Crucial M4 256GB SATA 3 SSD

[SmogHog]

CRUCIAL M4 CHARACTERISTICS

The Crucial M4 SATA 3 SSD comes in capacities of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB, different levels of performance specified for all but the two top capacities. While all capacities are capable of 415MB/s high sequential read disk access with 40,000 IOPS, the 64Gb has a high sequential write performance of 95MB/s with 20,000 IOPS, 128GB at 175MB/s with 35,000 IOPS and the 256/512GB capacity tops out 260MB/s with 50,000 IOPS, all at 4k random write disk access.

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A quick look inside the Crucial M4 256GB SSD shows us Marvells latest offering in the 88SS9174-BLD2 processor as well as 8 chips of Micron 25nm NAND flash memory (29F128G08CFAAB) on either side of the circuit board. Each chip has a capacity of 16GB allowing for a total RAW capacity of 256GB before formatting. A quick format leaves a total available capacity of 238GB for the end user. There is also a Micron DRAM chip of 256MB for all capacities except for the 64GB version which retains the original 128MB DRAM cache.

http://thessdreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Front1-300x200.jpg (http://thessdreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Front1.jpg)http://thessdreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Back1-300x200.jpg (http://thessdreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Back1.jpg)



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http://thessdreview.com/our-reviews/crucial-m4-256gb-sata-3-ssd-review-%E2%80%93-unexpected-performance-in-a-small-package/ (http://thessdreview.com/our-reviews/crucial-m4-256gb-sata-3-ssd-review-%E2%80%93-unexpected-performance-in-a-small-package/)

[DRY_ICE]

I've got the C300, and while it's a nice step up, I was kind of hoping to see a little more. Pretty sweet either way though.

[theMethod]

Any estimates on how much the 512 gig one would cost? If all goes as planned, then I'm going to buy a 8150-S1 with that SSD in July.

(Of course, I'll have to buy the SSD separately cause Sager only ships Intel ones).

[SmogHog]

Techreport has a Crucial M4 review up and is stating the M4 SSDs will not be available until April 26th.

http://techreport.com/articles.x/20646/1

[SmogHog]

Superbiz has Micron branded C400 SSDs in stock.

http://www.superbiiz.com/query.php?categry=0&s=c400

Crucial branded M4 SSDs have a launch date of April 26,2011

Also see:
http://www.forum.crucial.com/t5/Solid-State-Drives-SSD/Crucial-M4-aka-C400-ETA/td-p/33612/page/2

[SmogHog]

HardwareHeaven has posted their review of the Crucial M4(C400)SSD

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1143/pg1/crucial-m4-256gb-ssd-c400-review-introduction.html

[scar]

It seems the Vertex 3 trumps this SSD as well. To the guy that said Sager only ships Intel SSDs, just wait until the M4 and the Vertex 3 are available, and they will be there.

[SmogHog]

Today is April 26,the Crucial M4 SSD release date but I don't see them offered for sale.

Even newegg has no listing today for the M4 but Vertex 3 seems to be in stock.

[the1laf]

Over at netbookreview forums, they're really trashing the Vertex 3, placing them in order of best to worst: M4, Intel 510, V3....

Are predicting better reliability from the M4? What am I missing?
The V3 is blowing the doors off the competition for speed right now.

[RCB]

The last 3 days of OCZ trading in the stock has seen its most volatility in a year. Wonder what's up if they're bashing it on NBR.

Edit: Link added http://seekingalpha.com/article/264535-bears-slam-ocz-after-fraud-allegation

Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-21/ocz-technology-plunges-after-reports-of-ceo-s-criminal-record.html?cmpid=yhoo

[SmogHog]

This does not change the fact that the Vertex 3 beats the M4 and 510 hands down in all the independent reviews.

The Vertex 3 are what I'm buying.

[RCB]

This does not change the fact that the Vertex 3 beats the M4 and 510 hands down in all the independent reviews.

