OCZ Vertex 3 SATA-600 solid-state drive review: OCZ Vertex 3 SATA-600 solid-state drive

The OCZ Vertex 3 solid-state drive is the second SSD (after the Plextor PX-256M2S) we've reviewed that supports the new 6Gbps SATA 3 standard. Like the Plextor, the OCZ showed stellar performance in our testing, enough to justify the $500 price tag for the 240GB version or the $250 for the 120GB version. Its 480GB version, however, is outrageously expensive at $1,800.

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OCZ Vertex 3 SATA-600 solid-state drive

The Good

The <b>OCZ Vertex 3</b> solid-state drive supports SATA 6Gbps and offers very fast performance and up to 480GB of storage. The 2.5-inch internal drive comes with a mounting accessory to fit in desktop computers' drive bays, and is comparatively affordable.

The Bad

The OCZ Vertex 3 SSD is significantly more expensive than traditional hard drives, particularly the 480GB-capacity model, and takes a long time to format.

The Bottom Line

With excellent performance, the OCZ Vertex 3 SSD makes an ideal internal storage drive for laptops and desktop computers, especially those that support the 6Gbps SATA standard. Its hefty price tag will make most consumers think twice, however.

If your computer, be it a Mac or PC, supports SATA 3, then the OCZ Vertex 3 makes a worthwhile investment and will increase the computer's performance significantly. The drive also works with the existing and popular 3Gbps SATA (SATA 2) controllers and at a much faster speed than regular hard drives. However, for SATA 2, you should also consider the slightly cheaper Samsung 470 hard drive.

Design and features