Unveiling the Power of PCIe SSDs: Intel's 750 Series and Performance Comparison

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Rise of PCI Express SSDs
   • 2.1 The Importance of Mobile Devices
   • 2.2 Platform Level Support with Intel
   • 2.3 Rumors of Skylake's Dedicated Storage Link
3. Understanding NVMe vs AHCI Protocol
   • 3.1 NVMe: The New Protocol for SSDs
   • 3.2 Key Differences between NVMe and AHCI
4. Performance Comparison: SATA vs PCI Express SSDs
   • 4.1 The Plextor M6e: A Serial ATA Interface Drive
   • 4.2 The Samsung XP 941: OEM Only with Gen2 and Gen3 Interfaces
   • 4.3 The Intel Server-Grade PCI Express SSD: A Powerhouse in Performance
5. Real-World Performance testing
   • 5.1 Introducing TR RoboBench: A Revolutionary Benchmark Suite
   • 5.2 Analyzing Boot Times and Load Times
   • 5.3 The Impact on Game Loading Speeds
6. The Future of Storage: Intel's 750 Series SSD
   • 6.1 Repackaging the Data Center Drive
   • 6.2 The Costs and Performance of Intel's 750 Series SSD
   • 6.3 The Potential of PCI Express SSDs for Workstations and Specialized Tasks
7. Conclusion

🔍 Introduction

In this article, we will explore the performance and potential of PCI Express SSDs. With the increasing popularity of solid-state drives (SSDs), it is essential to understand the advantages and limitations of different SSD technologies. PCI Express SSDs, also known as NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives, have gained significant attention for their exceptional throughput capabilities. We will delve into the rise of these SSDs, compare their performance against SATA SSDs, and conduct real-world performance testing to evaluate their impact on various tasks. Additionally, we will discuss the future of storage with Intel's 750 Series SSD, a breakthrough in consumer-grade PCI Express SSD technology.

🚀 The Rise of PCI Express SSDs

Over the years, SSDs have predominantly used the Serial ATA (SATA) interface. While SATA offers compatibility with various systems, the increasing popularity of mobile devices, specifically thin notebooks, has necessitated a shift towards PCI Express SSDs. The M.2 interface, built around PCI Express, provides a smaller, more cost-effective solution for SSDs in ultra-thin laptops. Furthermore, Intel's introduction of Em2 slots and rumors of upcoming Skylake desktop chips with dedicated storage links indicate a growing industry preference for PCI Express SSDs.

📶 Understanding NVMe vs AHCI Protocol

The NVMe protocol, specifically designed for SSDs, offers significant improvements over the traditional AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) protocol used for hard drives. NVMe is a streamlined and scalable protocol that takes advantage of the low latency and Parallel nature of SSDs. With support for 64 individual queues and a deep queue depth of 64K entries, NVMe ensures efficient handling of multiple simultaneous requests. In contrast, AHCI was designed for mechanical hard drives and has limited scalability and overhead.

💨 Performance Comparison: SATA vs PCI Express SSDs

In our performance testing, we compared various SATA and PCI Express SSDs to gauge their speed and capabilities. The Plextor M6e, equipped with a two-lane PCI Express Gen2 interface, offered a marginal performance improvement over traditional SATA SSDs. However, it did not fully utilize the potential of PCI Express. On the other HAND, the Samsung XP 941, available only for OEMs, featured a four-lane Gen2 or Gen3 interface and demonstrated superior performance. The Intel Server-Grade PCI Express SSD, with its massive bandwidth and power envelope, outperformed all other drives, proving to be a game-changer in the SSD market.

📊 Real-World Performance Testing

To understand the practical implications of PCI Express SSDs, we conducted real-world performance tests with our new benchmark suite, TR RoboBench. By measuring boot times, load times, and file transfer speeds, we were able to evaluate the impact of SSDs on day-to-day tasks. While PCI Express SSDs excelled in sequential transfers, the differences in load times were negligible between SATA and PCI Express drives. This suggests that for typical desktop usage, the benefits of PCI Express SSDs may not be immediately apparent.

🔮 The Future of Storage: Intel's 750 Series SSD

Intel's 750 Series SSD stands at the forefront of consumer-grade PCI Express SSD technology. Built upon the foundation of their high-end server-grade drives, the 750 Series repackages the data center drive for desktop and workstation use. With capacities of up to 1.2 terabytes and endurance ratings suitable for desktop applications, the 750 Series SSD offers exceptional performance at a reasonable price point. While consumer workloads may not fully leverage the drive's capabilities yet, the future of storage is undoubtedly headed towards PCI Express SSDs.

💡 Conclusion

PCI Express SSDs, with their superior speeds and potential for scalability, mark an exciting development in the storage industry. While they outperform SATA SSDs in certain scenarios, their benefits may not be immediately noticeable for general desktop usage. However, specialized workloads and demanding applications stand to gain the most from the enhanced performance of PCI Express SSDs. With Intel's 750 Series SSD leading the charge, the future of storage is expected to revolve around PCI Express technology.

Highlights

• PCI Express SSDs, also known as NVMe drives, offer exceptional throughput capabilities and have gained significant attention in the storage industry.
• The rise of thin notebooks and mobile devices has necessitated a shift towards PCI Express SSDs, as traditional SATA drives are too large for ultra-thin form factors.
• The NVMe protocol, designed specifically for SSDs, provides significant improvements in performance, scalability, and low latency compared to the AHCI protocol.
• The Plextor M6e and Samsung XP 941 demonstrate marginal improvements over traditional SATA SSDs, while the Intel Server-Grade PCI Express SSD outperforms all other drives in performance testing.
• Despite their exceptional performance, PCI Express SSDs may not show significant differences in load times compared to SATA SSDs for typical desktop usage.
• Intel's 750 Series SSD, a consumer-grade PCI Express drive, showcases the future of storage technology with its unparalleled performance and scalability potential.

❓ FAQ

Q: Are PCI Express SSDs compatible with all systems? A: PCI Express SSDs require motherboard support for booting and proper functionality. While modern motherboards are increasingly compatible, older systems may not fully support these drives.

Q: Do PCI Express SSDs offer better endurance than traditional SSDs? A: PCI Express SSDs, especially server-grade drives, often possess higher endurance ratings due to the over-provisioned flash memory. However, for standard desktop usage, the endurance difference may not be noticeable.

Q: Will NVMe protocol-based SSDs become the standard in the future? A: NVMe-based SSDs have the potential to become the industry standard due to their scalability, low latency, and superior performance. As technology develops, more manufacturers are expected to adopt this protocol.

Q: Are there cost differences between SATA and PCI Express SSDs? A: While PCI Express SSDs typically have higher price points, their cost per gigabyte is comparable to high-end SATA SSDs. The price of these drives is expected to decrease as the technology becomes more widespread.

Q: Can PCI Express SSDs be utilized in RAID configurations? A: Yes, multiple PCI Express SSDs can be used in a RAID configuration, although booting from them may not be supported. This setup is often favored for high-performance workstations and specialized storage configurations.