Jeff Campbell
07-26-2011, 10:30 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/2011-macbook-air-shipping-with-fast-samsung-and-slow-toshiba-ssds/10701?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+zdnet/Apple+(ZDNet+The+Apple+Core)' target='_blank'>http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/201...The+Apple+Core)</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Several months ago, MacRumors noticed that Apple was using two different suppliers for the Solid State Drives (SSDs) in its MacBook Air models - Samsung and Toshiba. At the time Samsung SSDs benchmarked significantly faster (both in read and write speeds) than the Toshiba SSDs."</em></p><p><img height="251" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1289832145.usr105634.jpg" width="600" /></p><p>I don't think it would matter too much which SSD you have, except for the variation in the speed benchmarks. The disparity isn't just a few MB/s either. Using a 128GB Samsung the test resulted in 246 MB/s write and 264 MB/s read speeds in the 11-inch MBA. However on the 13-inch MBA, using the 128GB Toshiba, they only got 156 MB/s write and 208 MB/s read speeds. Quite a difference. If I were to get one of the slower ones, I'd be tempted to take it back for one with the Samsung in it. You can find out which one you have by going to About Mac -> More Info -> System Report -> and click on the Hardware. Then go to the Serial-ATA section and if the APPLE SSD is followed by SM you have the Samsung. If you have a TS however, you are stuck with the Toshiba. What are your thoughts on the debacle, or is the speed difference really that big of a deal? </p>