The Mushkin Helix-L Solid State Drive comes in four capacity options that offer different speeds. You can find what the differences are between these in this versus guide.
Quick Summary
The 1 TB Helix-L Solid State Drive is the fastest out of all the capacities when it comes to the maximum sequential reading speed and maximum sequential writing speed. The 1 TB version is also tied with the 500 GB version at maximum random reading speed. Last but not least, the 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB versions have the same maximum random writing speed.
If you are interested, you can purchase any of the capacity options of the solid state drive on Amazon with the following links:
- 120GB Helix-L Solid State Drive (MKNSSDHL120GB-D8)
- 250GB Helix-L Solid State Drive (MKNSSDHL250GB-D8)
- 500GB Helix-L Solid State Drive (MKNSSDHL500GB-D8)
- 1TB Helix-L Solid State Drive (MKNSSDHL1TB-D8)
120GB vs. 250GB vs. 500GB vs. 1TB Mushkin Helix-L Comparison Chart
| 120GB Helix-L Solid State Drive (MKNSSDHL120GB-D8) | 250GB Helix-L Solid State Drive (MKNSSDHL250GB-D8) | 500GB Helix-L Solid State Drive (MKNSSDHL500GB-D8) | 1TB Helix-L Solid State Drive (MKNSSDHL1TB-D8) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Dimensions | 80.0 mm x 22.0 mm x 3.8 mm | 80.0 mm x 22.0 mm x 3.8 mm | 80.0 mm x 22.0 mm x 3.8 mm | 80.0 mm x 22.0 mm x 3.8 mm |
| Memory Components | 3D TLC | 3D TLC | 3D TLC | 3D TLC |
| Interfaces | PCIe Gen3 x4 and NVMe 1.3 | PCIe Gen3 x4 and NVMe 1.3 | PCIe Gen3 x4 and NVMe 1.3 | PCIe Gen3 x4 and NVMe 1.3 |
| Controller | Silicon Motion SM2263XT | Silicon Motion SM2263XT | Silicon Motion SM2263XT | Silicon Motion SM2263XT |
| General Features | Built-in LDPC ECC Data shaping End-to-End Data Path Protection Global Wear-Leveling Host Memory Buffer (HMB) L1.2 Power Mode MEDS (Mushkin Enhanced Data-Protection Suite) NVMe Deallocate NVMe Security Erase SLC Caching S.M.A.R.T. StaticDataRefresh Temperature Sensor Upgradeable Firmware | Built-in LDPC ECC Data shaping End-to-End Data Path Protection Global Wear-Leveling Host Memory Buffer (HMB) L1.2 Power Mode MEDS (Mushkin Enhanced Data-Protection Suite) NVMe Deallocate NVMe Security Erase SLC Caching S.M.A.R.T. StaticDataRefresh Temperature Sensor Upgradeable Firmware | Built-in LDPC ECC Data shaping End-to-End Data Path Protection Global Wear-Leveling Host Memory Buffer (HMB) L1.2 Power Mode MEDS (Mushkin Enhanced Data-Protection Suite) NVMe Deallocate NVMe Security Erase SLC Caching S.M.A.R.T. StaticDataRefresh Temperature Sensor Upgradeable Firmware | Built-in LDPC ECC Data shaping End-to-End Data Path Protection Global Wear-Leveling Host Memory Buffer (HMB) L1.2 Power Mode MEDS (Mushkin Enhanced Data-Protection Suite) NVMe Deallocate NVMe Security Erase SLC Caching S.M.A.R.T. StaticDataRefresh Temperature Sensor Upgradeable Firmware |
| Maximum Sequential Read Speed | Up to 1850 MB per second | Up to 2010 MB per second | Up to 2105 MB per second | Up to 2110 MB per second |
| Maximum Sequential Write Speed | Up to 650 MB per second | Up to 1250 MB per second | Up to 1670 MB per second | Up to 1700 MB per second |
| Maximum 4KB Random Read Speed | N/A | Up to 200,000 IOPS | Up to 240,000 IOPS | Up to 240,000 IOPS |
| Maximum 4KB Random Write Speed | N/A | Up to 260,000 IOPS | Up to 260,000 IOPS | Up to 260,000 IOPS |
| Seek Time | Less than 0.1 ms | Less than 0.1 ms | Less than 0.1 ms | Less than 0.1 ms |
| Endurance | N/A | 150 TBW | 300 TBW | 600 TBW |
| Reliability | 1,500,000 hours | 1,500,000 hours | 1,500,000 hours | 1,500,000 hours |
| Idle Power Consumption | 0.3 W | 0.3 W | 0.3 W | 0.3 W |
| Maximum Active Power Consumption | 4.5 W | 4.5 W | 5.0 W | 5.3 W |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 70°C |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C |
| Maximum Shock Resistance | 1500G | 1500G | 1500G | 1500G |
| Certifications | CE FCC RoHS | CE FCC RoHS | CE FCC RoHS | CE FCC RoHS |
| Warranty | 3-year limited warranty | 3-year limited warranty | 3-year limited warranty | 3-year limited warranty |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon. | Check price on Amazon. | Check price on Amazon. | Check price on Amazon. |
Form Factor
All four capacities of the Helix-L Solid State Drive utilize the M.2 2280 form factor.
Dimensions
These SSDs area also identical when it comes to physical size with measurements of 80.0 mm x 22.0 mm x 3.8 mm.
