Samsung 470 Series 256 GB SSD Review

1. Introduction2. Samsung 470 Series SSD3. Testing Methodology4. CrystalDiskMark5. HDTach6. ATTO Disk Benchmark7. AS SSD8. SiSoft Sandra9. Closing Thoughts10. View All Pages

Overall we are quite impressed with what the Samsung 470 Series 256 GB solid state drive has to offer, especially considering SATA II bandwidth limitations.  Even though performance is comparable with the fastest SATA II drives on the market, the 470 Series is going to be placed head to head against many Sandforce 2281 based Solid State drives, currently leading the performance charts.

Despite falling behind the latest drives in terms of raw performance figures, it is very unlikely that you would be able to see much difference in real world scenarios, especially if you happen to be upgrading from a mechanical hard drive. Samsung claim that the 470 Series is designed in such a way that performance won't degrade much over time, something that cannot be said of all Solid State Drive designs.

One of the most important factors to consider when buying a new solid state drive is the price.  We would usually expect a SATA II drive to be less expensive than newer SATA III models but unfortunately, this is not the case with the Samsung 470 Series.  At £360 at CCL, it is about the same price you'd expect to pay for drives such as the Kingston HyperX 240 GB SSD or the OCZ Vertex 3.  This makes it very difficult for us to wholeheartedly recommend the 470 Series 256GB, unless you can manage to pick one up for under £300.

Pros

• Stylish design.
• Good performance for SATA II.
• Plentiful bundle.

Cons

• Can't compete with SATA III performance.
• Expensive.

KitGuru says: Worth considering if it falls below the £300 mark.

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