I was hoping to find an inexpensive, high-quality SSD to replace the slow and unstable hard drive on my secondary computer. It had gotten so bad that I would avoid using it at all costs, even though it is far more powerful than my tablet. That's where this PNY CS1311 SSD comes in. The price was nice at just under $60 for the 240 GB model, and the measured performance was arguably the highest among the competition.
First of all, I did not use the Acronis software code that came with the device. I always start fresh whenever I can, and Windows 10 makes that process easier than ever, but you must be running Windows 10 on your old hard drive for this to work:
- Backup the files you want to keep on OneDrive, a USB, or an external hard drive if you can.
- Download Windows 10 and create an install disc/USB.
- Switch out the HDD for the SSD and boot up from the install media*.
- When it asks for the product key, click "I don't have a product key".
- Once Windows 10 goes online, it will see that it's the same system and activate automatically.
The Samsung EVO 850 comes with software that helps you test your drive, keeps track of its age, and automatically changes settings in Windows to get the most out of the SSD. The PNY has none of that, but I don't think most users would really miss it. It also doesn't come with any cables or brackets, which is standard, but it does include a spacer for those that may need one. Although this may be one of the prettiest computer components I have ever seen, where the PNY really shines is its speed.
According to PNY, this drive should deliver up to 550MB/s in sequential reading, and 520MB/s in sequential writing (550/520 in shorthand, higher numbers are better for both). The
Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-75E250B/AM)
provides up to 540/520 and the
Crucial BX200 240GB SATA 2.5 Inch Internal Solid State Drive - CT240BX200SSD1
tops out at 540/490. In user tests, the Samsung usually performs right on the mark, but the Crucial seems to have occasional problems according to its reviewers. The PNY CS1311, on the other hand, often outperforms its own benchmarks in both my tests and the tests done by other reviewers (attached image).
This model only comes with a 3 year warranty, so if the Samsung EVO 850 is a comparable price I would buy the Samsung for its 5 year coverage. However, SSDs are known for their reliability, so do what feels right to you.
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. I would absolutely recommend this drive to anyone that I like, and the Crucial to anyone I don't. I will update later on if anything changes.
*On some older systems, the Serial ATA interface may be set up in "Legacy" or "IDE" mode (mine was). I recommend searching online to verify that your BIOS is set to AHCI BEFORE installing Windows, assuming it supports AHCI.
Test machine:
ASUS K53E
Intel Core i5-2450M (2 cores @ 2.50GHz)
4GB DDR3-1333 SDRAM
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
| Hard Drive | 240 GB Serial ATA-600 |
|---|
