS SSD Benchmark 1.6.4067.34354: Multi-purpose speed and operational performance test
• ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.46: Spot-tests static file size chunks for basic I/O bandwidth
• CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1a by Crystal Dew World: Sequential speed benchmark spot-tests various file size chunks
• Iometer 1.1.0 (built 08-Nov-2010) by Intel Corporation: Tests IOPS performance and I/O response time
• Finalwire AIDA64: Disk Benchmark component tests linear read and write bandwidth speeds
• Futuremark PCMark Vantage: HDD Benchmark Suite tests real-world drive performance

This article utilizes benchmark software tools to produce operational IOPS performance and bandwidth speed results. Each test was conducted in a specific fashion, and repeated for all products. These test results are not comparable to any other benchmark application, neither on this website or another, regardless of similar IOPS or MB/s terminology in the scores. The test results in this project are only intended to be compared to the other test results conducted in identical fashion for this article.

Alex Schepeljanski of Alex Intelligent Software develops the free AS SSD Benchmark utility for testing storage devices. The AS SSD Benchmark tests sequential read and write speeds, input/output operational performance, and response times.

AS-SSD Benchmark uses compressed data, so sequential file transfer speeds are reported lower than with other tools using uncompressed data. For this reason, we will concentrate on the operational IOPS performance in this section.

Beginning with sequential transfer performance, the 240GB SanDisk Extreme II solid state drive produced speeds up to 507.17 MB/s for reads and 460.40 MB/s writes. Single-threaded 4K IOPS performance tests deliver 28.29 MB/s read and 61.35 MB/s write, while the 64-thread 4K reads recorded 349.46 MB/s and write performance was at 276.81 MB/s.

AS-SSD 64-thread 4KB IOPS performance results are displayed in the chart below, which compares several enthusiast-level storage products currently on the market. In the 64-thread 4KB IOPS performance tests, the 240GB SanDisk Extreme II SSD easily surpassed much of the competition, but could not outperform the leading solid state drive storage solutions.

The chart below is sorted by total combined performance, which helps illustrate which products offer the best operational input/output under load:

In the next section, Benchmark Reviews tests transfer rates using ATTO Disk Benchmark.

The ATTO Disk Benchmark program is free, and offers a comprehensive set of test variables to work with. In terms of disk performance, it measures interface transfer rates at various intervals for a user-specified length and then reports read and write speeds for these spot-tests. There are some minor improvements made to the 2.46 version of the program that allow for test lengths up to 2GB, but all of our benchmarks are conducted with 256MB total length. ATTO Disk Benchmark requires that an active partition be set on the drive being tested. Please consider the results displayed by this benchmark to be basic bandwidth speed performance indicators.

ATTO Disk Benchmark: Queue Depth 4 (Default)

Our bandwidth speed tests begin with theSanDisk Extreme II solid state drive attached to the Intel P67-Express SATA 6Gb/s controller operating in AHCI mode. Using the ATTO Disk Benchmark tool, the test drive performs basic file transfers ranging from 0.5 KB to 8192 KB.

The 240GB model provided to Benchmark Reviews for testing produced 546 MBps maximum read speeds that plateau from around 32-1024 KB file chunks, and 521 MBps peak write bandwidth that plateaus from 64-8192 KB. These results agree with SanDisk’s performance specifications of 550/510 MBps for the 240GB SanDisk Extreme II SSD model.

In the next section, Benchmark Reviews tests sequential performance using the CrystalDiskMark 3.0 software tool…

CrystalDiskMark 3.0 is a file transfer and operational bandwidth benchmark tool from Crystal Dew World that offers performance transfer speed results using sequential, 512KB random, and 4KB random samples. For our test results chart below, the 4KB 32-Queue Depth read and write performance was measured using a 1000MB space. CrystalDiskMark requires that an active partition be set on the drive being tested, and all drives are formatted with NTFS on the Intel P67 chipset configured to use AHCI-mode. Benchmark Reviews uses CrystalDiskMark to illustrate operational IOPS performance with multiple threads. In addition to our other tests, this benchmark allows us to determine operational bandwidth under heavy load.

CrystalDiskMark uses compressed data, so sequential file transfer speeds are reported lower than with other tools using uncompressed data. For this reason, we will concentrate on the operational IOPS performance in this section.

CrystalDiskMark 3.0 reports sequential speeds reaching 532.5 MB/s reads and 498.7 MB/s writes. 512K test results reached 326.0 MB/s read and 455.7 MB/s write performance. 4K tests produced 31.93 read and 75.24 write performance. All CrystalDiskMark results produced by this 240GB SanDisk Extreme II SSD were roughly equal to many of the top drives, but were not high enough to surpass OCZ’s Vector solid state drive.

Maximum 4KB IOPS performance results at queue depth 32 are reported in the chart below. These values represent the performance levels for several enthusiast-level storage solutions, and illustrates which products offer the best operational performance under load:

In the next section, we continue our testing using Iometer to measure input/output performance…

Iometer is an I/O subsystem measurement and characterization tool for single and clustered systems. Iometer does for a computer’s I/O subsystem what a dynamometer does for an engine: it measures performance under a controlled load. Iometer was originally developed by the Intel Corporation and formerly known as “Galileo”. Intel has discontinued work on Iometer, and has gifted it to the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL). There is currently a new version of Iometer in beta form, which adds several new test dimensions for SSDs.

