ADATA Premier Pro SP300 24GB mSATA Cache Solid State Drive Review

1. Introduction2. ADATA Premier Pro SP300 mSATA SSD3. Testing Methodology 4. Synthetic: ATTO Disk Benchmark5. Synthetic: CrystalDiskMark6. Synthetic: IOMeter7. Synthetic: PCMark 78. Real World Testing: Windows 7 Boot Time9. Real World Testing: Program Launching 10. Real World Testing: File Opening11. Real World Testing: Game Load Time12. Closing Thoughts13. View All Pages

ADATA is targeting Intel Smart Response Technology users with its 24GB SP300 mSATA SSD. Can the SandForce SF-2141 controller and SATA 3Gb/s boundary-pushing speeds lure value-orientated and budget-conscious consumers?

With an increasingly widespread adoption of the emerging mSATA interface by motherboard and laptop companies, many SSD manufacturers have designed low-cost options that make good use of the bandwidth-identical port. We were recently wowed by ADATA's XPG SX300 mSATA SSD, giving it our coveted ‘Must Have' award, but now it's the value-orientated SP300's turn to endure our strenuous test procedures.

ADATA rates the SP300's sequential speeds as 280MB/s read and 260MB/s for write. With claimed IOPS performance of 12.5k read and 46k write, the ADATA SP300's specification sheet makes it seem like a speedy and versatile drive. With a 24GB capacity, we feel that acting as a cache SSD using Intel's Smart Response Technology (SRT) is the perfect scenario in which the SP300 could be useful.

Can ADATA's SP300 mSATA SSD impress us as much as its SX300 brother?

Specifications:

• Capacity: 24GB/32GB/64GB
• Form Factor: Full-size mSATA
• Interface: SATA 3Gb/s
• NAND Flash: Multi-Level Cell (MLC) NAND Flash Memory
• Controller: LSI SandForce SF-2141
• Weight: 7g
• Sequential Performance: (Read) 280MB/s, (Write) 260MB/s
• IOPS Performance: (Read) 12,500, (Write) 46,000
• Warranty: 3 Years

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