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View Full Version : [Review] Team 2.5” SSD SATA (S25A01)


lolhalol
06-08-2008, 07:37 AM
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/team-logo-01.jpg

Today we have some thing special, a solid state drive form TEAM Group Inc. The version that we have today is the highest capacity in the SATA SSD range currently made by TEAM, the 24GB 2.5” SATA SSD.

Who are TEAM Group Inc.?
Team Group Inc. is a manufacturer of computer products and consumer electronics, established in Taipei, Taiwan in 1994. We manufacture and distribute high quality memory modules, memory cards products and consumer electronics with components directly supplied by Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Infineon, Qimonda, Elpida, PSC, Mosel and Nanya.


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/Specs.jpg


Firstly what is a SSD?
A Solid State Drive, or SSD, has no moving parts. Think of it as a huge flash drive. Because it has no moving parts, it eliminates the seek time and latency of a traditional spinning disk hard drive - and it’s faster. So because you’ve eliminated electro-mechanical delay, you’ve also eliminated electro-mechanical failures. It’s not to say an SSD wont go out, but at least you know it can’t go out due to moving part failure.

A Solid State Drive is comprised of either Flash RAM or SDRAM. SDRAM SSD’s are “fast access”, and data access is less than 0.01ms (250 times faster than the fastest hard drive in 2004). SDRAM SSD’s have an internal battery, and if the power goes out, whatever is in memory (RAM) can be copied to disk. There’s a distinct advantage over a spinning disk. Flash memory is slower than SDRAM, but because it’s more durable and rugged - it’s more widely used in SSD’s. Flash based SSD’s do not have a battery and use non-volatile memory.

SSD Pro’s:

* Faster startup and boot time
* Faster I/O (data access, see time)
* Longer lifetime (10 years of normal use)
* No moving parts
* Easy to ‘wipe’ clean
* Lower weight and size

SSD Con’s:

* Price ($8/GB compared to 0.25 cents/GB for spinning disk)
* Data possibly harder to recover with drive failuer vs. spinning disk
* Possibly affected by magnetic fields / static charges
* Slower random write speeds



Packaging & Bundle

The front of the packaging is very simple and not the kind that has “in your face “type of graphics. In fact there is no graphics to mention at all, just a picture of the SSD and a short description of it.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/DSC01689.jpg

The back follows the same color scheme of the front of the packaging. It shows the features and specifications of the SSD.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/DSC01692.jpg

The front is held in place by a Velcro pad. When opened it reveals the SSD behind a “window” and on the left side is a repeat of the SSD’s features.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/DSC01707.jpg

The SSD is held inside the box by a molded tray that’s coated in a kind of velvet like material. The SSD it self comes wrapped in antistatic plastic.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/DSC01695.jpg

There isn’t much in the box, just a manual, a zip lock bag with containing 4 screws and of course the SSD.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/DSC01698.jpg

The Drive

There isn't much to talk about on the SSD. The "top" and the "bottom" of the drive is made of what looks like aluminum. and a black plastic trim on the sides.


Heres the "top" side
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/DSC01700.jpg

And the "bottom" side
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/DSC01701.jpg

The connector side
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/DSC01703.jpg

A thickness comparison on the drive with a pencil.
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/DSC01706.jpg

Test Setup

I'll be using a Dell XPS M1730 Laptop to test the drive.

Specs are as follows:-

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T7700,
Hitachi 160GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive ,
2GB 667MHz DDR2 ,
Dual (2x256MB) NVIDIA® GeForce® 8700M GT
Genuine Windows XP SP2,

Benchmarks

HD TACH - http://www.simplisoftware.com
Sandra Lite - http://www.sisoftware.net/

lolhalol
06-08-2008, 07:39 AM
HD Tach

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/HDTACHLogo.jpg

HD Tach was run twice, once with the quick bench settings and once with the long bench settings.

The quick bench results

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/HDtachHitachi.jpg
The Hitachi Drive

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/SSDShortBenchHDtach.jpg
The Team SSD

The long bench results

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/hdtachhitachilongtest.jpg
The Hitachi Drive

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/SSDlongBenchHDtach.jpg
The Team SSD

Sandra Read Test

http://news0day.net/uploads/posts/2008-04/1207932654_1181935965_box.jpg

Results

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h252/lolhalol/TEAM%2024GB%20SSD/SardraLite.jpg

lolhalol
06-08-2008, 07:41 AM
Conclusion

For now the SSD technology has yet to mature. as the above results show, a standard hard drive that has a few times more capacity will outperform it.
Also the current price is high. USD330 for the unit above. Of course for those that need a silent low power hard drive, this SSD is for you.

Pros
- Shock Proof
- Low Power Consumption
- Silent
- Runs Cool

Cons
- Speed doesnt show against larger drives
- Expensive

Thanks to Tommy of E-Devices for getting me the Drive.

ReDRaiN
06-08-2008, 07:49 AM
really good review=)

Regards!

4Qman
06-08-2008, 10:29 AM
great review

Kain
06-08-2008, 11:20 AM
Good.
Still 24GB is a little bit small for OS, but maybe for 40 GB, I would take one.
SO, lets wait for the price to drop, because you can buy 1TB HD or more with that price.

Great Review bro.

Onepagebook
06-08-2008, 05:45 PM
yo bro, nice stuff, you should get two of this and compare..
you will hate SSD :D

http://xs127.xs.to/xs127/08222/wd_3000glfs_2535.jpg

PP
06-08-2008, 05:50 PM
Nice to know you are back bro, good work :)

lolhalol
06-08-2008, 08:32 PM
yo bro, nice stuff, you should get two of this and compare..
you will hate SSD :D

http://xs127.xs.to/xs127/08222/wd_3000glfs_2535.jpg


i know... i have sent WD an email but they have not responded.... :( any one can help me out here?

lolhalol
06-10-2008, 10:47 PM
Good.
Still 24GB is a little bit small for OS, but maybe for 40 GB, I would take one.
SO, lets wait for the price to drop, because you can buy 1TB HD or more with that price.

Great Review bro.

yeah man... im using it in my laptop now as a super 24gb page file..lol

lolhalol
06-10-2008, 10:47 PM
Nice to know you are back bro, good work :)

haha thx mate.. its good to be back