Apacer Panther AS350 AP240GAS350-1 240 GB

Black Panther

Apacer AS350 Panther is one of the cheapest solid-state drives in east european retail, and if we take into account only models of famous brands (Apacer is a subsidiary of Acer), then it is generally the cheapest. Expected for a low-cost SSD, built on the basis of TLC memory (planar SanDisk) with three bits per cell and average durability (3K rewrites). For comparison, a two-bit MLC can withstand as much as 10K cycles, and a four-bit QLC — only 1K.

Smart and prudent

The AS350 is controlled by a smart Silicon Motion SM2258 controller. Theoretically, its speed characteristics can reach 560 and 520 MB / s for linear reading and writing, respectively (this is the maximum of the SATA 3 interface). But in fact, Apacer programmatically limited speeds to 450 and 350 MB / s, so that the AS350 model does not interfere with sales of more expensive and faster models of the Panther series. But note that, traditionally for TLC memory and Silicon Motion controllers, the volume of the SLC cache (software combination of three cells into a single array) is equal to a third of the disk volume. If you record a larger file or if the free disk space is less than three times the file size, the recording speed will drop to 70 MB / s.

Not for programmers

But what definitely gives out a low-cost SSD in the Apacer AS350 Panther is the low read and write speed of 4K blocks — 28K IOPS (although it happens even less). Solid-state drives, on the other hand, can boast twice or even three times the best IOPS. This parameter is important primarily for programmers who create databases and websites consisting of a huge number of very, very small files. Apacer AS350 Panther is categorically contraindicated for workers in this profession. For the rest of the economical users who do not need ultra-high speed and durability, the AS350 will be an excellent replacement or addition to a slow HDD.