Introduction

I have to admit today is a day we didn't think we'd see. Back at IDF OCZ quietly let a few members of the media see a prototype Barefoot 3 controller on an early PCB design. Back then we were skeptical of OCZ's claims of spinning this controller on their own since the last two products bearing the Indilinx Infused name were in firmware only. Then we had the OCZ stock meltdown with the company failing to release an earnings statement, the CEO resigning and finally a number of layoffs.

Things still aren't looking good for OCZ and the rumor mill is churning some pretty tall tales. The latest round of rumors has the former CEO Ryan Peterson leaving the country and now residing in Panama, a quarterly loss of 40 million and one that OCZ confirmed just days ago, an SEC investigation. With all of that stacked up, it's easy to be on Team Skeptical at this point.

What would OCZ need to turn their struggles around? A very good start would be to release the fastest consumer SSD on the planet today. Set the stage, cue the lights and roll the music.

OCZ acquired Indilinx and its 20 patents back in March of 2011, around the same time OCZ shipped its one-millionth SSD. Just a few months later OCZ acquired PLX Technology's engineering team and assets. By combining these two teams together with a new manufacturing facility, OCZ managed to produce a true successor to the Barefoot ECO, a controller that was all the rage in 2009.

Barefoot 3 is a true OCZ controller with its own IP and its own engineers making it happen, even the manufacturing of the drives comes from OCZ. Today we check out the brand new Vector SSD based on this new controller, and see how it goes.