Promising twice the write speed of traditional 20nm NAND flash drives, the 3D V-NAND equipped 850 Pro hits the market, challenging other SSDs in its path.
Product on Review: 850 Pro
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Samsung
Street Price: TBC
Last year, Samsung were the first manufacturer to mass produce 24 layer V-NAND for use in enterprise solutions. Never wanting to rest on their laurels, Samsung have today unleashed an enhanced 32 layer 3D V-NAND equipped drive for the enthusiast market. Samsung tell us that switching to a 32-layer cylindrical cell structure, more cells can be stacked vertically, resulting in a smaller footprint and higher density. In short this equates to a read speed of 550MB/s backed up with a write speed of 470-550MBs while returning 100,000 IOPS Random Read Speed depending on the size of the drive chosen.
While the above figures may not appear to be too ground breaking when compared to the outgoing 840 Pro, it is the 128GB drive, the drive we have for review today) that the figures begin look more promising. The 128GB version of the 840 Pro, like most other NAND flash drives suffered from much lower write speeds compared to drives from the same family but with a higher volume. This time around though with the 850 Pro, while still a little lower than the 256GB and above drives, the write speeds are much healthier dropping just 50MB/s in comparison. This will certainly appeal to those not wanting a large drive either due to storage needs or cost but who still require good write speeds. Speeds only get better too thanks to Samsungs RAPID mode (Enabled through Magician software) and couple this with a huge 10 year warranty, Samsung have, on paper at least, a sure fire winner on their hands.
Here’s what Samsung had to say about their latest product:
SEOUL, South Korea – July 1, 2014 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today launched the 850 PRO, a new solid state drive (SSD) line-up featuring Samsung’s cutting-edge three-dimensional (3D) vertical NAND (V-NAND) flash memory technology. The new Samsung 850 PRO, unveiled at the 2014 Samsung SSD Global Summit in Seoul, offers a new breed of performance for solid state drives and will be available globally across 53 markets from this month.
Based on Samsung’s proprietary V-NAND technology, the new 850 PRO is ideal for use in high-end PCs and workstations. Samsung’s V-NAND features a proprietary vertical cell structure and represents a breakthrough in overcoming the density limit currently facing planar NAND architecture used in conventional flash memory, yielding significant speed, endurance and energy efficiency improvements.
Based on Samsung’s proprietary V-NAND technology, the new 850 PRO is ideal for use in high-end PCs and workstations. Samsung’s V-NAND features a proprietary vertical cell structure and represents a breakthrough in overcoming the density limit currently facing planar NAND architecture used in conventional flash memory, yielding significant speed, endurance and energy efficiency improvements.
Specification
Usage Application: Client PCs
Capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB(1024GB)
Dimensions: (LxWxH) 100 x 69.85 x 6.8 (mm)
Interface: SATA 6Gb/s (compatible with SATA 3Gb/s and SATA 1.5Gb/s)
Form Factor: 2.5 inch
Controller: Samsung 3-core MEX Controller
NAND Flash Memory: Samsung 32 layer 3D V-NAND
DRAM Cache Memory: 256MB (128GB) or 512MB(256GB&512GB) or 1GB (1TB) LPDDR2
Performance:
Sequential Read: Max. 550 MB/s
Sequential Write**:
Max. 520 MB/s (256GB/512GB/1TB)
Max. 470 MB/s (128GB)
4KB Random Read (QD1): Max. 10,000 IOPS
4KB Random Write(QD1): Max. 36,000 IOPS
4KB Random Read(QD32): Max.100,000 IOPS
4KB Random Write(QD32): Max. 90,000 IOPS
