Let us continue with the benchmark results. SATA3 drives are currently tested with an ASRock 890GX Extreme3 motherboard. At present, Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition is used as the operating system.
The SSD drive speed was examined and compared with the following benchmark software:
AS SSD Benchmark 1.4.3704.27281 – Download
ATTO Disk Benchmark v2.46 – Download
CrystalDiskMark 3.00 – Download
HD Tach 3.040 – Download
SiSoftware Sandra 2011 – Download
The SSD benchmark values offers a very good reference point of the maximal possible reading and writing performance, the speed with smaller files and the respective access time. The 128GB Crucial drive achieved in AHCI mode an enormously high sequential read performance.
Also in IDE mode, with approximately 456.35 MB/s, the maximum transfer rate of the Serial ATA 2.0 interface was exceeded, so that a SATA3 interface is really the best choice for this SSD. The write performance in IDE mode was approximately 195.66 MB/s, which is clearly below the previously tested Crucial m4 256 GB SSD with about 278.57 MB/s. The overall score reached also in IDE mode very good 329 points, because for example the Crucial m4 256 GB SSD reached in IDE mode approx. 325 points and the Curcial 256GB C300 SSD reached in IDE mode 290 points.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the AS SSD benchmark results (SATA3 IDE):
In AHCI mode also another result beneath the read performance was much higher than in the IDE mode and that is the important value “4K-64Thrd”. 4K means that small 4K blocks are read and/or written and with the 4K 64Thrd this is distributed on 64 Threads at the same time. Thus the benchmark program simulate for example a typical program start. Since the weighting of this value is very high in the AS-SSD benchmark tool,the total score in AHCI mode is with 590 points much higher than the previous one in IDE mode. In AHCI mode the Crucial m4 128GB reached even 493 MB/s read- und 200 MB/s write performance, which is of course below the 276.47 MB/s of the 256GB version.
Hint: Who think now about changing its SATA port in the BIOS from native IDE and/or legacy IDE to AHCI, should change first for example (if possible) only one part of the SATA port, where the drive with the operating system is not installed. Because if one like to save the new Windows installation, one must install the hard disk controller driver before changing SATA mode from IDE to AHCI – alternatively there are also Registry entries for it. If you like to upgrade from HDD to SSD, you should not copy the content 1:1 only with a tool like Norton Ghost or Acronis Backup. It is better to install a fresh Windows7 or adjust at least the SSD Alignment. In case that you bought the Crucial m4 Data Transfer Kit (ends with CCA), it is possible to do this with the contained software. We help you with questions to this topic or all other PC related questions at any time 24/7 in our PC Forum.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the AS SSD benchmark results (SATA3 AHCI):
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the AS SSD iops results to measure the input/output speed (SATA3 IDE):
And here is a Snipping screenshot of the AS SSD iops results to measure the input/output speed, with a drastic rise in AHCI up to the manufacturer data of approx. 45k/35k (SATA3 in AHCI mode):
The USB-zu-SATA Kit transfer the data with such a slow USB 2.0 performance of 33 MB/s (SATA an USB 2.0):
The comparison of the AS SSD benchmark results is extended with each new HDD/SSD test. Here we see several SSDs in comparison to the Crucial m4 128GB 2.5″ SSD in IDE and in AHCI mode, whereby the diagram is updated shortly with new SSDs. Currently, the Crucial m4 128GB SSD is even at the top, directly followed by the Crucial m4 256GB SSD.
Here is a comparison of the AS SSD benchmark values, which are getting updated with soon coming drives:
The ATTO disk benchmark values gives a very good overview about the write and read rate on different file sizes. Here we see once again a huge difference between legacy IDE and AHCI, especially with this SSD.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the ATTO Disk benchmark values (SATA3):
Compared to this result, the read performance in AHCI mode is significantly increased with all transfer sizes. Here we see can see a very good comparison of the conventional native IDE mode and the modern AHCI mode, which offers beside the higher performance also advantages like e.g. the support of NCQ (Native Command Queuing) or Hot-Plug.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the ATTO Disk benchmark values (on SATA3 AHCI):
The ATTO disk benchmark values are compared with a small transfer size of 32KB and a large transfer size of 8192KB. The bar chart already shows a first comparison to the Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000.C 1TB hard disk drive, the OCZ Agility 120GB SSD and the Crucial 256GB C300 RealSSD and a several other SSDs, where the Crucial m4 can not reach the best 8192K result.
