Continuous writing for 110 hours! Is it stable and how is the performance? Exper

With the advancement in graphics card and processor technology specifications and performance, the quality and visuals of games and videos have become increasingly refined. However, this has also led to a problem: the capacity of games and videos is growing larger. For instance, the installation size requirement for "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" has reached 149GB, and a half-hour 8K video shot on a Leica SL3 mirrorless camera can take up as much as 58GB. Therefore, to store this content more easily and read and write this data more quickly, users need to adopt solid-state drive (SSD) products that combine large capacity with high performance, such as this one from Yangtze Memory's ZhiTai Ti600.

The claimed speed can reach 7000MB/s: Analysis of Yangtze Memory's ZhiTai Ti600 Solid State Drive

This new product from Yangtze Memory, the ZhiTai Ti600, features a brand-new blue primary color packaging, exuding a more technological feel.

In terms of appearance, the ZhiTai Ti600 solid-state drive from Yangtze Memory adopts a new blue primary color packaging, which is more technologically appealing. Structurally, the ZhiTai Ti600 is similar to the previous TiPlus7100 PCIe 4.0 SSD, still using a DRAMLESS architecture design, supporting HMB (Host Memory Buffer) technology, which utilizes a small amount of system memory to temporarily store data read from flash memory, data to be written to flash memory, and address mapping tables, thereby effectively enhancing the I/O performance of the SSD without the need for separate memory chips as a cache.

In terms of flash memory, this product also uses Yangtze Memory's original chips based on the Xtacking® 3.0 architecture, boasting an I/O speed of 2400MT/s (single flash memory interface speed). This is the key reason why the ZhiTai Ti600 SSD can achieve a sequential read speed of 7000MB/s in a cacheless design, approaching the saturated performance of the PCIe 4.0 x4 channel. Ultimately, the sequential read and write speeds of the Ti600's 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB products are claimed to be 7000MB/s and 6000MB/s, respectively, while the smallest capacity 500GB product is claimed to have sequential read and write speeds of 6000MB/s and 3000MB/s.

The structure of the SSD is very simple, consisting of only one main controller chip and four Yangtze Memory QLC original chips based on the Xtacking® 3.0 architecture.

Unlike the TiPlus7100, the ZhiTai Ti600 SSD uses Yangtze Memory's QLC original chips. Compared to TLC chips, QLC chips are more suitable for read-intensive tasks, especially considering that mainstream users with limited budgets mostly engage in web browsing, gaming, video watching, and other read-heavy applications, as well as tasks with minimal write volume such as word processing and image editing. Therefore, QLC chips are a very suitable choice for these mainstream users.

In other aspects, for user convenience, the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD also comes with a screw post and two fixing screws, allowing users to easily install the SSD in a desktop or laptop computer. Currently, the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD is available in four capacities: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB. In terms of warranty, this product offers a 5-year warranty period plus a warranty write volume policy (whichever comes first). The 2TB product tested in this review has a warranty write volume of 800TBW, while the 4TB, 1TB, and 500GB products have warranty write volumes of 1600TBW, 400TBW, and 200TBW, respectively, which are comparable to first-tier foreign brand products and higher than the warranty standards of ordinary QLC SSDs. For example, the warranty write volume for a typical 1TB QLC SSD is generally around 320TBW, and for a 2TB product, it is around 640TBW. This indicates that Yangtze Memory has considerable confidence in the quality and durability of its chips.

Many users may still have concerns about the performance and stability of SSDs using QLC chips, so we have specially set up a platform based on one of the strongest gaming processors currently available, the Core i9-14900KS, 32GB DDR5 7200 dual-channel memory, and a Z790 motherboard, to conduct a detailed test. In the test, we will not only test the performance of the Yangtze Memory ZhiTai Ti600 solid-state drive but also its stability over a long period of continuous use.

Test PlatformMainboard: ROG MAXIMUS Z790 APEX ENCORE

Processor: Core i9-14900KS

Memory: DDR5 7200 32GB kit

Storage: Yangtze Memory Ti600 Solid State Drive 2TB

Graphics Card: GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER

Power Supply: AORUS AP1200PM Platinum Sculp

Operating System: Windows 11

Transfer speed reaches 7130.84MB/s with random 4K performance breaking 24000 IOPS

Firstly, looking at the benchmark performance, the Yangtze Memory Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB exhibits exceptional performance in testing. Its sequential read speed easily surpasses the claimed 7000MB/s, reaching up to 7130.84MB/s in CrystalDiskMark (Note: According to our previous tests, on AMD platforms, the Yangtze Memory Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB can achieve an even higher sequential read speed of 7326.38MB/s). Additionally, its maximum sequential write speed has reached 6455.85MB/s, also exceeding the claimed 6000MB/s sequential write speed. Its sequential read and write performance is already on par with flagship-level PCIe 4.0 SSDs, and it achieves such high performance mainly due to the 2400MT/s interface speed of the Xtacking 3.0 Yangtze Memory chips.

