OCZ Vertex 4 240GB SATA 6Gbit/s SSD Review

Rob Williams

Editor-in-Chief
Staff member
Moderator
The Vertex is back, and this time it features more OCZ than ever before! (No, we're not kidding.) Powered by its latest Everest 2 platform, the Vertex 4 is a completely in-house SSD that not only brings Indilinx back to the table, but very well has the potential to be the most reliable Vertex-branded SSD we've ever seen.

Read through Ryan's exhaustive look at OCZ's latest SSD powerhouse and then discuss it here!
 

Kayden

Tech Monkey
Considering how screwed over I got with the Vertex 3 earlier this year, and many others apparently, I won't jump on board with OCZ again for a SSD. Even the RMAd one I got back still has issues, granted not all the time but enough that it's still reasonable to say that the drive is defective. The lack of not having my old spindle drive to temporarily replace my C is the only reason why it hasn't gone back and being in a position to not get another SSD for sometime is the reason why I haven't changed it out it with a competitors either, so I am left with a moderately defective drive and have no way to get it fixed THANKS OCZ!
 
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Rob Williams

Editor-in-Chief
Staff member
Moderator
Problems like those haven't only affected OCZ, that's the real problem. As for the company's customer service, this is the first case where I've heard of a problem with it (as in, never able to ultimately get a fixed drive). Couldn't you RMA once more, or are you the one that has to handle the shipping? I know others who've had to take the RMA route with OCZ but they weren't left burned in the end.

That aside, I'm confident that the V4s will be some of the most stable SSDs ever released. OCZ is, too, given the boost to a 5-year warranty. I can just picture the collective sigh in OCZ's offices when the folks there realized that their next major product wouldn't feature SandForce inside. Now they're able to focus on all aspects of the drive, allowing them to produce the most stable product possible.
 

Kayden

Tech Monkey
I have to handle shipping (out of pocket too) and if I want to cross ship, I have to put down a deposit then they hold my funds until they get the RMA drive, if not received in 30 days or something close to that, they charge me.

To your point about having to RMA, they had the same exact problem with the Vertex 2. A few months after the reviews came out, people who bought them had major issues and it took months to fix and the same thing happened with the Vertex 3. I am not saying they didn't get the problem resolved in the end, but I've seen less issues with other vendors post initial release that I will take a chance with them over OCZ next time. I for one can not continually afford the $15 for shipping both my current and future SSDs or losing my PC because they didn't learn from their past issue and institute safe guards to prevent it. Thus I am unfortunately stuck with a defective drive and unable to resolve it in the short term and I hold OCZ responsible for it.

To your point about you being confident about this being the best drive, all I have to say is this "If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas". I do not trust them based on their record and I will not believe their word or anyone's initial results until after a few more months of people buying their drives. I just can not in good conscious recommend them after what I've seen and personally experienced, not to mention the money I personally lost to fix an issue that isn't fixed.

I totally trust Techgage and your reviewing methods, it's what happens after the fact that is beyond your control and only in OCZ purview to change, and with two generations of the same problem their record speaks for it's self. Hell I planned and bought my OCZ Vertex 3 based primarily on Techgages review, so I didn't go off half cocked or miss informed. What I did do is trust OCZ when they said the problem that happened with the Vertex 2 wouldn't have with later products, well it did and I got burned by OCZ not Techgage. Therefore when OCZ can stand by their claims and promises, I will believe them but it will take a while for that to happen. Unfortunately for the both of us, only time will tell.
 
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Rob Williams

Editor-in-Chief
Staff member
Moderator
The Vertex 2 and 3 both used a similar controller, hence the continuing issues. Corsair was also plagued with the same issue due to the same controller, and had to deal with a lot of RMA'd drives.

As for having to pay out-of-pocket to ship back a product that's defective due to a known bug, that's not something I agree with in the least. The only thing more sickening is how Intel refused to add TRIM support to its first generation X25-M drives, when some people paid $600 for a mere 80GB. Talk about not appreciating your customer enough.
 

Kayden

Tech Monkey
I agree about not appreciating customers, but it happens all too often in big business. As far as having the same controller, OCZ still made promises and failed to honor them. I just will not trust OCZ, not until it can be proven customers who bought their drives after the initial shipment don't have issues, just me.
 
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