Gaming systems have moved to solid state storage drives due to good performance. Within this segment we can find different types of connection formats and interfaces. Nfortec has recently presented its SSD drives which arrive in various formats and interfaces. In this case we are going to analyze the Nfortec Alcyon M.2 SSD SATA III 256GB drive. What's cool about this unit is that by installing directly onto the motherboard, we cut down on the number of cables, while still delivering really good performance.
Thanks to Nfortec for lending us this SATA III SSD
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Unboxing Nfortec Alcyon M.2 SSD SATAIII 256GB
The truth is that we like the design of the box because it is quite sober. We see the unit in the foreground and in the background the company logo is subtly seen. The capacity of the same, the connection interface and the operating speeds are indicated.
Nfortec has bet on this Alcyon M.2 drive to provide it with SATA III connectivity. While we will get lower speeds than NVMe drives, performance is still very good. And it is that the company with the Alcyon units wants to offer solutions of good quality, good performance and an adjusted price
We consider that the amount of plastic that the unit arrives with is excessive. It would be interesting if the use of this material was optimized in the future.
Features Nfortec Alcyon M.2 SSD SATA III 256GB
This Nfortec Alcyon M.2 SSD SATA III 256GB drive retains the M.2 NVMe drive design in terms of dimensions. It has a 2280 format, which indicates that the length of the unit is 80mm. It is usually the most common format in most compact format motherboards.
About the controller of this unit we have not found excessive information. It has a Maxio controller for SATA 6Gbps drives that is compatible with the TLC memories that this storage unit integrates. It is interesting because this unit also makes use of SpecTek memories, which are the same as the Nfortec M.2 NVMe unit. Note that they are memories manufactured by Micron and sold by its subsidiary SpecTek.
We can see that this unit has two spaces in its connector. Drives that are based on the SATA interface have two spaces, while NVMe drives have only one space. It allows you to visually identify them and tells the system what type of interface you are going to use. This unit seems interesting to us, since it offers very good performance and also eliminates cables.
Specifications Nfortec Alcyon M.2 SSD SATA III 256GB
- Form factor: M.2 2280
- Size: 80mm x 22mm x 2mm
- Weight: 5.7g
- Interface: SATA 6Gbps
- Operating temperature: 0 ° C to 70 ° C
- Read speed: 550 MB / s
- Write speed: 500 MB / s
- 4K Random Read: 94000 IOPS
- 4K Random Write: 76800 IOPS
- Raw capacity: 238,47GB
- MTBF Reliability: 1,500,000 Hours
- TBW reliability: 128TB
Benchmark
Regarding the performance of this unit, the truth is that it is very good and stable. As we can see, the unit is within the speed tolerance range with respect to that marked by the manufacturer. We must bear in mind that the marked speeds normally refer to the theoretical ones in the laboratory. But in this we see that it moves below the threshold of 10% of difference with respect to what is indicated, which is very good.
Gallery
Conclusion
If you're thinking of buying a gaming PC and want to build a SATA SSD, you should seriously consider these drives. The Nfortec Alcyon M.2 SSD SATA III 256GB offers excellent performance and also eliminates cables. You eliminate the data cable, as it connects directly to the motherboard, and you also eliminate the power cable, as it's powered directly from the motherboard.
It offers very stable performance and has no temperature issues, which is a very positive figure. For us it is a great alternative to 2.5 inch SATA SSDs. The only downside we have found is the amount of plastic used to protect the unit. Surely Nfortec takes it into account and in the future they will look to reduce the amount of it.
- Really very good performance
- Eliminate the cables we would need for a SATA III SSD
- High quality memories manufactured by Micron
- You do not need a passive heatsink (although it is always recommended)
- There is a good quality price relation
- Excess plastic for packaging
