Using an SSD (solid state drive) instead of a hard disk drive, at least as a primary unit to install the operating system and the most used programs and games, is the best option to build a PC with good performance, and the 240/250 GiB drives are getting affordable. We tested a low cost SSD, the SanDisk SSD PLUS of 240 GiB. Let’s see how it performs. The SanDisk SSD PLUS can be found on 120 GiB, 240 GiB, and 480 GiB capacities. The model we tested has 256 GiB total memory, but it is sold as 240 GiB because 16 GiB are reserved for “overprovisioning”. In our tests, we will compare the performance of the SSD PLUS to the Crucial BX100 and the Corsair Neutron XT, both with similar capacity. However, keep in mind that the Neutron XT is not a direct competitor to the reviewed model, since it is a mainstream model, not an entry one like the SSD PLUS. Before proceeding, we highly suggest that you read our “Anatomy of SSD Units” tutorial, which provides all the background information you need to know about SSDs. In the table below, we compared the tested units. All of them use SATA-600 interface and the 2.5” form factor, with 7 mm height.
Prices we researched at Newegg.com on the day this review was published. * This price refers to the BX200 model, which replaced the BX100. In the table below, we compared technical specs of the tested drives.
NVIDIA is launching today a new version of GeForce GTX 260 with 216 processors instead of 192. Let’s see the performance increase this new model brings and how it is compared to other NVIDIA products and competitors.
We tested another CPU cooler from Scythe, Big Shuriken, which has low profile in order to fit SFF cases, 120 mm fan and four copper heatpipes. Check out its performance in this review.
Kingwin has just released a new power supply series with the 80 Plus Bronze certification and modular cabling, dubbed the Power Force. Let’s see how this 850 W model fared on our tests.
We added five new thermal compounds to our previous roundup, for a total of 55 different thermal compounds from major brands. We also tried another alternative thermal compound: Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
Next month, Enermax will release the Ostrog Giant mid-tower case. We had the privilege to receive a sample before its release. Let’s see what this forthcoming case will have to offer.
