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We are quite impressed with what the Corsair Accelerator cache drives have to offer. In our tests, we saw significant improvements in performance with the cache drives enabled compared to the hard drive alone. In some cases, the performance was very close to that of a dedicated SSD.
One of the major selling points of these drives is the custom software which removes the need for Intel's Smart Response Technology. This means that the drives can be used with all chipsets, providing the system has Windows 7 installed. There is a statement on the Corsair website which says that Windows 8 software will be available at some point in the near future for those who have upgraded.
There are three different capacities available in the Accelerator series, 30 GB, 45 GB and 60 GB. We tested the 30 GB and 60 GB variants which are available for £40 from Dabs and £53 from Scan respectively. At these prices, we feel that the 30GB version is a good option for those looking to upgrade the performance of their system on a very budget.
We don't feel that the 60 GB is such a good option, though. We would rather purchase a 60 GB SATA-600 drive at a similar price and use it as a dedicated boot drive. Storage capacity would be limited but it could be combined with a hard drive for added storage. This option would offer more consistent performance.
Pros:
- Boost hard drive speeds significantly.
- 30 GB offers good value.
- Compatible with all chipsets.
- Easy to set up.
Cons
- 60 GB doesn't make sense as a cache drive.
- Dedicated SSDs offer more consistent performance.
KitGuru says: We think that the 30 GB drive is a great way of boosting your system's performance without spending very much money.
Nice idea, but the price drops have killed cache drives IMO.
I still dont have an SSD in my main system, im embarassed to say