The Vertex 3 are what I'm buying.



Yeah the dust will settle soon enough. Corporate warfare. Somewhere someone did not like their success and the timing shows.
All the top LCD makers were fined not to long ago for colluding to fix prices.

[the1laf]

Smog, Thanks for confirming, on the other site they're really sour when I posted my computer specs.... :wideeyed:
Throw a 2720 in there and I'll really be lighting the afterburner and melting them down. :laugh:

[theMethod]

To the guy that said Sager only ships Intel SSDs, just wait until the M4 and the Vertex 3 are available, and they will be there.

I would love it if that happens, but Vertex 3 is out and available as an upgrade on other manufaturers' laptops except Sager.

[scar]

True, however, you can have Xotic install other SSDs in your Sager if you ask. They will charge you an extra $60.

[SmogHog]

April 26,2011

Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the immediate availability of Crucial m4 solid-state drives in capacities ranging from 64GB to 512GB. Designed for both business customers and general consumers, the Crucial m4 SSD product line incorporates Micron’s industry-leading 25-nanometer (nm) NAND flash technology in a 2.5″ form factor. Like its Crucial RealSSD C300 predecessor, the Crucial m4 also supports the SATA 6Gb/s interface, opening up the data path between the host processor and the SSD, and resulting in improved overall system responsiveness, including faster boot times and application loads.

The new Crucial m4 SSD reaches read speeds of up to 415 MB/second, a 17 percent increase over its predecessor. Likewise, write speeds on the new 512GB capacity have demonstrated increases up to 260MB/s, a 20 percent boost over the fastest C300 drive1. Ideal for client computing, Crucial m4 SSD products provide benefits for notebooks, desktops, workstations, and industrial applications, including low power consumption, lightweight construction, and resistance to shock and vibration.

“The new Crucial m4 SSD builds on the enormous success of its predecessor, the Crucial RealSSD C300. As a subsidiary of Micron Technology, we’re in the unique position of leveraging Micron’s NAND development and manufacturing expertise for our Crucial branded SSDs,” said Robert Wheadon, worldwide senior product manager. “These next-generation m4 SSDs offer customers higher capacities and even greater performance at affordable prices.”

Competitively priced at US$129.99 for a 64GB SSD; US$249.99 for a 128GB SSD; US$499.99 for a 256GB SSD; and US$999.99 for a 512GB SSD, the Crucial m4 SSD product line is backed by a three-year warranty and available now at www.crucial.com/ssd, or through leading channel partners worldwide.

Next-generation Crucial m4 SSD – the successor to the award-winning Crucial RealSSD C300 – is now available worldwide.
Ideal for business customers and general consumers, the Crucial m4 incorporates Micron
Technology’s 25nm NAND flash design and innovations.
Capacities range from 64GB to 512GB in a 2.5″ form factor.
Supports SATA 6Gb/s interface, and achieves read speeds up to 415MB/second and write speeds up to 260MB/s.

[SmogHog]

Newegg now has the Crucial M4 SSD in 4 flavors,64GB,128GB,@56GB and 512GB in stock.

[singleshot71]

I want one, but I'm not going to give an arm and 2 legs just so my puter will boot in under 20 seconds.
I've got nothing but time......

[SmogHog]

I want one, but I'm not going to give an arm and 2 legs just so my puter will boot in under 20 seconds.
I've got nothing but time......

The next best thing may be a Z68 motherboard and a "Larson's Creek" 310 series 20gb SSD

Also these small PCI-e card SSDs should fit in the full height card slot in many notebooks.The wireless cards occupy the half height card slot in new notebooks.

