ADATA sneaks a new revision of Sandforce into their SSDs
Subject: Storage | March 7, 2013 - 07:53 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Sandforce SF2281, adata, sx900
Allyn reviewed the ADTA SX900 back in February which might make you question why we are revisiting this drive in this [H]ard|OCP review. The reason lies in the controller as the SSD Al reviewed contained the SF-2281VB1-S0C while the drive [H] received contains a 2281VB2-SPC controller. [H] had many of the same worries as Al, with ancient firmware being the most relevant, with [H] specifically stating that '5.0.2a firmware does not have working TRIM functionality,' which should cause concern for anyone considering this drive. They also notived power usage above 10W which they felt was odd on a drive marketed as having improved power consumption and ended up unable to recommend this drive.
"The ADATA SX900 128GB SSD came to us with a surprise under the hood, the new B02 version of the SandForce SF-2281 controller. This new stepping is designed to provide revolutionary improvements in power efficiency with no loss of speed. We test the SX900 and the SF-2281VB2-SPC controller to see how it stacks up against the competition."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- Monster Digital Daytona 240GB @ Tweaktown
- Kingston HyperX 3K 240 GB @ techPowerUp
- Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme 256GB @ Tweaktown
- Plextor M5 Pro 256GB SSD with Xtreme 1.02 Firmware @ Tweaktown
- Samsung SM843 Pro Data Center Series 240GB @ Tweaktown
- How to Maximize Storage Space Guide @ OCC
- ioSafe N2: A Disaster-Resistant Synology DS213 @ AnandTech
- Vantec NexStar WiFi Hard Drive Dock Review @ Techgage
- Toshiba STOR.E SLIM 500GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive Review @ NikKTech
- ADATA DashDrive Air AE400 @ Kitguru
OCZ's RevoDrive 3; the other kind of hybrid
Subject: Storage | March 12, 2012 - 07:00 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Sandforce SF2281, revodrive hybrid, RevoDrive 3, PCIe SSD, ocz, hybrid ssd
If you are looking for the speed of an SSD but can't afford one big enough to hold your OS and programs there are two main ways to work around this. The first is only available to Intel SandyBridge owners and that is Intel's SRT which allows you to use a mSATA SSD as a cache drive to speed up commonly used programs. The second is to pick up a hybrid SATA drive like the Seagate Momentus XT line, which does essentially the same thing but is compatible with most systems and is self contained. Techgage would like to remind you that there is a third choice, albeit perhaps more expensive than the other two; the OCZ RevoDrive 3 Hybrid PCIe SSD. This drive sports 1TB of HDD space and 128GB of flash memory split between two SandForce 2281 controllers and at a cost of $330 gives you a lot more space than a $330 SSD.
"SSDs are expensive and often don't offer enough capacity to meet user needs. The recent SSD caching craze attempts to alleviate both these issues, but OCZ has done one better. Combining a RevoDrive 3 with a 1TB HDD the RevoDrive Hybrid offers a self-contained SSD caching solution that is guaranteed to work."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- OCZ Demonstrates Vertex 4 SSD At CeBIT 2012 - It gets Tested and Tested Again @ SSD Review
- Romex FancyCache Review - SSD Performance At 13GB/s and 765,000 IOPS In 60 Seconds Flat! @ SSD Review
- SSD Caching – “SSD, but my friends call me cache” @ TechwareLabs
- Patriot Memory Pyro 120GB 2.5” SATA III SSD Drive Review @ Madshrimps
- 128GB SSD Roundup @ Rbmods
- Verbatim 2.5" Sata-III SSD 120GB @ Rbmods
- OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SATA III 2.5" SSD Review @ Madshrimps
- RunCore Pro V Max 240GB SSD Review @ circuitREMIX
- Corsair Force Series GT 180GB SSD Review @ circuitREMIX
- Synology DiskStation DS411 and New DSM 4.0 Operating System @ X-bit Labs
- OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Dual Mini RAID Data Storage/Backup @ SSD Review
- QNAP TurboNAS TS-419P II 4-Bay NAS Review @ eTeknix
- ICY DOCK EZ DOCK USB 3.0 HDD adaptor @ Bjorn3D
- Lacie 5big Office+ Nas Review @ TechwareLabs
- ToughTech mini-Q Encrypted Portable Drive @ TechwareLabs
- How to Buy an External Hard Drive @ TechReviewSource
- Zalman ZM-HE350u3 3.5" @ Bjorn3D
Silicon Power hits the SSD market
Subject: Storage | November 21, 2011 - 01:03 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: silicon power, Velox Series V30, ssd, Sandforce SF2281, sata 6Gps
Silicon Power have extended their lineup in a logical manner, with their familiarity with flash based storage it makes sense for them to move into SSDs. They've chosen proven parts, the SandForce SF2281 is a familiar SATA 6Gb/s controller as are the Intel branded flash chips that make up the 60GB of storage. As you would expect, similar components produce similar results, but since each manufacturer introduces some differences as do the parts inside the benchmarks for each SSD are slightly different but price remains the factor which most heavily impacts choice. If you are shopping for an SSD you should check Think Computers review of a drive from a brand you may not have previously considered.
