Performance consistency tells us a lot about the architecture of these SSDs and how they handle internal defragmentation. The reason we do not have consistent IO latency with SSDs is because inevitably all controllers have to do some amount of defragmentation or garbage collection in order to continue operating at high speeds. When and how an SSD decides to run its defrag or cleanup routines directly impacts the user experience as inconsistent performance results in application slowdowns.
To test IO consistency, we fill a secure erased SSD with sequential data to ensure that all user accessible LBAs have data associated with them. Next we kick off a 4KB random write workload across all LBAs at a queue depth of 32 using incompressible data. The test is run for just over half an hour and we record instantaneous IOPS every second.
We are also testing drives with added over-provisioning by limiting the LBA range. This gives us a look into the drive’s behavior with varying levels of empty space, which is frankly a more realistic approach for client workloads.
Each of the three graphs has its own purpose. The first one is of the whole duration of the test in log scale. The second and third one zoom into the beginning of steady-state operation (t=1400s) but on different scales: the second one uses log scale for easy comparison whereas the third one uses linear scale for better visualization of differences between drives. Click the dropdown selections below each graph to switch the source data.
For more detailed description of the test and why performance consistency matters, read our original Intel SSD DC S3700 article.
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25% Over-Provisioning
The IO consistency is very similar to the ARC 100 but the R7 is maybe slightly faster. Compared to the Vector 150 and Vertex 460 there is a small decrease in consistency as performance occassionally drops below 10K IOPS, but on average IOPS of 15-20K is excellent for a client drive. The same goes for IO consistency with 25% over-provisioning – the R7 is not as good as the Vector 150 and Vertex 460 but it is still one of the best performing client SSDs.
Fear only Intel and Nvidia buttons in the front page. An AMD button is just an AMD button. AMD's pockets are empty to influence Anandtech like the other two firms are already for years and without front page buttons influencing other major sites.
Love the SSD reviews Kristian. Very well written and informative.
Curious, why haven't you tested a toshiba q pro series SSD yet? You have tested their partners SSDs but not theirs. According to other sites the performance is about the same as a samsung 840 pro, which is a top performer. The price is right also.
Would love to see you review this model. I saw the reviews on the other sites but your reviews are better in my opinion.
I met with Toshiba for the first time at FMS a few weeks ago and we didn't have a direct contact before that. Let me get in touch with them to see if they can send us some samples.
Great review, as always. Indeed, MSRP is not competitive at all.
A simple conversion shows the 512GB drive would cost ~220 Euros and that's without taking into account the taxes you pay in Europe. There are obviously much better choices. Here in Romania you can buy the 512 GB Crucial MX100 for 207 Euros. An even better deal is the 512 GB Crucial M550 which right now is running for just 5 Euro more than MX100 (212 Euros!), after a recent 50 Euro price slash. i don't need another SSD, otherwise I would have jumped on the offer with my eyes closed.
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yannigr2 - Thursday, August 28, 2014 - link
Fear only Intel and Nvidia buttons in the front page. An AMD button is just an AMD button. AMD's pockets are empty to influence Anandtech like the other two firms are already for years and without front page buttons influencing other major sites.yannigr2 - Thursday, August 28, 2014 - link
I can only explain like this the high price compared with other disks that perform the same- It targets AMD fans who are willing to pay a little extra for the sticker with the "Radeon" brand on it.
- Rebranding and selling someone else's disk does add extra costs.
- It's not meant really for retail. This is a disk that will improve the total package that an OEM will take from AMD.
SleepyFE - Thursday, August 28, 2014 - link
I think the drive is a bit much for OEMs. That said, it would be good if PCs under 600$ came with an SSD.ExarKun333 - Thursday, August 28, 2014 - link
Seriously AMD? The pricing is terrible and you are essentially looking to sell an inferior product for more than a superior one. Why? smhDoach - Thursday, August 28, 2014 - link
Love the SSD reviews Kristian. Very well written and informative.Curious, why haven't you tested a toshiba q pro series SSD yet? You have tested their partners SSDs but not theirs. According to other sites the performance is about the same as a samsung 840 pro, which is a top performer. The price is right also.
Would love to see you review this model. I saw the reviews on the other sites but your reviews are better in my opinion.
www.amazon.com/Toshiba-512GB-Series-Internal-HDTS351XZSTA/dp/B00FR6VM54/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1409228046&sr=8-3&keywords=Toshiba+ssd
www.tweaktown.com/reviews/6057/toshiba-q-series-pro-256gb-ssd-review-offers-great-value/index.html
Kristian Vättö - Thursday, August 28, 2014 - link
I met with Toshiba for the first time at FMS a few weeks ago and we didn't have a direct contact before that. Let me get in touch with them to see if they can send us some samples.Doach - Thursday, August 28, 2014 - link
That would be great! Looking foward to another great review.Thanks for the reply kristian.
LiviuTM - Thursday, August 28, 2014 - link
Great review, as always.Indeed, MSRP is not competitive at all.
A simple conversion shows the 512GB drive would cost ~220 Euros and that's without taking into account the taxes you pay in Europe.
There are obviously much better choices. Here in Romania you can buy the 512 GB Crucial MX100 for 207 Euros. An even better deal is the 512 GB Crucial M550 which right now is running for just 5 Euro more than MX100 (212 Euros!), after a recent 50 Euro price slash.
i don't need another SSD, otherwise I would have jumped on the offer with my eyes closed.
kyuu - Tuesday, September 2, 2014 - link
Except you can't simply convert the US price to Euros and take that as the price it would be sold for in Europe. That isn't how pricing works.You're also comparing MSRPs to "street" prices. SSDs in particular often sell for much less than their MSRP.
The_Assimilator - Thursday, August 28, 2014 - link
Now all we need are Radeon-branded motherboards and power supplies, and you could build a full system that's shit from top to bottom.