OCZ Vertex 4 Review (128GB), Firmware 1.4/1.5 Tested
by Kristian Vättö on August 4, 2012 10:00 AM ESTRandom Read/Write Speed
The four corners of SSD performance are as follows: random read, random write, sequential read and sequential write speed. Random accesses are generally small in size, while sequential accesses tend to be larger and thus we have the four Iometer tests we use in all of our reviews. Our first test writes 4KB in a completely random pattern over an 8GB space of the drive to simulate the sort of random access that you'd see on an OS drive (even this is more stressful than a normal desktop user would see).
We perform three concurrent IOs and run the test for 3 minutes. The results reported are in average MB/s over the entire time. We use both standard pseudo randomly generated data for each write as well as fully random data to show you both the maximum and minimum performance offered by SandForce based drives in these tests. The average performance of SF drives will likely be somewhere in between the two values for each drive you see in the graphs. For an understanding of why this matters, read our original SandForce article.
.
Neither the 1.4 or 1.5 firmware promised any improvements regarding random read/write performance.
As for the 128GB model, which is new in our tests, its random read/write performance is actually on-par with 256GB and 512GB capacities. This is a pleasant surprise the difference between the 128GB and 256GB capacities in many families can be quite substantial (e.g. Samsung's SSD 830).
Sequential Read/Write Speed
To measure sequential performance we ran a one minute long 128KB sequential test over the entire span of the drive at a queue depth of 1. The results reported are in average MB/s over the entire test length.
It's relieving to look at the graph above. It's now a fact that the 1.4 firmware fixes the sequential read speed at low queue depths issue. Not only does the firmware fix the issue, the sequential read performance is also very good.
OCZ was promising increased sequential write performance for all models with the 1.5 firmware but at least in Iometer, at low queue depths, the difference is negligible. We'll take a look at AS-SSD and ATTO at higher queue depths next.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
60 Comments
View All Comments
hasseb64 - Sunday, August 5, 2012 - link
This OCZ firmware review biz has to stop. Let them get ONE chance to deliver a FINALIZED PRODUCT (review it 1 time, and then it is enogh). We consumers should not accept a half finished product.jwilliams4200 - Sunday, August 5, 2012 - link
The solution to that is simple. Just do what I do. Never buy OCZ.peevee - Monday, August 6, 2012 - link
EXACTLY!OCZ is a sketchy business. We remember upder0the-table downgrade of Vertex 2. We remember blue-screening Vertex/Agility 3s. Now this.
OCZ employs incompetent firmware engineers. 15 months later after I purchased my Vertex 3, and the latest firmware is still unstable.
Now all modern SATA III SSDs are fast enough for desktop use. The main differentiators are reliability and quality of support. And at these metrics OCZ is the worst of the worst. They still cannot upgrade firmware on a system drive from Windows, they still don't work with Mac at all, they still will require you to "Sec erase" your drive with your system (and then spend hundred hours to reinstall and reconfigure everything again) every time they update firmware, they still don't allow you to go to an old firmware (although some on them crash less for some users then their new firmwares) and require you to have working internet connection for update utility to redownload firmware every time... And blame problems on everybody else (while other drives simply work). This company is so bad it should simply die. I don't know why Tom's pays them so much attention, OCZ's reputation is beyond repair at this point.
vishwa108 - Sunday, August 5, 2012 - link
It is never a good moment when the bull being lead by its nose-ring is claiming to be leading the bullring. This OCZ Independence Day saga have had many a worshipful scurrying to atone his altarboy days of their “independent” review and now, after “Version 1.5”, the worship is still akin to the fruit of The Choir Boys At Practice being heard louder than ever.First it was OCZ Zist und Zat soon to be followed by photocopied scans of “the reviewers” bottoms and then it was Marvellouski, quickly buried by another version of Amerikana 1.4 – only to end up with some vacuous advice of the, “Don’t go beyond half und you be OK, ja?”, variety. All for a good course/cause in buggery no less. No wonder Amerikans are being offered either the feast of Uncle Tommy und hist Kobbling Kabin Krew or another Mormon extravaganza with the mesmerised numpty vessels ringing louder than ever whenever the word, “War”, is messaged. What? OCZ are not of Yankeeland but rather of those who will soon be receiving their just rewards from across The Straits? Makes you ‘fink, ain’t eet. Perhaps the truth ought to be tried once in awhile – with all holes barred, of course.
It is self benevolent to realise that Truth is merely another word for Freedom because the freedom that was gifted is about another/others and is not about self – when the gift was taken back. When truth is of self, you can’t even get it out of the blighter after a severe bout of torture. Hands up those who would like to disagree – especially when it is via a freed versioned 1.5 of some SSD doo-dah.
ssddaydream - Sunday, August 5, 2012 - link
what is wrong with you?shunya806 - Sunday, August 5, 2012 - link
welcome to our website:http://commonprosperity.org/，simpletrading@hotmail.com
Dear friends, do you want to have some different things?
Whether you want to give your relatives and friends,
take a few different exotic gifts? Whether you want to
buy some cheap benefits of thing? So please, let us begin now!
Click on our website
http://commonprosperity.org/，
simpletrading@hotmail.com
mark53916 - Monday, August 6, 2012 - link
What happens to the lifetime and reliability of the OCZ Technology Vertex 4drives with firmware 1.5 when the drive is only running at 1/2 capacity?
We already know that the performance is improved, but there may be other
advantages to operating with reduced capacity. These two come to mind:
1. The drive endurance may be improved
If it turns out that either the drive endurance is improved if the
drive is only half used I would be very happy.
2. The data retention time for powered off devices may be improved.
Increased powered off data retention time at reduced capacity
won't affect me much since I couldn't afford solid state for my monthly
backups even at the full capacity price, but people who have to
keep around old system disks for long periods would benefit
if the powered off data retention time were increased
In addition, I find that the per byte price for SLC drives seems to be about
10 times what the cost is for MLC drives [even though the manufacturing techniques
seem to indicate that manufacturing cost is slightly less than 2 or 3 times
as much for SLC compared to MLC.
I'd gladly spend 2x the price per byte and run at 1/2 capacity until I actually
need the additional capacity, even without increased drive endurance or
powered off retention time, just for the improved performance.
FunBunny2 - Monday, August 6, 2012 - link
SLC and MLC are the same parts, just binned and then programmed for either 1 or 2 bits. That's it.robalm - Sunday, September 16, 2012 - link
I decided to upgrade from my old Intel x25-m g2 80gb to a new fast ssd.It became an OCZ Vertex 4 128gb (1.5) but now I saw this review and this:
"Small filesize sequential read performance needs work. Thankfully most sequential reads in client workloads tend to be in the sweet spot for the Vertex 4, but there are some applications That do a lot of small sequential IO (eg web browser cache accesses). '
Have I made a stupid upgrde when it come to web browser performence?
ryrynz - Monday, December 15, 2014 - link
My Vertex 4 128GB had a sudden death. Seems to be fairly common for these drives.MAKE SURE YOU'RE BACKED UP. If you get some sudden reboots you know your controller
is on the way out.. one time it'll happen and poof.. no drive detected, you've been warned.