Iometer is both a workload generator (that is, it performs I/O operations in order to stress the system) and a measurement tool (that is, it examines and records the performance of its I/O operations and their impact on the system). It can be configured to emulate the disk or network I/O load of any program or benchmark, or can be used to generate entirely synthetic I/O loads. It can generate and measure loads on single or multiple (networked) systems.

To measure random I/O response time as well as total I/O’s per second, Iometer is set to use 4KB file size chunks over a 100% random sequential distribution at a queue depth of 32 outstanding I/O’s per target. The tests are given a 50% read and 50% write distribution. While this pattern may not match traditional ‘server’ or ‘workstation’ profiles, it illustrates a single point of reference relative to our product field.

All of our SSD tests used Iometer 1.1.0 (build 08-Nov-2010) by Intel Corporation to measure IOPS performance, using a SandForce-created QD30 configuration: 4KB 100 Random 50-50 Read and Write.icf. The chart below illustrates combined random read and write IOPS over a 120-second Iometer test phase, where highest I/O total is preferred:

In our Iometer tests, which are configured to use 32 outstanding I/O’s per target and random 50/50 read/write distribution, SandForce SSDs generally outperform the competition when tested with this large queue depth. Previously, the OCZ Vertex 4 SSD delivered the best combined IOPS performance we’ve seen from any SATA-based SSD with 83,494. That was before the OCZ Vertex 450 produced 87323 for a new all-time top score. OCZ’s Vertex 3 Max IOPS Edition produced 83117, followed by the Intel SSD 520 Series at 80,433 peak combined IOPS, then the Intel SSD 335 Series with 80015.

The SanDisk Extreme II SSD didn’t place in the top results, and actually produced IOPS scores relative to much older solid state drives. This level of performance clearly does not measure up to the leading competition.

It should be noted that nearly all modern SSDs deliver I/O far beyond the needs of multi-tasking power users and hardcore gamers, and would be ideal for workstation systems running utilizing virtual machines.

In our next section, we test linear read and write bandwidth performance and compare its speed against several other top storage products using EVEREST Disk Benchmark. Benchmark Reviews feels that linear tests are excellent for rating SSDs, however HDDs are put at a disadvantage with these tests whenever capacity is high.

Many enthusiasts are familiar with the Finalwire AIDA64 benchmark suite (formerly Lavalys EVEREST), but very few are aware of the Disk Benchmark tool available inside the program. The AIDA64 Disk Benchmark performs linear read and write bandwidth tests on each drive, and can be configured to use file chunk sizes up to 1MB (which speeds up testing and minimizes jitter in the waveform). Because of the full sector-by-sector nature of linear testing, Benchmark Reviews endorses this method for testing SSD products, as detailed in our Solid State Drive Benchmark Performance Testing article. However, Hard Disk Drive products suffer a lower average bandwidth as the capacity draws linear read/write speed down into the inner-portion of the disk platter. AIDA64 Disk Benchmark does not require a partition to be present for testing, so all of our benchmarks are completed prior to drive formatting.

Linear disk benchmarks are superior bandwidth speed tools in my opinion, because they scan from the first physical sector to the last. A side affect of many linear write-performance test tools is that the data is erased as it writes to every sector on the drive. Normally this isn’t an issue, but it has been shown that partition table alignment will occasionally play a role in overall SSD performance (HDDs don’t suffer this problem).

The high-performance storage products we’ve tested with Lavalys AIDA64 Disk Benchmark are connected to the Intel P67-Express SATA 6Gb/s controller and use a 1MB block size option. Charted above, read performance on the 240GB SanDisk Extreme II solid state drive measured average speeds of 510.3 MB/s with a relatively close maximum peak speed of 517.2 MB/s. These read results are among the highest we’ve ever tested from any SATA device, and remained very consistent across the full range of capacity. AIDA64 linear write-to tests were next…

The waveform chart below illustrates how well the SanDisk Extreme II manages file transfers, and makes linear write performance appears relatively uneven. The results seen here are consistent with most other SSD products we’ve tested in the past that use a DRAM cache buffer. The 240GB SanDisk Extreme II solid state drive recorded an average linear write-to speed of 466.8 MB/s, with maximum performance reaching 475.9 MB/s.

The SanDisk Extreme II SSD was finally able to outshine the competition with impressive as the read/write performance results, surpassing nearly all other SSDs except the Intel SSD 520 series.

The chart below shows the average linear read and write bandwidth speeds for a cross-section of storage devices tested with EVEREST:

Linear tests are an important tool for comparing bandwidth speed between storage products – although HDD products suffer performance degradation over the span of their areal storage capacity. Linear bandwidth certainly benefits the Solid State Drive, since there’s very little fluctuation in transfer speed. This is because Hard Disk Drive products decline in performance as the spindle reaches the inner-most sectors on the magnetic platter, away from the fast outer edge.

