OCZ Vector 180 (480GB)

Conclusion

The OCZ Vector 180 is probably not the most exciting drive to review as there is not much new technologies added to the drive. Since the drive still uses the same Indilinx Barefoot 3 controller, its performance largely mimics other Indilinx Barefoot 3 drives from OCZ such as the Vector, the Vertex 460, and the ARC 100. There are no major discrepancy or surprises that we have encountered despite the NAND upgrade. The Vector 180 is not a slow drive but it is not fast either when compare with newer drives on the market such as Samsung 850 EVO and the Crucial BX100.

The addition of the PFM+ is a nice feature to have, though its use for the client system may not be as useful. We would love to see OCZ add true power loss protection where it does not only protect at rest data but also in-fly data. The lack of the eDrive and Opal support is also a bit unfortunate to see as many drives are already supporting such feature.

By using the same controller, OCZ is betting that it can deliver a good and reliable drive with the Vector 180. The Indilinx controller has gone through real-world testing over the last couple of years and where the drives based on the same controller has been quite reliable. The SATA based SSD market has matured where we are bound by the interface bandwidth. So, OCZ’s strategy may worked out well as the Vector 180 should be a good choice for those who are looking for a good drive that is reliable.

Taking everything into consideration, the Vector 180 is a nice drive. OCZ’s ShiledPlus program sets it apart from the competitor. While other manufacturers may offer higher endurance and warranty, the ShieldPlus just make it much simpler when comes to the warranty replacement. Backed with 5 year warranty, the Vector 180 is certainly worth considering if you are looking for a drive that may not be the all around winner but offers good performance that is reliable.