Conclusion, Pricing, and Final Thoughts
Conclusion:
PROS:
- Great performance in a relatively low cost SSD, nearly identical to the Vector 460.
- New no-frills ShieldPlus Warranty program (see below).
CONS:
- Price may still be too high, given the current market cost/GB landscape.
Pricing and Availability:
Introductory MSRP's for the ARC 100 are as follows:
It's nice to see an OCZ launch where 1. The products are available for order on launch day and 2. The listed prices match the introductory MSRP's. Go, OCZ!
Warranty:
The OCZ ARC 100 line ships with a 3-year warranty, rated at 20GB/day host writes. OCZ has also introduced a rather interesting warranty program, presumably to help dispel prior issues with product returns. I'll just quote their whole blurb here for clarity:
All ARC 100 SSDs are engineered and tested to ensure superior quality, reliability, and compatibility and also come backed with OCZ’s brand new “ShieldPlus Warranty”, an industry-leading approach to service that eliminates all the hassle surrounding support and warranty claims consumers often have to deal with. With no original proof of purchase required, end-users simply provide their ARC serial number and a dedicated OCZ customer service representative will provide high-caliber troubleshooting and support. In the event that the product is determined to be defective, a brand-new ARC SSD of the same capacity will be advance shipped to the customer. When the replacement is received, end-users will find a pre-paid return label and need only to place their original drive in the box for a free return to OCZ. With the value added ShieldPlus Warranty there is no support hassle, no endless return loops, no shipping costs, and end-users will benefit from significantly reduced downtime to maximize their SSD experience and productivity. OCZ ShieldPlus is available in both North America and EMEA at time of launch, and additional supported regions will be announced in the future. With the security of the ARC’s ShieldPlus Warranty, OCZ’s valued customers will have the peace of mind that they not only have a quality solid state drive, but also the very best service and support should they ever require it.
So, provide serial number only, get support, and if defective, you get the same model / capacity advance shipped along with a pre-paid return label. That's how everyone should do it!
Final Thoughts:
The OCZ ARC 100 is the most cost effective packaging of the Indilinx M10 controller to date. While meant to be a low cost value solution, users would be unlikely to tell the difference in speed when compared to the more expensive Vertex 460. Recent competitive solutions have been pushing below $0.50/GB, and OCZ has launched the ARC 100 right on that very line, making it their lowest cost/GB launch ever. Finally, OCZ's new ShieldPlus Warranty program is a refreshing and welcome addition, and might very well be the thing that sways customers towards the ARC. If the reliability proves true and the prices stay low, the ARC is likely to become a drive I recommend to value conscious upgraders and budget system builders alike.
The ARC received Gold for competitive pricing along with OCZ's innovative warranty program.
I know this is off topic, but
I know this is off topic, but whatever happened to intel’s DC P3500? Is that ever going to be released?
The DC P3500 is suppose to be
The DC P3500 is suppose to be released by the end of August. I am waiting to buy one when it does.
.50/GB is decent, but I would
.50/GB is decent, but I would love to see everyday prices dip into the .30/GB range or below.
Think it won’t happen until
Think it won’t happen until we start making over 1.5tb in 2.5″
Based on how the SSD prices
Based on how the SSD prices have been declining in the last 2 years, I think that $0.30/Gb is obtainable within 2 years easily, regardless of whether or not 2.5″ 1.5Tb hard drives are available. I have had a 2.5″ 1Tb Hard drive since 2009 and there hasn’t been any indication that there is any demand for anything larger for a laptop. I have seen 2.5″ 2Tb hard drives but the height is too tall to fit in most laptops.