Product Review – SanDisk Ultra Plus Solid State Drive

The Solid State Drives (SSDs) have for quite some time been in application for their modern technological superiority advanced data storage mechanism. Almost all storage media manufacturers have introduced their versions of SSDs bringing in their touch. The trends of data storage technology have brought in many low cost, highly reliable storage devices. The prices of SSDs have gone remarkably down compared to what they were when launched. You can find variations in the data storage capability as well. There are new entrants in the market offering entry level, low space SSDs with reasonable price; however, not at all lagging behind in performance with their higher end counter parts.

You can also find hybrid drives comprising features of both hard disk drives and solid state drives, which perfectly synchronize to give the robustness of traditional HDDs and speed and reliability of modern SSDs.

Here is one from SanDisk, a giant in the non-volatile memory industry, and makers of storage devices and memory cards, almost more than two and a half decade. The SSD type developed and marketed by SanDisk is under the brand name ‘SanDisk Ultra Plus Solid State Drive’.

Here is an extensive review of the SanDisk Ultra Plus Solid State Drive. SanDisk has introduced three variants of the Ultra Plus series of SSDs in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacity.

 

Product Technical Specification

Drive Capacities	Available in three different drive capacities – 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB
Interface	SATA Revision 3.0 (6 Gbit/s)
Dimensions	0.28 in. x 2.75 in. x 3.95 in. (7.0 mm x 69.85 mm x 100.5 mm)
Operating Temperature	-32ºF to 158ºF (0ºC to 70 ºC)
Storage Temperature	-67ºF to 203ºF (-55ºC to 85ºC)
Shock Resistant	Up to 1500 G @ 0.5 m/sec
Vibration (Operating/Non-operating)	5 gRMS, 10-2000 Hz / 4.9 gRMS, 7-800Hz
Active Power Consumption	0.12w
Support	Three-Year limited warranty

 

These are the overall technical specifications of the drives. If we talk about the performance in terms of sequential read/write and the MTBF (Mean time between failures), here is the detailed statics of the same.

 

Performance	64 GB	128 GB	256 GB
Sequential Read (up to)	520 MB/s	530 MB/s	530 MB/s
Sequential Write (up to)	155 MB/s	290 MB/s	445 MB/s
Random Read (up to)	76K IOPS	80K IOPS	82K IOPS
Random Write (up to)	29K IOPS	33K IOPS	39K IOPS
MTBF	2.0M hrs	2.0M hrs	2.0M hrs

Detailed Product Overview

SanDisk Ultra Plus Solid State Drive is undoubtedly packed with superb features and specifications. Here are some of the remarkable ones.

Main Software Features

• SanDisk’s proprietary ‘nCache Technology’ – Gives increased performance through consistently high data transfer speeds and thermal throttling
• Increased reliability and durability
• faster Boot and Application load time – Increased Performance
• Fast Read & Write speed
• Durable & Futuristic SSD design
• Extremely portable
• Power Consumption & Cooling Efficiency
• Improved controller design
• Ideal for multimedia applications, such as photo editing

The Internal

Based on the Marvell SS889175 controller, which is supposed to be not designed for consumer SSDs. In fact, the controller in use is a simplified version of the Marvell SS889187 controller. The key to using the SS889175 controller is that it is much for mobile applications and do not require high performance. SanDisk has integrated the controller with its eX2 ABL MLC NAND flash memory, which is built on 19nm tech process

 

  

 

Fast Data Speed – Ensures Upgraded Computer Performance

All the three variants of the SanDisk Ultra Plus SSDs have consistently high read speeds, which are good for older, slower PCs and laptops to boost up the speed. The 64 GB variant gives read speed up to 520 MBps while the other two give up to 530 MBps of read speed. So, what does it mean? You are sure to experience much faster operating system boot up, instant program loading, and enhanced response times for all multimedia applications, which require intensive memory.

A Reliable Design – That Expands System’s Lifespan

The secret to such an unimaginably great lifespan is a reliable solid state architecture, which is based on MTBF (Mean-Time-Before-Failure) of up to two million hours. Practically there are no mechanical parts; hence, there is no wear down and break. This enables to store data much more reliably than a traditional HDD. Other addition to the SSD is the capability to withstand shock.

Cooler & Quieter Operation – Low Power Consumption Makes it Possible

Compared to any traditional hard disk drives, the SanDisk Ultra Plus SSDs consume much less power. It also produces lesser heat. As power consumption and noise production reduce, the burden on the power supply system and cooling system automatically decreases, improving the overall performance of the computer. It means, low noise, low heat, and smoother running of applications.

Good Storage Capacity

The solid state drive is available in three different storage variants – 265 GB, 128 GB, and 64 GB, suitable for your various needs. Enough to accommodate a range of applications, including the operating system, and your important data for back up, the drives are perfect as your daily data traveler.

How to Select a SanDisk SSD Drive for Your Computer

SanDisk Ultra Plus SSDs is available only in 2.5″ SATA form factor. SanDisk  has not revealed a list of the laptop manufacturer models that support the 2.5″ SATA form factor. You can easily check the current hard disk installed to your laptop or desktop. Follow the steps below to do so.

1. Check for whether your computer uses a SATA or a PATA interface
2. Find our computer uses a 2.5″ or a 1.8″ form factor size

Installing the new SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD to your Desktop or Laptop

Installing the new SanDik SSD to your laptop or desktop is an easy and hassle-free task. It hardly takes few sequential steps to complete the installation. You need to refer to the detailed installation guide from the product website (http://mp3support.sandisk.com/downloads/um/ssd-install-guide.pdf).

Replacing the hard disk drive consists of three easy steps:

1. Connecting the SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD to your computer
2. Cloning the existing data to the new SSD
3. Uninstalling the HDD and replacing it with the new SDD

 

Pros:

• Good data read/write speed in an initial category SSD
• Very good Mean time between failures
• Great Operating & Storage temperature
• Great for photo editors and other multimedia applications

Cons:

• Low in Storage – Storage capacity cannot be called outstanding, while we have more than 1 TB of SSD from Seagate & Samsung available in the market
• Competitively priced; however, the price is higher than most of the brands with similar storage capacity, leaving only few

Conclusion

This is a competitively perfect entry level SSD. What is unusual about SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD is the quad-channel Marvell SS889175 controller, which was a good choice to use this mobile controller in an entry level SSD for speed and performance. You can easily compare it with the Plextor M5S, OCZ Vertex 4, and Corsair Neutron for performance. With a 3 year warranty you can also depend on it’s lifespan which can be a concern for SSD drives overall as they can have a shorter lifespan than HDD drives.

In My View:

We have many 256 GB SSDs from many manufacturers in the market. Right; so what is new with the SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD?

In my viewpoint, the new controller chip, in association with the MLC NAND flash memory, is something innovative. Its availability in the lower storage segment (64GB, 128GB, and 256GB) makes it an easy pick as daily data traveler. The size (7.0 mm x 69.85 mm x 100.5 mm) of the SSD makes it extremely portable.

Concludes my review about the SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD.

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