TRIM Performance:
While SSD's offer many benefits, there are some downsides to using flash memory. One of the biggest issues people run into is performance degradation. Over time, an SSD will run out of fresh blocks and will have to write over data the file system has marked as deleted. This procedure is very complicated and can slow an SSD's write speeds considerably.
To fix this problem, most manufacturers have added TRIM support to their SSDs. The TRIM command allows an operating system, such as Windows 7, to tell an SSD which data blocks are no longer in use. Using this information, the drive pro-actively erases these blocks and adds them to the free block pool.
To test the Trion 150's TRIM and garbage collection functions, I first put the drive in a "dirty" state. I used Iometer to fill the entire drive and then ran a random write test for 30 minutes. Looking at the screenshot below, you can see that the Trion 150's average read and write speeds dropped to 165.7 MB/s and 102.4 MB/s, respectively.
OCZ Trion 150 - Dirty
I let the computer sit for about 30 minutes and then reran the test. The drive's average write speed jumped up to 392.1 MB/s. However, its read speed lagged behind, averaging out at only 137.9 MB/s.
OCZ Trion 150 - After TRIM
Lastly, I used OCZ's SSD Guru software to perform a secure erase on the Trion 150. With the drive wiped clean, it had average read and write speeds of 391.5 MB/s and 287.2 MB/s, respectively.
OCZ Trion 150 - Secure Erased
Final Thoughts:
While not OCZ's fastest or most feature packed SSD, the Trion 150 is an easy and affordable way for consumers to improve the performance of their existing desktop or notebook computer. The Trion 150 combines Toshiba's TC58 controller with their new 15nm TLC NAND to provide a superior computing experience, enabling increased multitasking and productivity over traditional hard drives. In our sequential read and write tests, the 480GB version of the drive was able to read at speeds as high as 565 MB/s and write at speeds in excess of 538 MB/s. It also had no problems holding its own when doing random reads, but lagged behind other drives in our random write tests, producing a little more than 39,000 IOPS at low queue depths.
Like most TLC-based SSDs, the Trion 150 does have its limitations. To compensate for the slow write speeds typically associated with this type of NAND, the drive employs a form of SLC caching. With this cache, the Trion 150 is able to maintain peak performance under normal workloads. However, once a consecutive write operation exceeds the size of the cache, the drive's write speed drops to non-accelerated levels. Thankfully, the Trion 150's performance doesn't drop nearly as much as other TLC-based SSDs. With its ability to bypass the cache and write directly to the TLC NAND, the drive is nearly twice as fast as the Trion 100 when doing sustained sequential writes.
The Trion 150 is available now in 120GB, 240GB, 480GB and 960GB capacities. Prices on Amazon currently range from $62 up to $223, with the 480GB version reviewed here going for about $118.
Highs:
- Available in 120GB, 240GB, 480GB and 960GB capacities
- Good sequential read and write speeds under most conditions
- Performs equally well with compressible and incompressible data
- SATA 6Gb/s interface
- Supports TRIM and idle background garbage collection
- Ultra-slim form factor
- Direct-to-die write method doubles sustained sequential write speed
- Works with OCZ's SSD Guru software
- Supports DEVSLP
- Reasonably priced
- 3 year ShieldPlus warranty
Lows:
- Mediocre random write performance
- Write speed drops when SLC cache is full
- Does not support hardware based encryption
