need SSD 64gb for HTPC help what to get

[meridius]

hi all i am after a very reliable SSD for my htpc that i am currently building and wanting some help as i have never bought one before and wanted some tips and whats the best drive to get.

it does not have to be the fastest but it does have to be reliable and able to wale up when the pc comes out of sleep mode as this is going to be on 24/7 and will be in standby when not in use

thanks

[Abula]

I would have said Intel 320, but there is a bug atm with its firmware that might cause data loss, so until they fix that, i would stay away.

The two that i would consider for 64gb size are,
SAMSUNG 470 Series MZ-5PA064/US 2.5" 64GB SATA II Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

[HFat]

And the track record for the 470 and especially the M4 is what?
Who has tested their ability to withstand power cycles like the Intel? What happens if they're doing GC with writes outstanding while the box is put in standby?

Intel's firmware issue went unnoticed long enough. It isn't so bad and I expect it'll be fixed. Even with this flaw, I'd still pick it above any other cheap drive.
But, as always, if you want rock solid go with older, proven models. The problem in this case is that while the older models don't have the brick bug, they don't have the caps and they lie about flushes making barriers and such useless and lose data on power loss. No firmware fix is forthcoming for that.

[meridius]

Herd the Ocz are not ax reliable herd more failure rates than other types. Just want a reliable drive and Intel are abit expensive and that bug.

So is M4 the way to go ?

[HFat]

The M4 doesn't have much of a track record. I would pick the older model (C300) or the Samsung.
But you'd be better off with an older Intel. Buy it used and the price won't be so bad.

[Abula]

The M4 doesn't have much of a track record. I would pick the older model (C300) or the Samsung.
But you'd be better off with an older Intel. Buy it used and the price won't be so bad.

The M4 is basically the same as C300, uses the same controller, just with 25nm nad (same nad that intels using atm), its not totally the same, but its good bet imo. Samsung 470 been in the market for almost a year now, with great reviews all around, specially for sata II it has very good reads and the fastest seq writes for a small ssd, i would pick either of those two still. But you are right in term of either dont have the track record yet of an Intel X25m, specially since its been almost 3 years now in the market, but its getting expensive now to get those drives, im still extremly happy with both (120gb and 160gb), that said i woudlnt buy 320 until they fix the issue.

[HFat]

The 320 was basically the same as the X25 too. And yet we have this bug. The trouble with Crucials is that so far as I know they don't get anywhere like the same amount of testing as the "real" Intels (excluding the 510s). And it took how long to find that bug?

[Abula]

The 320 was basically the same as the X25 too. And yet we have this bug.

Yes n no, the intel 320 also has that build power loss feature, its the same controller as x25m, but with 25nad isntead of 34nm. And btw im not dishing intel, just i would wait for them to fix it before committing to 320.

On the C300 i would avoid it, out of one reason, the drive had issues with Intel RST drives, and the power management, the drive will freeze a lot, they tried to fix a lot, cudos to micron for trying, yet today even after F0007 i still see post from time time that they are still having issues with the freezing, i seen work around with registry hacks, and going back to MSAHCI drivers, but personally i dont like it. While the M4 did had a similar issue with F0001, but once the F0002 appear, seems all fixed (i still saw someone with still reporting but was on a mac).

[meridius]

Confused now so what should I buy ?

[HFat]

on eBay: X25-M 80G US $105.94 BIN $8.95 Standard Shipping
Maybe you could get it cheaper. I just posted the first affordable BIN I saw.

[kuzzia]

Take a look at this link:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/a ... _says.html

According to statistics taken from a French retailer about return rates, Intel SSD's have the lowest risk of being returned. SSD's in general have approximately the same failure rates as HDD's.

The 64 GB Crucial M4 has received an average of five stars at Newegg.com. That is very high and indicates that the M4 might be reliable. The Vertex 3 all received only 4 stars. The Intel 320's also seem to be reliable, though a few owners have put in some bad reviews. But that's very normal.

[meridius]

thanks for the help so what should i go for or what would you buy ?

[Abula]

thanks for the help so what should i go for or what would you buy ?

Proven (old ssds) - this would be my choice if you are about reliable drives.
X25m - this is probalbly the best bet in term its been in the market for 3 years, so firmware is mature, but not the fastest.
Crucial C300 - Also a good ssd
Samsung 470 - Release late last year, has had good track of performance, when it was released was the fastest ssd on small size like 64gb.

New SSDs
Intel 320 - Similar as X25 just different nad/firmware, with small issue atm, probably will be fixed soon with new firmware.
Crucial M4 - has a really good track, same controller as C300 just different nad n firmware, my choice for sata III ssd.
Vertex 3 - the fastest all around ssd in the market, but sanforce controllers have had some issues, for some is perfect.
Intel 510 - personally i dont like it, out of using marvel controllers instead of intels, same as c300, but with 34nm nad, so its a mix.

The X25m should be safer bet, but not the fastest, but its harder to get as the 320s are replacing it. Samsung 470 or Crucial M4 are what i recommend atm.

[kuzzia]

Somewhat subjectively, the Crucial M4 or the Intel 320.

This just in about the Intel bug!!!
http://www.techspot.com/news/44694-inte ... -ssds.html

[meridius]

thanks all


just bought the M4 64gb so i hope it all works

thanks gain for the help will post when i get it.

oh is tehre any settings i need to turn on or off when i have installed windows 7 to make sure i gt a log life from this drive ?

thanks

[Abula]

just bought the M4 64gb so i hope it all works

Just one recommendation, check the firmware it comes, as Micron/Crucial released F0002, but depending on where you bought it, it might still come with F0001, personally i would flash the firmware before you do the clean install. Post format, instal chipset drivers first, reboot and install intel RST (if you are using an intel based mobo), and then all your drivers/software.

oh is tehre any settings i need to turn on or off when i have installed windows 7 to make sure i gt a log life from this drive ?

This is a controversial subject, not all like the tweaking on ssds, personally the only two that imo are wroth doing is disable system restore and hybernation (the pc should load so fast that you dont need it), this two tweaks should net you back close to 8gb worth of space and lower extra writting on the ssd. If you wish to do more tweaks, then read The SSD Optimization Guide.

[HFat]

This is bad advice.
If you want to save capacity, sure but that wasn't the question asked. The point of hibernation is not only to boot faster but to keep you applications open (they don't all save their state perfectly... far from it!). And system restore could be useful for someone who hasn't got a better recovery process in place.

The one thing to do is to take care not to defragment and that no defragmenting tasks are scheduled.
Disabling indexing might also be worthwhile (or not... I'm not saying everyone should do that).

[meridius]

its a p8p67 m pro asus motherboard, i bought it from scan how do you know what firmware it is before i install windows 7 ?

not only that but say thay release a newer version and i have windows installed can you still update the drives without any damage ?

also what do you mean by instal chipset drivers first? when you install windows 7 does it not install the drivers anyway ?

thanks