In the next section we use PCMark Vantage to test real-world performance…

PCMark Vantage is an objective hardware performance benchmark tool for PCs running 32- and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7. PCMark Vantage is well suited for benchmarking any type of Microsoft Windows Vista/7 PC: from multimedia home entertainment systems and laptops, to dedicated workstations and high-end gaming rigs. Benchmark Reviews has decided to use the HDD Test Suite to demonstrate simulated real-world storage drive performance in this article.

PCMark Vantage runs eight different storage benchmarks, each with a specific purpose. Once testing is complete, results are given a PCMark score while and detailed results indicate actual transaction speeds. The 240GB SanDisk Extreme II SSD produced a total PCMark Vantage (secondary) HDD Test Suite score of 70036. Specific speeds are reported below:

Our tests were conducted on an Intel P67-Express Sandy Bridge motherboard using the onboard native SATA 6Gb/s controller with 64-bit Windows 7. Because new drivers were used, this test is not comparable to past tests and may not be fairly compared to storage devices attached to other computer systems.

In the next section, I share my review conclusion and final product rating.

RATING DISCLAIMER: Although the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, be advised that every author perceives these factors differently. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer revisions that occur after publication which could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on this conclusion, as it represents our rating specifically for the product tested which may differ from future versions. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate.

Our first rating is Performance, which compares how effective the SanDisk Extreme II SSD performs in operations against competing SATA-based solid state drive storage solutions. For reference, SanDisk specifies the Marvell 88SS9187 SSD processor capable of 550 MB/s maximum reads and 510 MB/s write speeds. In our storage benchmark tests the 240GB SanDisk Extreme II solid state drive (model SDSSDXP-240G-G25) performed up to this speed, producing respectable results that compare the fastest SATA-based products previously tested. ATTO Disk Benchmark produced 546/521 MBps transfer speeds from the 240GB SanDisk Extreme II SSD, while linear testing using AIDA64 Disk Benchmark produced 510/467 MB/s, placing the SanDisk Extreme II among our fastest SSD results.

The SanDisk Extreme II solid state drive sent to us for testing is advertised to deliver up to 95,000 random read IOPS, and up to 78,000 random write IOPS. Using the Iometer benchmark tool, operational performance tests configured to a queue depth of 32 outstanding I/O’s per target across 100% of the drive produced only 43,180 combined IOPS performance – placing far from the leading SATA-based SSDs. In the 4K 32QD tests using AS-SSD and CrystalDiskMark, the 240GB SanDisk Extreme II SSD outperformed several products but did not surpass many of the leading enthusiast storage solutions.

While sustained speeds were impressive, peak transfer speeds were average. Operational performance did not appear to be this SSDs strongest feature, as it delivered decent IOPS in CrystalDiskMark and AS-SSD, but failed to reach respectable enthusiast-level results in Iometer.

Solid State Drives are low-visibility products: you see them just long enough to install and then they’re forgotten. Like their Hard Disk Drive counterparts, Solid State Drives are meant to place function before fashion. Anything above and beyond a simple metal shell is already more than what’s expected in terms of the appearance. SanDisk Technology has created a sleek 7mm profile with an appealing finish on their Extreme II SSDs.

Durability is the strongest feature credited to the entire SSD product segment. Solid state drives are not prone to mechanical failure because they lack moving parts. Additionally, the SanDisk Extreme II will throttle performance in the event component temperatures exceed allowable product thresholds. If any SanDisk Extreme II storage product does happen to fail during its industry-leading 5-year warranty period, end-users may contact SanDisk at their toll-free telephone number (866-726-3475) for technical support or customer service questions.

As of July 2013, the SanDisk Extreme II SSD series is available online in the following capacities and prices:

• 120GB- $116.99 (Newegg|Amazon)
• 240GB- $224.99 (Newegg|Amazon)
• 480GB- $549.99 (Newegg|Amazon)

My summary: SanDisk’s Extreme II SSD packages a complex combination of components and features that perform well, but not extraordinarily well. The 19nm Toggle NAND Flash does produce impressive data transfer speeds, but the Marvell 88SS9187 SSD processor isn’t as powerful in IOPS performance as we’ve seen from other new products. IOPS results notwithstanding, the SanDisk Extreme II SSD does do something almost nobody else does: offer a five-year product warranty on their drive. Combine this with the slightly lower price tag, and you’ve got a solid balance of features and value.

+ Outstanding 546/521 MBps read/write speed with ATTO
+ Marvell 88SS9187 processor offers native TRIM support
+ 5-Year SanDisk product warranty support
+ Thermal throttling protects electronic components
+ Offered in 120/240/480GB drive capacities
+ Lightweight compact storage solution
+ Resistant to extreme shock impact
+ Low power consumption may extend battery life

– Expensive enthusiast-level product
– Mediocre Iometer IOPS performance

• Performance: 8.75
• Appearance: 8.75
• Construction: 9.25
• Functionality: 9.25
• Value: 7.75

Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award.

COMMENT QUESTION: Which brand of SSD do you trust most?