Corsair Force LX 256GB SSD Review

Test System and Test Methodology

Before taking a look at how the Corsair Force LX SSD performs, let’s take a look at the test system and the other SSD’s that will be tested against the latest Corsair SSD. For reference, all testing was done on a clean install of Windows 8.1 64-bit with the latest updates, other than the benchmarks being used, nothing else was tested. The OS and benchmarks were loaded on an Intel 520 series 180GB SSD, and between each test the test drive was cleaned to provide an optimal environment for the tests.

Intel Z77/LGA1155 Platform

Intel LGA 1155 Test Platform
Component	Brand/Model	Live Pricing
Processor	Intel i5-3570K	Click Here
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z77X-UP5 TH	Click Here
Memory	Kingston HyperX KHX1866C9D3K4 16GB	Click Here
OS Drive	Intel 520 180GB	Click Here
Power Supply	Thermaltake M850W	Click Here
Operating System	Windows 8.1 64-bit	Click Here

Comparison Drives Tested

The number of SSD’s being manufactured is always increasing, in addition there are multiple controllers used in the various SSD’s. The controller used on the SSD can have a major impact in the performance of the SSD. While only a few SSD’s were available to compare the Corsair Force LX to, these should provide a good comparison of how the Force LX performs.

SSD Model	Controller	Live Pricing
Intel 520 180GB	SandForce SF-2200 (SF-2281)	Click Here
OCZ Vertex 4 256GB	Indilinx Everest 2	Click Here
Samsung EVO 750GB	MEX S4LN045X01	Click Here

CrystalDiskInfo shows that the Force LX 256GB SSD is running firmware version N0307A. In addition, it also validates the standard SSD features, SMART, AAM, NCQ and TRIM.