Final Thoughts

The performance of the new MP2 firmware wasn't anything like what we expected to see. In many cases, performance was actually reduced so this is something that we will need to explore in more detail at a later date. For the most part the MP2 performance was the same as what we saw with MP1 and the RC release drives but there were a few places where we had a surprise. The main category was the file copy test where the Intel X25-M was able to outperform the Callisto Deluxe with MP2. Since this is an area where SandForce drives struggle anyhow, we really wanted to see a performance increase here.

As we mentioned in the intro, Mushkin has been working very hard to get their solid state drives positioned at the top of the price search websites. For the most part, the Callisto and Callisto Deluxe have been able to hold their ground. Our 120GB Callisto Deluxe is currently one of the lowest priced SandForce SF-1200 based drives with High IOPS programming and that makes it a strong contender for anyone looking to buy a new SSD for their notebook or desktop. Newegg currently lists the drive for 289.99.

Desktop users will be happy to know that the Callisto Deluxe ships with a desktop adapter so you can install the drive very easily. If you are using a slide in drive bay with a backplane that requires the drive to be offset like a standard 3.5" form factor drive you will need to purchase a different bracket.