Feature Articles

Intel's X25-M Solid State Drive Examined

By Aloysius Low - 16 Sep 2008

Driving Miss Speedy

Driving Miss Speedy

Unfortunately, as we mentioned earlier, we don't really have a first generation SSD to compare against Intel's newest and finest, so we took a more real-world approach to testing the X25-M instead. By itself, Intel's X25-M is a fast and speedy demon as can be seen from our tests. There's a definite and measurable performance gain to be seen from switching to a SSD which is definitely a much needed boost in the world of mobile computing.

Based on the results, it's logical to conclude that, yes, solid state drives are an obvious choice for those looking for performance enhancements that are easily and readily viable without having to go through the hassle of buying a new notebook. SSDs offer a viable alternative upgrade option, though it does have its drawbacks (in both cost and storage capacity). These drawbacks will of course fade away with more improvements made to the technology and the lower cost of manufacturing in the long term, but for now, we'll have to make do.

The X25-M may be expensive, but we can't really complain given its spectacular performance.

If SSDs are the coming wave of the future, then Intel's X25-M is a wonderful entrant to the market as its entry will force Intel competitors to not only improve their products, but to lower costs in order to stay in the competition. While we can't actually predict when and how much costs will fall, it's safe to assume that the prices of SSDs will become as cheap as today's hard disks (with an appropriate time span). Seeing as how the X25-M will currently set you back US$595 at least, we're hoping that prices will fall soon enough that most of us can think of it as a viable upgrade option.

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