Sequential Performance – HDTach, HDTune, File Copy, YAPT (sequential)
We have shifted over to combining our results into two groupings for consumer reviews. First up is sequential performance:
HDTach:
HD Tach will test the sequential read, random access and interface burst speeds of your attached storage device (hard drive, flash drive, removable drive, etc). All drive technologies such as SCSI, IDE/ATA, 1394, USB, SATA and RAID are supported. HDTach tests sequential performance by issuing reads in a manner that was optimized more for HDD access, but this unique method has proven useful in evaluating the sequential response time of SSDs. The accesses are relatively small in size (2k), and are issued with a single working thread (QD=1). The end result is that devices with relatively IO high latency will not reach their ultimate rated speed.
Given the MX300 shifts to TLC mode early in this test, 300MB/s is actually better than what I was expecting out of this new IMFT flash. I knew they were optimizing for capacity over speed, but that speed isn't bad at all considering. Here's a closer look at the test itself:
As you can see, speeds start off in SLC mode, but after a few GB of full speed, the new DWA algorithm anticipates heavy load, switching to direct-to-TLC writes, which take place at ~300 MB/s. This finally gives us our answer to a burning question, which was what is the TLC write speed of this new IMFT flash. Let's do the math:
- 300MB/s / 16 total dies = ~19 MB/s per die
- 19 MB/s per die / 4 planes per die = ~4.5 MB/s per plane.
MLC and SLC are of course faster (guessing ~2x and ~4x), but at least we have one missing piece of the puzzle for future NAND technical comparisons.
There is also some spiking towards 500MB/s in the first 600GB, and down towards 200 MB/s between 600GB and 750GB. Realize that this is a full sequential write across the entire SSD area. It's not typical by any means, but the MX300 still handles it very well given the circumstances.
HDTune:
HDTune tests a similar level of features as compared with HDTach, but with a different access pattern. Thus provides us with an additional set of benchmark numbers to compare between storage configurations. CPU utilization has proven negligible with modern processing horsepower, and is no longer included. Additionally, we do not include write performance due to HDTune's write access pattern not playing nicely with most SSDs we have tested it on.
Speeds look good here, with most SATA products at or near saturation of the interface.
PCPer File Copy Test
Our custom PCPer-FC test does some fairly simple file creation and copy routines in order to test the storage system for speed. The script creates a set of files of varying sizes, times the creation process, then copies the same files to another partition on the same hard drive and times the copy process. There are four file sizes that we used to try and find any strong or weak points in the hardware: 10 files @ 1000 MB each, 100 files @ 100 MB each, 500 files @ 10 MB each and 1000 files at 1 MB each.
File creation and copies look good for the MX300, with no real hiccups to note. Bear in mind that in this, the SSD flash area is not fully allocated, with tested drives being more on the empty side. 'Fuller' tests will take place later in this article. That said, the DWA tweaks observed should yield similar results even with a nearly full drive.
YAPT:
YAPT (yet another performance test) is a benchmark recommended by a pair of drive manufacturers and was incredibly difficult to locate as it hasn't been updated or used in quite some time. That doesn't make it irrelevant by any means though, as the benchmark is quite useful. It creates a test file of about 100 MB in size and runs both random and sequential read and write tests with it while changing the data I/O size in the process. The misaligned nature of this test exposes the read-modify-write performance of SSDs and Advanced Format HDDs.
YAPT does its reads and writes in a non-4k-aligned manner, and some SSDs end up being highly sensitive to that type of workload. SATA SSDs have been refined to the point where it is not an issue (at least for sequential writes – more to follow on the next page).
Nice price, but too small. 🙁
Nice price, but too small. 🙁
your not going to be seeing
your not going to be seeing really high capacity coming to these budget drives for a while. most of the industry is stuck at 1tb with only high end drives going further like the 850 pro. Once 480gb drops to the current 250gb prices then i would imagine 2tb and higher drives coming to take the top spot
Why can’t somebody make a
Why can’t somebody make a cheap 2tb SSD?!!!
Because it’s a waste of money
Because it’s a waste of money to store pr0n movies… 😉
Actually, if you’re a pcgamer
Actually, if you’re a pcgamer then you want 2tb otherwise you’ll have to uninstall and reinstall games to make room. 1tb is not enough, especially with newer games that take up a lot of space.
Even PC gamers are wasting
Even PC gamers are wasting their money for loading faster huge games from SSD with no performance gain in game. 😉
You should better use a HDD for massive storage like games or movies. If the cost doesn’t matter you should be able to buy any SSD capacity or quantity.
