Another week, another new SSD low.
$399.99 Makes it about $0.78 per GB. A few months ago I was struggling to find anything under $1.50 a GB.
I purchased a few Hitachi 3tb drives from B&H last time they were on special and had no issues. Received within a week using cheapest shipping option.
Welcome! Very happy you didn't ask us to be gentle, cos we are a rough bunch and like it that way!
He speaks the truth… :-(
It is known.
The prices have dropped so quick..
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/62413
$665 less than 6 months ago
"Expect 1 dollar per gig toward the end of this year, yeah"
Half way through and we're at $0.78!
GREAT PRICE for anyone who need 512GB
now……waiting for better price for the 128GB & 256GB :P
can someone tell me whats the advantage of these over a standard HDD? will it be faster boot times
Basically a huge ass thumb drive.
Less fail rate? In general I think SSDs have a much higher failure rate.
Advantages are speed, faster read, write, access. Also reduced power (for laptops - saves battery).
Thats more a teething failure then anything. Overall SSDs are more reliable, as most those initial software issues are kinked out like the 600 hour bug, etc.
you forgot one more + point that with SSDs, you can drop the laptop hard, while the laptop is running, and you won't lose the entire drive contents due to mechanical arm failure.
Yes, the second gen SSDs have most of the kinks ironed out thus leading to lesser fail rate.
I didn't read this but while yes SSD have a lower failure rate in the long term (projected cause it's still in infancy)
SSD's seem like they have a higher tendency to cark it in the first 2 years according to the graph in this link.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-reliability-failure-…
I also remember reading somewhere that SSDs (not Crucial or Intel and to a certain extent OCZ) have a higher DOA rate than conventional HDDs.
i would think of it as every second the SSD saved me from the windows loading screen, is every second of my life I got back.
I recall having to wait 5mins 21secs for windows to load back in the 90s.
wouldn't recommended for people who are keen on 'reliable' harddrives (if that mythical creature ever existed.)
backups are essential if you value your data.
That weas due to the infamous sandforce controller these drives used.
Intel and Marvell are the best
The crucial m4 and the OCZ vertex 4 are among the best.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4253/the-crucial-m4-micron-c40…
I do not know if sandforce has got their act together.
Ahh the 90's. I could have done so much more in my youth if I had a SSD then and didn't waste time watching windows load.
I didn't have to wait…I was using Linux! ;)
Yup SSDs currently have a much higher DOA rate than conventional HDDs as well as a read/write limit and generally lower MTBF (until quite recently at least).
The main benefits I find for SSDs are:
-Speed
-Sound (quiet)
-Size
-Appearance (they look awesome)
i treasure my dos games and strip poker, so i stuck with DOS and Desqview instead.
Although, the typical BIOS bootup is about 2 minutes and about 10 minutes if you are running linux with floppy disks.
Harddisks are like the best thing since sliced bread.
Hmm, it doesn't fail from mechanical failure but other failures. If you go with reliable brand such as Intel or Crucial, things usually won't go wrong. The key is doing a bit of research, and stay away from ocz for now.
im 24, and i remember my first computer at the age of 9 having a boot disk. lol aaaancient
I'm gonna test the laptop-drop when I get home!
When I was 9 my first computer had a tape drive :-p
Yes, everything loads faster. You can look up exactly how they work, but they are damn good.
Everything will be much faster. I installed a similar (but 256GB) in my notebook and is really very fast. Have a look on youtube for some comparisson and you will be amazed.
It' loads in world of Warcraft 10 times faster then the normal hdd and it goes into windows 20 sec. Pretty fast I say!
err… windows in 7-8 seconds actually… (possibly faster with the larger drives though as that speed is it the 128GB version)
20 seconds is pretty slow.
Your PC must have a long POST state.
With window 8 it is really fast.
MY on the notebook takes 13 seconds from power on to windows login then around 3 more seconds for metro. I can launch stuff after this state. So no Click wait wait wait load.
Basically, everything is faster. Once you use an SSD it's hard to go back.
WOW!
Is this a special? If yes, when does it end?
Pay day couldn't come any sooner :D
The price is the lowest I found at moment, but at Crucial website the price is already low as well: $438.
I guess until they run out of stock. The last time I purchased drives on special from B&H they continued taking orders even after running out…Only issue, I had to wait an extra 2 weeks for their new stock to arrive.
