Plextor didn’t just bring their M8V drives to CES 2018, they also brought along their new S3 series. The S3 is the successor to the S2 series and it comes in both 2.5-inch and M.2 form factors. When compared to the M8V, the S3 is a better reader while the M8V is more balanced.
Plextor S3 Series
The S3 series is a great one, there can be no doubt. We already reviewed this series last month, so you can check that out for more details. Performance wise, the S3 series comes in with a rating up to 550MB/s when reading and 520MB/s when writing. The random performance is rated up to 92K when reading and up to 79K when writing. This is where we see the difference to the M8V series, in the random performance.
S3 Series Technologies
The drive is built with PlexNitro too as well as with LDPC ECC technology. It also supports PlexTurbo for an incredible performance boost. With it and a little bit of your system memory, it creates a RAM disk that takes your performance to a whole new level. Not only that, it also increases the lifespan of your drive by performing less writes. A win-win situation.
The other Plextor apps such as PlexCompressor and PlexVault are also supported. PlexCompressor can increase your available capacity through intelligent compression while PlexVault can password protected parts of your drive.
Pricing and Availability
Plextor’s S3 series is available now, although the availability varies depending on location and shop. The 256GB version can be found around £80 while the 128GB version can be found at a price of £50.
