Overall and Final Verdict
It doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago when you were lucky if you could pick up a 120GB SSD for $300. Well now with drives like the OCZ RD400 at that same price range we can get a 512GB drive that is a fraction of the size and makes that SATA based SSD look like a spinning drive in performance tests. Toshibas new RD400 consistently impressed me in our performance testing, especially in CrystalDiskMark where it even blew away the always impressive Intel 750 Series drive. I love that they are offering the drive with an included PCIe adapter given that a lot of people haven’t upgraded to boards with an x4 PCIe M.2 slot just yet that will handle the speed of the RD400. If you do have that you can save $30 and get the model without the adapter. Speaking of the price, the RD400 seems to be priced right in line with the competition, specifically the Samsung 950 Pro M.2. in fact at this capacity the RD400 is only the same price if you include the PCIe adapter. I also love that the RD400 is available for sale in a 1TB model where the Samsung still isn’t available in that capacity yet.
So are there any downsides? Really the only issue I ran into was that the Intel 750 Series still dominates in some of the tests with its 18 channel controller where the RD400 is running a 4 channel controller. That really only becomes an issue in the really high queue depth benchmarks, it should be less of an issue in everyday use. I’m digging the RD400 so much that I am planning on using it in my upcoming rebuild of my personal build, I only wish our sample was the 1TB model. If you are on the market for a PCIe based M.2 drive the RD400 should be up at the top of your list, especially if you want to go crazy with a 1TB model.
Live Pricing: HERE