SSD by stefan @ 2015-10-05
The F9 256GB is another low-cost SSD product from KingFast, which pairs the Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller with Micron NAND MT29E1T08CUCBBH8-10:B and the cache is assured by the Samsung K4W2G1646E-BC11 DDR3 RAM (256MB). This model is able to follow the read performances of the Crucial BX100 250GB we have reviewed earlier, but falls behind in terms of writes.
At first we would like to thank KingFast for offering us a sample of the F9 Series 256GB SATA3 SSD for testing and reviewing.
“KingFast, is a leading and Professional manufacturer of High-tech SSDs Solid State Drive Products since 2008. Our company specializes in the development, manufacturing and selling of SSDs Solid State Storage Products.
Our SSDs are extensively used in mainstream PCs market and industrial market. our products are widely recognized and trusted by users and can meet continuously developing economic and Customer needs. Our factory is equipped with the most advanced manufacturing facilities, having received the International ISO9001 Certification with computerized QA systems strictly to all European and American testing standards such as CE, FCC and ROHS. And, all of our SSDs products are provided with 3-year warranty.
Our motto is that quality is our life. For this, we firmly promise our customers with competitive price, top quality, timely delivery and the good after-sales service. Therefore, we have had many valuable customers throughout Europe, America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East etc.We welcome new and old customers worldwide to contact us for more business cooperation and mutual success.”
SATA3 6Gbps transfer interface, Backwards compatible with SATA2.
Built-in high-performance 4K IOPS performance Controller-SMI2246EN technology.
Built-in the latest High-speed MLC Flash.
3 years warranty.
Exclusively support F/W update online.
NCQ/TRIM/SMART Support
No mechanical components, No noise.Anti-shock, Anti-vibration.
Excellent ECC capacity-Ensures higher reliability and Longer SSD life.
9 step strict testing procedures and 100% traceability.
Affordable prices as always.
Product Name: F9 SSD
Brand: KingFast
Series: F9
Device Type: Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Form Factor: 2.5"
Capacity: 256GB
Memory Type: MLC
Interface: SATA3
Size: 100*70*7 mm
Performance
Sequential Read/Write (Max): 520/350MB/s
Input Voltage: 5V±5%
Power Consumption (Idle): 0.3W
Power Consumption (Active): 2W
Reliability
M.T.B.F.: >2,000,000 hours
S.M.A.R.T.: Support
Environment
Operating Temp.: 0??70?
Storage Temp.: –55?95?
Warranty: 3 years
KingFast have recently introduced a new SSD series baptized F9, which are available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities. This model is incorporating the SM2246EN SATA 6Gb/s SSD controller which is ideally suited for both client SSDs as well as NAND-cache drives used in low-cost and performance-enhancing hybrid storage solutions. Our sample has arrived with the same packaging style as the F8 models, which comes with the product code name on the top side, the total storage capacity but also the supported SATA standard:
A small product description is also included on the back side of the top packaging layer:
Inside we will get to see an additional black cardboard enclosure:
The F9 SSD is stored inside a black foam material along with a small product manual:
As the manual is mentioning, the installation inside a desktop PC will require an additional adapter bracket, which is not included with the SSD:
The chassis of the SSD is made of aluminum and features a thin metallic top cover, which is held in four screws:
On the bottom area of the drive we will get to see a sticker with the factory code name, the serial number, but also the power rating:
Also here we will be able to spot the SATA Data/Power connectors:
On the side, we will get to see the warranty sticker; by sporting a 7mm thickness, it will be able to fit in ultrabooks without issues:
After removing the top cover, we will get to see the internal PCB, which comes with a much smaller footprint versus the chassis; also, the back side of the PCB does not contain any SMD components:
By removing the PCB from the case we will be able to spot the controller, its cache but also two NAND chips:
The product logo from the Micron NAND has been partially erased, but we have found out that these are sporting the MT29E1T08CUCBBH8-10:B code name, 128GB capacity each:
The Samsung K4W2G1646E-BC11 DDR3 RAM memory acts as buffer and it is a total of 256MB:
The Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller comes with a four-channel design, single-core, 32-bit ARC-based architecture:
CPU : Intel i5 3570K Retail
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
Motherboard : ASRock Z77 Extreme6
RAM :GeIL PC3-17000 2133MHz 8GB EVO Leggera
Video : Sparkle X560 Calibre
Power Supply : Cooler Master 850W
HDD : OCZ Vector 150
Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840
The drive is shipped unformatted:
Here is the total free space reported by Windows:
With the help of AIDA64, we could extract more information regarding the drive:
Blank SSD
Filled SSD
Blank SSD
Filled SSD
Blank SSD
Filled SSD
Blank SSD
Filled SSD
Blank SSD
Filled SSD
Blank SSD
Filled SSD
The F9 256GB is another low-cost SSD product from KingFast, which pairs the Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller with Micron NAND MT29E1T08CUCBBH8-10:B and the cache is assured by the Samsung K4W2G1646E-BC11 DDR3 RAM (256MB). This model is able to follow the read performances of the Crucial BX100 250GB we have reviewed earlier, but falls behind in terms of writes.
While the performance should be alright for the mainstream segments, we would have enjoyed either a spacer for being able to mount it in 9.5mm laptop slots or a metallic adapter for installing on desktop PCs which do not have cases with SSD mounts.
While the product we have just tested is available on Amazon US for about $90, we have found it in European online stores for about 103.51 Euros, which is a higher value than the BX100 250GB version which is now 86 Euros, already one Euro lower than at the moment of its review.
We would like to thank again to KingFast for making this review possible!