OCZ Vertex 4 512 SSD

I’ve been jealous of the retina display MacBook Pro, but not for the reason most would think – the retina display. The high-end model has a 512 SSD. I have the last addition of the 17-inch MacBook Pro. I’ve decked it out with 16 gigs of RAM and now I’ve added the 512 OCZ SSD to complete my set-up. This drive is awesome. It was quick to install. Once I put a clean install of OSX and reloaded all my software, I was ready for some real would testing.
In the box to my new SSD, I found a sticker that says, “My SSD is faster than your HDD,” and I believe it.

This drive is considered one of the industries leading SSD’s.

• High-Performance Design
• MLC Flash Memory
• 3.5″ SSD Adapter for Desktops
• SATA 3 (6 Gbs)
• Trim Support
• Indilix Infused

“The OCZ Vertex 4 SSD Series was designed ad built with unparalleled performance, reliability and endurance in mind. As the fourth generation of the legendary Vertex family, the Vertex 4 Series pushes storage performance to the max and redefines the modern day computer experience. Vertex 4 SSD’s are innovatively engineered to deliver industry-leading file transfer rates and superior system responsiveness, all while providing a more durable, reliable and energy efficient storage solution compared to traditional hard drives. Designed to take full advantage of the SATA 3 interface, the Vertex 4 unleashes ultimate productivity, gaming, and multimedia applications like never before.”

Here is an image using Blackmagic speed test with a few applications open. Normally you run these types of test with nothing else open, but I wanted to see what kinds of speed I would get with iTunes, Adium, Tweetbot and the memory hog, Safari, open at the same time. even with these applications open I got great speeds.

With the OCZ Vertex 5-year Limited Warranty, you can contact them via this phone number and web address if you need support Support Phone: 1-800-459-1816.  I’ve had my drive a little under a week and it’s been the fastest SSD drive I’ve ever used. Trim was not enabled once I got the OS installed. I did have to run third party software to turn on trim support. You can find our review of that software here.

Over all I’m very happy with this drive. Its given new life to my 17″ Macbook Pro, before adding the Vertex 4 I was on a mission to buy the new retina display MBP. A few things I’ve noticed right off the bat – everything I have set to start-up with the computer, are fully loaded before I see my desktop and almost instantly, I see the login screen. Before I installed the SSD, I would use my MacBook Pro sort of as a makeshift heating pad for my leg. With the Vertex 4 installed, I no longer get the heat from my MBP not even when exporting a good size video file.

Would I recommend this drive? Most definitely. The price is a bit steep, but so is the cost of a new MBP. $399 is a good price for an SSD that provides a 5-year warranty and this much speed. It just might make you feel like your old computer is brand new.

Learn more about this drive pulled from the Newegg sellers page.

Maximum IOPS (512 RR): 120,000 IOPS

High Performance SATA 6Gbps

Best-in-Class Indilinx Controller Technology

Access Latency as Low as 0.02ms

Strong performance at Lower Queue Depths

TRIM Support

3.5″ Desktop Adapter Bracket Included

Power Consumption (Idle)

1.3W

Power Consumption (Active)

2.5W

Operating Temperature

0°C ~ +70°C

Storage Temperature

-45°C ~ +85°C

Max Shock Resistance

1500G