"Silicon Power is not a name you really think about when you think about solid state drives. If you did not know Silicon Power was founded in 2003 and they mainly specialize in memory products. Today we are going to take a look at one of their first SATA 6GB/s drives the Velox Series V30. This drive is powered by the SandForce SF-2281 controller and boast speeds of 550MB/s read and 500MB/s write. Let’s check it out!"
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- Intel 320 Series 300 GB SSD @ kitguru
- Revisiting the Legend: OCZ Vertex LE 240GB Solid State Drive @ Tweaktown
- Kingston HyperX 240 GB SSD Review @ Hardware Secrets
- OCZ Synapse 60 GB Caching SSD @ techPowerUp
- FreeBSD 9.0 On Intel Sandy Bridge @ Phoronix
- 1 TB Hard Disk Drives Roundup @ X-bit Labs
- Seagate Barracuda XT 3TB (ST3000DM001) @ Bjorn3D
- G-Technology G-DRIVE Mini 750GB HDD Review @ Legit Reviews
- RaidSonic Icy Box IB-RD3219STu3 USB 3.0 RAID Enclosure Review @ Real World Labs
- OCZ Synapse Cache @ Guru3D
- RAIDAGE GAGE104U40SL-SAUF @ Computing on Demand
- Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Ultra-portable 750GB Hard Drive Review @ circuitREMIX
- Mushkin Ventura Pro 32 GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Review @ OCC
- ADATA Superior SH14 500 GB USB 3.0 @ techPowerUp
- Roundup: USB 3.0 External Drives with 750 GB Storage Capacity @ X-bit Labs
- 1 TB Hard Disk Drives Roundup @ X-bit Labs
- Adata 32Gb N005 Pro Flash Drive @ Funky Kit
OCZ's new Sandforce SF2281 firmware update tested
Subject: Storage | November 4, 2011 - 02:36 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: ocz, firmware, Sandforce SF2281
The Tech Report has been investigating the OCZ 2.15 firmware update for their Sandforce SF2281 based SSDs. The firmware was released to fix several specific issues that users were encountering which caused BSODs or stuttering during normal usage. The testing was a little odd for The Tech Report, they certainly didn't see any BSODs after flashing to the new firmware, however they never saw any BSODs on their drives previously. A little investigation showed them a significant decrease in the number of people complaining about BSODs on forums which leads them to believe the firmware update is effective at what it does. Even better, the firmware has no real negative effect on the drives performance.
"SandForce SSDs have been dogged by reports of BSODs and other issues, but new firmware promises relief. We take a quick look at OCZ's recent 2.15 firmware update to see how it affects SSD performance and the BSOD bug."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- Solid State Drive Roundup 2011 @ Real World Labs
- OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SSD @ XSReviews
- MemoRight FTM Plus 240GB Solid State Drive @ Tweaktown
- OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid PCI-E SSD Tests @ Benchmark Reviews
- A Complete SSD Upgrade Kit for MacBook Pro @ Bjorn3D
- Seagate Barracuda 3TB Review; A 1TB / Platter Monster is Unleashed @ Hardware Canucks
- Seagate Barracuda 3TB Hard Drive ST3000DM001 @ Benchmark Reviews
- OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid 100GB (PCIe SSD + 1TB HDD) @ techspot
- OCZ Technology RevoDrive Hybrid @ Tweaktown
- Seagate's New Barracuda 3TB @ AnandTech
- Vantec SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PCI-e Host Card Review @ circuitREMIX
- Hard Disk Drive Myths Debunked! @ TechARP
- ADATA Nobility N005 Pro 64 GB (USB 3.0 Flash Drive) @ Kitguru
- LaCie Little Big Disk (2TB) Review: More Affordable Thunderbolt Storage @ AnandTech
- Raidon GR5630-WSB3 4-Bay Desktop Storage System Review @ OCC
- 1TB 3.5" USB 3.0 External Hard Drives from Iomega and Seagate Review @ circuitREMIX
- SilverStone SST-TS07B External USB 3.0 HDD Enclosure Review @ Legit Reviews
Seven Sandforce SF-2281 SSDs
Subject: Storage | September 13, 2011 - 05:13 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: sandforce, Sandforce SF2281, ssd, roundup, corsair, kingston, ozc, patriot, sata 6Gps
Four companies with seven SSDs that all share the same controller were tested at X-bit Labs to see if there is any noticeable difference in their performance. The price per gigabyte varies on the different models as they all use slightly different flash memory as well as different interfaces. X-bit tries to come out with a general statement about performance and captures the heart when they state "SSDs with synchronous MLC NAND flash are generally faster but also more expensive whereas SSDs with asynchronous flash are cheaper and slower". That generalization doesn't quite capture the results fully however as even within those two categories there are some choices better than others. Check out the full review to see which drives came out on top.
