120GB OCZ Vertex 2 2.5″ SATA II MLC SSD $120 Shipped AR

[Aaron Ledger]

Newegg Shell Shocker: 120GB OCZ Vertex 2 2.5″ SATA II MLC SSD for $120 shipped after $30 rebate.

[PAPutzback]

I almost had this in my cart but there were so many bad reviews I decided to hold off. Not to mention there have been a lot of deals on SSDs the last week or so. It is like they are clearing inventory out for the next gen.

[Aaron Ledger]

I’ve got one of the 3.5″ Vertex 2 SSDs. It took me two RMAs to get one that was solid, but it has been working well since that time.

I read a lot of the criticism has to do with the change in NAND chip tech. It is a bit disappointing to have a few less GB, but obviously not the end of the world. My Vertex 2 has 107 GB available.

[skirge01]

I decided to order one, in spite of the reviews.  Anyone have suggestions on how to force an SSD to fail (i.e.  stress test) before install?  I’m guessing that standard HDD stress tests aren’t sufficient.

[Aaron Ledger]

It’s just a bunch of NAND chips and a controller. It should either work or it shouldn’t. No crazy mechanical issues to make the water murky 🙂

FWIW, the first drive I received had an issue where disk activity indicator was always on. The 1st RMA had an issue when booting and wouldn’t be recognized by BIOS.

[skirge01]

[quote=Aaron Ledger]

It’s just a bunch of NAND chips and a controller. It should either work or it shouldn’t. No crazy mechanical issues to make the water murky 🙂

FWIW, the first drive I received had an issue where disk activity indicator was always on. The 1st RMA had an issue when booting and wouldn’t be recognized by BIOS.

[/quote]

I reject your utopia and substitute my reality.  😉  I wrote in another thread about my experience with a Patriot Torqx which would work for a time, then would BSOD or suddenly reboot.  Generally, upon reboot, the BIOS would fail to see the drive.  Another reboot and it would usually work again.  This was on the one I purchased, as well as the one I received after an RMA.

Given that an SSD is, as you so rightly put it, just a bunch of NAND chips with a controller, it would seem that something akin to memtest would be all we’d need to test it out completely.

[Aaron Ledger]

It sounds like you found it either did/didn’t work 🙂

You could run disk benchmarking tools. Just remember that when writing all that benchmark data, you are using up some of the lifespan so don’t do it every day.

[oliverredfox]

Given that 10%+ of the NAND isn’t used until the drive’s firmware/controller detects a failing area and then activates a new block of the NAND to replace it, a memtest really wouldn’t work for testing the drive effectively.

[Aaron Ledger]

That’s true. It’s not a complete exercise since it is only a benchmark tool.

My take on using an SSD (or any system drive) is to back the system up and have a spare drive in the closet that I can put into duty if the system drive fails. This will give enough time to RMA or replace the problem system drive. It’s going to happen sooner or later so best to be prepared for it if the application is critical.

[skirge01]

[quote=Aaron Ledger]

It sounds like you found it either did/didn’t work 🙂

[/quote]

By that definition, then mechanical drives work that way, as well.  :-p

[Aaron Ledger]

[quote=skirge01]

[quote=Aaron Ledger]

It sounds like you found it either did/didn’t work 🙂

[/quote]

By that definition, then mechanical drives work that way, as well.  :-p

[/quote]

I have had mechanical hard drives that “work”, but are intermittently slow or have some mechanical flaw that makes them usable yet questionable.

[skirge01]

[quote=Aaron Ledger]

My take on using an SSD (or any system drive) is to back the system up and have a spare drive in the closet that I can put into duty if the system drive fails. This will give enough time to RMA or replace the problem system drive. It’s going to happen sooner or later so best to be prepared for it if the application is critical.

[/quote]

Easier said than done… when talking about an SSD.  They’re still a bit on the pricey side.  But, that’s part of the reason I won’t be putting this drive into production until it proves itself out for a few months.  I’ll be toying with VMs on my server, while the mechanical HD can quickly be hooked back up to have the server back in production in a matter of minutes.

[Aaron Ledger]

[quote=skirge01]

[quote=Aaron Ledger]

My take on using an SSD (or any system drive) is to back the system up and have a spare drive in the closet that I can put into duty if the system drive fails. This will give enough time to RMA or replace the problem system drive. It’s going to happen sooner or later so best to be prepared for it if the application is critical.

[/quote]

Easier said than done… when talking about an SSD.  They’re still a bit on the pricey side.  But, that’s part of the reason I won’t be putting this drive into production until it proves itself out for a few months.  I’ll be toying with VMs on my server, while the mechanical HD can quickly be hooked back up to have the server back in production in a matter of minutes.

[/quote]

Surely, you can take the drive you are replacing with a system drive out and store it in the closet for a rainy day, right? I know you use WHS so it sounds like you are all set.

[skirge01]

[quote=Aaron Ledger]

Surely, you can take the drive you are replacing with a system drive out and store it in the closet for a rainy day, right? I know you use WHS so it sounds like you are all set.

[/quote]

I thought I said that. 

[Aaron Ledger]

[quote=skirge01]

[quote=Aaron Ledger]

Surely, you can take the drive you are replacing with a system drive out and store it in the closet for a rainy day, right? I know you use WHS so it sounds like you are all set.

[/quote]

I thought I said that. 

[/quote]

I’m talking about just putting it into production and skipping the “proving” period.

[Author]

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