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OCZ 50GB RevoDrive PCI-Express SSD Review
Author: Jim Manis
Published: Monday, March 14, 2011
Conclusion
We have entered a brave new world in data storage. This may seem like a bold claim but this drive device is a whole new spin on bootable drives. It is a new age in computers and OCZ appears to be leading the way. As we all know the traditional HDD was the largest bottleneck in a modern PC and despite incremental improvements it was still a full generation behind other computer components.
While there is no questioning the speed, there are some compromises such as storage space. The 50GB of storage makes this drive more suited for an enthusiast than the normal user and to get the most from it you'll really need to use another drive for primary data storage, or make full use of your home network.
Based on 2 weeks spent testing and actually using the drive we can say the Revo is extremely fast and performed flawlessly. The form factor may be different from what we are accustomed to and much like a good book (or review site) looks can be deceiving.
Before this review we had read about issues regarding compatibility with certain motherboards and tried to test the 3 available platforms to confirm or deny these claims. All of them worked fine with no real effort needed to get them up and running. We even discovered, by accident, that the Revo will work with only a single lane of PCI Express bandwidth and simply less performance. There is a compatibilty list available at the OCZ website for good reason and if you happen to have issues with an unlisted motherboard there is a decent support forum available..
By utilizing the PCI-Express x4 slot the OCZ Revo 50GB drive can run at its full potential, allowing unhindered access to the data and can really improve the daily use of your computer. If you haven't made the switch to SSD technology yet this is an excellent time.
Now for the ever popular list of Good things and Bad things.
While there is no questioning the speed, there are some compromises such as storage space. The 50GB of storage makes this drive more suited for an enthusiast than the normal user and to get the most from it you'll really need to use another drive for primary data storage, or make full use of your home network.
Based on 2 weeks spent testing and actually using the drive we can say the Revo is extremely fast and performed flawlessly. The form factor may be different from what we are accustomed to and much like a good book (or review site) looks can be deceiving.
Before this review we had read about issues regarding compatibility with certain motherboards and tried to test the 3 available platforms to confirm or deny these claims. All of them worked fine with no real effort needed to get them up and running. We even discovered, by accident, that the Revo will work with only a single lane of PCI Express bandwidth and simply less performance. There is a compatibilty list available at the OCZ website for good reason and if you happen to have issues with an unlisted motherboard there is a decent support forum available..
By utilizing the PCI-Express x4 slot the OCZ Revo 50GB drive can run at its full potential, allowing unhindered access to the data and can really improve the daily use of your computer. If you haven't made the switch to SSD technology yet this is an excellent time.
Now for the ever popular list of Good things and Bad things.
Good Things
Fastest drive we've ever tested.
Low power usage 3 watts idle 8 watts active.
PCI-E x4 based. No SATA needed.
Stand alone, no wires.
Enterprise technology at enthusiasts price level.
Low power usage 3 watts idle 8 watts active.
PCI-E x4 based. No SATA needed.
Stand alone, no wires.
Enterprise technology at enthusiasts price level.
Bad Things
Very few instructions.
Have to download drivers
May have compatibility issues on some boards.
50GB is very small.
High price per GB.
Have to download drivers
May have compatibility issues on some boards.
50GB is very small.
High price per GB.
OCZ 50GB RevoDrive PCI-Express SSD Review
Furious 5 of 5
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We would like to thank OCZ for making this review possible.
