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Best Budget SSD?
Review Summary
The Patriot Burst 120GB SSD provides a budget-friendly storage solution with a sleek design, Phison S11 controller, and read/write speeds up to 560MB/s and 540MB/s. Its 2.5″ form factor, low-profile design, and 22-pin SATA connector offer versatility. While not for users seeking higher capacities or faster speeds, it delivers reliable performance at an affordable price, backed by a 3-year warranty.
Hours Tested: 4-5
Overall
-
Quality - 8/10
8/10
-
Performance - 7/10
7/10
-
Features - 7/10
7/10
-
Value - 9/10
9/10
Pros
- Affordable
- Phison S11 Controller
- Decent Speeds
- Power-Efficient
- 3-Year Warranty
Cons
- Simple design
- Not for High-End Performance
Patriot Memory has sent us the Patriot Burst for review. Today, we will be taking a look at their 120GB SSD with the branding of the Burst series. The Burst series of SSDs come in capacities of 120GB and 240 GB. Aimed at delivering a budget-friendly yet high-speed SSD experience, Patriot prioritizes providing excellent value to users seeking optimal performance without breaking the bank.
Key Takeaways
- The Patriot Burst 120GB is for anyone looking for a highly affordable 120GB SSD.
- The Patriot Burst 120GB is not for those looking to benefit from faster speeds or higher capacities.
- The Patriot Burst 120GB comes with an MTBF rating of 2,000,000 hours, features a 32MB cache, and boasts an impressive read speed, reaching up to 560MB/s.
- Why you can trust Tech4Gamers: We understand the importance of making informed decisions. That’s why our team spends significant time testing every product we review. Find out more about how we test.
Let’s start with the key specifications.
| Capacity | 120GB |
| Interface | SATAT III 6 Gb/s |
| Cache | 32MB |
| MTBF | 2,000,000 hrs |
| Connector Type | 22-pin Serial ATA |
| Storage Interface | Serial ATA-600 |
| Form Factor | 2.5” |
| Data Rate | Up to 560MB/s Read and up to 540MB/s write |
| Operating Temperature | 0 ~ 70°C |
| Dimension | 2.7” X 3.9” X 0.3” |
| Weight | 2.77 Oz |
| Power Consumption | Idle: 0.3W, Read: 1.3W, Write: 2W |
| Warranty | 3 Years |
| Certification | CE/FCC/RoHS |
| OS Support | Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, Linus and Mac OS |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C ~ 85°C |
| Operating Shock | 1500G (@ 0.5msec half sine wave) |
| Vibration | 20G Peak, (80 ~ 2000Hz) |
| Humidity | 0°C ~ 40°C / 93% RH, 72 Hours |
| Data Reliability | LDPC |
| Operating Voltage | 5V |
Packaging and Unboxing
Let’s take a look at the drive’s unboxing.
Accessories
The SSD comes bundled with the following.
Closer Look
The Patriot Memory Burst 120GB has a form factor of 2.5”. It has a height of 7mm making it a low profile design making it suitable for use in PCs as well as in notebooks. The Patriot Burst SSD, with a SATA III 6Gb/s interface, not only outperforms traditional HDDs but is also backward compatible with SATA III 3Gb/s. At a sleek 7mm height in a 2.5” form factor, it’s a perfect fit for Ultrabooks or laptop upgrades. Sizes come in 120GB and 240GB, catering to various user needs.
Patriot keeps it competitive, offering an impressive price-per-performance ratio in the Burst series. Plus, with Patriot’s stellar build quality and a reliable 3-year warranty, the Burst SSD stands out as a trustworthy choice.
Taking a closer look, the drive sports a black matte finish with a distinctive blue sticker. The Patriot brand name proudly sits on the top right, while “Burst” is stylishly printed in light blue on the left. Crucial details like the drive’s size and specs are neatly laid out on the sticker. The P logo adds a final touch to the bottom right. A sleek package that’s not just about looks but also delivers on performance and reliability.
After getting my hands on the Patriot Burst 120GB SSD, I didn’t crack it open due to warranty concerns, but the white sticker on the back revealed the model (Burst PBU120GS25SSDR PE000541). Flipping it over, I spotted the company’s website address, shouting out loud that it’s made in Taiwan. It comes with standard ports, compact dimensions (69.85mm W, 99.99mm L, 6.90mm H), and no extras, just a user guide.
There are these four golden screw holes for mounting, spaced just right. Plus, the Phison S11 series controller runs the show inside. I couldn’t crack it open to see the nitty-gritty, but the word is it’s a budget-friendly setup. What’s cool is the controller’s two-channel setup that’s all about being power-efficient, making this SSD a potential energy-saving champ.
Tech-wise, it packs a Phison S11 controller with a two-channel setup for energy efficiency. The 32MB cache suggests it’s not fully relying on Phison S11’s DRAM-less feature. In real-life tests, the speed isn’t blazing, but given the price point, it holds its own in a crowded market. Features include wear leveling, bad block management, low power management, trim support, and LDPC error correction for reliable NAND.
As far as the speeds are concerned. Up to 560MB/s read, 540MB/s write (ATTO); 330MB/s read, 270MB/s write (Crystal Disk Mark). 4K Random Read and Write hit up to 50K IOPS and 40K IOPS (IOMeter). In a nutshell, Patriot Burst delivers decent performance without breaking the bank.
