Table of Contents:
- · Motherboard: Gigabyte X79-UD7 OC EDITION
- · CPU: Intel Core i7 3960 LGA 2011
- · Memory: Kingston DDR3 Quad-Channel 16GB
- · CPU Fan: Intel Stock Liquid
- · Storage: Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black SATA3
- · OPTICAL: Plextor DVDRW
There are really many way that reviewers test their SSD products, but I prefer to make the tests include something that is more than just a canned benchmark and more real time based so here is what I did for this SSD. After trying many different SATA controllers, IE: Intel, ASMedia, Marvell, I found that the SATA 6GB Marvell controllers offered on the latest AMD 990FX and Intel X79 motherboards overall gets the most accurate and performance oriented test scores. As far as installation goes all I had to do was shut down my PC, locate the proper SATA connector and cable, attach both power and SATA cable and restart the system. Then go into the BIOS and set the proper connection to AHCI and change the BOOT sequence to your CD. Place the Windows CD in your tray and restart the system and follow the on screen instructions.
To mix things up a bit I used Windows Install times and BOOT times as well as the standard tests and this was done for a few reasons. Keeping track of the install time for Windows can give us an idea on how long major software installations will take and the BOOT times show us how the system reacts overall in processing information making it ready to access. If you have ever ran the Window experience you will notice that with the latest SSD technology a score can go from a 5.9 to a 7.9 just by changing out the HDD for an SDD. Everything I did was just faster and if I did not have any time constraints there are even more tests I want to add in future reviews to further show the significant benefits of using an SDD. There are absolutely no drawbacks to using an SSD with TRIM control and the benefits in speed and reliability make them a coveted item by PC enthusiasts.
