Computerworld reviews the Intel X25-E solid state drive

Intel has obviously been sending out review units of its X25-E SSD, the enterprise sibling of the crazy fast X25-M solid state disk. The difference between the two versions lies in the fact that the X25-E uses single-level-cell and flash chips while the latter uses multilevel cell. Essentially, SLC has far better longevity and better performance, but it is also much more expensive.

Lucas Maerian at Computerworld took a X25-E SSD for a spin on a Dell Latitude and the comprehensive review caught my attention. The results of the battery test mirrored my experience with a Samsung SSD that I tested recently. Despite the lower power rating, the improvement in battery life is negligible.

On the other hand, the performance gain of using a top-of-the-line SSD is stunning and undeniable, both in terms of computer boot timings and responsiveness in loading applications. And it does look like the X25-E SSD holds the first-place spot for speed. While it can certainly replace RAID arrays of 15,000rpm hard disk drives, the real question is whether you would be willing to part with $800 for a 64GB drive.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at Computerworld

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