TRIM Support: Yes (Requires OS Support)
Garbage Collection: Yes
S.M.A.R.T: Yes
Data Security:
AES 256-bit Full Disk Encryption (FDE)
TCG/Opal V2.0, Encrypted Drive(IEEE1667)
Weight: Max. 66g (1TB)
Reliability: MTBF: 2 million hours
TBW: 150 TBW
Power Consumption:
Active Read (Average): Max. 3.3W(1TB)
Active Write (Average): Max. 3.0W(1TB)
Idle : Max. 0.4W
Device Sleep: 2mW
Temperature Operating:
0°C to 70°C
Non-Operating:
-40°C to 85°C
Humidity: 5% to 95%, non-condensing
Vibration Non-Operating: 20~2000Hz, 20G
Shock Non-Operating: 1500G , duration 0.5m sec, 3 axis
Warranty: 10 years limited
Capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB(1024GB)
Dimensions: (LxWxH) 100 x 69.85 x 6.8 (mm)
Interface: SATA 6Gb/s (compatible with SATA 3Gb/s and SATA 1.5Gb/s)
Form Factor: 2.5 inch
Controller: Samsung 3-core MEX Controller
NAND Flash Memory: Samsung 32 layer 3D V-NAND
DRAM Cache Memory: 256MB (128GB) or 512MB(256GB&512GB) or 1GB (1TB) LPDDR2
Performance:
Sequential Read: Max. 550 MB/s
Sequential Write**:
Max. 520 MB/s (256GB/512GB/1TB)
Max. 470 MB/s (128GB)
4KB Random Read (QD1): Max. 10,000 IOPS
4KB Random Write(QD1): Max. 36,000 IOPS
4KB Random Read(QD32): Max.100,000 IOPS
4KB Random Write(QD32): Max. 90,000 IOPS
TRIM Support: Yes (Requires OS Support)
Garbage Collection: Yes
S.M.A.R.T: Yes
Data Security:
AES 256-bit Full Disk Encryption (FDE)
TCG/Opal V2.0, Encrypted Drive(IEEE1667)
Weight: Max. 66g (1TB)
Reliability: MTBF: 2 million hours
TBW: 150 TBW
Power Consumption:
Active Read (Average): Max. 3.3W(1TB)
Active Write (Average): Max. 3.0W(1TB)
Idle : Max. 0.4W
Device Sleep: 2mW
Temperature Operating:
0°C to 70°C
Non-Operating:
-40°C to 85°C
Humidity: 5% to 95%, non-condensing
Vibration Non-Operating: 20~2000Hz, 20G
Shock Non-Operating: 1500G , duration 0.5m sec, 3 axis
Warranty: 10 years limited
Packaging & Accessories
The outer packaging features a textured, satin finish which is a nice change from the usual plain finishes we get with packaging. A very dimly lit picture of the SSD also adorns the front of the box with the edges highlighted by virtue of having a gloss finish. Black and red is the colour scheme of choice here as every enthusiast and his dog knows that if something is coloured black and red and goes in a PC it is going to be fast – or at least that is what many manufacturers would have us believe!
To the rear of the packaging we get a small breakdown of the features of the drive along with read/write speeds for each individual drive. Note that our particular sample (128GB) has a 50GB/s write speed deficit (470MB/s) against the other drives from the 850 Pro family which have a 520 MB/s rating.
Inside the packaging we are greeted with a thin plastic frame holding the SSD along with both warranty and installation booklets. You also get a couple of case badges.
Closer Look
The drive itself looks a little basic with its minimalist design. The drive’s graphics feature matt black colouration with a dark grey logo atop of a red square. The chrome edging was a nice touch however and makes the drive more eye catching then a photo can recreate. Being just 6.8mm in height it should not have any issues being built into most setups and with the heaviest version (1TB) weighing just 66g, portability should never be an issue either.
The rear of the drive features a host of serial numbers along with warnings regarding ESD and of course the drive title and size in bold font.
Inside the Samsung 850 Pro you will find 32 layer 3D V-NAND flash memory along with Samsung’s 3-core MEX Controller. The 128GB we have for review today will come with 256MB of DRAM Cache memory while 256 and 512GB drives will see this value increase to 512MB. Samsung will also release a 1TB drive which will have a huge 1GB of LPDDR2 cache.
