OCZ Z-Drive R4 CM88 (1.6TB PCIe SSD) Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on September 27, 2011 2:02 PM EST- Posted in
- Storage
- SSDs
- OCZ
- Z-Drive R4
- PCIe SSD
Final Words
Without competing cards to compare to it's difficult to quantify the Z-Drive R4's performance other than to say that it is obviously very fast. With SandForce based SSDs however my concern is rarely about performance and more about reliability. I've often heard that in the enterprise world SSDs just aren't used unless the data is on a live mechanical disk backup somewhere. Players in the enterprise space just don't seem to have the confidence in SSDs yet. Given the teething problems we've seen on the desktop, I don't blame these customers at all.
Ultimately that's my biggest concern with the Z-Drive R4: it seems to be a very solid performer, but it has an absolutely unknown reliability track record. It's possible that by using an on-board SAS controller the Z-Drive R4 will be less prone to random system incompatibilities and a more reliable solution since it is effectively a closed box at that point. That's purely speculation however.
I am curious how OCZ will approach enterprise customers and attempt to win over their trust with the Z-Drive R4. You obviously won't see any Newegg reviews of the product, so OCZ will have to get testimonials from some pretty influential customers to gain traction in this space.
Seriously entering the enterprise market is a huge move for OCZ. Three years ago I couldn't have predicted OCZ would get this far, I wonder what will happen over the next three. One thing is for sure: OCZ will need more than enterprise products to adequately address this market. Hopefully any investments in testing and validation for enterprise customers will help improve the consumer side of the business as well.
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squashmeister99 - Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - link
You teased us with your video reviews. Now we cant go back... :-)G-Man - Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - link
I miss the video reviews already :-)vol7ron - Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - link
hahaha. they are a good addition aren't they?Rasterman - Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - link
Comparing a single Vertex 3 240GB to a 1.6TB doesn't seem quite valid. Someone considering the R4 would be asking what is the performance difference between the R4 and 4 to 16 Vertex 3s in RAID 0. Especially considering the massive cost savings per GB using the Vertex 3s.MrBungle123 - Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - link
I'd like to see some RAID 5/6/10 arrays of 15K RPM SCSI drives in the benchmarks too.marraco - Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - link
No. I don't want video reviews, unless they have English subtitles.SilthDraeth - Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - link
I have trouble hearing and use subs for all my movies, yet Anand speaks quite clearly, and I have no trouble understanding him.Also, he posts the video review in conjunction with the written review, and not as a stand alone feature, so you really don't need it subtitled. So you would still get to enjoy the reviews as you always have.
Lonbjerg - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
You can write english but not understand it when it's spoken? *shakes head*connor4312 - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
I'm guessing you never learned a second language?arthur449 - Wednesday, September 28, 2011 - link
Not all information provided is specifically relevant to everyone's interests in a review of a product. Similarly, information provided in a video review follows a linear arbitrary organizational structure that cannot possibly align with everyone's preferred method of learning. Also, it's easier to skim / search / quote / share a text-based review.