Plextor M2 Series 128GB SATA 6Gbps Marvell SSD Review

Plextor 128GB M2 Series SSD Introduction

Plextor is probably best known for their optical drives so it may come as a surprise to some that they also offer SSDs in their product line. Their most recent line is the M2 series which features a Marvell controller and a 6Gbps interface. We’ve got our hands on the 128GB version and we’ll see how it stacks up against the other drives we have tested.

At first blush, the specifications for read and write, 420 MB/s and 210 MB/s respectively, don’t seem all that amazing compared to the newest SandForce drives emerging that hit above 500 MB/s on both fronts. However, as we have seen with SandForce controllers, they rely on data compression to boost speed so depending on the type of data being transferred, the data rate may vary dramatically. The benchmarks will paint this picture a little better.

Plextor’s Marvell controller seems to be on a more even keel with speeds remaining relatively consistent regardless of the data type. This is an important factor and why you shouldn’t rely on max throughput specifications alone. With three capacities to choose from – 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB, there is a size to fit just about everyone’s needs. The prices on these range from $179.99, $279.99 and $599.99 respectively and all carry a three year warranty.

Performance:
Model	PX-64M2S	PX-128M2S	PX-256M2S
Capacity	64 GB	128 GB	256 GB
Sequential Read (MB/S)	370	420	480
Sequential Write (MB/S)	110	210	310
Sequential Read (IOPS 4K)	15,000	15,000	15,000
Sequential Write (IOPS 4K)	6000	9000	9000
General Specifications:
Buffer		128MB DDR3 Cache
Power Consumption (Typical)		0.25W (Idle); 0.75W (Active)
Temperature (Operating)		32 F to 158 F (0 C to 70 C)
Temperature (Non-operating)		-40F to 185 F (-40 C to 85 C)
Shock		1,500G/0.5 ms
Vibration (Operating)		7~800Hz, 2.17G (RMS)
MTBF		1.5 million hour
Warranty		3 Year
Form Factor and Connectors:
Form Factor		2.5-inch
Power Connector		15-pin SATA connector for DC 5V input
Data Connector		7-pin SATA connector
Dimensions and Weight:
Dimensions (W x H x D)		2.75 x 0.3 x 4.0 inch
Weight		1.94 ~ 3.53 oz

Included in the box is a quick installation guide, a warranty sheet and an disc containing the Acronis True Image imaging software for use in transferring your current installation over to the Plextor drive. Before you do, just make sure it is aligned properly for best SSD performance or you’ll see a degradation in performance.

The concludes the introduction so now let’s have a look inside.