"We tested seven high-speed solid state drives built on second generation SandForce controller that support SATA 6 Gbps. Please welcome our heroes: Corsair Force 3, Corsair Force GT, Kingston HyperX, OCZ Agility 3, OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS, Patriot Pyro and Patriot Wildfire."
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
- Super Talent TeraDrive CT3 64GB SSD Review @ Legit Reviews
- Corsair Force Series GT 120GB SATA 6Gb/s Solid-State Drive Review @ ThinkComputers
- Mushkin Chronos Deluxe 240GB SATA 3 SSD Review @ The SSD Review
- Corsair Force GT SSD 120 GB @ Metku
- Crucial M4 256GB Update: The Power of Firmware @ Hardware Canucks
- Corsair Force GT SATA 3 240GB SSD Review @ The SSD Review
- Kingston HyperX 120GB SandForce SF-2281 @ Tweaktown
- Patriot Wildfire 120 GB SSD Review @ Hardware Secrets
- Areca ARC-1882i and Corsair Force GT 7 Drive SATA III RAID 0 Setup @ Tweaktown
- Synology DiskStation DS411 Review @ HardwareHeaven
- ICYBOX USB3.0 HDD Enclosure Review @ HardwareLOOK
- Synology Rackstation RS2211+ @ kitguru
- StarTech.com Portable SATA Duplicator & USB / eSATA Dock @ AnandTech
- Western Digital My Book Studio Edition II 6TB @ AnandTech
- Seagate Goflex Satellite 500GB hard drive @ The Inquirer
- Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 4TB Desk External Drive Review @ Legit Reviews
- QNAP vs DROBO @ CoD
Patriot's new SSD is on fire
Subject: Storage | July 14, 2011 - 12:56 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: patriot, 32nm NAND, Sandforce SF2281, sata 6Gps, ssd
Patriot's original foray into the SSD market was overshadowed by many other manufacturers releasing SSDs and did not get much stage time compared to Intel or OCZ for instance. This may change now that the community has realized it is the controller that makes the SSD, not the manufacturer. Their new 120GB Wildfire is a true SATA 6Gps drive and it features the high performing Sandforce SF-2281 controller. That isn't the only trick they have up their sleeves, though it means the drive costs more, they chose 32nm NAND over 25nm NAND which results in faster performance and possibly longer life which is in line with the three year warranty Patriot offers. Check out the actual performance over at Neoseeker.
"The Patriot WildFire is a 120GB SSD using the latest Sandforce SF-2281 controller, and 32nm MLC NAND memory. Together these components promise enterprise-level performance in a package priced for hardware enthusiasts. Hit our review to see if the WildFire can live up to its name, or if it ends up burning out prematurely."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
- Patriot Wildfire 120GB Review @ OCC
- OCZ Vertex 3 Max IOPS 240GB SATA 6Gbit/s SSD Review @ Techgage
- Crucial m4 SSD 64GB (Raid 0) @ Hardwareoverclock
- Mushkin 32GB SDHC Review @ OCC
- Thecus N5200XXX 5-Bay NAS Server @ Tweaktown
- Icy Dock MB881U3-1SA 2.5"/3.5" SATA & IDE USB3 HDD Docking Station Review @Hi Tech Legion
- Synology USB Station 2 Review @ eTeknix
- Patriot Javelin S4 4-Bay Media Server Review @Hi Tech Legion





