OCZ 480GB Vertex 3 SATA 6Gb/s 2.5-Inch Performance Solid State Drive (SSD) with Max 530MB/s Read and  Max 4KB Write 40K IOPS- VTX3-25SAT3-480G

by OCZ

• Sustained Sequential Read: Up to 530 MB/s (SATA 6Gbps)Up to 280 MB/s (SATA 3Gbps)
• Sustained Sequential Write: Up to 450 MB/s (SATA 6Gbps)Up to 260 MB/s (SATA 3Gbps)
• MTBF:2,000,000 hours
• ECC Recovery: Up to 55 bits correctable per 512-byte sector (BCH)
• 4K Random Read AS-SSD: 56,000 IOPS (220 MB/s)4K Random Write AS-SSD: 38,000 IOPS (150 MB/s)

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 2.7 x 0.4 inches ; 2.7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B004QJM1IK
• Item model number: VTX3-25SAT3-480G
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (234 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 6, 2011

Product Description

Size: 480 GB | Style: 9mm

Amazon.com

Unleashing the performance potential of the SATA 6 Gbps interface, OCX leads the speed revolution with the next-generation Vertex 3 Series solid state drive. As the first SSD to feature the latest Sandforce controller design, OCZ created the Vertex 3 to push the limits in both sequential and random read/write rates to blaze past the competition when every MB/s matters.

With incredible random 4k file writes up to 40,000 IOPS, this SSD takes productivity, gaming, and multimedia applications to the next level to work in perfect symmetry with the latest enthusiast platforms. This model of the 2.5-inch Vertex 3 (VTX3-25SAT3-480G) offers 480 GB of storage capacity and a 450 MB/s maximum write speed.

Built with the quality, reliability, and durability that lives up to the OCZ name, the Vertex 3 Series easily integrates into today's mobile and desktop platforms, and it features TRIM support to optimize performance over the drive's lifespan as the ultimate Windows 7 companion. It's backed by a 3-year limited warranty.

The OCZ Vertex 3 2.5-inch SSD with included adapter (view larger).

Superior PC Experience

In addition to maximum performance, a Vertex 3 upgrade promotes cooler, quieter, and more energy efficient conditions compared to traditional mechanical hard drives. With no moving parts, SSDs provide peace of mind with their superior durability and reliability. Read more about SSDs below.

480 GB Vertex 3 SATA III 2.5-Inch SSD At a Glance Up to 530 MB/s maximum reads and 450 MB/s of maximum writes Up to 50,000 random 4K reads and 40,000 random 4K writes SandForce 2281 NAND controller Includes 3.5-inch desktop adapter bracket Compatible with Windows-, Mac- and Linux-based systems 3-year limited warranty

 

Which OCZ Vertex 3 SSD is Right for You?
	VTX3-25SAT3-60G	VTX3-25SAT3-90G	VTX3-25SAT3-120G	VTX3-25SAT3-240G	VTX3-25SAT3-480G
Performance
Capacity	60 GB	90 GB	120 GB	240 GB	480 GB
Maximum Reads	535 MB/s	550 MB/s	550 MB/s	550 MB/s	530 MB/s
Maximum Writes	480 MB/s	500 MB/s	500 MB/s	520 MB/s	450 MB/s
Random 4k Read	12,000 IOPS	20,000 IOPS	20,000 IOPS	40,000 IOPS	50,000 IOPS
Random 4k Write	60,000 IOPS	60,000 IOPS	60,000 IOPS	60,000 IOPS	40,000 IOPS
Max Random 4k Write	80,000 IOPS	85,000 IOPS	85,000 IOPS	85,000 IOPS	40,000 IOPS
Physical
NAND Components	2Xnm Synchronous Multi-Level Cell (MLC)
Interface	SATA III / 6 Gbps (backwards compatible with SATA II / 3 Gbps but optimized for SATA 6 Gbps)
Form Factor	2.5-inch
NAND Controller	SandForce 2281
Dimensions	99.8 x 69.63 x 9.3mm
Weight	77g

More Specifications

Reliability/Protection

• Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): 2 million hours
• Data Path Protection: ECC corrects up to 55 random bits per 512 byte sector (BCH)
• Product Health Monitoring: Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART) Support