I might have a spare $200 for this by the end of the year after I upgrade my rig
Think ill hold out till these are under a couple hundred bux… I remember spending 400 bux on my first 4GB drive all those years ago and everyone was wondering what the heck i was going to fill it it with… never again! everyone was amazed at such a huge drive though….
rekon ill only be waiting a year or so based on there current rate of decline…
in a year, a 1TB SSD will cost $444
People thought we were crazy double spacing our 20mb HDD to 40mb. They were right though, 40mb was pretty damn near impossible to fill (back then)!
Edit: on second thoughts, I think it may have been a 10mb HDD to 20mb… doesn't really matter though. The thing was huge too, bigger than 3.5" drives these days, not sure what the form factor was though.
Probably 5.25".. same size as the old floppy drives.
B&H are exceptionally good. They have a great range of external cases etc too. Highly recommended especially given this is $200 less than I paid!
Just curious. Not negging the deal in any way, but how do you guys feel about warranty? You would have to send this back to the US if there is any issue. And cost of sending something to the US is rediculously high.
NB: Yes, I am a local retailer
Some people feel it's worth the risk. I've bought expensive electronics (>$600) knowing full well I probably don't have any warranty because it's from an eBay seller who didn't make any mention of warranties. I was happy to take the risk and it worked out fine.
With the cheapest on StaticIce being $681 (and yours close to being the cheapest), $444 shipped is nearly $250 cheaper. With $250 you could buy a Crucial M4 256GB and still have change to spare.
But if we're talking $444 (US) vs $499 (local), a lot of people would buy locally to save time and shipping woes.
Agreed. It depends on the failure rate. At $250 for a warranty, the failure rate would have to be over 50% for it to be more economical to buy local.
nice way of putting it.
Why not you match the deal for us?
if you noticed, the savings between a US import and a local one, is enough to RMA the same drive back FOUR(*4) times ($50 each time), and still leave you enough for a slab of beer.
same drive on static ice $699
http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi?name=PC%20C…
$693
http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi?name=I-Tech…
my estimations aren't that far off.
try returning the same drive back to a local retailer more than once and he'll tell you to piss off.
All very true - if only the distributor here stop charging us over $600 Ex GST for these!
If you can, put pressure on them… it's losing both of you sales :)
Who are the distributors?
Is there only one distributor for any type of device?
Your 128 GB deal the other day was really good. Amazon price was very very close. If i was in the market for a 128GB, I would have bought it.
But I am after a 256 Crucial M4.
Check Amazon price, give us a good enough deal and I am in.
Do they ship to AUS?
Probably Synnex.
Always found them to be jerks to deal with.
Only a handful of distributors who have pretty tight control over the industry. Synnex and Ingram Micro are two of the biggest.
Are you due to receive more stock of the Sandisk 480gb extreme drives this week? I'm tempted by this deal but would rather buy the Sandisk from you if you have stock coming soon, main reason being local warranty and the fact I can walk in and pick one up.
Yes, some are coming in - mostly already allocated to orders. Have you got your order in yet?
As the local price is around $700 plus shipping(http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=crucial+m4+…), the saving is more than $250! In my view the saving alone justifies buying overseas. Not to mention the awful local customer services.
I recently bought Crucial M4 256GB from Amazon for $246 plus $7 shipping. Before it arrived the price has dropped further to $199. I mentioned it to Amazon and they simply agreed to refund the price difference. I got the money back the next day! How many local shops can do that?
Pity Amazon not shipping Crucial m4 to Australia anymore. B&H is great and all but the shipping is too much compared to Amazon.
Also, B&H offer an add-on warranty for $32.99 which says "Free shipping to and from our service centers" and that it's "Available for US and International customers (not valid in Florida)".
I don't want to rub it in rep, and I can easily understand how price variations like this hurt your business, but the reality is there are some consumers (over-represented at OzB) that simply won't pay more for the same product, even if it comes with a bit of inconvenience.
Fair enough!
or if you want to avoid all the kerfuffle altogether, order it direct from crucial.com.
ain't that a kick in the guts? I mean, the manufacturer is selling for far less than how much you will expect to pay for one here locally.
It's an SSD. they don't weigh much, so the cost of sending it back is high, but not ridiculously high, and certainly not high enough to prefer to spend the $200+ extra to buy it from you.
