OCZ Vertex 460 (240GB) - Dawn of a New Era?

Conclusion

Watch Out, Samsung

OCZ makes very solid SSDs and the Vertex 460 stays true to this tradition. Overall, performance is generally improved over the older Vertex 450, but it is obviously no match for OCZ’s flagship Vector 150 - the slightly lower clock speeds of its controller ensures that it would not outperform its more prestigious stablemate. In all, performance across the board is of a very high standard that can best be described as a rung below of that of the uber consumer SSDs, a group which counts the Samsung SSD 840 Pro, OCZ Vector 150 and Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme as its members. That said, its showing on Iometer was particularly disappointing considering its performance on the other benchmarks.

In terms of pricing, the 240GB variant of the Vertex 460 retail for S$279, which puts it right smack in the middle of mainstream SSDs such as the Crucial M500 and Samsung SSD 840 EVO, which cost around S$255 and below; and high-end ones such as OCZ Vector 150, Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme and Samsung SSD 840 Pro, which cost upwards of S$300. It is a somewhat tricky place to be in.

Although the Vertex 460 performs at a very high level, serious enthusiasts and users would probably feel more comfortable paying a bit more for the added performance that drives like the OCZ Vector 150, Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme and Samsung SSD 840 Pro offer and also for the added security of a 5-year warranty - the Vertex 460 is offered with a 3-year warranty.

On the other hand, we see little reason for mainstream users to fork out the extra money for the Vertex 460 when cheaper alternatives such as the very excellent Samsung SSD 840 EVO and very affordable Crucial M500 exist. To be fair, the Crucial M500 cannot hope to compete on performance, but it is very much cheaper at around S$215, depending on where you shop.

Realistically, the Samsung SSD 840 EVO is arguably its closest competitor and where the Samsung drive loses out is on outright endurance and performance when it comes to high queue depths because that is when it exhausts its TurboWrite cache. For most mainstream users, these scenarios and considerations are of little consequence to them and the fact is that the SSD 840 EVO is more affordable. Therefore, the Vertex 460 would be a more appealing proposition if it were priced more aggressively.

Bearing in mind that Toshiba has only just acquired OCZ, the Vertex 460 was mostly likely developed way before Toshiba had any major input. With Toshiba providing the necessary financial backing and NAND chips, this union has the best chance of giving Samsung a run for its money.