Compatibility

• Serial ATA (SATA): Fully compliant with Serial ATA International Organization (Serial ATA Revision 3.0) and ATA/ATAPI-8 Standard Native Command Queuing (NCQ)
• Operating System: Windows XP 32-bit / 64-bit; Windows Vista 32-bit / 64-bit; Windows 7 32-bit / 64-bit; Linux; Mac OS X

Additional Features

• Native TRIM support (requires OS support)
• Shock resistant up to 1500G
• Low power consumption (3W active, 1.65W idle)
• Included 3.5-inch desktop adapter bracket
• Service & Support: 3-year warranty, toll-free tech support, 24 hour forum support

The SSD Advantage

Whether you're refreshing an older laptop or trying to maximize the potential of the latest platform, SSDs provide substantial benefits over traditional hard drives.

Greater Durability

Solid State Drives feature a non-mechanical design of NAND flash mounted to circuit boards, shock resistant up to 1500g. Hard disk drives consist of various moving parts making them susceptible to shock and damage.

Faster Performance

SSDs have 100 times greater throughput and instantaneous access times for quicker boot-ups, faster file transfers, and overall snappier performance than hard drives. HDDs can only access the data faster the closer it is from the read/ write heads, while all parts of the SSD can be accessed at once.

Less Power Consumption, Silent Operation, and Lightweight

SSDs use significantly less wattage at peak load than hard disk drives--less than 2W versus 6W for an HDD--delivering longer battery life in notebooks, less power strain on system, and a cooler computing environment. With no moving parts, SSDs run virtually silent in your notebook or PC case to eliminate distracting noises during gaming or entertainment. And SSDs won't weigh down your laptop, netbook, or tablet PC when you're on the go.

SSDs run much cooler than hard disk drives...

...and much quieter, too.

Product Description

OCZ Vertex 3 Solid State Drives unleash the performance potential of the SATA 6Gbps interface, leading the speed revolution in this next-generation solution. As the first SSD to feature the latest SandForce controller design, OCZ designed the Vertex 3 to push the limits in both sequential and random read/write rates to blaze past the competition when every MB/s matters. With incredible 4k file writes up to 60,000 IOPS (40,000 IOPS for 480GB model), these latest drives take productivity, gaming, and multimedia applications to the next level to work in perfect symmetry with the latest enthusiast platforms. Built with the quality, reliability, and durability that lives up to the OCZ name, the Vertex 3 Series easily integrates into today’s mobile and desktop platforms and features TRIM support to optimize performance over the drive’s lifespan as the ultimate Windows 7 companion.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 70 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Superb primary or secondary storage April 21, 2011

By Chris Angelo

Style Name:9mm| Size Name:240 GB|Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased the Vertex 3 specifically for gaming so this will the focus of my review. I've owned all three generations of Vertex drives and I'm most pleased with this drive. That pleasure comes from the capacity and speed of the Vertex 3.

The Vertex 3 drive itself is a 2.5" form factor and comes with a 3.5" adapter this time around. Great for those desktop installs, however you will still need to purchase a SATA cable to connect it. To get the most out of this drive, you'll need a SATA III (6GB) port since the blazzing speed of this drive will max out a SATA II connection.

The drive currently resides in my sandy bridge desktop system as a secondary storage location for all my steam games and Starcraft 2. Along side a Vertex 2 60 gig that is the primary OS disk, the formated capacity of 223GB provides plenty of space for most of the titles that I actively play. It was a bit of a struggle to fit my steam folder on the Vertex 3 as it is quite easy to accumulate numerous titles via steam. With a much higher capacity traditional hard disk, you can keep most all of your titles available locally, but sadly this isn't the case with a drive of this capacity. It's the price you pay for having such blistering fast speed.

You can read a number of reviews stating the theoretical and real world tests illustrating the Vertex 3's speed, but I was mainly concerned with the user experience improvement gained from having one in my system. Copying my 160 gig steam folder was quite fast, maxing out the read transfer rate of my magnetic hard disk at about 75-80 MB per second. After the copy, I proceeded to launch Portal 2 which I had been playing the night before. If you haven't played the game, there are many level transitions that happen between chambers (or in my case deaths).... The load times on my traditional magnetic hard drive were around 15-20 seconds. On the Vertex 3, the loads were shortened by 10 to 15 seconds. It was quite a difference that definitely improved my user experience as I was spending more time playing instead of staring at a progress bar.