Amazon has much better service and shipping fee than B&H, but you guys peeved Amazon off by asking for refunds all the time, now Amazon doesn't sell to Australia anymore.
no idea what happened, but refunds are part and parcel of a business policy. if they can't honour it, whats the point of having it?
Highly doubt it was anything to do with Aussies (or any other country) asking for refunds - this is part of Amazon's business as slowmo pointed out.
More than likely, it was related to channel conflict and Aussie retailers complaining to distributors/suppliers complaining to Crucial that they were undercutting them significantly (http://smh.com.au/lifestyle/shopping/importers-close-door-on… for example).
it doesn't matter (re: channel conflict) to be honest… I've seen it happen in asian countries… people just stop buying from 'official' shops totally and parallel importers thrive.
if retailers want customers, they have to work for it, not whinge like a centerlink bludger that the 'foreigners are taking their jobs'.
If wholesalers & distributors are slow at introducing new price levels there is nothing the retailer can do. There is no magic wand or fairy.
If you think you can survive in business by selling product for less than it costs you… then go for it…
Very soon YOU will find yourself knocking on the door of Centerlink.
if retailers want customers, they have to work for it …
not sure if you've noticed but there's very little Australian manufacture - it was killed off by the race to the bottom. Wholesalers & distributors replaced manufacturers, now, without local (supply) competition.
How do you suggest a local retailer "works (harder) for it" to reduce prices they themselves are being charged? Perhaps you can tell Netplus how they they improve your patronage without them committing financial suicide?
not whinge like a centerlink bludger
based on your self righteous attitude, I suspect you'll be joining that group soon enough. What industry are you in - perhaps we can look out for you as your employer makes announcements?
oooh, hit a raw nerve?
telling said distributors you can't sell at this price, so i'm not going to carry them.
if you are having issues making a profitable business, then I suggest not running one.
also, point out the part i am blaming 'netplus'?
if you think that this is not happening, then go ahead, keep your head under the sand, go the same way the australian tourism industry went. Go ask what tourists think about the prices in Australia.
and thanks for your concern, if anything I won't be joining centerlink. I am capable enough to work different jobs in different industries. Though that sounds like your first plan of retreat when things gets tough.
good luck buddy.
Amazon still sell to Australia, but they must use some sort of black magic to work out when and what they will ship here, which seems to change all the time.
Not really black magic, its a combination of two different policies and supply chain relevance:
-American export laws
-Australian import laws
They don't always "mesh" and to make matters more complicated, a lot items aren't shipped directly from supplies (drop shipped) but have to be bought and then moved from Amazon's own stores.
I recently bought some things from Amazon US and wanted some class III safety rope. Rope itself was only $5 US for 50ft, postage however was $54! Stupid company had a forced postage policy (1-3 days express).
It's not so much about import/export laws it's got more to do with export restrictions by the distributor/manufacturer to prevent people in one region from getting the same item cheaper from else where. The same was done by ASICS with shoes and export allowances in the US.
Links for 128GB and 256GB versions:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/768801-REG/Crucial_Tec…
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/768803-REG/Crucial_Tec…
yeah but i think the delivery kills it - haven't checked but going by the OP delivery is 30-40 bucks!
Delivery is significantly reduced if you buy more than one. Delivery for one of these is $32, but for 3 it's $34 total (so works out to be just over $11 each).
If you know other people who want one you can order a few and save on delivery costs.
Do I sense a OB group buy coming up?!
sigh - Wait, rorymeister, wait! It will get cheaper. The plan is for this to go to my main rig, and my current 128gb to go to the HTPC.
Good price, though, thanks OP.
i would prefer to spend the same amount of money on 256GB SSD and 2TB HDD for photos, movies, music etc.
bear in mind that 256gb ssds are slower than 512gb ones.. and you cannot fill a SSD to full capacity.
512gb is a comfortable range of storage for most.
256GB SSDs are not really slower than 512GB ones (based on tests done by Anandtech). For OCZ Vertex 4, the 512GB is generally < 1% faster than 256GB. For Samsung 830 series, the 256GB is actually faster than 512GB (by a fair margin). For OCZ Vertex 3, 240GB is also faster than 480GB.
While 128GB SSDs are generally slower than 256GB SSDs across the board. SSDs which are > 256GB have not actually shown any significant performance advantage over their 240/256GB SSD equivalents (a few even shows performance drops). It is actually one of the current technical issues with SSDs (performance does get worse for really large SSDs).