Memory Components
The Helix-L storage drives are equipped with 3D TLC for NAND.
Interfaces
The capacity options also have PCIe Gen3 x4 and NVMe 1.3 for interfaces.
Controller
The Helix L drives use Silicon Motion SM2263XT as the controller.
General Features
The four capacities all provide the following general features:
- Built-in LDPC ECC
- Data shaping
- End-to-End Data Path Protection
- Global Wear-Leveling
- Host Memory Buffer (HMB)
- L1.2 Power Mode
- MEDS (Mushkin Enhanced Data-Protection Suite)
- NVMe Deallocate
- NVMe Security Erase
- SLC Caching
- S.M.A.R.T.
- StaticDataRefresh
- Temperature Sensor
- Upgradeable Firmware
Maximum Sequential Read Speed
When measured by Mushkin with the CrystalDiskMark 6.0.2 x64, the 1 TB Helix-L has the fastest maximum sequential reading speed as it is 5 MB (or 0.24%) faster than the 500 GB version, 100 MB (or 4.98%) faster than the 250 GB version and 260 MB (or 14.05%) faster than the 120 GB version.
You can check out the max sequential read speeds below:
- 120GB Helix-L: Up to 1850 MB per second
- 250GB Helix-L: Up to 2010 MB per second
- 500GB Helix-L: Up to 2105 MB per second
- 1TB Helix-L: Up to 2110 MB per second
Maximum Sequential Write Speed
The 1 TB SSD is also the fastest at maximum sequential writing speed as it is 30 MB (or 1.80%) faster than the 500 GB SSD, 450 MB (or 36%) faster than the 250 GB SSD and 1050 MB (or 161.54%) faster than the 120 GB SSD.
You can take a look at the max sequential write speed specifications below:
- 120GB Helix-L: Up to 650 MB per second
- 250GB Helix-L: Up to 1250 MB per second
- 500GB Helix-L: Up to 1670 MB per second
- 1TB Helix-L: Up to 1700 MB per second
Maximum 4KB Random Read Speed
The random speeds are tested by Mushkin only with the 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB versions of Helix-L by using the IOMeter 1.1 with 4-thread at 128 queue depth per thread. The 1 TB and 500 GB variants are tied with having the best maximum random reading speed, which is 40,000 IOPS (or 20%) faster than the 250 GB variant.
You can find the random read speed specs below:
- 120GB Helix-L: N/A
- 250GB Helix-L: Up to 200,000 IOPS
- 500GB Helix-L: Up to 240,000 IOPS
- 1TB Helix-L: Up to 240,000 IOPS
Maximum 4KB Random Write Speed
All three drives that were tested by Mushkin have identical maximum random writing speeds, which you can find below:
- 120GB Helix-L: N/A
- 250GB Helix-L: Up to 260,000 IOPS
- 500GB Helix-L: Up to 260,000 IOPS
- 1TB Helix-L: Up to 260,000 IOPS
Seek Time
The seek time for all four capacities is less than 0.1 ms.
Endurance
The Helix-L’s endurance is measured by Terabytes Written, which is the amount of data that can be written on the storage drive during its estimated lifespan. When you take into account TBW in relations to the amount of capacity available, the 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB versions have the same endurance.
Mushkin did not measure the endurance for the 120 GB version.
You can take a look at the endurance specifications below:
- 120GB Helix-L: N/A
- 250GB Helix-L: 150 TBW
- 500GB Helix-L: 300 TBW
- 1TB Helix-L: 600 TBW
Reliability
Helix-L’s reliability is measured with Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), which is the estimated length of time in between two critical hardware failures of a solid state drive. All four capacities have a MTBF of 1,500,000 hours.
Idle Power Consumption
The 120 GB, 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB solid state drives in this comparison guide consume 0.3 W while idle.
Maximum Active Power Consumption
The 1 TB SSD consume the most maximum power while active while the 120 GB and 250 GB SSDs are tied with consuming the least.
You can find the maximum active power consumption for the four storage drives below:
- 120GB Helix-L: 4.5 W
- 250GB Helix-L: 4.5 W
- 500GB Helix-L: 5.0 W
- 1TB Helix-L: 5.3 W
Operating Temperature
The Helix-L solid state drives can be operated in the same temperature range of 0°C to 70°C.
Storage Temperature
All versions can also be stored in the same temperature range of -40°C to 85°C.
Maximum Shock Resistance
Furthermore, the 120 GB, 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB drives have identical maximum shock resistance specifications at 1500G.
Certifications
The Helix-L Solid State Drives also received the following certifications:
- CE
- FCC
- RoHS
Warranty
The 120 GB, 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB versions of the Mushkin Helix-L Solid State Drive each comes with a 3-year limited warranty.
Resources:
- http://www.poweredbymushkin.com/Home/index.php/catalog/solid-state-drives/helix-l/item/1546-helix-l-120gb-mknssdhl120gb-d8
- http://www.poweredbymushkin.com/Home/index.php/catalog/solid-state-drives/helix-l/item/1439-helix-l-250gb-mknssdhl250gb-d8
- http://www.poweredbymushkin.com/Home/index.php/catalog/solid-state-drives/helix-l/item/1440-helix-l-500gb-mknssdhl500gb-d8
- http://www.poweredbymushkin.com/Home/index.php/catalog/solid-state-drives/helix-l/item/1438-helix-l-1tb-mknssdhl1tb-d8