Playing starcraft 2, I found the improvement to be much more subtle as the game files were previously on my Vertex 1. The menus seemed a bit more responsive, but it wasn't as stark a contrast moving from the magnetic drive. World of Warcraft ran slightly faster as well, shaving a couple of seconds loading into major cities or instances. Heroes of Newerth didn't seem to be affected that much, but then again the install for the game is only ~500MB.

I plan on installing this drive in my new gaming desktop replacement notebook later on in the year as a primary OS/Program drive. I'm sure I will appreciate the larger capacity when trying to jam the OS, productivity apps, and games all on a single drive.

My only current gripe with the Vertex 3 is the high cost. While I would love to have a second one to replace my Vertex 1 and 2, the $500+ price tag doesn't justify the speed increase I would gain over the older drives. At nearly $2 per GB, it is quite the barrier to owning multiple Vertex 3 drives at this capacity.

I would like to note that this is an enthusiast item since the manufacturer (OCZ) is consistently improving the firmware for their products. From past experience with the Vertex 1 and 2, most of the updates are minor bug fixes, but there are some revisions that add performance gains as well. Updating the firmware has come a long way as a short time. Previously, it wasn't easy to flash a drive that had an OS on it while running the OS. Boot disks were needed and constantly needed to be rebuilt as new firmware came out. OCZ's new toolbox is much better now, but updating firmware still isn't for the novice user or someone that expects to plug the drive in and never worry about it again.

Overall, I love my new SSD. It allows me to accomplish most tasks on my system with less frustration induced by wait times and unresponsiveness. Just be sure to plan your program installations accordingly and have the appropriate hardware to get the most out of your purchase.

Update: April 2012
As of July 2011, OCZ has updated the firmware to 2.15 to correct the stability issues plaguing the Sandforce 2281 controller. I have been running the firmware since then both on a Agility 3 as my primary OS drive and on the vertex 3 containing the majority of my games. I have yet to encounter stuttering or stability problem that I experienced on the previous revisions for the 6+ months I've been running it. Subjectively, the speed is the same as when I secured erased both drives to reinstall Windows 7.

OCZ has since released the Vertex 4 drives based on the Everest 2 controller. If you write a lot of incompressable data to your SSD (such as videos), the Vertex 4 is a better choice. If price and a more aggressive garbage collection (for non TRIM OSes such as OSX) are more important, the Vertex 3 is still a great buy. Read more ›

151 of 182 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars This drive model has a hardware defect August 23, 2011

By Ian Montgomerie

Style Name:9mm|Size Name:240 GB

This drive is built with a SandForce 2281 chip which has a hardware bug. For many users, myself included, this will randomly cause your computer to crash with the blue screen of death. For me, it used to happen every few weeks now it happens every few days. When this problem happens the hard drive will seem to disappear from your computer until you power it off and on again (reset does nothing, because you have to actually cut power to the SandForce 2281 in the drive).

Not everyone sees the bug - it looks like the exact configuration of some computers triggers it much more easily. For the technically minded, each system generates different access patterns to the hard drive and only some patterns will trigger the bug.

Corsair also used this chip in their products and encountered the exact same problem. They issued a recall back in June. The popular AnandTech hardware review site has reproduced this problem and a description of it appears on the first page of their latest review of drives using the SandForce 2281 chip. SandForce has offered to fly in engineers if AnandTech can figure out how to reproduce it more quickly.

Unlike Corsair, OCZ simply lied to all their customers, claiming their issue had nothing to do with the SandForce issue that prompted Corsair to issue a recall, and can be fixed in firmware. Note that "their" firmware is just a renamed version of the SandForce firmware, because the chip manufacturer is the one who writes the firmware controlling the chip. However, after months of firmware updates the problem still occurs.

I haven't even applied the updates personally, I'm just going by the word of all the other people who say they've made no difference. This is because the firmware update process is obscene.... They do NOT provide an update program that works from a CD or flash drive. This means that you have to remove the drive from your computer, install it in another Windows PC, and update it from that PC. Given the large number of firmware updates, that's a lot of times to ask a friend to borrow the inside of their computer.

