When recently asked what SSD would be ideal for regular users, that doesn’t cost too much, but contains quality components, I found myself going back over my notes. I found myself considering what kind of controller is used inside an SSD rather than basing it off the name brand. The controller is a major component that can make or break performance. And, it doesn’t hurt if an SSD has a little extra cache to maintain transfer rates.
But, just like clock work, one fundamental detail rears its ugly head. That would be price. We would all love to own the fastest $400 to $600 SSDs available, but the reality of it all is that the large majority of users will reach for these more affordable SSD that still offer respectable performance using quality internal components. One SSD that fits in this category is OCZ’s Agility Series 60GB SSD.
Features and Specifications
Besides the obvious technological features like no moving parts, shock resistance, as well as resistance to heat and cold, the OCZ Agility Series is aimed at the mainstream market where users are looking for a good balance of price and performance.
The 60GB Agility SSD contains some features definitely worth mentioning. For starters, the Agility is in fact using an Indilinx controller which has proven to be formidable. They can be easily tuned for all kinds performance levels and are often TRIM friendly. It’s also supported by 64MBs of Elpida cache which helps improve small block performance.
We can’t tell you what memory is inside the 60GB Agility for sure. Some Agility SSDs use memory marked with an “i” and some have Samsung clearly stamped on them. The internal memory in question here contains the same little “i” which has also been used in SSDs that utilize Intel controllers. So, it can’t be bad stuff.
The Agility Series
There are three different capacity SSDs in the Agility Series. The smallest 30GB SSD tends to be the best option if you just need a quick booting system. You can use the 30GB as a boot drive with Win 7 accompanied by MS Office or whatever you tend to use most often. The 60GB is a more serious SSD intended for a little more than office work. It also gets a noticeable boost in Read (up to 230MB/s) and Write (up to 135MB/s) performance over its smaller sibling.
Then there’s the 120GB SSD leading the pack. It offers the same Read and Write performance. OCZ’s web page notes a 250GB max capacity, but we have yet to confirm one exists. Until then, it appears the Agility Series tops out at 120GB unless you spend more for their higher end Vertex series.
Some Very Beneficial Applications
While the desktop market is still adjusting to the size, cost, and performance of Solid State Drives, there is one area that SSDs absolutely excel. That would be the laptop and netbook markets.
Whether it’s a typical desktop or laptop hard drive, either are heavier than SSDs by far. SSDs weigh in about the same as your empty wallet. To be more precise, it weighs a few hundred grams less than a typical laptop hard drive and many hundreds of grams less than the typical desktop hard drive.
That may not seem like much, but try carrying around your laptop for day. Then, swap out the hard drive for the lighter SSD, or two, and you’ll definitely notice the difference. It really is nice to shed one or two pounds from your laptop. Plus, your laptop won’t blue screen if you accidentally give it an abrupt jolt like when you move it and it decides to wake up on its own.
Installation and Test Setup
Installing an SSD on anyone of the latest AMD or Intel systems is as easy as connecting the power and data cable. If you have SATA drives installed now, then you’re all set. Otherwise, there’s a huge chance you have a few SATA data cables inside your motherboard box. Other than that, you’ll install the Operating System (Windows 7! Windows 7!) like you would normally. No special drivers needed at all.
Here is the test system details:
- Intel Core i7 870 “Lynnfield” Processor
- GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD6 Motherboard
- Kingston HyperX 16GB 1600MHz DDR3 Memory
- Zotac Geforce 9800GT 512MB Video Card
- Test SSD 1: OCZ Agility 60GB (Indilinx)
- Test SSD2: Patriot Memory Torqx 128GB (Indilinx)
- Test SSD3: Kingston SSDNow V-Plus 128GB (Toshiba)
- Test SSD4: Kingston SSDNow V-Plus 64GB (Samsung)
- Antec CP850 Power Supply
- Windows 7 64-Bit
- Benchmark Suite: SANDRA 2009 SP4, CrystalDiskMark, QuickBench, and HD Tach
We’re including as many SSDs based on their different controllers in our possession to offer as large a comparison as possible. Sorry, we don’t have any official Intel SSDs to add to the mix but hopefully we’ll be coming by one soon. Otherwise, this range of controlres should add to our nice little round up of benchmarks.
SANDRA Physical Disks
Right away, you can see the Agility isn’t far from matching the closet capacity SSD, the 64GB V-Plus. Both are considered mainstream. The difference here is that the Agility uses a different breed of Indilinx controller and the V-Plus 64GB uses a Samsung controller.
CrystalDiskMark
While the pricier Toshiba and Indilinx controlled drives are obviously fast, the Agility does a better job of moving 4KB data compared to the more expensive 64GB V-Plus. As you know, 4KB data makes up the bulk of desktop files which comes in handy.
The reason some SSDs slow down during the 1000MB tests is because the 4KB data blocks take longer and tend to bog down the controllers. If any of these numbers seem slow to you, try running this free benchmark on your regular SATA I, or II drive. Otherwise, you can see that the Agility’s Indilinx controller does just a bit better job than the 64GB V-Plus and its Samsung controller.
HD Tach
Essentially, we get a peak at each of the SSD’s corresponding controllers which make all the difference. The far more expensive SSDs with faster controllers are in a different league. Otherwise, it’s a very close battle between the 64GB V-Plus and Agility. Test after test, the averages were pretty much the same with neither backing down.
QuickBench
In this benchmark, only the 64GB V+ and 60GB Agility were paired up since they are the closest competing capacity drives we have on hand. Plus, we can take a look at how controllers handle the loaded beat down.
Above are the results of the 64GB V+ with the Samsung controller. You can see that rates are pretty steady when the drive is empty. But, for whatever reason (probably due to the lack of TRIM), the Seq Write lost almost 20MB/s in performance. A firmware roll back only allowed it to gain back 6 MB/s which isn’t much.
Now we get a look at the Agility and how much better it fares with the Indilinx controller. Sequential rates drop about 10MB/s where as the Random rates pretty much didn’t change at all. We expect there to always be a performance hit as an SSD, or HDD for that matter, start to fill up. But, SSDs do much better with TRIM support.
Final Thoughts
The OCZ Agility’s performance isn’t the slowest we’ve seen. In fact, while it bounces back and forth between the 64GB V-Plus at the start, it’s in the loaded state that it thrives. When the Agility and the 64GB V+ SSD’s respective controllers are taxed at about 80% capacity, the Agility is able to produce better transfer rates consistently. The Kingston V+ with the Samsung controller just isn’t as nimble managing the data pages as efficiently as the Agility. That’s mainly thanks to its spirited little Indilinx controller supported by 64MB cache. Plus, the Agility’s Indilinx controller does have the added benefit of TRIM which Samsung does not. That alone should sway your decision in favor of the Agility.
After the fat is “TRIM’d” away, we see the Agility in its true light. Its Indilinx powered, has TRIM support, and it’s priced similar to other performing 60 to 64GB competitors. Also, if you look carefully, you’ll see the competition doesn’t offer that all important TRIM feature. Plainly said, this is what a boot drive should be!
Pros
- TRIM Support
- Indilinx Controller
- Maintains better transfer rates when loaded
- $169.99 w/rebate at Newegg
- Great for an OS Boot Drive
Cons
- May still be too pricey for casual users
- Too small for real storage needs
Overall Rating: 8.5/10.0
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OCZ Technology 60GB Agility Series SATAII SSD – Photo Gallery
