Introduction

Corsair is one of the innovation leaders in the memory and power supply market. They also provide SSDs which, so far, have been mostly based on the Sandforce flash controllers. Now they are offering an SSD based on Marvell's 88SS9174 controller, which promises best-in-class performance that can compete with what Sandforce offers.

The Corsair Performance Pro SSD is available in capacities of 128 GB and 256 GB, we tested the 256 GB model, which provides a bit more performance than the 128 GB model.

Packaging

The package design of the Performance Pro is kept simple and clean, with stylish shades of grey. A little window on the back lets you take a look at the drive inside, showing the serial number and warranty sticker.


You will receive:

• The SSD
• Screw Packages
• 2.5" to 3.5" adapter

The Drive

The drive conforms to the dimensions set forth by the 2.5" form factor. It uses a rugged metal casing that feels extremely solid and high quality.


Like most recent SSDs, Corsair's Performance Pro uses the SATA 6 Gbps interface. It is compatible with any other SATA standard, but will work at reduced performance in such a case.


Corsair is using (only) eight flash chips and two DRAM cache chips for the Marvell controller. On the other side of the PCB we see the lonely Marvell flash controller - the heart of the SSD.


As controller Marvell's 88SS9174 is used.


The eight flash chips are made by Toshiba and have a capacity of 32 GB each, they are produced in a 32 nanometer production process.