OCZ shifted back to an all-metal design, which we haven’t seen from them since the early Vertex 2 series. The casing itself is high quality and designed to better shed heat into the host system. The Vector picks up on this popular form factor for the client space, something that’s going to be the norm for some time as ultraportable computing demands smaller storage components. While OCZ has distributed 7mm SSDs before, they’ve been to limited markets. The Vector enclosure is all new for OCZ, from the 7mm form factor to the quality of components used.
Includes cloning software and 3.5″ bracket.Indilinx IDX500M00-BC Barefoot 3 Controller.From an endurance perspective, the drive supports 36.5TB of writes, which amounts to roughly 20GB of writes per day over the five-year window. Vector carries a five-year warranty, which is at the top end.
OCZ includes cloning software in the package, along with a 3.5″ mounting bracket for desktop users.
The OCZ Vector comes in three capacities: 128GB, 256GB and 512GB with suggested pricing of $149.99, $269.99 and $559.99. Firmware updates will undergo a longer validation cycle and will likely be much less frequent than what has been the case historically with SandForce-based SSDs. OCZ is also making a change to their firmware protocol, which they can now that they aren’t beholden to an external controller company. Before each Vector ships, it undergoes a burn-in procedure to flush any issues prior to shipment, leading to fewer returns and DOA issues. Early versions of Vector were also distributed to beta users, of which StorageReview was a member. In fact they’re quick to point out that the Vector is the most extensively tested consumer SSD they’ve ever released and the Barefoot 3 controller has been through a very long validation cycle. The reliability message is one that OCZ hammers home with the Vector. OCZ is also buying NAND wafers, doing the packaging on their own a process that can drive additional cost reduction. As noted, owning the controller and firmware give OCZ better competitive positioning from a support and reliability standpoint, as well as more control over the cost of the drives thanks to improved margins. While the Vector is the first SSD to feature the new Barefoot controller, it certainly won’t be the last, as OCZ can finally produce entire families of SSDs for both the consumer/client and enterprise spaces. As OCZ has grown with the SSD business at large, they’ve realized that investing in IP is the only way to stay competitive. In March of 2011, OCZ bought Indilinx, maker of the Barefoot controller and holder of 20 SSD-related patents, and in October of last year they tacked on PLX Technology, who has depth in engineering and developing SOC solutions.
OCZ has made a few key acquisitions over the last year-plus that has lead up to the release of the Vector. OCZ calls this scale of performance the “fastest sustained computing experience there is ” a point that may be hard to argue in many cases as we dive into this review. The case is no different with the Vector, which brings burst sequential reads and writes of 550MB/s and 530MB/s to the table, along with random read and write IOPS of 100,000 and 95,000 respectively. This is OCZ though, and if we know anything about the company it’s that they like to ensure their high-end SSDs have top-tier performance. The Vector is designed around OCZ’s Barefoot 3 controller and firmware, finally giving OCZ a near end-to-end in-house solution, which means improved reliability and support for consumers. The OCZ Vector is a new client SSD designed to appeal to mainstream and high-performance enthusiasts.