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.


Switching to the larger 1.6GB ISO file pattern, the results are much the same, with the Vertex delivering incredibly fast sequential write speeds and firing down our file pattern in a ludicrously quick 13.3 seconds, comfortably edging out the Western Digital VelociRaptor by 4.5 seconds, an improvement of just under twenty five percent. While the X25-E is still the faster drive thanks to its SLC based NAND flash memory, the Vertex is the next best thing, and isn't marred by a compromisingly small amount of storage.


Combined read/write performance for the Vertex is also excellent, with speeds a few seconds ahead of the fastest mechanical competition and, notably, much faster than the Intel X25-M which sits glued to the bottom of the pecking order in this particular test.


The Vertex's read performance when dealing with larger files is also impressive, tagging just behind the Intel X25 drives while offering a notable improvement over the previous generation's drives. What's unique here though is that the Vertex, while just as fast as its predecessors when reading sequential files, hasn't compromised on write speeds, delivering a much more well rounded package that's able to trump hard disks at every level.