Here is a comparison of the ATTO disk benchmark values, which are getting updated with soon coming drives:
With CrystalDiskMark one receives a balanced measurement of the performance with different transfer sizes.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the CrystalDiskMark values (SATA3):
As seen in the previous 4K-64Threads results, the read and write 4K QD32 and the sequential read result is much higher when operating in AHCI mode.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the CrystalDiskMark values (SATA3 AHCI):
The following diagram shows the CrystalDiskMark results once again compared with other SSDs and platter drives, which are extended step by step. In the CrystalDiskMark comparison one can see significant differences between the to-date tested of the Solid State Drives and Hard Disk Drives, where the tested Crucial m4 128GB SSD is with the read performance in AHCI below the Crucial m4 256GB SSD / Micron RealSSD C400 256GB SSD.
Here is a comparison of the CrystalDiskMark values, which are getting updated with soon coming drives:
With HD Tach one can measure the gradient of the performance, but the SSD transfer is not comparable with a conventional HDD. HD Tach measured with the Crucial m4 128 GB SSD and firmware 000F in AHCI mode a constant read and write rate with extremely low access times of approx. 0.1ms. To compare these results you can move the mouse over the following drives to see their respective benchmark results:Crucial m4 128GB 2,5″ SSD at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial m4 128GB 2,5″ SSD at SATA3, Crucial m4 256GB 2.5″ SSD FW 000F at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial m4 256GB 2.5″ SSD FW 0309 at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial m4 256GB 2.5″ SSD FW 0002 at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial m4 256GB SSD FW 0309 at SATA3 IDE, Crucial m4 256GB 2.5″ SSD FW 0002 at SATA3, ADATA S511 120GB SSD at SATA3 AHCI, ADATA S511 120GB SSD at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial C300 64GB 1.8″ SSD at SATA3, Crucial RealSSD 256GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA3, Crucial RealSSD 256GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA2, MX-DS Fusion 60GB SSD SATA3 IDE, MX-DS Fusion 60GB SSD SATA3 IDE, MX-DS Turbo 120GB SSD at SATA3 AHCI, OCZ Agility 128GB SSD, Samsung Series470 128GB SSD AHCI, Samsung Series470 128GB SSD Legacy IDE, Hitachi 7K1000.C 1TB disk drive and Toshiba MK8007GAH 1.8″ disk drive.
Here is a Snipping screenhot of the HD Tach benchmark values:
The comparison of the HD Tach benchmark results shows very impressive the fast reading speed, writing speed and the average access time of the Crucial m4 128GB 2.5-inch SSD.
Here is an impressive comparison of the HD Tach benchmark values, which are getting updated with soon coming drives:
SiSoftware Sandra benchmark result
Of course, SiSoftware Sandra benchmark should not be missing in this test series. SiSoftware offers with their SiSoft Sandra program a very comprehensive tool, which contains a lot of tools to get very reliable test results of all hardware components. The average access time of the Crucial m4 128GB SSD was in SiSoftware Sandra with 60us extremly low and the drive index of 444.53 MB/s was also in IDE mode higher than in the previous benchmarks.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the SiSoftware Sandra benchmark values (SATA3 IDE):
In AHCI mode SiSoftware Sandra measured 496.15 MB/s at the read performance. Here is a Snipping screenshot of the SiSoftware Sandra benchmark values (SATA3 AHCI):
Here is a comparison of the SiSoftware Sandra benchmark values, which are getting updated with soon coming drives:
