OCZ’s Synapse Cache SSD Allows Do-It-Yourself Hybrid SSD

Last month, OCZ announced its RevoDrive Hybrid, a PCIe-based SSD that shipped with a 1TB hard drive built-in. OCZ’s move to release such a product was interesting because it helped reaffirm the fact that SSD caching can indeed be useful. In the best case scenario, such an implementation would allow you to use a 1TB hard drive that felt like an SSD; the benefits are self-explanatory.

A downside of the RevoDrive Hybrid is that it’s not customizable, and only one model is available. There’s also the fact that not everyone may have a PCIe slot free, leading to Intel’s Smart Response Technology being the best current solution. Well, until now, that is. With the launch of OCZ’s Synapse Cache SSD, DIYers can get down to business.

At their heart, the Synapse Cache SSDs are similar to other OCZ offerings which utilize SandForce’s SF-2281 controller. That equates to read/write speeds of about 550/510MB/s and IOPS of up to 80,000. What makes these SSDs special are their inclusion of NVELO’s DataPlex software that essentially combines the SSD with a chosen HDD so that an OS will see just a single drive.

At launch, 64GB and 128GB models will be available. It’s important to note that 50% of said density will be used for provisioning, so if you want the best possible experience from this setup, the 128GB model will be preferred as 32GB after the 50% cut on the 64GB model isn’t going to allow a ton of breathing room.

As we’ve seen with some other solutions, the DataPlex software works to figure out what data is “hot” (often accessed) and then will cache that to the fast SSD. This data can be any file that ends up being accessed a lot, in turn speeding up things like application and game loading, often-used documents, OS boot time and so forth.

The product page for the Synapse Cache is a little light on details, such as how the setup would come together, but those are details we hope to find out soon. There’s also no pricing available, though the company has stated that the drives should be hitting retail soon.

Of all the SSD+HDD solutions available so far, this might be the one that appeals to me the most. There doesn’t seem to be a limit on the size of the HDD used, which makes it perfect for those wanting to install all of their games on the same drive as their OS (in the Hybrid configuration) and then have levels load faster, not to mention all their apps. As the RevoDrive Hybrid only includes a 1TB hard drive, the Synapse Cache looks to be the perfect solution for those who either need more than that or don’t have a spare PCIe slot free. It should be noted however that in terms of overall performance, the RevoDrive Hybrid still remains the faster solution.