Intel X25M 80 GB SATA SSD

seekermeister · 08 Feb 2010

This may well be an OEM, but it doesn't say so. According to the Intel website, there is a version that includes an installation kit, and another that doesn't, but they don't use the terms OEM, bulk, etc. I have plenty of SATA cables, and the adapter is only ~$5, so that isn't a factor.

The thing that I'm looking at now is the warranty, because I found a similar model that only has a 3 year warranty. This seems low, since I have seen some SSDs with a 10 year warranty (or was that flash drives...don't remember?). I'm also looking for a benchmark on the drive.

fseal · 08 Feb 2010

3 year is the standard intel consumer warrenty for these drives. It is low but that's what it is :)

pparks1 · 08 Feb 2010

The Patriot drives are the SSD's which carry a 10 year warranty. I believe the Intel drives carry a 3 year warranty...which is the same as most Western Digital hard drives....with the exception of the Caviar Black and Raptor line which I believe carries 5.

As far as benchmarks go, the Intel won't have the most impressive sequential write performance...it will be in the 70MB/s range while other drives might be around 200MB/s. However, where the Intel shines is with random I/O writes...which is what your OS does most of the time...thus the typical overall benchmark of the Intel drive scores higher than the other drives with the higher sequential write speeds.

I wasn't concerned with sequential write when I got my Intel drives...as my large files which are sequentially written go to my storage drive.

seekermeister · 08 Feb 2010

To add to my confusion, when I Google the model number, I find a black drive with a paper label, but the picture of this one is a silver case with the Intel logo printed on the case. The black one is generally more than twice the price, so I'm still trying to sort out the facts.

pparks1 · 08 Feb 2010

The black model is usually the first generation and the straight up silver one is the second generation.

The model number of the 2nd gen is SSDSA2M160G2R5 or SSDSA2M080G2R5. The R part designates retail. The same thing with a C is OEM.

seekermeister · 08 Feb 2010

It doesn't make sense that the generation 1 drive is more expensive than the generation 2. However, the model number of this one is SSDSA2MH080G2C1, so I guess that it is OEM, but would that account for such a price difference? Outside of the instalation kit, is there something else about an OEM in this case, that would make it inferior?

pparks1 · 08 Feb 2010

When I purchased my Intel X25-M G2 80GB awhile back, I went with the OEM myself. I didn't need the cable either, nor the install bracket. For me, the OEM was about $20 less than the retail version. It's not simply that this is the OEM version that makes all that difference in the price.

And first generations are more expensive because
1). There are less on the market
2). People try to sell them used for a profit and take advantage of people who don't know any better.

This is where I got my Intel drive
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/Departments.asp?DPID=HD-SSD&PID=&parent=2^49

As you can see, the retail is $299 and the OEM is $269. That is what I expect.

seekermeister · 08 Feb 2010

There must still be something that I'm not seeing. There was no mention of the drive being refurbished, or anything like that, so I'm going to have to send a message to the seller for an explanation.

pparks1 · 08 Feb 2010

seekermeister said:

There must still be something that I'm not seeing. There was no mention of the drive being refurbished, or anything like that, so I'm going to have to send a message to the seller for an explanation.

What is the link that you are looking it? There has to be something fishy going on here...nobody sells this drive this cheap.

seekermeister · 08 Feb 2010

Ahh! I found why, I was thinking that these are Buy It Now, but they are auctions. There is still a couple of days left on the one closing soonest, so the price will surely rise.