It gets worse. At least some of the firmware updates are "destructive", meaning they erase all data on the drive. So you have to reinstall everything, or be savvy enough to make a disk image backup of your hard disk and then restore it after updating.

The SandForce 2281 problems aren't the fault of the companies selling the drives, although SandForce is a fairly modestly sized startup and they obviously can't afford to test their chips thoroughly enough. It's probably possible to fix the chip and manufacture updated versions within a couple of months, but there is zero public indication that SandForce has fixed the error.

In the future I will avoid all products using SandForce chips unless they've been in the market for many months without reported problems, because they have demonstrated they don't have the resources to properly verify and validate their products and address post-silicon bugs. It's not like this is the only bug found with their chip or drivers, but the others are small in comparison.

OCZ, on the other hand... I will never buy another OCZ product. Their "support" actively lies to customers to avoid doing a recall like their competition. They string everyone along with the promise that the next firmware update will fix it, really, despite that promise always turning out wrong. (Note: I have a little technical knowledge in this area, and suspect that if they could work around this bug in firmware it would probably involve slowing down the drive quite a bit, which would be incredibly unpopular with users who haven't encountered the bug).

I was *amazed* that a hard disk manufacturer doesn't offer a bootable update CD to update firmware without putting the drive in another machine. That is just nuts. In many years using many computers, I have never had to do that before.

I'm not going through firmware update hell. I am buying another SSD. This expensive choice will allow me to install it in my system and seamlessly transfer my files to the new drive. After that I will wait for a fix for the OCZ drive, and if one comes I will apply it or RMA it and give it to a friend or sell it for a modest amount.

SandForce 2281 based drives are unfortunately the fastest out there, but I am now buying the latest Intel drive (the 510) based on a Marvell chip. It is maybe 10-20% slower in benchmarks (via AnandTech), but Intel has a reputation for rock solid drives and they work to maintain it. They have a three year warranty on drives and have recently upgraded a smaller drive (the 320) to five years. A French reseller recently revealed that SSDs are returned to them at a 2-3% rate, except for Intel SSDs which are returned at about a 0.6% rate. The Crucial m4 is also based on the same Marvell chip used by the latest Intel drives. It benchmarks faster than the Intel drive, but Crucial doesn't have the 0.6% return rate. It's still competitive with the OCZ with much lower risk.

Oh, another annoyance: the drive's 3.5" mounting bracket lacked some of the standard screw holes that my case happens to require, and wouldn't fit into a 3.5 to 5.25 inch adapter I bought either. I had to buy a special 3.5" adapter and put that in the 5.25" adapter. Read more ›

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars WOOOOW, this drive is STUPID fast April 18, 2011

By David H. Kegley

Style Name:9mm| Size Name:240 GB|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have a 2011 macbook pro 15". This laptop has the 6GB SATA III interface that works great with this drive. I just got the drive today immediately installed it. I have an OWC adapter on the way so I can put my old 750GB drive where the superdrive goes.

I installed OSX, updated, and then installed office 2011 and let it sync up my 400GB exchange mailbox. Then then testing began.

#%^^&$%& this drive is fast! For grins, I configured ALL office apps, safari, firefox all to open on startup. the machine boots in under 30 seconds and all of those apps are loaded before the desktop even appears!

What a great buy this drive was, and very easy to install!

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars So Fast! Here's how to upgrade. April 14, 2011

By oldtaku

Style Name:9mm| Size Name:120 GB|Amazon Verified Purchase

You want this bad boy as your boot drive - it's wasted on anything else. Though if you can afford RAIDing these just to hold your mp3 collection, go for it. This cut my Win7 boot time in half. Apps launch instantly. Win7 is smart enough to TRIM the drive and not page files that are on the drive, since it's just as easy to read them directly.

It'll still be fast under XP, but not as fast, and performance will degrade due to lack of TRIM support. And you want 6Gb SATA support on your motherboard for best performance, but even with 3Gb it'll be screaming. Normal drives waste almost all their time seeking around, this has zero seek time.

Edit: I had a section here on how to use Easeus Todo Backup to do the migration here, but H. Heller pointed out that this utility doesn't guarantee cluster alignment, which means you will have reduced performance. I got lucky since my desktop SSD ended up aligned, but that may not happen for you.