Presently, competition is very fierce in the performance solid state drive market as there are so many new models from which to choose. Today we will be looking at the latest performance SSD from Kingston, the HyperX 240 GB, which boasts some impressive performance figures.

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Figure 1: Kingston HyperX 240 GB SSD

While 120 GB SSDs currently offer the best compromise between price and performance, the extra capacity of a 240 GB drive can be very useful, and many users are willing to pay for it. They are also ideal for users who need a drive for their laptop where there isn’t usually space for an additional storage drive. Kingston HyperX 240 GB SSDWhile 120 GB SSDs currently offer the best compromise between price and performance, the extra capacity of a 240 GB drive can be very useful, and many users are willing to pay for it. They are also ideal for users who need a drive for their laptop where there isn’t usually space for an additional storage drive.

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Figure 2: Kingston upgrade bundle

In the table below, we are comparing the Kingston HyperX 240 GB SSD with the three comparison drives we will be using, the OCZ Vertex 3 MAX IOPS, OWC Mercury 6G and the Crucial M4. All four units use a SATA-600 interface and occupy the standard 2.5” form factor. The Kingston HyperX drive is supplied with a number of complimentary accessories which include a 3.5” drive adapter, a small screwdriver, an external drive caddy, a SATA cable and a CD containing imaging software.

Prices were researched at Newegg.com on the day we published this review, with the following observations:

• We have the bundle version of the Kingston HyperX drive for review, but there is another version available without the bundle for USD 440.
• Newegg.com offers a USD 50 mail-in rebate for both versions of the Kingston HyperX drive, making the bundle version cost USD 499 and the non-bundle version cost USD 389.
• Newegg.com also offers a USD 30 mail-in rebate for the OCZ Vertex 3 MAX IOPS which makes the cost of the drive USD 460.

In the table below, we provide a more in-depth technical overview of the reviewed units. For some reason, most chip manufacturers don't put specific information about these chips on their websites, so we are linking only what we found.