Test Setup & Methodology
Our test system is formatted and a fresh version of Windows is installed with just drives in place – no additional applications. Windows is then updated to the latest release and the drivers are installed. Included in the list of benchmarks are the following applications:
Benchmarks
ATTO Disk Benchmark v2.46
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
Iometer
SiSoftware SANDRA 2012
HDTune Pro 5.5
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
Iometer
SiSoftware SANDRA 2012
HDTune Pro 5.5
Test system
CPU Intel Core-i7 4770K
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-OC
Graphics MSI R7970 Black Edition
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro (2400MHz) CL10
HDD
– Samsung 850 Pro 128GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Corsair Force LX 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Intel 730 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– ADATA Premier Pro SP920SS 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– OCZ Vertex 460 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– OCZ Vector 150 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 840 EVO mSATA 500GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 840 EVO mSATA 250GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Kingston HyperX 3K Na’Vi 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– OCZ Vertex 450 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 840 EVO 750GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 840 Pro 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 840 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Toshiba 256GB THNSNH256GCST (Sata 6Gbps)
– OCZ Vector 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Corsair Force GS 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– OCZ Vertex 4 128GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Kingston HyperX 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– ADATA S510 120GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Intel 520 480GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 830 Series 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung HD103SJ 1TB (Sata 3Gbps)
PSU Corsair HX1050 Gold
OS Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit
Motherboard GIGABYTE Z87X-OC
Graphics MSI R7970 Black Edition
Memory 16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro (2400MHz) CL10
HDD
– Samsung 850 Pro 128GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Corsair Force LX 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Intel 730 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– ADATA Premier Pro SP920SS 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– OCZ Vertex 460 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– OCZ Vector 150 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 840 EVO mSATA 500GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 840 EVO mSATA 250GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Kingston HyperX 3K Na’Vi 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– OCZ Vertex 450 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 840 EVO 750GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 840 Pro 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 840 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Toshiba 256GB THNSNH256GCST (Sata 6Gbps)
– OCZ Vector 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Corsair Neutron GTX 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Corsair Force GS 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– OCZ Vertex 4 128GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Kingston HyperX 240GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– ADATA S510 120GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Intel 520 480GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung 830 Series 256GB (Sata 6Gbps)
– Samsung HD103SJ 1TB (Sata 3Gbps)
PSU Corsair HX1050 Gold
OS Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit
Benchmarks: ATTO
The ATTO Disk Benchmark performance measurement tool is compatible with Microsoft Windows. Measure your storage systems performance with various transfer sizes and test lengths for reads and writes. Several options are available to customize your performance measurement including queue depth, overlapped I/O and even a comparison mode with the option to run continuously. Use ATTO Disk Benchmark to test any manufacturers RAID controllers, storage controllers, host adapters, hard drives and SSD drives and notice that ATTO products will consistently provide the highest level of performance to your storage.
*NOTE*Samsung 850 Pro is 128GB model and this may reflect an unfair write speed deficit against comparable 256GB drives.
Benchmarks: AS SSD
AS SSD Benchmark is a straightforward tool for measuring the speed of your SSD drive.
Simply launch the program, choose your drive, click Start, and it’ll test your SSD’s read and write speed in a variety of ways, delivering a score for each when it’s done. And if that’s not enough, there are also additional file copy and compression-related benchmarks available from the Tools menu. (The author’s support page is German only, but if you need further English explanations then there’s a thread on the program at the OCZ Technology forum.).
Simply launch the program, choose your drive, click Start, and it’ll test your SSD’s read and write speed in a variety of ways, delivering a score for each when it’s done. And if that’s not enough, there are also additional file copy and compression-related benchmarks available from the Tools menu. (The author’s support page is German only, but if you need further English explanations then there’s a thread on the program at the OCZ Technology forum.).
*NOTE*Samsung 850 Pro is 128GB model and this may reflect an unfair write speed deficit against comparable 256GB drives.
Benchmarks: CrystalDiskMark 3.0
CrystalDiskMark is a disk benchmark software that analyses different types of hard drive. Giving sequential benchmark write and read statistics in MB/s. A simple program that is very useful.
*NOTE*Samsung 850 Pro is 128GB model and this may reflect an unfair write speed deficit against comparable 256GB drives.
Benchmarks: Iometer
Iometer is based on a client–server model, where one instance of the Iometer graphical user interface is managing multiple ‘workers’ (each one representing a separate Dynamo.exe process) which are doing the I/O. Iometer performs Asynchronous I/O – accessing files or block devices (later one allowing to bypass the file system buffers).
Iometer allows the configuration of disk parameters such as the ‘Maximum Disk Size’, ‘Starting Disk Sector’ and ‘# of Outstanding I/Os’. This allows a user to configure a test file upon which the ‘Access Specifications’ configure the I/O types to the file.
Iometer allows the configuration of disk parameters such as the ‘Maximum Disk Size’, ‘Starting Disk Sector’ and ‘# of Outstanding I/Os’. This allows a user to configure a test file upon which the ‘Access Specifications’ configure the I/O types to the file.
For the purpose of this test. The 4K 50%/50% read/write file will be under the examination with 100% Random Distribution – reporting back on IOPS and MBs per Second.
