The SanDisk X400 1TB SSD Review

Mixed Random Read/Write Performance

The mixed random I/O benchmark starts with a pure read test and gradually increases the proportion of writes, finishing with pure writes. The queue depth is 3 for the entire test and each subtest lasts for 3 minutes, for a total test duration of 18 minutes. As with the pure random write test, this test is restricted to a 16GB span of the drive, which is empty save for the 16GB test file.

The mixed random I/O performance of the X400 is in the middle of the pack, slightly ahead of the MLC-based OCZ Vector 180 and significantly faster than the other three planar TLC drives.

The X400 is once again the most power efficient planar TLC drive by a wide margin, and also ahead of a few of the MLC drives.

SanDisk X400 1TBCrucial BX100 1TBCrucial BX200 960GBCrucial MX200 1TBOCZ Trion 100 960GBOCZ Trion 150 960GBOCZ Vector 180 960GBSamsung 850 EVO 1TBSamsung 850 Pro 1TBSanDisk Extreme Pro 960GB

As the proportion of writes increases, the X400's power consumption grows quite slowly. Performance does suffer in the middle of the test and the spike at the end when the test shifts to pure writes is smaller than for the MLC drives and the 850 EVO.

Mixed Sequential Read/Write Performance

The mixed sequential access test covers the entire span of the drive and uses a queue depth of one. It starts with a pure read test and gradually increases the proportion of writes, finishing with pure writes. Each subtest lasts for 3 minutes, for a total test duration of 18 minutes. The drive is filled before the test starts.

The mixed sequential I/O performance of the SanDisk X400 is not able to match any of the MLC drives, but is still comfortably ahead of the other planar TLC drives.

Average power consumption on the mixed sequential test is lower than everything other than the Crucial BX100, and the SanDisk X400 manages to tie the Vector 180 for efficiency, but otherwise it stands above only the other planar TLC drives.

SanDisk X400 1TBCrucial BX100 1TBCrucial BX200 960GBCrucial MX200 1TBOCZ Trion 100 960GBOCZ Trion 150 960GBOCZ Vector 180 960GBSamsung 850 EVO 1TBSamsung 850 Pro 1TBSanDisk Extreme Pro 960GB

The performance and power curves for the SanDisk X400 are very similar to the SanDisk Extreme Pro except in the pure-write phase at the end of the test, where the X400's performance cannot come close to any of the MLC drives. The X400 beats the OCZ Trion 150 overall because its high read speed outweighs the write speed advantage of the Trion 150.