The Samsung SSD 850 120GB Review: A Little TLC for SATA
by Billy Tallis on November 27, 2017 12:00 PM ESTMixed Random Performance
Our test of mixed random reads and writes covers mixes varying from pure reads to pure writes at 10% increments. Each mix is tested for up to 1 minute or 32GB of data transferred. The test is conducted with a queue depth of 4, and is limited to a 64GB span of the drive. In between each mix, the drive is given idle time of up to one minute so that the overall duty cycle is 50%.
The mixed random I/O performance of the Samsung SSD 850 120GB is substantially slower than the old 850 EVO, but is slightly faster than the 750 EVO and well ahead of all the non-Samsung drives.
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The 850 120GB isn't particularly consistent across the mixed random I/O test, and there isn't a strong trend to its performance. It is somewhat slower on the write-heavy half of the test. It is slower than the old 850 EVO in every phase of the test and doesn't significantly pick up the pace at the end when the workload is almost pure random writes, but neither does it suffer any severe performance drops.
Mixed Sequential Performance
Our test of mixed sequential reads and writes differs from the mixed random I/O test by performing 128kB sequential accesses rather than 4kB accesses at random locations, and the sequential test is conducted at queue depth 1. The range of mixes tested is the same, and the timing and limits on data transfers are also the same as above.
The Samsung drives are the four fastest drives on the mixed sequential workload test, with the 850 120GB coming in third place of the 120-128GB drives and only slightly faster than the 750 EVO. The 850 120GB is about 30% faster than the HP S700, the next fastest in-production model in this roundup.
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The performance of the Samsung SSD 850 120GB drops significantly during the first half of the mixed sequential I/O test as the proportion of writes increases, but it stabilizes in the second half of the test. The other Samsung drives are the only ones that meaningfully outperform the 850 120GB at any point during the test,
but the 850 PRO is the only one that maintains a clear lead over the 850 120GB all the way through.
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lilmoe - Monday, November 27, 2017 - link
Oh, and so are the Pros... hmmm.Is that a holiday discount or is it that I haven't checked the price in a while?
Arbie - Tuesday, November 28, 2017 - link
Great article, even though its subject is a minor league item. AT quality.bug77 - Tuesday, November 28, 2017 - link
That's the ugly face of SSD: the cheaper they make them, the more we lose durability and access speed...bcronce - Tuesday, November 28, 2017 - link
Still 1000x faster than a mechanical drive, perceptibly as fast as any other SSD for most situations, and will last a lifetime.mapesdhs - Wednesday, November 29, 2017 - link
Definitely will not last a lifetime, and some newer models can have worse steady state performance than a rust spinner.bcronce - Wednesday, November 29, 2017 - link
Even the infamous Samsung 840s were still out-performing 15k SAS drives in their degraded modes. I see free "crackerjack" USB 2.0 flash drives out performing my 7.2k RPM rust buckets.MamiyaOtaru - Thursday, November 30, 2017 - link
no you don'tyifu - Saturday, December 2, 2017 - link
power efficiency test pleaseyifu - Sunday, December 3, 2017 - link
Billy , I would really want to see , is not only the speed , but the power efficiency for a older laptop like my MacBook Pro 13in 2012. if some one really care about speed , they will go for 850 pro 850 EVO, or PCIE. my gaming PC is with 960 pro for windows and 850 evo for storage. my iMac for work is with apple PCIE and a Toshiba HK4R 960GB (power lost protection). SATA speed for a ssd is done.the speed difference between those cheap SSDs are to small.I am thinking to "upgrade" my MacBook Pro mid 2012 from 840 pro to a slower but very very power efficient SSD.
finefunny - Sunday, December 3, 2017 - link
The company has already released several new versions of its OEM models, such as the PM871b, with 64-layer V-NAND. These drives often sell in basic systems from Dell, Lenovo, and other OEM brands. Customers often do not select the components in those systems, so the OEM models fly under the radar.Samsung isn't saying much for now, but it should answer our questions in early 2018. That's when we expect it to roll out new retail SSDs.