OCZ Technology has released the Vertex 4 SATA III solid state drive featuring the Indilinx Everest 2 controller. The San Jose-based company notes that the latest iteration in the Vertex line is good for up to 535MB/s sustained sequential read speeds and 120,000 IOPS.
Astute observers will note that the overall read speeds are a touch slower than the Vertex 3 but doubling the IOPS more than makes up for any shortcomings in real-world use. Additionally, OCZ's Ndurance 2.0 software embedded within the Everest 2 platform is said to extend NAND flash life well beyond manufacturer-rated specifications.
The Indilinix controller is a notable change in the Vertex line as the past two revisions were powered by SandForce chips, but it's not all unfamiliar territory. The original Vertex launched in 2009 included an Indilinix Barefoot controller before the second generation SSD moved to SandForce in 2010.
Following the company's public departure from the DRAM memory market in early 2011, they purchased Indilinx shortly after and set about releasing the Octane SSD in October built with the original Everest controller. This was the first solid state drive to reach the 1TB capacity mark in a 2.5-inch form factor. The Vertex 4 is the first to use the Everest 2 platform, however.
Early reviews from around the net are favorable with the three publications I checked all giving the drive a "recommended" or similar approval rating.
The Vertex 4 is available now in capacities ranging from 128GB up to 512GB and is backed with a five year warranty (two years longer than the Vertex 3). Pricing starts at $179 for the 128GB unit and tops out at $699 for the 512GB model.