More info:

http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?p=63060#post63060

http://www.xoticpcforums.com/showthread.php?t=10322

[Maverick494]

PCI-E 120GB SSD (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=PCI-E+SSD&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1900&bih=968&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=10856285421498417927&sa=X&ei=h6nETYblPIGisAP9n6m8AQ&ved=0CHYQ8wIwAQ#)

might work as a boot / windows drive with a few programs on it.

if you are looking for a laptop version that might work

Mini PCI-E 64GB SSD (http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=FPM64GLSE&src=FR&pid=5e6f23dd7946ddbea4ce50120df3b9ad9061b3a1a0178f ccb9a2b939e3d961a2)

Mini PCI-E 32GB SSD (http://www.amazon.com/Super-Talent-2PCI-SATA2-FPM32GLSE/dp/tags-on-product/B002EJ3HQO)

eventually, once I have some free cash flow I plan to upgrade my 8130 with a 6970M, power brick and if it has a full size Mini PCI-E slot I am going to try out one of those.

[Anomander]

eventually, once I have some free cash flow I plan to upgrade my 8130 with a 6970M, power brick and if it has a full size Mini PCI-E slot I am going to try out one of those.
What does the 6970M plus the power brick cost?

[SmogHog]

What does the 6970M plus the power brick cost?

The GTX460M heatsink may be another part that would need replacement with one for a NP8150 w/6970M if the existing heatsink can't be made to fit.

If it were me I'd probably keep it as is and sell it when or right before Ivy Bridge models are available early next year.

[Anomander]

The GTX460M heatsink may be another part that would need replacement with one for a NP8150 w/6970M if the existing heatsink can't be made to fit.

If it were me I'd probably keep it as is and sell it when or right before Ivy Bridge models are available early next year.
Oh it's just idle speculation on my end. Really not planning on upgrading this laptop anytime soon. My 55A2000 TV finally got bad enough that I had to pull down my 46" replacement set and use that for my Home Entertainment addiction. The size difference is not making me happy by any means and I am probably going to try and get a new TV in the next year. I have been eying this set as my next one.
LG 55LW5600 (http://www.lg.com/us/tv-audio-video/televisions/LG-led-tv-55LW5600.jsp)
The fact that it is a passive 3D set I like especially since it comes with 4 sets of glasses and if I need more they are very cheap to buy. The picture Quality looked good and the 3D was jaw dropping from the Demo I saw at the store.

[SmogHog]

Oh it's just idle speculation on my end. Really not planning on upgrading this laptop anytime soon. My 55A2000 TV finally got bad enough that I had to pull down my 46" replacement set and use that for my Home Entertainment addiction. The size difference is not making me happy by any means and I am probably going to try and get a new TV in the next year. I have been eying this set as my next one.
LG 55LW5600 (http://www.lg.com/us/tv-audio-video/televisions/LG-led-tv-55LW5600.jsp)
The fact that it is a passive 3D set I like especially since it comes with 4 sets of glasses and if I need more they are very cheap to buy. The picture Quality looked good and the 3D was jaw dropping from the Demo I saw at the store.

Four of the top 5 best selling LED TVs in Korea are LG.
#1 LG 47LW6500 3D Smart TV
#2 LG 47LW5700 3D Smart TV
#3 LG 42LW5700 3D Smart TV
#4 LG 42LW6500 3D Smart TV
#5 SS UN40D7000LF 3D Smart TV

#6 and #7 are LG while #8,#9 and #10 are Samsung

[Anomander]

Four of the top 5 best selling LED TVs in Korea are LG.
#1 LG 47LW6500 3D Smart TV
#2 LG 47LW5700 3D Smart TV
#3 LG 42LW5700 3D Smart TV
#4 LG 42LW6500 3D Smart TV
#5 SS UN40D7000LF 3D Smart TV

#6 and #7 are LG while #8,#9 and #10 are Samsung
I'm not getting a Sony any time soon. After going through 2 Sony TVs in 5 years I have lost confidence in their quality control system. I can't prove it, but from what I have read on different forums it sure seems they knew they had a problem, but did not recall the sets and just let the customers deal with problem as it came up.