OCZ Octane 512GB SSD Review (OCT1-25SAT3-512G)

The re-adoption of the Indilinx Everest controller has been seen as a positive move for OCZ Technologies. Sandforce have had their fair share of reliability issues in recent months, and the demand for high performance alternatives is as strong as ever. There is no doubt that the new Octane drives are reliable, and offer great all round performance, both with incompressible and compressible data.

The competition in this sector is really heating up, Samsung have the new 830 series powered by the capable S4LJ204X01-Y040 controller. Performance between the OCZ Octane 512GB and the Samsung 830 Series 512GB is very close indeed. We also have the new Corsair Performance Pro Series of drives which are powered by the Marvell 88S-9174 BKK2 controller. This drive is the fastest of the three units, both with compressible and incompressible data.

Much of the purchasing decision will be based on the price. The Octane 512GB drive costs around £700 inc vat. The Octane 256GB is competitively priced at £290 inc vat, although performance will be slightly lower than the drive we tested today. The Samsung 830 256GB drive is £329 inc vat, so it is clearly more expensive. The Corsair 256GB Performance Pro finds a middle price point @ £318 inc vat offering a good combination of price to performance.

All in all, the OCZ Octane 512GB drive is a very nippy, high performance drive which will suit users who demand balanced throughput when dealing with both incompressible and compressible data. The competition is at an all time high in December 2011, but the Octane drive earns our ‘Worth Buying' award.

Pros:

• great all round performance.
• high incompressible data throughput.
• very competitive price point.
• high reliability and long life.

Cons:

• Stiff competition from other ‘non Sandforce' drives such as the Samsung 830 and Corsair Performance Pro Series.

Kitguru says: We hope to see more drives using this controller over the coming months. It is a fine alternative to Sandforce 2281 powered solutions.

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