The Intel SSD 600p (512GB) Review

Random Read Performance

The random read test requests 4kB blocks and tests queue depths ranging from 1 to 32. The queue depth is doubled every three minutes, for a total test duration of 18 minutes. The test spans the entire drive, which is filled before the test starts. The primary score we report is an average of performances at queue depths 1, 2 and 4, as client usage typically consists mostly of low queue depth operations.

The Intel 600p has faster random reads than budget SATA SSDs, but it is significantly behind the Samsung 850 EVO.

As usual, the 600p's power consumption is high, but not egregiously so: 2.45W is usually not high enough for thermal throttling to be a concern for M.2 SSDs.

Intel SSD 600p 512GBIntel SSD 600p 512GB (PCIe 2x2)ADATA Premier SP550 480GBCrucial MX300 525GBIntel SSD 540s 480GBIntel SSD 750 1.2TBIntel SSD 750 400GBOCZ RD400 512GB (M.2)OCZ RD400A 512GBOCZ VX500 512GBPNY CS1311 480GBPNY CS2211 480GBSamsung 850 EVO 500GBSamsung 850 Pro 512GBSamsung 950 Pro 512GBSamsung 960 EVO 1TBSamsung 960 Pro 2TB

The 600p's performance grows slowly as queue depth increases, and even at QD32 it has not reached the SATA speed limit that Samsung's SATA drives hit at QD16.

Random Write Performance

The random write test writes 4kB blocks and tests queue depths ranging from 1 to 32. The queue depth is doubled every three minutes, for a total test duration of 18 minutes. The test is limited to a 16GB portion of the drive, and the drive is empty save for the 16GB test file. The primary score we report is an average of performances at queue depths 1, 2 and 4, as client usage typically consists mostly of low queue depth operations.

The 600p had above-average steady-state QD32 random write performance, but this shorter test of low queue depths puts the 600p only barely ahead of the slowest MLC SSD in this collection.

The 600p uses more power than most drives, but unlike the Samsung 950 Pro it isn't brushing up against the practical TDP limits of the M.2 form factor even at lowest queue depths.

Intel SSD 600p 512GBIntel SSD 600p 512GB (PCIe 2x2)ADATA Premier SP550 480GBCrucial MX300 525GBIntel SSD 540s 480GBIntel SSD 750 1.2TBIntel SSD 750 400GBOCZ RD400 512GB (M.2)OCZ RD400A 512GBOCZ VX500 512GBPNY CS1311 480GBPNY CS2211 480GBSamsung 850 EVO 500GBSamsung 850 Pro 512GBSamsung 950 Pro 512GBSamsung 960 EVO 1TBSamsung 960 Pro 2TB

It is clear that the 600p's random write performance improves from QD1 to QD2, but after that all we're seeing in this graph is the same steady state variations we saw in the hour-long QD32 consistency test, potentially with some thermal throttling.