Testing
We have tested this patriot burst review on the X99 platform. The test bench setup is as follow:
- Intel i7 6850k
- Asus Rampage V Edition 10
- Ballistix Elite 4x4GB 3000MHz DDR4
- Noctua NH-U14S
- Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD [OS Drive]
- Seagate 2TB Barracuda
- Colorful iGame GTX 1050Ti
- Corsair AX1200i
To test the drive’s read and write speeds, we have used following software running on Microsoft Windows 10 x64 build version 16299:
CrystalDiskMark
Let’s take a look at the results.
Crystal Disk Mark has resulted in sequential read to be 338 MB/s which is above the rated 330MB/s sequential read speed of the drive. The tested sequential write speed was 294.5MB/s which is above the rated write speed of 270MB/s. Random read and write speeds decent as well. The sequential read/write speeds have been validated on the Crystal Disk Mark.
AS SSD Benchmarks
Next, we run the AS SSD software to test the performance of the drive.
ATTO Disk Benchmark
Next, we ran the ATTO Disk Benchmark to test the drive’s performance.
Anvil Storage Utilities Benchmark
Next, we ran the Anvil Storage Utilities benchmark to test the performance of the drive. On the default test size of 1GB, the tested read speed was 270.26MB/s with 14.80s of response time. The write speed was 240.04MB/s with 16.6641s response time. The tested Random Read speed was 50012.17 IOPS validating the rated Random Read Speed of 50k IOPS.
At a Queue Depth of 4, the Patriot Burst 120GB SSD demonstrated a Random Read Speed of 19857.28 IOPS and a Random Write Speed of 47768.16 IOPS. With a Queue Depth of 16, the Random Write speed increased to 67126.56 IOPS, validating the rated 40k IOPS. Response times for both Random read and write were notably good.
PCMARK
In the PCMark benchmark, the Patriot Burst 120GB SSD achieved a Storage 2.0 score of 4687 with a bandwidth of 118.83MB/s. Real-life testing corroborated these results. Gaming response times ranged from 60.9s to 139.3s, Adobe Photoshop from 120.4s to 410.1s, with Microsoft Powerpoint at the lowest of 9.6s, Excel at 10s, and Word at 29.4s.
Real World Testing
In the data copying test, we transferred a dataset of 1948 files totaling 11GB from the HDD to the Patriot Burst 120GB SSD. The graph depicts data writing speeds and the time taken for the file transfer, measured independently with a stopwatch, not relying on Windows-reported time.
Should You Buy It?
Here are a few factors worth keeping in mind before purchasing the Patriot Burst.
Buy It If:
✅You want a cheap 120GB drive: The Patriot Burst 120GB SSD is a suitable choice for users seeking an extremely budget-friendly storage solution with decent performance
Don’t Buy It If:
❌You prioritize high speeds or capacities: It’s not ideal for those prioritizing faster speeds or higher capacities.
Conclusion
In summary, the Patriot Burst 120GB SSD impresses with its commitment to delivering high-speed storage at an affordable price point. With a sleek 2.5″ form factor and low profile design, this drive is not only versatile but also robust, boasting a wide operating temperature range of 0 to 70°C and the ability to endure harsh environments. Powered by the budget-friendly Phison S11 series controller and featuring a 32MB cache, the Burst SSD series exhibits a balanced reliance on technology, avoiding the limitations of a DRAM-less environment.
Patriot’s emphasis on user-friendly design is evident in the 22-pin Serial ATA connector, making it compatible with both SATA III 6Gb/s and backward-compatible with SATA III 3Gb/s. The drive’s power-efficient operation, with consumption rated at 0.3W on idle, 2.0W on writing, and 1.3W on reading, aligns with contemporary energy-saving standards.
The Patriot Burst 120GB impresses with data speeds of up to 560MB/s read and 540MB/s write (ATTO) and 330MB/s read and 270MB/s write (Crystal Disk Mark). Despite the undisclosed Phison S11 model, this SSD, backed by a 3-year warranty, is a compelling, reliable, and cost-effective storage solution. Consider its strong performance figures when making your storage choices.
We are thankful to Patriot Memory for allowing us to review their Burst 120GB SSD.
Recent Updates
- December 29, 2023: Few text changes to improve readability. Also added image galleries.
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[Hardware Reviewer & Editor]
Meet Nauman Siddique, a highly experienced computer science graduate with more than 15 years of knowledge in technology. Nauman is an expert in the field known for his deep understanding of computer hardware.
As a tech tester, insightful reviewer, and skilled hardware editor, Nauman carefully breaks down important parts like motherboards, graphics cards, processors, PC cases, CPU coolers, and more.
- 15+ years of PC Building Experience
- 10+ years of first-hand knowledge of technology
- 7+ years of doing in-depth testing of PC Hardware
- A motivated individual with a keen interest in tech testing from multiple angles.
- I majored in Computer Science with a Masters in Marketing
- Previously worked at eXputer, EnosTech, and Appuals.
- Completed Course in Computer Systems Specialization From Illinois Tech
Get In Touch: nauman@tech4gamers.com
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