Conclusions
Contents
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, it is important to keep in mind that the Intel SSD 750 Series 1.2 TiB and the Kingston HyperX Predator 480 GiB are not direct competitors. Even while both of them use a PCI Express x4 interface, they have very different prices, and distinct capacities. The SSD 750 Series 400 GiB could be considered a competitor to the Kingston model, but its performance, according to Intel, is lower than the 1.2 TiB model’s. Unfortunately, we had no access to the 400 GiB model.
Another detail that is different on both models is that, while the Kingston HyperX Predator uses a PCI Express 2.0 x4 bus, the Intel SSD 750 Series uses a PCI Express 3.0 x4 interface. Our tests shown that, while connected to the PCI Express 2.0 x4 slot controlled by the chipset (instead of a slot controlled directly by the processor), the performance of the Intel SSD dropped up to 55%.
This can actually be a problem, if your computer has a limited slot configuration or an SLI or CrossFire array that uses all the PCI Express 3.0 lanes offered by your processor; you may have to choose between reduce the video cards or SSD performance.
A point that is very clear in our tests is that both the units tested had similar performances with both compressible and not compressible data, which is compatible with high-end units.
Another interesting detail is that the SSD 750 Series was not limited by the PCI Express 2.0 x4 maximum theoretical bandwidth of 2 GB/s. So, it could perform faster than this limit when installed at the correct slot.
Our most important (and quite obvious) conclusion of our tests is that the Intel SSD 750 Series 1.2 TiB is a device with incredible performance. It is also obvious that it only reaches all its potential when under a heavy workload; it seems to be because it was originally designed for enterprise and server applications. So, in situations where very high performance storage can improve a professional activity, it is an excellent choice.
The most important question that can remain unanswered is if is this SSD is a good choice for the home, enthusiast, or gamer user. In most of the cases, the answer is no, because of its high price. Actually, you can build a whole gamer computer with the bucks you will invest on this SSD. However, if you are very rich and want to build the most powerful possible system, the Intel SSD 750 Series 1.2 TiB is an excellent choice.