Dell Mobility SSD Vs Dell Flash Ultra Performance SSD Benched
Understanding the difference between these two SSD options is something Dell hasn’t been overly forthcoming with. They told us the Ultra Performance was fast on the Direct2Dell blog but its still not really clear for a consumer which option is best.
Well if Dell won’t tell you then I will.
First Performance:
| Manufacturer/Tech | Type | Average Transfer rate | Access Time |
| Samsung/MLC | 64gb Dell Mobility | 76.2.0mb/sec | 0.2ms |
| Samsung/SLC | 64gb Dell Flash Ultra Performance | 112.0mb/sec | 0.2ms |
The Dell Ultra Performance wins hands down. The average transfer rate is far superior.
Screen1: The Dell Mobility MLC Version
Screen2: The Dell Ultra Performance SLC Version
MLC/SLC
MLC= Multi Level Cell (See Also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_cell)
MLC is generally seen as a slower SSD technology and one potentially prone to reliability issues and shorter lifespan.
SLC = Single Level Cell (See Also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-level_cell)
SLC is the faster and more robust of the SSD technologies.
Notes:
So there are two things to consider when choosing that Dell SSD option
1) Performance
The performance of the Cheaper MLC based SSD is still excellent compared to traditional laptop hard disks. For example the MLC SSD has faster performance than my own Desktop PC’s hard disk. So its slow compared to the Ultra Performance SLC but it still delivers on the performance front.
Its a bit like comparing a BMW to a Porsche both are nice but the SLC has the performance edge.
The Samsungs in these tests are both "*slow* compared to latest Intel’s X-25M technology that is about to hit in Europe. So performance should be seen in relative terms. It’s great but there is always something faster around the corner.
Q) MLC/SLC Can you feel the difference in everyday use.
A) Not as much as you would think.
2) Reliability
Q) Should you be worried if you have a MLC based SSD?
A) No, the MLC’s lifespan will far outlive the machine it came in.
Conclusion
Basically the Ultra Performance (SLC) wins on both Performance and Reliability but comes at that increased cost which is currently £317+VAT for the same 64gb capacity.
I personally would not let all this MLC/SLC stuff worry you too much. If MLC technology was so bad it would not be commercially available in machines with 3 year warranties.
Test Bed
I used two identical but separate Dell Latitude E4200’s with Clean installs of Windows XP Pro SP3. The only difference in the machines were the SSD’s being tested.
Important: The names “Dell Mobility” and “Dell Flash Ultra Performance” allow Dell to use any SSD from any manufacturer and call them that.
In my case Dell supplied 2 Samsung models as time goes on Dell could very well change the brand of SSD being used. So don’t assume its always going to be Samsung.
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I have also written about SSD here