Benchmarks: Iometer (Sustained Test)
This is a new test for us but we have found that over a period of time, performance of SSDs slows down dramatically. For many of us this won’t be such a problem as it is unlikely we will be dedicating our PCs to small write over such a long period of time on a sustained basis however, it is a very valuable test which shows the sustainable performance of the drives with continuous small (4K)random writes in mind.For this test we again run IOmeter only this time we set it to 4K Random Write but over a 12 hour period. IOP readings are taken at 15 minute intervals throughout the 12 hour test to see how durable and sustainable the performance of the drives on test really are.
*Note* as this is a new test we have not had time to add all of the drives on test however more drives will be added when time allows.
Benchmarks: SiSoftware SANDRA
SiSoftware Sandra (the System ANalyser, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant) is an information & diagnostic utility. It should provide most of the information (including undocumented) you need to know about your hardware, software and other devices whether hardware or software.
Sandra is a (girl) name of Greek origin that means “defender”, “helper of mankind”. We think that’s quite fitting.
It works along the lines of other Windows utilities, however it tries to go beyond them and show you more of what’s really going on. Giving the user the ability to draw comparisons at both a high and low-level. You can get information about the CPU, chipset, video adapter, ports, printers, sound card, memory, network, Windows internals, AGP, PCI, PCI-X, PCIe (PCI Express), database, USB, USB2, 1394/Firewire, etc.
Sandra is a (girl) name of Greek origin that means “defender”, “helper of mankind”. We think that’s quite fitting.
It works along the lines of other Windows utilities, however it tries to go beyond them and show you more of what’s really going on. Giving the user the ability to draw comparisons at both a high and low-level. You can get information about the CPU, chipset, video adapter, ports, printers, sound card, memory, network, Windows internals, AGP, PCI, PCI-X, PCIe (PCI Express), database, USB, USB2, 1394/Firewire, etc.
*NOTE*Samsung 850 Pro is 128GB model and this may reflect an unfair write speed deficit against comparable 256GB drives.
Benchmarks: HDTune Pro
A new utility we have added to our line-up of benchmarks is the ever popular HDTune Pro. HD Tune Pro is a hard disk / SSD utility with many functions. It can be used to measure the drive’s performance, scan for errors, check the health status (S.M.A.R.T.), securely erase all data and much more.
*NOTE*Samsung 850 Pro is 128GB model and this may reflect an unfair write speed deficit against comparable 256GB drives.
RAPID Mode Performance Analysis
To demonstrate this feature we will show performance results for read/write transfer speeds with and without the RAPID mode enabled within Magician V4.4 beta. (To take full advantage of this feature just install Magician V4.4+ and click RAPID mode – reboot required).
It should be noted that while still in beta form, Magician 4.4 would not detect our overclocked test CPU as higher than 1GHZ so would not enable RAPID mode until we switched to default CPU speed.
Conclusion
The Samsung 850 Pro is a logical progression from the drive it replaces in the Samsung line-up, the 840 Pro. It has faster read speeds and while our sample was inferior to the 840 Pro in terms of write performance in some benchmarks, we can only assume this is due to the lower capacity of the drive on our test bed. This great performance is due to both the Samsung 3-core MEX Controller and of course the new Samsung 32 layer 3D V-NAND flash memory. While it is not the revolutionary leap forward we were (somewhat naively) hoping for, it is certainly an evolutionary step in the right direction.
So, with performance right up there with the fastest drives on the market, a phenomenal 10 year warranty, additional software and security features the only thing left to discuss is the price. With the lower specced Samsung 840 EVO costing around £80, we would expect the 128GB Samsung 850 Pro to come in at around the £90-£100 mark. Much more and it would be venturing into 240GB territory. Any less and price reductions would have to be spread across the range to accommodate the 850 Pro.
All of the drives in the range feature AES 256-bit Full Disk Encryption (FDE) and TCG/Opal V2.0, which is nice to see and there have been some significant improvements in power consumption compared to the 840Pro with the 850 Pro consuming just 3W when under load which will certainly please notebook users. So all things considered, would we buy this drive? Our answer would have to be a definitive YES!
In summary
The Samsung 850 Pro is a very fast, sleek and well specified solid state drive that is deserving of commendation. It will no doubt surpass the popularity of the outgoing 840 Pro.
Pros
+ Very fast write speeds
+ Great IOPs performance
+ 10 year warranty
Cons
– Magician software (4.4 beta) not currently compatible with overclocked CPUs
+ Very fast write speeds
+ Great IOPs performance
+ 10 year warranty
Cons
– Magician software (4.4 beta) not currently compatible with overclocked CPUs
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
