Kingston SSD Now V+ 256GB Review
Test Setup, Controller and Install
Published: 14th September 2010 | Source: Kingston | Price: £525.46 |
Test Setup
Today we're testing the Kingston SSD Now V+ on our recent award-winning MSI P55A Fuzion motherboard.
MSI P55A Fuzion
Intel Core i7 870
4GB G.Skill Trident
ASUS HD5850 Top
Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium
Cougar CM1000 PSU
Kingston SSD Now V+ 256GB
The drive will be setup as a empty spare drive for the majority of our testing, and then used daily to assist in our conclusion.
Controller and Installation
Under the hood the Kingston SSD Now V+ is identical to the 64GB variant we tested. Therefore to save you re-reading the technical ins and outs twice, you can get the minutae from that review here.
However the major points of interest are that the Kingston uses the very popular combination of a Samsung YK40 Controller, a 128mb Samsung cache chip and Samsung SCK0 MLC NAND. Similar to the other major controller, the Indilinx Barefoot, the Samsung combination produces very smooth results throughout the performance spectrum.
Certainly it has proven itself across countless high-performance Solid State Drives and is more mature than the recent SandForce drives we've looked at.
In the package for the Kingston full upgrade kit we have here they have included a copy of Acronis drive cloning software so that you can painlessly transfer your OS from your current drive to the SSD Now V+ (assuming your drive is under 256GB obviously).
One thing that made us smile was in the PDF instructions. Despite the internals of the Kingston being wholly Samsung based, it still registers as a Kingston in the BIOS. Considering my main drive, like a lot of people I imagine, is a Samsung Spinpoint this could lead to a lot of frustration with less technically savvy users.
Most Recent Comments
The fact that this is so fast, and it's basically memory, is also something that you have to keep in mind when you look at the pricing. Sure compared to a HDD it's expensive, but try and buy 256GB of super-fast DDR3 and see how much it is in comparison.
From the review.
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Originally Posted by steve30x
I hope SSD's start getting cheaper soon. I know its basically memory but at their current price its not a good choice to buy an SSD. I am waiting for SSD's to become affordable to upgrade. |
Ive actually got one of these drives in my own rig, I had to stop at 256 because the missus would have been eating poridge for a month if Id got the 512 I wanted! Perhaps I should have done this review eh Veebs, you lucky bugger
As with all new tech prices will fall in the end. But there will always be something new(er) to take the expensive slot for us all to moan about
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Originally Posted by steve30x
I need a 120 for my OS and 256 for my games. I can deal with the standard HDD's for my backups. But at the price of two of those its over half the price of the upgrade hardware I should have any day soon. Some time next year I will find the money for two SSD's. |
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Originally Posted by steve30x
I didnt know there was a way to do that. |
Apparently Intel have managed to squash the NM of the NAND chips and have stuffed double the ammount of storage on the same chips. If that's the case then theoretically some time soon we could be seeing drives that are double the size yet the same price as their half sized counterparts.
They are expensive. However, given that they are one of if not the best upgrades you can buy now for a raw speed boost they are more than worth it. Seeing is believing with these things.
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Originally Posted by tinytomlogan
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It will have to wait though because I have new parts ordered and I am paying out through my a** for them because I am paying for the parts weekly and I am unemployed. The guy I get my parts from marked up the price by 25% so Instead of the parts costing 1100 euro its costing me 1357 euro. I should have the parts paid for by june next year lol. Everey spare cent I have every week is going on the new computer parts.
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Originally Posted by AlienALX
SSD are getting cheaper as the days pass now. I got a 64gb for £70 recently and even the good high end ones are now cheaper than ever. Apparently Intel have managed to squash the NM of the NAND chips and have stuffed double the ammount of storage on the same chips. If that's the case then theoretically some time soon we could be seeing drives that are double the size yet the same price as their half sized counterparts. They are expensive. However, given that they are one of if not the best upgrades you can buy now for a raw speed boost they are more than worth it. Seeing is believing with these things. |
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Originally Posted by silenthill
Yes because no one is buying them remember (law of supply & demand) they remind me of the huge stock of 3d TV’s in CURRYS and every month I go in there I find they have dropped 100£, fact is that no matter how advanced the technology is if no one buys them the prices come tumbling down. |
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Originally Posted by silenthill
Yes because no one is buying them remember (law of supply & demand) they remind me of the huge stock of 3d TV’s in CURRYS and every month I go in there I find they have dropped 100£, fact is that no matter how advanced the technology is if no one buys them the prices come tumbling down. |
The reason parts have shot through the roof is that companies want/have to make the same ammount of money. This means when people are buying things get cheap (due to bulk shifting) and when things go quiet (during a recession like the one we're in) they sell less so have to sell them for more.
It's daft, because before I could get 2gb OCZ plat DDR2 for £16. Now it's £48. So because of that I have simply dug in my heels and refused to go to DDR3. But the prices still haven't come down, only difference is OCZ are about to go bust. TBH if these companies didn't waste so much money so frivolously they wouldn't get into trouble like that in the first place. Nvidia have spunked away millions on Physx CUDA and silly 3D glasses and Gamestop (USA) are in trouble and have been closing stores, yet send all of their management on a drinking holiday in Vegas once a year in a top hotel.
It makes so much sense ! honestly !
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