![]() ![]() The command line version allows us to cherry-pick storage traces to run on a target drive. The storage workload involves games as well as multimedia editing applications. BR: 10.7 GB Blu-ray folder structure of the IDT Benchmark Blu-ray (the same that we use in our robocopy tests for NAS systems)įor the second use-case, we take advantage of PC Mark 8's storage bench.Videos: 16.1 GB collection of 244 videos (MP4 as well as MOVs) in 6 sub-folders.Photos: 15.6 GB collection of 4320 photos (RAW as well as JPEGs) in 61 sub-folders.In order to tackle the first use-case, we created three test folders with the following characteristics: The minor usage scenario is importing files directly off the DAS into a multimedia editing program such as Adobe Photoshop. ![]() The most common usage scenario is transfer of large amounts of photos and videos to and from the unit. Our testing methodology for DAS units also takes into consideration the usual use-case for such devices. As evident from the screenshot below, the performance can dip to as low as 0.615 MBps for random 4K writes.īenchmarks - robocopy and PCMark 8 Storage Bench ![]() Unfortunately, these access traces are not very common in real-life scenarios.ĬrystalDiskMark, despite being a canned benchmark, provides a better estimate of the performance range with a selected set of numbers. Writes only seem to go up to 60 MBps with our standard testing queue depth. Strontium claims read and write speeds of 130 MBps and 100 MBps respectively, and the read number is backed up by the ATTO benchmarks provided below. Synthetic Benchmarks - ATTO and Crystal DiskMark The full details of the reasoning behind choosing the above build components can be found here. Thanks to Asus and Corsair for the build components AnandTech DAS Testbed ConfigurationĪsus BW-16D1HT 16x Blu-ray Write (w/ M-Disc Support) For devices with USB 3.0 connections (such as the Strontium Nitro Plus Nano that we are considering today), we utilize the USB 3.0 port directly hanging off the PCH. Testbed Setup and Testing MethodologyĮvaluation of DAS units on Windows is done with the testbed outlined in the table below. This must be compared to the Phison PS2251-07 used along with Toshiba TLC NAND in the Mushkin Atom 64GB drive. Strontium has gone in for Samsung TLC NAND in the flash drive. Depending on the flash memory used, Silicon Motion claims performance of up to 160 MBps reads. This appears to be an ideal controller for low-cost flash drives with a small physical footprint because it reduces BOM (bill-of-materials) cost as well as PCB area by integrating the required power IC and crystal oscillator. The controller is the Silicon Motion SM3267 single-channel USB 3.0 controller. Without opening up the unit, it is possible to identify the controller and flash inside the unit. As we can see from the photograph below, the Strontium Nitro Plus Nano USB 3.0 is one of the smallest flash drives that we have evaluated in its capacity class. A small hole at the top accommodates the bundled thread that enables hanging the flash drive off a keychain. A red cap that protrudes 8mm from the USB slot and has a total width of only 16mm ensures that the unit can fit in easily even in the ill-placed / oriented USB ports. In terms of external design and features, the Strontium Nitro Plus Nano USB 3.0 drive is small and discreet. The list of flash drives used for comparison purposes is provided below: Vendors have recently begun to introduce native high-performance USB 3.0 flash controllers, and the Strontium Nitro Plus Nano sports one such controller. However, this increases the drive cost in what is essentially a price-sensitive market. High-performance flash drives have traditionally employed a SATA SSD controller behind a USB 3.0 - SATA bridge. Intrigued by Strontium's performance claims, we got a sample in for further evaluation. ![]() We had reviewed the Mushkin Atom 64GB flash drive with a similar form factor, and the numbers claimed by Strontium were quite a bit more than what we managed to get with the Mushkin Atom. We were surprised when Strontium sent us their announcement of the Nitro Plus Nano USB 3.0 flash drive with 100 MBps+ read speeds. In particular, flash drives advertising smaller physical footprints have tended to carry disappointing performance numbers. Flash drives are a dime a dozen these days, and most of them carry uninteresting specifications. ![]()
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