512GB is more comfortable range of storage if you can only have 1 drive in the device (e.g. laptop).
ah. I stand corrected. Yes, the speed difference between 256/512 can said to be negligible. Though, even on a desktop, it's a pain to straddle between two drives when you just need 1. I don't believe in consumer grade RAID, probably thats why I favour the bigger capacity.
Afterall, my laptops often average about 400gb of usage including the OS… so 512gb currently is the one to go for… as for 256, yes it's got its uses, but I never believed in compromising convenience just for performance. it's annoying as heck.
I sorry I do not agree.
128GB is plenty for all your programs and games.
You will use a secondary HDD in JBOD or RAID for storage.
You will point Windows to display your videos,music etc. from the HDD's.
These files do not need an SSD to run fast.
Right now, SSD prices are too high to warrant RAIDING them or buying a single large capacity SSD.
HDD prices are going to come down eventually. They too are expensive these days.
If this is for an laptop then you have no choice but to spend the dough on the SSD. You may try the hybrids but they are not up there with the SSD's.
not sure whom you are replying to.. and what you are disagreeing with :P
128gb is not enough for all my programs excluding games. (not sure how you figured out what my programs exactly are though.)
like i said, I don't believe in consumer grade RAID. so you actually agreed to my point about RAIDing SSDs.
HDD prices and any consumer electronics ALWAYS head down, the trouble is knowing when to buy and what is actually your requirement.
I have been using hybrids, they are good for the initial boot up, but not in the long run.
I do tend to agree with Hahuh in as much as IME many, many users (including myself) could easily get away with a 128GB SSD, and just as many could make do with 64GB in order to gain pretty much maximum benefit from the SSD.
That said, there are always going to be exceptions to that rule due to either genuine hardcore user need; or unnecessary reliance on the SSD for infrequently used/inappropriate apps or poor initial system setup.
agree with stewballs.
however, re: laptops, i agree to disagree.
to each their own.
Me thanks I shall wait till it drops to $0.5/GB
I'll wait till $0.2/GB :)
wow nice.
back 20 years up until 2 years ago we were RIPPED BADLY for "convential" HDD, now the cycle begins with these SSDs (yes even the GEN2 ones). and YES! they will appear in Apple laptops within a month or so, but Apple doesn't care about the "2 year" fail period, most people will take out AppleCare, and the price of AppleCare will pay for the stuffed SSD down the track! Stop being Lemmings! hold back and buy when GEN3 comes out.
wtf are you talking about?
LOL, he lost me at AppleCare… :p
No really wtf is he talking about?
SSDs don't come in generations? Is he retarded?
There have been 10+ different SSD companies with dozens of products each with hundreds of changes each.
How the f*$% does he put all of those into just 2 Generations.
Because there's only been 2 generations of controllers? The 3rd generation is already well under development but we probably won't see those until next year.
(We might already be in the 3rd? Depending on the manufacturer? Can't remember)
*extremely blank look*
what did he just say? i know its in english, but I don't get what he is saying. what apple care?
Been way more then 2 generations of controllers, there has been two major controller upgrades this year alone.
Aren't Sandforce still on their second gen?
I think the only one that might be on their third gen is Intel.
What's AppleCare?
Been several major updates, so no. Intel use a completely different design altogether.
The latest controller is the everest in the Vertex 4, nice unit as well, not the fastest out of the lot, but represents real world speeds. IOP's are also good.
Intel use a completely different design altogether.
Intel (520) uses Sandforce SF-2281, as others.
latest controller is the Everest in the Vertex 4
it uses Marvell 88SS9174 (or 88SS9187, since OCZ isn't upfront about it), as others.
I think he's talking about the next generation of SSD using even higher density NAND which, although cheaper, will have a significantly shorter write-cycle life. Watch the warranty periods decrease - from 5 to 3 and soon, 2.
You go right ahead and wait another 20 years then. I don't have your kind of patience.
I am thinking to get one for my laptop.
Does my laptop need to be SATA 3 or is this M4 SSD backward compatible?
Also being rather new to this, can anyone suggest the best way to clone my existing HDD onto the SSD?
SATA 3 is backward compatible to SATA 2. You will not get the best possible performance out of it, but the performance you get will still be very impressive (better than any 7200rpm laptop drive on SATA3 in terms of OS and application loading).
welcome to ozb… nice first deal :)