These charts that you are
These charts that you are using are absolutely horrible to read. For example, that HDTach chart, the read and writes should be separated and then the results should be ranked going from best to worst. Actually…. any results chart you have should be ranked from best to worst. That way you can easily see how thing compare. Those YAPT charts…. tell me nothing. I can’t tell the difference between any of them really. And have you guys ever stopped to think for a moment about someone who is color blind? Trying to find which line goes to what would be impossible. Even without the color issue it’s still pretty bad.
Been meaning to say this stuff for a while. I honestly have had to skip right to your conclusions in your product reviews because the data charts are just god awful. Please make this info easier to read.
Most of that testing is being
Most of that testing is being phased out. If you can't tell the difference in YAPT, that means all SSDs are saturating SATA (a good thing). There is really nothing we can do about colors in charts, unfortunately. Regarding sort order, keeping the subject of the article at the top keeps it more easily identifiable. People have to dig to find the new product in sorted charts, and coloring it differently clashes with your colorblind comment…
You don’t have to keep it at
You don’t have to keep it at the top. If sort the chart and highlight the new product then it’s easy to see. Guru3D has been doing their charts this way for years. It also makes it much easier to see how x product compares to y product. The non sorted charts are a mess and it’s very hard to see how products compare.
$200 for 750gb, does that
$200 for 750gb, does that mean on sale $150? I’ve been seeing lots of 960gb drives on sale for $180-$200 lately.
Allyn, why has there been no new SATA standard? NVME interfaces don’t seem to be the greatest, M.2 is great but what if I want 2-3 drives?
I don’t like RAID because I like to be able to break up the band without a big headache, or not seem to screw up my array when I flash a new BIOS.
There are motherboards with 3
There are motherboards with 3 m.2 slots, and they don't have to be in a RAID to be used. Additional m.2 devices can also be installed via adapter cards, etc. Sadly, PCIe is the way things are moving, and SATA 6Gbit may be the last iteration of it that we see in the wild.
I’d like to see USB 3.1 /
I’d like to see USB 3.1 / Type C replace SATA. It’s faster, delivers power and data over the same compact connector, and can do PCIEx4 in alt mode.
And you don’t need drive cases. Just plug the bare drive straight in to any available port.
That would be a cool idea,
That would be a cool idea, I’m not a fan of external boxes all over the place. I still like the tower case with plenty of expansion ports/drive bays. Yes, I still rocking the optical. I saw a post somewhere, the guy complained that he was installing an OS and it needed drivers for USB ports, but he had his drivers on a USB drive. I guess out of luck.
I wonder why no faster SATA, they can’t come up with a better shielded cable and up the clocks?
I’ve read elsewhere on forums
I’ve read elsewhere on forums covering this release that the MX300 “Appears to be underwhelming”. Another response stated, “Underwhelming is being polite”.
Could this be because they analyzed the product before you’re aforementioned fixes were implemented?
What’s the deal with the controller? Does Micron potentially have a better one around the corner and that is why they are classifying the MX300 as ‘Limited Edition’ so as not to hamper current sales?
All input is appreciated. Thanks for your great article 🙂
What’d I’d really like to
What’d I’d really like to know is if IMFT’s Floating Gate Technology on their 3D NAND is really going to materially increase performance or if it is just reducing power consumption and improving efficiency, as has been the case with DRAM every year.
Will Micron 3D NAND Product blow planar NAND out the water or will it just strongly compete?
Thanks,
Max (23 yr old investor)
I think you should draw a
I think you should draw a line of a product in review above every other lines on the graphs for better visibility
personally, i would like
personally, i would like someone to do a video or an article dedicated to this new DWA technology
the available information out there is very limited, and may not be that reliable.
if possible, please explain, my interest on this new technology is quite high, since i’ve never heard of it
and also, what’s up with the quad plane thing?
i hope someone explains it
thanks
It was linked in the
It was linked in the article:
https://pcper.com/reviews/Storage/Micron-M600-SSD-Review-Digging-Dynamic-Write-Acceleration/Dynamic-Write-Acceleration
CLEVER MARKETING
750 GB means
CLEVER MARKETING
750 GB means there’s no direct competitor.
This should really be the replacement for the BX200 (which deserves LEMON status)not the MX200-That would hopefully be replaced with 3D-MLC……………..
Be interesting to see what follows-Have a feeling speeds will tank on smaller drives-Be interesting to see this size with a 8 ch controller……….
For anyone in the UK, Amazon
For anyone in the UK, Amazon UK have this currently on sale for £109 in the current Prime Sale.
Thanks for the detailed
Thanks for the detailed analysis and also the very good quality pictures.
Regards.
They gave it an editor’s
They gave it an editor’s choice at $200. What about at $100? Well that’s what it’s going for on Amazon right now. (11-24-16 @4:00AM EST) That’s $0.13/GB!!!!
yeah same, on amazon uk at
yeah same, on amazon uk at £105.99 for today, seems a good deal to me 🙂