Mushkin Callisto 120GB SSD Review
Introduction
Published: 24th June 2010 | Source: Mushkin | Price: £275 est. |
Introduction
Such is life, the task of building or purchasing that perfect computer is one big balancing act. On the basis of funds and priorities, we make those important decisions that either lead to that bowl of tech porridge that is either "just right" or a lumpy mess that could only be compared to pig swill. Today however, we won't be discussing the heinous crimes of buying ColoursIT Power Supply Units and XClio Chassis', but rather the neglect towards storage devices.
It really does surprise us when we see high end systems featuring Core i7's, multiple GTX 4xx/HD 58xx series graphics cards and oodles of RAM paired with modest and conventional Hard Disk Drives. While it is appreciated that today's SATA II drives achieve in excess of 90MB/s read and are as quiet as ever, are people (even those with plenty to burn) still under the impression that Solid State Drives are a gimmick? Over the last year, we have successfully proven otherwise and like most premium goods, you generally get what you pay for. Regardless, I'm not a salesman and thus I have no intention of forcing a product down anyone's throats. If I still have your attention however, let's a look at a new kid on the block; the Mushkin Callisto 120GB Drive.
Mushkin, (not to be mistaken by Munchkins, the short legged feline breed) is a brand best known for their popular "Red Line" performance lineup of memory. Based in the USA, we haven't seen quite as large a following for these products as across the pond. Regardless and very much like Corsair, the brand has diversified to sell power supply units and now Solid State Drives. Here's a little more background information about the drive itself.
| Capacity | 120GB Unformatted |
| Interface | SATA II 3.0Gb/s |
| Chip Type | Multi Layer (MLC) |
| Controller | Sandforce SF-1200 |
| MTBF | 2,000,000 Hours |
| Shock Tolerance | 1500G |
| Warranty | Three Year |
| Expected Speeds | 285MB/sec Read |
Specification wise, the drive is very much what one would expect to compete with today's popular SSDs. Aside it's capacity, type of chips and controller, the drive also includes further detail such that if you encounter a violent 1500G event or you fail to master the art of immortality, your Mushkin SSD and the files that it holds will continue to function without failure.
The drive in question is not SATA 6.0Gb/s however we still expect very promising results. Till then, lets undertake a more visual analysis of the Mushkin Callisto.
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