FC-Test Results

Website: FC-Test

Our FC-Test benchmark is split into three parts. First is a write test involving the creation of a file pattern similar to common files such as MP3s or large video files. Once created on the drive, we then copy the file pattern from the drive back to a different folder on the same drive producing a combined read/write test. Finally we test the read speed of the drive by performing FC-Test's read test on the files copied.

For our benchmarks, we're using both the MP3 pattern, consisting of two hundred and seventy small files totalling 0.99GB, and the the ISO pattern, consisting of three large files totalling 1.6GB in size. We feel these file patterns represent the most common files people will be frequently copying to and from an drive, and can be interpreted as as close to a real world file transfer test as possible.


The Corsair P256 is just as fast when dealing with larger files as it is smaller ones, writing our three large files, totalling 1.6GB in size in a very nippy 11.2 seconds, 3.3 seconds (twenty percent) faster than the OCZ Vertex. While the SLC based X25-E is still top of the pile, when it comes to MLC drives the Corsair P256 seems to have things sown up as far as write speeds go.


Incredibly the Corsair P256 is faster than the the SLC based X25-E when copying our large file pattern, an achievement likely due to its huge 1GB of cache allowing it to rapidly cue up the file pattern into the cache while writing. Unlike drives with smaller caches which split data into smaller cache sized chunks before writing them, the Corsair can dump a much larger file into its cache, allowing for much faster combined read/write speeds.


While it might reign supreme when it comes to write speeds, read speeds are a little slower when dealing with the larger ISO file pattern. While still vastly faster than a normal hard disk drive the Corsair P256 lags a little behind the Vertex by over half a second.