In our file transfer tests we copied 2GB of files between a 120GB OCZ Vertex SSD and the Intel X25-M, and we also transferred files within the same drive.

2GB File Copy Results

Time in Seconds (S)
Shorter bars are better

2GB File Transfer Results

Firmware 8610 - OCZ Vertex as source drive
Time in Seconds (s)
Shorter bars are better

Firmware 8820 - OCZ Vertex as source drive
Time in Seconds (s)
Shorter bars are better

The new firmware was consistently better than the original version and we ended up with a warm happy glow that the X25-M had taken a big step forward.

PCMark05 Results

Longer bars are better

The only note of caution we would offer is that you'd be rash to update the firmware on your Intel SSD without first backing up of your data, just in case.

Verdict

Intel’s 8820 SSD firmware update makes the performance of its mainstream family of solid-state drives more consistent, and the update process is now as simple as we could wish for. ®

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