Specifications, Pricing and Availability

The day I finished writing this article up we caught news of a new Vertex that will be hitting the market in just a few days. The model numbers appeared on OCZ's website so I went back and made some new edits. On the specification list above we see the Vertex 2 in 50, 100, 200 and 400GB capacities. We now also see the new Vertex 2 Extended or Vertex 2E with capacities of 60, 120, 240 and 480GB. The new extended capacity drives will sometimes be referred to as MP2 or firmware Mass Production 2. We will have an article published in just a couple of days with the new Vertex 2E in a couple of different capacity sizes. The short story for now is that the SandForce SF-1200 is a direct derivative of the enterprise SF-1500 and both in standard form use much more capacity for drive clean-up and performance improvements over time. I really can't comment on the E models speed or long term reliability since our drives are not set to arrive until tomorrow.

New and mysterious part numbers aside, let's take a look at what we have in the batter's box today. The OCZ Vertex 2 specifications show 285MB/s read and 275MB/s write speeds. These are pretty much the real world limits of the SATA 3G interface and from previous testing we know that SF-1200 drives are bound by the interface. We spoke a bit about the exclusive firmware in the introduction and on the specs sheet OCZ only covered the topic by saying MAX IOPS Firmware.

The general SSD jargon holds true for the Vertex 2. No moving parts that add latency, high reliability, TRIM support in Windows 7 and a shock rating that would brick any traditional platter based drive round out the standard features common to most SSDs. It should also be noted that the Vertex 2 ships with a 2.5 to 3.5" form factor adapter plate that makes installing the drive in your desktop easier.

When it comes to availability, we were able to find the Vertex 2 at many e-tail locations in 50, 100 and 200GB capacities. The 400GB model has been a little harder to track down, but who can really afford to spend that kind of money these days on a shiny new SSD?

Speaking of spending, Newegg lists all of the common models as being in stock and ready to ship. Our 100GB sample that we are reviewing today is listed at 409.99 USD, but comes with a 10 USD mail-in rebate, making the final cost 399.99. After the MIR the 50GB drive is shown at 189.99 and the 200GB beast of a drive is 749.99. Our new favorite SSD wholesaler, MyDigitalDiscount.com has the Vertex 2 100GB drive listed at an impressive 379.99 without a mail-in rebate, so you can actually save a bit by visiting their site. The 379 USD price is actually better than the A-DATA S599 price of 385 USD that we loved hearing about just a couple of weeks ago.

The Vertex 2 comes with a three year warranty. In the OWC Mercury review we pointed out their five year warranty, one of the highest we have seen in recent times for the SSD market. OCZ might not have the longest warranty period, but the company has been around for many years and in that time they have gained a reputation as being a consumer friendly company with a deep focus on customer satisfaction. OCZ also has one of the most active company focused forums online where product support is handled by other consumers as well as official company reps.