OCZ Vector 180 does up to 550MB/s and 95,000 write IOPS

OCZ officially announces its Vector 180, a new disk that once again uses the OCZ Barefoot 3 controller with Toshiba A19nm MLC NAND flash memory. The disk promises read speeds of up to 550MB/s, write speeds of up to 530MB/s, random 4k read performance of 100,000 IOPS and random 4k write performance of up to 95,000 IOPS.

Early reviews show the disk isn't quite capable of matching the performance offered by Samsung's 850 Pro but later this year enthusiasts can look forward to OCZ's new JetExpress-based PCIe solutions which promise much higher performance.

The Vector 180 comes with 5-year ShieldPlus warranty, which means you get advanced product replacement and paid return shipping to minimize your downtime. One of the special new features of the Vector 180 is Power Failure Management Plus (PFM+), a technique that helps safeguard the SSD and its at-rest data in case of system power loss or instability.

Official pricing for the 120GB, 240GB, 480GB and 960GB versions is $89.99, $149.99, $274.99 and $499.99, respectively.

OCZ Storage Solutions, a Toshiba Group Company and the most awarded solid state drive (SSD) brand of all time, today announced the release of the next generation Vector 180 SSD series along with the all-new SSD Guru storage management solution. Worthy of flagship status, the new Vector 180 features enhanced reliability, technology, storage capacity, and superior customer support all while providing the Vector’s original game-changing performance and endurance it’s known for. The feature-rich SSD Guru software tool not only enables users to do routine monitoring and maintenance, but truly helps them unlock their SSD’s full potential.

Designed to power today’s high-end consumer systems, the Vector 180 series is optimized for hardcore gaming and data-intensive applications thanks to its powerful OCZ Barefoot 3 controller and in-house Toshiba A19nm MLC NAND flash technology. New to this particular Vector release is an advanced reliability protection feature called Power Failure Management Plus (PFM+). In the event of unexpected system power loss or instability, the PFM+ feature helps safeguard the SSD and its at-rest data.

Continuing the Vector’s legacy, the Vector 180 delivers best-in-class performance, notably in long-term sustained and mixed workload performance. Because of its strengths in these areas, a Vector 180 SSD promotes better overall real world performance than competing SSDs in its class, leading to the ultimate computing experience. The Vector 180 series features bandwidth speeds up to 550 MB/s and I/O performance up to 100,000 IOPS, ensuring the maximum performance for demanding users.

“With the new Vector 180 Series, OCZ is once again raising the bar for high performance client solid state drives,” said Ralph Schmitt, CEO of OCZ Storage Solutions. “Vector 180 leverages our award-winning proprietary controller technology and features normally found in our enterprise-class drives, like Power Failure Management Plus, to deliver high-density SSDs with exceptional performance, endurance, and reliability for gamers, enthusiasts and workstation users.”

Stringent reliability and quality procedures are incorporated into every OCZ drive; however, in the unlikely event that a drive needs to be replaced, Vector 180 is protected by OCZ’s ShieldPlus Warranty. This industry-leading approach to service provides peace of mind with an elite, worry-free customer service experience which eliminates all the hassle and cost surrounding traditional support and warranty claims consumers often have to deal with.

Vector 180 SSDs will be available in 120GB, 240GB, 480GB, and a brand new 960GB model demanded by today’s power users who want more of their data and media available to them at solid-state storage speeds. Each Vector 180 is bundled with $55 worth of accessories including Acronis® True Image™ drive cloning software and a 3.5-inch desktop adaptor for fast and easy upgrading.

In addition to the new Vector 180 series, OCZ is making the new SSD Guru software available for all end users to download on ocz.com. SSD Guru provides superior control of maintenance, monitoring, SSD tuning, OS optimization and more via an intuitive, user-friendly GUI (Graphical User Interface). SSD Guru makes management easy thanks to several integrated modules including an overview dashboard, SSD Tuner, and OS Tuner where users can optimize and increase their drive’s performance. Support is also easier than ever with background firmware update notifications, direct links to OCZ support, and a feature called Save Support Package (SSP) which allows the user to save a file containing all the relevant information and share with OCZ technical support staff for faster and more efficient troubleshooting. Though launching with the Vector 180 series, SSD Guru will be available for all OCZ Barefoot 3 based SATA drives as well as the PCI Express RevoDrive 350.