What's more noteworthy is its random 4K Q1T1 read and write speeds, which are as high as 95.36MB/s and 378.81MB/s, respectively. This translates to random 4K Q1T1 read and write IOPS of approximately 23270.26 IOPS and 98331.3 IOPS. Currently, even high-performance premium PCIe 4.0 SSDs only achieve around 20000 IOPS in random 4K Q1T1 read tests. The random 4K Q1T1 performance is closely related to the SSD's performance in gaming and general application use, which implies that the Yangtze Memory Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB can quickly load game scenes and read and write various types of data more rapidly in applications, which we will verify in our tests.In the AS SSD Benchmark and Anvil's Storage Utilities tests, the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB achieved impressive scores of 8474 and 27,565.6 points, respectively, with its sequential and random read/write performance, significantly outperforming common mainstream PCIe 4.0 SSDs, including those using TLC NAND, which typically score less than 8000 points in the AS SSD Benchmark and struggle to exceed 26,000 points in Anvil's Storage Utilities tests.

SLC cache exceeds 460GB! Full-disk read/write test

The sequential read performance of the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB reaches up to 7156.3MB/s

We also examined the consistency of the sequential read/write performance of the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB using the full-disk read/write test in TxBENCH. Initially, its full-disk sequential read performance showed excellent results, maintaining high speeds throughout the test without any noticeable slowdowns, with an average sequential read speed reaching as high as 7156.3MB/s.

The ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB features a large-capacity SLC cache of approximately 469.5GB.

In the full-disk write test, the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB was observed to have a substantial SLC cache, roughly 469.5GB in size. The SSD can maintain a sequential write speed of over 5000MB/s for a considerable amount of time before the data written in sequence reaches this cache capacity, after which the sequential write speed of the SSD will experience a significant drop. For the vast majority of users whose single data write capacity is less than 200GB, such a large SLC cache is more than sufficient and adequate for use.

Real-world application testing with programs and games

The ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB scored an impressive 3944 points in PCMark 10, comparable to other high-end PCIe 4.0 SSDs.

Of course, benchmark tests only indicate the theoretical performance of an SSD. We also used the complete system disk performance test in PCMark 10 storage performance, which includes a variety of complex storage performance tests. These tests encompass the startup of Windows 10, the startup and read/write usage tests of professional software such as Premiere Pro, Lightroom, After Effects, Photoshop, and Illustrator, as well as the read/write usage tests of office software like EXCEL, PowerPoint, and InDesign, and the copying of ISO files and JPEG images. PCMark 10 covers most of the software and application behaviors involved in current office application scenarios, including all types of sequential and random read/write applications. The score is derived by summarizing the transfer speed and access time of each test and calculating the geometric mean.The ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB achieved a total score of 3944 in the test, with an average transfer bandwidth of 623.34MB/s, indicating that this SSD possesses performance comparable to high-end PCIe 4.0 SSDs, significantly outperforming the actual application performance of entry-level PCIe 4.0 SSDs. Generally, high-end PCIe 4.0 SSDs score between 3500 to 4000 points in complete system disk performance tests, while mainstream PCIe 4.0 SSDs struggle to exceed 3000 points. This suggests that the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD has commendable office application performance.

The ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB scored an impressive 3538 points in the 3DMark storage performance test.

In terms of gaming performance, we first utilized the 3DMark storage performance test, which examines the speed from startup to menu in games such as "Battlefield 5," "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4," and "Overwatch," as well as the SSD's performance while playing games and recording videos simultaneously, and its performance during game installation and file copying. Leveraging its excellent random performance, the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB performed very well, achieving a total score of 3538 points with an average transfer speed of 597.11MB/s. According to public data and some tests we conducted, mainstream PCIe 4.0 SSDs typically score between 2500 to 3000 points in this test, with an average transfer speed of 400MB/s to 500MB/s. Only higher-performing PCIe 4.0 SSDs can achieve test scores above 3000 points. This also indicates that the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB can quickly start, install, and store games.

