For comparison’s sake, we did the following tests on Acer TravelMate TM6592 series laptops with a fresh install of Windows 7 Enterprise x64 OS. Both laptops have the same CPU and RAM configuration as well as BIOS version.
This TM6592 is using the factory installed 250GB Western Digital WD2500BEVS SATA hard disk:
C:\Windows\system32>winsat disk
Windows System Assessment Tool
> Running: Feature Enumeration ''
> Run Time 00:00:00.00
> Running: Storage Assessment '-seq -read -n 0'
> Run Time 00:00:15.74
> Running: Storage Assessment '-ran -read -n 0'
> Run Time 00:00:13.56
> Running: Storage Assessment '-scen 2009 -drive C:'
> Run Time 00:01:26.55
> Running: Storage Assessment '-seq -write -drive C:'
> Run Time 00:00:13.29
> Running: Storage Assessment '-flush -drive C: -seq'
> Run Time 00:00:08.55
> Running: Storage Assessment '-flush -drive C: -ran'
> Run Time 00:00:13.01
> Running: Storage Assessment '-hybrid -ran -read -n 0 -ransize 4096'
NV Cache not present.
> Run Time 00:00:00.09
> Running: Storage Assessment '-hybrid -ran -read -n 0 -ransize 16384'
NV Cache not present.
> Run Time 00:00:00.05
> Disk Sequential 64.0 Read 44.80 MB/s 5.2
> Disk Random 16.0 Read 1.25 MB/s 3.5
> Responsiveness: Average IO Rate 5.79 ms/IO 5.1
> Responsiveness: Grouped IOs 13.61 units 6.3
> Responsiveness: Long IOs 21.19 units 6.1
> Responsiveness: Overall 288.42 units 6.0
> Responsiveness: PenaltyFactor 0.0
> Disk Sequential 64.0 Write 54.38 MB/s 5.5
> Average Read Time with Sequential Writes 7.824 ms 5.1
> Latency: 95th Percentile 15.855 ms 4.9
> Latency: Maximum 40.617 ms 7.9
> Average Read Time with Random Writes 8.321 ms 4.9
> Total Run Time 00:02:32.26
This TM6592 is using a second generation Intel X25-M 160GB SSD:
C:\>winsat disk
Windows System Assessment Tool
> Running: Feature Enumeration ''
> Run Time 00:00:00.00
> Running: Storage Assessment '-seq -read -n 0'
> Run Time 00:00:04.41
> Running: Storage Assessment '-ran -read -n 0'
> Run Time 00:00:00.36
> Running: Storage Assessment '-scen 2009 -drive C:'
> Run Time 00:01:20.96
> Running: Storage Assessment '-seq -write -drive C:'
> Run Time 00:00:07.86
> Running: Storage Assessment '-flush -drive C: -seq'
> Run Time 00:00:01.19
> Running: Storage Assessment '-flush -drive C: -ran'
> Run Time 00:00:01.19
> Running: Storage Assessment '-hybrid -ran -read -n 0 -ransize 4096'
NV Cache not present.
> Run Time 00:00:00.00
> Running: Storage Assessment '-hybrid -ran -read -n 0 -ransize 16384'
NV Cache not present.
> Run Time 00:00:00.00
> Disk Sequential 64.0 Read 263.91 MB/s 7.6
> Disk Random 16.0 Read 243.05 MB/s 7.9
> Responsiveness: Average IO Rate 4.29 ms/IO 5.7
> Responsiveness: Grouped IOs 16.37 units 4.6
> Responsiveness: Long IOs 100.06 units 1.9
> Responsiveness: Overall 1638.23 units 1.9
> Responsiveness: PenaltyFactor 1.0
> Disk Sequential 64.0 Write 99.40 MB/s 6.5
> Average Read Time with Sequential Writes 0.427 ms 7.9
> Latency: 95th Percentile 1.671 ms 7.9
> Latency: Maximum 2.033 ms 7.9
> Average Read Time with Random Writes 0.489 ms 7.9
> Total Run Time 00:01:36.63
By the numbers:
- 250GB SATA drive:
- Disk Sequential 64.0 Read 44.80 MB/s 5.2
- Disk Random 16.0 Read 1.25 MB/s 3.5
- Disk Sequential 64.0 Write 54.38 MB/s 5.5
- Total Run Time 00:02:32.26
- 160GB SSD drive:
- Disk Sequential 64.0 Read 263.91 MB/s 7.6
- Disk Random 16.0 Read 243.05 MB/s 7.9
- Disk Sequential 64.0 Write 99.40 MB/s 6.5
- Total Run Time 00:01:36.63
Given the above numbers, it is not difficult to justify the extra cost of the 160GB SSD to our clients. The performance increase is so _huge_, that they see payback in a matter of weeks.
Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book
*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.
2 comments:
Well like most things this is highly subjective to what you are doing. 95% of my clients would have minimal benefit from such a massive performance boost and definitely not one that would cost around $800AUS. And especially if the average laptops you are purchasing are around $1500AUS. Would be nice to see some overall system benchmarks to see how much system performance has improved on everything else.
Its like putting a turbo on the car but not doing anything else to the engine. Sure its better but its not going to help you much in bumper to bumper traffic you travel in 90% of the time!
Nat,
To some degree you are right.
However, these laptops all have XP Mode on them, and having an SSD underneath it all makes a _huge_ difference in the VM's boot up time and thus access to the virtualized App.
We typically value an employee at $100/Hr. With that value in mind, saving them five minutes a day adds up very quickly. Almost two weeks is $100 in time savings. So, twelve weeks later, the drive is paid for.
BTW, boot times are hugely affected, as are resume from standby and hibernation. Any time savings makes a difference in a user's productivity. That Turbo comes in hand for those onramps! :)
Philip
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