Slow write performance being very relative. Not slow compared to a HDD.
SSD Degradation is not the same thing as slow write performance of non compressible files. Devices that do not have the built in ability to clean up parts of the drive where unused data is being left behind by write operations then the drive will degrade over time no matter what kind of files you work with maybe not as fast but it will degrade. Drives without garbage collection are fine for Windows 7 systems with Trim support. No so much for OSX sans Trim. Over time and degradation are relative terms.....depending on use it might not be too severe for several years. Or much sooner if you are moving a lot of data around.
Sorry, but I disagree. I think the term degradation in relation to SSD's is a very loosely defined and very broad term. Anyway, if you really take the time to read through the post that I linked to, and others like it you will see that the write performance of non compressible files is what degrades the soonest on many SSDs.
You mention Trim, if you read through some of the issues with even the Sandforce controllers you will see that Trim is not effective 100% of the time. It has to do with the fact that consumer based SSD use cheaper MLC NAND that, under what I would consider heavy use, will not last more than a few months without complex protection built in. When I first looked at SSD technologies, and Trim, and GC you think that the issue that the SSD manufactures is dealing with is cleaning up after file deletions and insuring that there is plenty of free / clean space to write to. After doing some further research that is not the case. Their major issue is the longevity of the drive and how to mange the NAND and keep things working for 3 years to satisfy their warranty period.
Research the term "Write Amplification". They are all after high "Write Amplification". This is something that is not a concern at all on a std HDD.
With Trim..... Basically, even if you had a Windows system that supports Trim and you write / erase lot of non-compressible data, you wil bypass Trim and enable GC control of the SSD. This is where the Sandforce Duraclass and Durawrite kick in and take over the SSD. Regardless if Trim is enabled or not. One of the reasons why I think that OSX may never have Trim support. The Firmware of the drives have and are going to take control of that functionality.
Read through the above link I provided where you will see some great information being "pried" away from the OCZ Tech on the forum. Then, read the below FAQ from Sandforce and maybe you too will have a different outlook on SSD drives.
http://sandforce.com/index.php?id=34&parentId=3&top=1
I am not trying to scare anyone away from SSD's, under normal conditions you will not run into issues and you will be happy. However, if you do a lot of benchmark testing (with certain apps), or write / erase a lot of non compressible files you may be in for a surprise when your SSD writes start to crawl compared to when it was new.
I am no expert, and all I am trying to do is relay information that I gathered after doing a lot of research on SSD's before making my purchase.
