Toshiba HG6 512GB SSD Review

Overview

 

Let’s be fair the most exciting thing about SSDs is their performance, not their looks! Today I’m taking a look at one of Toshiba’s new HG6 SSDs, this is the Toshiba HG6 512GB (THNSNJ512GCSU). Note (as you can see from the images!) that this is an OEM drive, which basically means that you get all of the performance and not much else (actually nothing else, not even a sticker!). The drive is available in the following capacities: 60GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. And the SSD sports the following performance figures: Max. Sequential Read 534 MB/s, Max. Sequential Write 482 MB/s.

 

 

The drive is not much to look at but it is housed in study metal case, and of course due to its OEM nature is could be easily customized.

 

 

At the time of writing the Toshiba HG6 512GB (THNSNJ512GCSU) SSD is retailing for around £260 on Amazonand comes with a 3 year warranty.

 

Specifications/Features

courtesy of Toshiba

Model Name	THNSxJyyyGBSU2	THNSxJyyyGCSU2	THNSxJyyyGACU/MCU3	THNSxJyyyG8NU/DNU4	THNSxJyyyGVNU2
Form Factor	2.5-inch Case (9.5 mmH)	2.5-inch Case (7.0 mmH)	mSATA™1 Module	M.2 (2280-D2 Double-Sided)	M.2 (2280-S2 Single-Sided)
SERIES OVERVIEW
Connector Type	Standard SATA	Standard SATA	mSATA	M.2 B-M	M.2 B-M
Drive Capacity	60/128/256/512GB*	60/128/256/512GB*	60/128/256/512GB*	60/128/256/512GB*	128/256GB*
NAND Technology	A19 nm MLC NAND Flash Memory
Drive Interface	ACS-2, SATA revision 3.1 1.5/3/6 Gb/sec
PERFORMANCE
Max Seq Read	534 MB/s(510 MiB/s)5,6
Max Seq Write	482 MB/s{460 MiB/s}5,6
POWER REQUIREMENTS
Voltage	5.0 V ±5 %	5.0 V ±5 %	3.3 V ±5 %	3.3 V ±5 %	3.3 V ±5 %
Active Idle Power	Active: 3.3 W typ Idle: 125 mW typ.	Active: 3.3 W typ Idle: 125 mW typ.	Active: 3.2 W typ. Idle: 65 mW typ.	Active: 3.2 W typ. Idle: 65 mW typ.	Active: 2.5 W typ. Idle: 65 mW typ.
PHYSICAL SIZE
Size (W)x(D)x(H)	100.0 mm x 69.85 mm x 9.5 mm	100.0 mm x 69.85 mm x 7.0 mm	50.95 mm x 30.0 mm x 3.95 mm	80.0 mm x 22.0 mm x 3.50 mm	80.0 mm x 22.0 mm x 2.15 mm
Weight	51-55 g typ.	49-53 g typ.	7.3-7.7 g typ.	7.0-9.3 g typ.	6.4-6.6 g typ.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Temp-Operate	0°C – 70°C (case temperature)	0°C – 70°C (case temperature)	0°C – 80°C (components temperature)	0°C – 80°C (components temperature)	0°C – 80°C (components temperature)
Temp-Non	-40°C – 85°C
Vibration-Operate	196 m/s² {20 G} at 10-2,000 Hz
Vibration-Non	196 m/s² {20 G} at 10-2,000 Hz
Shock-Operating	14.7 km/s² {1500 G} at 0.5 ms
RELIABILITY
MTTF	1,500,000 hours
WARRANTY
Warranty (Info)	3 years (from date of purchase)
MORE FEATURES
	・ Translation mode which enables any drive configuration ・ 28-bit LBA mode commands and 48-bit LBA mode commands support ・ Multi word DMA, Ultra-DMA, Advanced PIO mode ・ Automatic retries and corrections for read errors ・ SED models are based on TCG OPAL ver. 2.0.　SED models also support Wipe Technology.

* Additional details available here

 

Testing Methodology/Setup

 

The test bed for this review (shown below) was treated to a fresh install of Windows 7 64Bit Home Premium (service pack 1) with all associated Drivers installed. I also ensured that AHCI was set in the UEFI (although this is now the default settings for most modern MBs). The drive was connected to the Intel SATA 3 (6GBs) port (4) of the MSI Z87 G45 GAMING motherboard. No special or other BIOS/UEFI options are required…

Test Rig Setup

Case	Cooler Master HAF XB	Power Supply	Corsair AX760i
Motherboard	MSI Z87 G45 GAMING	CPU	Intel Core i5-4670K
CPU Cooler	Raijintek Themis	RAM	Kingston HyperX Beast 8GB 2400MHz
Graphics Card	MSI GTX 770 OC Edition	SSD	Toshiba HG6 512GB

 

Hardware Performance

 

We use PCMark 8 to help ascertain Gaming performance. The test used measures the performance of the drive while loading real game data for both World of Warcraft and Battlefield 3. In addition to this we will also use ATTO Disk Benchmark to confirm the drives claimed performance levels.

 

• BENCHMARKS

 

• ATTO Disk Benchmark

 

In the pure throughput test (using ATTO Disk Benchmark) the Toshiba HG6 512GB SSD betters its quoted Read of (534MB/s) with a score of (552MB/s). The quoted Write speed is also bettered (by some margin): the quoted write was 482MB/s yet we saw a peak of 522MB/s during the 1024KB test. Impressive as this may seem these numbers need to be taken with a pinch of salt really. From a Gaming point of view it’s the result of the next benchmark that tells us what we really want to know… 😉

 

• PCMark 8 Storage Test

 

 

So the Toshiba HG6 512GB SSD jumps straight to the top of our chart in the real world (GAMING) PCMARK 8 test, outperforming all drives that have gone before. Now although we are only talking about a second or two, it’s still quite significant considering how closely stacked some of the other drives are (0.4 of a sec separates 4 drives!). The Battlefield 3 test seems particularly impressive.

 

Final Thoughts

 

If SSDs were all about performance and nothing else the Toshiba HG6 512GB (THNSNJ512GCSU) is a sure fire winner; but hold on a minute… SSDs are all about performance and nothing else! Seems like we have a winner then! 😉

There’s not much to say about the Toshiba HG6 other than that above, because it is effectively an OEM drive. We cant talk about its looks as to be fair it has none! Some may argue that it’s ripe for some customization and I guess it is.

But to be fair, I’m not concerned over its OEM nature as the performance is the best yet seen here at pcG. Taking the crown in both of the Real World Game tests (World of Warcraft & Battlefield 3). Ok it’s not by much but the numbers speak for themselves. It’s also worth noting that the ATTO performance figures don’t really tell the whole story, as the drives Read/Write credentials are actually not as impressive as other manufacturers.

Overall there’s no doubting that the Toshiba HG6 512GB is a great SSD, and one that I’d be more than happy with in my own Gaming Rig. Unfortunately there are cheaper 512GB drives on the market, but don’t forget to keep your eyes on the write speeds. As always the best sometimes costs that little bit more. And it with the Toshiba HG6 512GB it does, at the time of writing the HG6 is not only expensive at approximately £260 but it’s also difficult to track down (which is a shame), suggesting prices are likely to remain high…

 

Verdict

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Many thanks to Toshiba for providing this sample for review