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  1. Intel® SSD 520 Series

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Intel® SSD 520 Series

480GB, 2.5in SATA 6Gb/s, 25nm, MLC

Intel® SSD 520 Series

480GB, 2.5in SATA 6Gb/s, 25nm, MLC

Expert reviews (28)

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Expert reviews

5 0
28 Expert reviews
Overall Review Score

The overall review score is calculated from averaging this product's international review scores.

  • 06/07/2013

    Summary

    I am sure no one doubts that second-generation SandForce controllers are perhaps the best platform for modern SSDs in terms of performance. Thanks to on-the-fly data compression algorithms, SandForce-based SSDs with fast flash memory have always deliv...

    xbitlabs.com
  • 09/24/2012

    Summary

    In our real world performance tests, the Intel 520 Series 120GB had mixed results compared to other SandForce models, squeaking past the ADATA SX910 128GB but not quite able to catch the Corsair Force GS 240GB nor the Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB and Sams...

    silentpcreview.com
  • 06/27/2012

    Summary

    Tieing up a 24-page roundup in a few lines isn’t easy, especially as the cost of flash memory is currently dropping, meaning that the price of 120 to 128 GB SSDs is changing almost daily, with some manufacturers responding faster than others. Pricing i...

    Behardware.com
  • 06/12/2012

    Summary

    The new Intel 520 solid state drive (codenamed Cherryville) represents Intel's first collaboration with SandForce (now owned by LSI Corporation). Like many solid state drives targeted at enthusiasts in the consumer market, it pairs the latest SandForc....

    techarp.com
  • 05/31/2012

    Summary

    With stellar storage performance backed by extra care in the development of its controller, the SSD 520 is an easy choice for speed fiends with budget to spare. Read More...

    computershopper.com
    Pros

    Super-fast, Available in a wide variety of capacities, Comprehensive software and accessory bundle

    Cons

    Per-gigabyte cost is a bit high, versus slower drives of same capacity

  • 05/18/2012

    Summary

    Video review................

    channelpronetwork.com
  • 05/06/2012

    Summary

    The next version of Intel’s RST driver is supposed to bring TRIM to our RAID Arrays. This is the Holy Grail for RAID users. The problem now for RAID users is the performance degradation over time. SandForce drives are particularly susceptible to write ...

    rwlabs.com
  • 04/12/2012

    Summary

    You really can't go wrong with the Intel 520 Series drives. Intel has delivered one of the fastest drives amongst its competitors in the performance SSD market, and given the reliability history of the technology giant, we can safely say that Intel is rea...

    wccftech.com
  • 02/27/2012

    Summary

    The 240GB Intel SSD 520 Series is a terrific-performing solid-state drive at a slightly less-than-terrific price....

    pcmag.com
    Pros

    Excellent performance. Covered by five-year warranty.

    Cons

    More expensive, but not significantly faster, than competing drives

  • 02/24/2012

    Summary

    Let us summarise the most important positive and negative points belowPositiveSilky smooth operation as a system drive.Excellent sequential reading and writing performance.Excellent 4K random I/O performance.SATA 6Gbps support.The drive is supported by th...

    myce.com
    Pros

    Silky smooth operation as a system drive, Excellent sequential reading and writing performance, Excellent 4K random I/O performance, SATA 6Gbps support, The drive is supported by the excellent Intel SSD Toolbox, TRIM support under Windows 7, Lightni

    Cons

    Expensive.

  • 02/13/2012

    Summary

    If priced a little lower, the Intel 520 Series SSD would be an ideal investment for those who want to greatly improve their computer's overall performance. For now, it's still an excellent drive.

    cnet.com
    Pros

    The 2.5-inch Intel 520 Series SSD supports SATA 3 (6Gbps) and offers great performance. The drive is housed in an all-aluminum casing and comes with all you need to use it as a hard-drive replacement for a laptop (ultraportable or standard) or a desktop c...

    Cons

    The Intel 520 Series SSD is comparatively expensive and its low-profile screws are not included

  • 02/13/2012

    Summary

    The Intel 520 test model (240 GB version) has proved its worth in multiple tests and time and again, it landed in the top tiers of our database. Intel aims to offset the issues of reliability of SandForce-based SSDs by extensively modifying and testing th...

    notebookcheck.net
  • 02/09/2012

    Summary

    s The Intel name might have created some increased expectations. After all, they have been killing it with almost all their CPU releases in the last few years. However, even though it should have improved durability and reliability (and only time will ...