To further assess this, we also tested using the benchmark tools of the recently released "Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker," as well as the earlier "Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood" and "Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers." The results show that the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB indeed demonstrated rapid game loading capabilities, with the total loading time for five scenes in each game being relatively short, ranging from 5.575s to 6.105s. In contrast, ordinary mainstream PCIe 4.0 SSDs typically take more than 6s to load the five scenes in each game, with "Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers" taking over 7s. This further proves that, with its robust random 4K Q1T1 read performance, the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB indeed has very fast game loading speeds. Its game scene loading times are comparable to other high-performance PCIe 4.0 SSDs, allowing players to quickly run games without long waits and enjoy an excellent gaming experience.

DirectStorage Demo and Game Testing

The ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB has a loading time of only 0.38s in the Bulk Load Demo.

As more and more games will adopt Microsoft's DirectStorage technology to read game data, which directly transfers data from the SSD to the graphics memory and GPU without going through the processor, thereby reducing game loading times and lowering processor usage while increasing frame rates, we also tested the performance of the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB with such applications. We first used Microsoft's Bulk Load Demo for testing, which is a loading scenario designed using DirectStorage 1.2 technology. The test shows that, due to the support for DirectStorage technology, the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB's loading time is reduced to an almost imperceptible 0.38s, while SSDs without this technology typically take more than 4s to load the scene.

The ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB has a loading time of only 0.664s in the 7th scene of "Forspoken."

We also verified the performance of the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB using the actual game "Forspoken," which supports DirectStorage technology. In the 7 scene loading time test of "Forspoken," the longest loading time for a single scene did not exceed 2s, all kept within 2s. Four of the game scenes even took less than 1s to load, such as the 6th scene with a loading time of only 0.772s, and the 7th scene with a loading time of only 0.664s. The loading speed is extremely fast, providing players with an instant game start experience. Its loading speed for the 7 game scenes in "Forspoken" is fully comparable to the ZhiTai TiPlus7100 PCIe 4.0 2TB SSD, which uses Yangtze Memory TLC particles.No problem with 110 hours of continuous writing or 171TB!

From the above tests and experiences, the performance of the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB is indeed impressive, but how about its stability? Especially under conditions of long-term high-intensity and heavy-load applications. Therefore, we have also decided to conduct a special stability test on this ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB in hand.

At the beginning of the test, the write data volume and power-on time of this ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB were very small, with a health status of 100%.

It can be seen that at the start of the test, this ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB with the product serial number "ZTA602TAB233751512" had only been written with 1645GB, or about 1.62TB of data, with only 3 hours of power-on time, a health status of 100%, and only 5 power-on cycles.

After 110 hours of writing, the total write data volume and power-on time have increased significantly, but since there were no power cycles during the test, the power-on cycles remained at 5.

Our stability test involved continuously writing data to this SSD, and after 110 hours of continuous writing, the total write data volume of this ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD 2TB reached 172.8TB. Subtracting the 1.62TB of data already written at the beginning of the test, approximately 171.18TB of data was written during the entire test process. Its total power-on time increased from 3 hours to 113 hours. At the same time, with the SSD cooling plate on the motherboard, the working temperature of the SSD was also not high. In an environment with an ambient temperature of about 25°C, after 110 hours of writing, the working temperature of the SSD was around 60°C. According to the records of HWINFO64, the highest temperature of the SSD during the entire 110-hour test process was around 61°C.

It is even more noteworthy that its health status only decreased from 100% to 90%, and the software assessment of the SSD's health status is still good. It should be noted that according to the official warranty write data volume of 800TBW, after writing a total of 172.8TB of data, 21.6% of the durability has been consumed, but the software assessment of the health status only decreased by 10%, which also likely means that the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD has a larger redundancy space for durability. The only thing that did not change during the test was that the power-on cycles remained at 5, because we did not power off and on again during the entire test process, and the test was carried out continuously, so the number of power-on cycles did not change.

Smart Tool for routine SSD maintenance

Smart Tool is a versatile SSD maintenance tool that can display various hardware information of the SSD and can also be used for secure erasure and firmware upgrades.

Finally, the ZhiTai Ti600 PCIe 4.0 SSD can also be maintained using the Yangtze Memory ZhiTai Smart Tool SSD tool. It can not only display detailed information of all ZhiTai disks mounted by the user, including the health status, working temperature, and specific values of each S.M.A.R.T. code of the SSD, but also perform online firmware upgrades for the SSD, and has the function of clearing the disk, which is the so-called secure erasure. It can clear all data in the SSD, restore the SSD's performance to its initial state, and allow ordinary users to easily and quickly complete the maintenance of the SSD, and control various hardware information of the SSD.