Performance and Conclusion
Performance
In order to test the nanoSSD we fired up HDTach to get some sustained read performance figures. With a result of 116.7MB/s the nanoSSD is comparable in performance to a 7200rpm hard disk in this performance metric. Where it is much faster of course is in the access time figures. Recording just 0.2ms the drive is at least two orders of magnitude quicker than the fastest conventional drive.
Next up we fired up CrystalDiskMark. It recorded a faster sequential read speed of 138MB/s and write speeds of 51MB/s. We’d have liked a bit more write performance to be honest, but for this kind of product we were not surprised to see performance slower than full-sized SSD products.
What was more concerning to us was that the nanoSSD just didn’t “feel” like an SSD with our test OS installed. It’s been a long time since we experienced an SSD with the dreaded stutter problem, but we were starting to feel concerned. An HDTune write test confirmed our fears.
With large peaks and troughs such as these, the nanoSSD is definitely based upon the JMicron JM602; the same controller that plagued early OCZ solid state drives. Based on this finding we can’t recommend the product as your primary installation drive – even a conventional disk will give you more predictable and consistent performance.
Conclusion
With its unique form factor we honestly don’t really see the JM602 controller as a huge problem. Performance users will obviously still want to go and buy a SandForce or Crucial RealSSD-based drive at the moment while those concerned with the best possible reliability and compatibility will still be best served by Intel's X25 series. In a perfect world we’d have liked the nanoSSD to deliver performance in line with other full-fat SSDs. Unfortunately the product doesn’t quite manage this feat, but if you are looking for a tiny drive that will aid you with the troubleshooting of just about any SATA-equipped desktop PC we still think this is a very useful product.
Ian Jackson
*** Thanks to www.memoryc.com for providing a sample of the nanoSSD ***
| We Like |
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Verdict |
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- Decent read speed
- 0.2ms response time
- Extremely handy small size
- Ideal for onsite IT engineers
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The InnoDisk nanoSSD is the smallest storage device we have ever seen, making it ideal as a portable tool for on-site IT engineers and those who regularly have to help their friends and family. The JMC602 controller rules it out as a primary OS drive but for troubleshooting it is still very handy.
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79 |
| We Don't Like |
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- Write speeds are mediocre
- Noticable Stuttering
- Mediocre write speed
- No TRIM
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