Narwhal/Unicorn SSDs

[sublime4o]

I'm new to SSDs. How come on the builds on the front page there are 4 different SSD's between the Narwhal and Unicorn builds, but all of them are at a similar price and one of the Narwhal ones is actually a couple bucks more than the Unicorn ones?

Also, is it safe to assume all new MB's can use SSDs?

[roflwaffle]

really offtopic but i read that as Narwhal/Unicorn STDs

[chazus]

I'm not sure why all of those are listed. Personally, I wouldn't recommend any other SSD currently other than the Samsung 840 EVO 120/240gb. They're usually faster, cheaper, and better quality than any of the others.

"SSD" has no compatibility difference from normal drives. Just about any motherboard manufactured after like.... 2002 can use them, specifically, SATA format. However to get the most out of them, SATA3 (6.0gbps) is preferred. SATA2 (3.0gb) is about 80% effective... but still stupidly faster than a HDD

[sublime4o]

What is the difference between SAMSUNG 840 Pro 128GB and Samsung 840 EVO 120/240gb?

[Remilia]

What is the difference between SAMSUNG 840 Pro 128GB and Samsung 840 EVO 120/240gb?

At this point, not much. Only tiny performance difference.
Generally I recommend either the Samsung EVO or Crucial M500.

[sublime4o]

thanks guys

[Barnabas]

I'm not sure why all of those are listed. Personally, I wouldn't recommend any other SSD currently other than the Samsung 840 EVO 120/240gb. They're usually faster, cheaper, and better quality than any of the others.

"SSD" has no compatibility difference from normal drives. Just about any motherboard manufactured after like.... 2002 can use them, specifically, SATA format. However to get the most out of them, SATA3 (6.0gbps) is preferred. SATA2 (3.0gb) is about 80% effective... but still stupidly faster than a HDD

I on the other hand prefer intel drives. You won't notice a difference between intel 530 and samsung 840 in real-world performance and reliability. What makes Intel the buy imo is the 5 year warranty for around the same price point as a non-pro evo drive that only gives you 3 years with stipulations. Kinda says something if a company is willing to stand by their product like that and not jack the price up $50-100 for 2 more years of warranty.

[chazus]

The Pro is marginally faster (like, seriously marginally, like less than 10% on a benchmark that is undetectable to human senses), but largely more expensive.

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Kinda says something if a company is willing to stand by their product like that and not jack the price up $50-100 for 2 more years of warranty.

Oooor it says you're a victim of good marketing. Both drives likely have the same lifespan/quality... But by making a 3 and 5 year segment, you're willing to pay more for a largely identical product. This is pretty common practice in a lot of computer hardware.

Anything more than 3 year warranty is usually a waste, unless it's actual critical/expensive hardware.

[Barnabas]

The Pro is marginally faster (like, seriously marginally, like less than 10% on a benchmark that is undetectable to human senses), but largely more expensive.

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Oooor it says you're a victim of good marketing. Both drives likely have the same lifespan/quality... But by making a 3 and 5 year segment, you're willing to pay more for a largely identical product. This is pretty common practice in a lot of computer hardware.

Anything more than 3 year warranty is usually a waste, unless it's actual critical/expensive hardware.

I have an x-25 that is still going after 6 years. I guess I'm a victim of marketing lol.

[chazus]

It's hard to tell. A longer warranty doesn't mean the drive will last longer. A shorter warranty doesn't mean it will die sooner. The fact of the matter is, the drive will die when it dies (And probably not for a loooooong time, regardless. SSD's are resilient things now). So the real difference between the two is... How much did you pay?

Now, certainly, in the stupidly rare occurrence that it does die randomly... Then that extra cost will have paid for itself. But largely, it's a waste. A gamble, if you will :P