    HardCOREware.net
  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    I've been a fan of SandForce's technology since it first showed up in OCZ's Vertex 2 Pro in late 2009. Performance has never been an issue with SandForce and because of the fact that the controller writes less than its competitors, the controller and driv...

    anandtech.com
  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    IMPORTANT: Although the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at various points in time. While we each do our best to ensure...

    benchmarkreviews.com
    Pros

    Fastest SATA storage device ever tested, Delivers over 83K IOPS performance in IOMeter, Outstanding 559/528 MBps read/write speed with ATTO, Builtin 256bit AES data encryption, Hardwarelevel data compression preserves NAND longevity, 5Year Intel product warranty support, Enhanced powerloss data protection, Lightweight compact storage solution, Resistant to extreme shock impact, Low powe...

    Cons

    Expensive enthusiastlevel product

  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    Intel's plan in 2012 is to bring the SSD to wide market segments. It is clear with the SSD 520's wide selection of storage capacity that Intel wants to incorporate every system with an SSD. The Intel SSD 520 is a good start from Intel leading the perf...

    Bjorn3d.com
    Pros

    Excellent performance across the board, Good software bundle, 5 year warranty

    Cons

    None

  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    Having tested some of the fastest computer systems available today, it takes a lot to impress us here in the CRN Test Center. But the out-of-the-box performance of Intel's Solid-State Drive 520 Series, the company's latest line of SATA III SSDs for con...

    crn.com
  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    The Intel SSD 520 breaks through setting new SATA6 performance standards due to three important features: High quality synchronous NAND, a more mature controller and more polished firmware. It’s obvious Intel engineers made the right choice holding bac...

    futurelooks.com
  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    Choice is good though. The Intel Series 520 SSD 240GB model as tested today is an incredible sexy and high performing product, it's late to a crowded SandForce 2281 market though. Intel certainly holds ground amongst the competition, though I dare to stat...

    guru3d.com
  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    Considering that the Intel 520 Series solid state drive uses the same Sandforce SF-2281 controller as the Kingston HyperX and OCZ Vertex 3 MI, it's not surprising that the results we recorded are quite similar in a number of the tests.All four of the driv...

    hardwaresecrets.com
  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    The Intel SSD 520 SeriesIntel SSD 520 Series solid state drives should be available very soon from OEMs and retailers. Although we have yet to see any actual street prices, Intel's has set pricing (in 1K quantities) as follows:60GB - $149120GB - $229180GB...

    hothardware.com
    Pros

    Strong Performance, 5 Year Warranty, Intel's Track Record For Reliability

    Cons

    Pricing Somewhat High, Not any faster than other SandForce-based SSDs

  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    While Intel comes late to the SF-2281 party, their 520 Series SSDs bring a promise of unparalleled reliability and top notch performance that will likely see them fly off store shelves given their already solid reputation....

    legitreviews.com
  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    Intel appears to be making a habit out of adopting other SSD controllers and revamping their firmware to make them their own. From what we've seen today, they are indeed very good at it. This is the best performance we've seen out of SandForce hardwar...

    pcper.com
    Pros

    Best performing SandForcedriven SSD we've tested to date, Extensive reliability validation testing, 5year warranty,

    Cons

    Low IOPS at low Queue Depths (limitation of SandForce hardware), Intro pricing on the high side.

  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    We've given the Intel SSD 520 an Editor's Choice award for good reason. While we greatly value Intel's reputation and tradition of reliability and compatibility in the SSD space, the SSD 520 is a wonderful performer as well, generally finding itself in th...

    storagereview.com
  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    Is the Intel 520 Series the SandForce SSD you've been waiting for? Maybe. Intel's latest is a little bit faster than comparable drives based on the same controller and flash memory. The performance gaps between the 520 Series and its synchronous SandForc...

    Techreport.com
  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    The last great SSD that we tested carrying 100% Intel tech was the SSD 310 Series. This drive was later replaced by the not too exciting SSD 320 Series, which was still limited to the SATA 3Gb/s interface. The SSD 510 Series came about last year using...

    techspot.com
    Pros

    Excellent performance. The speed of SandForce's latest controller with the backing of Intel's testing and firmware validation

    Cons

    A tad more expensive than other similar drives. SSDs in general are still limited in storage capacity given the premium you pay per gigabyte

  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    Intel's 240GB 520 Series SSD drive is fast and, assuming there are no surprises from Intel regarding our unit's random read results, if you have an X25-M SSD drive and are thinking of upgrading, there's very little reason not to.Compared to Intel's X25-M...

    Theinquirer.net
    Pros

    Big performance jump over the X25-M, five year warranty

    Cons

    What the original 510 Series should have been

  • 02/06/2012

    Summary

    The Intel SSD 520 Series is blazing fast, and right now, it is the fastest 2.5” SSD drive that we have tested. Depending on pricing, I expect it to be a very nice update to the Intel 510 Series, especially as it has hardware AES256 encryption and the warr...

    ubergizmo.com
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Retail prices reported as of 05 Jul 2022 00:20:11 GMT

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