The fastest ssd. Choosing an affordable SSD drive for a gaming PC and laptop
Apple has gained a foothold in the tablet market not only as the manufacturer of the most popular product in the segment, but also as the creator of the best tablet in terms of its combination of characteristics and software. The new generation of iPad includes two devices at once, and the more compact version attracts attention not only because of the exact repetition of the older one’s contents, but also because of the screen diagonal. What does the iPad Pro 10.5 offer, an upgrade to the best tablet on the market?
iPad Pro 10.5 Specifications
- screen: IPS, 10.5 inches, resolution 2226x1668 pixels
- platform: 6-core Apple A10X Fusion
- RAM: 4 GB, ROM: 64 GB
- main camera: 12 MP, front camera: 7 MP
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC
- battery: 30.4 Wh
- Fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, light sensor, True Tone
- dimensions: 250.6×174.1×6.1 mm, weight: 469 g
- OS: iOS 10
Appearance
iPad Pro 10.5 remains conceptually the same: four speakers, a protruding camera, a physical Home key, the usual placement of volume switches and connectors, an aluminum body and glass above the screen (black lining in the “gray” version and white for pink, gold and silver versions ). The thickness has also not changed - 6.1 mm.
The frames to the left and right of the display have become a little narrower, the length has increased slightly, but software processing of false clicks allows you to hold the new product in the same way as previous generations, and the change in size has almost no effect on ease of use in familiar scenarios.
The aluminum case remains the same: careful users will still see the device “out of the box” in a year, and rougher use will only manifest itself in micro-scratches, which can only be seen from certain angles and at the same time direct exposure to sunlight. The fingerprint scanner is still installed asymmetrically relative to the edge of the display and the bottom edge.
iPad Pro 10.5, iPad Air 2
iPad Pro 10.5, iPad Air 2
iPad Pro 10.5, iPad Air 2
iPad Pro 10.5, iPad Air 2
iPad Pro 10.5, iPad Air 2
There are no big transformations, speaking globally, but this is good, since the iPad was already as convenient as possible, and innovations could spoil the experience. It didn't get any worse, and that's a good thing. There is progress, but it has completely gone into other elements.
Display
The main change in iPad Pro 10.5 is the screen. Briefly about the picture: juicy, beautiful, accurate color reproduction, almost Amoled black color, support for DCI-P3 color gamut. The image has become slightly better than that of the Air 2 and Pro 9.7, the increase in contrast is especially noticeable, but you won’t be able to notice a big difference, especially indoors.
Diagonal
iPad Pro 10.5 has increased by 0.7 inches diagonally (increased the area by 17%) compared to all previous iPads of the “classic” format. The change required increasing the resolution to 2228x1668 pixels in order to maintain a density of 264 ppi. In the past, Apple did the same with the iPad Pro 12.9 (up to 2732x2048), which affected programs - the interface in applications that were not ready for the new number of pixels turned out to be soapy.
It's not such a nightmare as it was when switching to Retina screens, but it is annoying, especially considering the cost of the device. It’s almost impossible to tell the difference in pictures, but in person it’s noticeable.
2048×1536, scale
Native
All more or less popular programs look great, some did not even have to release updates to ensure clarity. The difference in screen area is not as significant as in the case of the 12.9-inch model, which ensures a neat interface on the new product, rather than huge padding or unnaturally large interface elements (hello, Facebook).
ProMotion
The most noticeable change for users will be ProMotion - under the loud marketing name (Apple has its own name for everything) there is support for dynamic frequency change. The system automatically switches between several modes: from a minimum of 24 Hz for static content and up to the coveted 120 Hz in the OS interface. It was not possible to notice any jerks when the device switches from one mode to another.
The 120 fps video shows the difference in animation rendering between the iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro 10.5, but doesn’t even come close to conveying the smoothness effect:
The high frequency makes the iOS interface even smoother (the feeling is the same as when watching a video at 60 fps for the first time), other devices after long use iPads with ProMotion seem too slow, however, the brain rebuilds itself back in 5 minutes. It’s pleasant to use, your eyes get less tired, but the old screens haven’t gotten any worse.
Brightness
Third big change The maximum brightness has become 600 nits - now the device can be used under sun rays, you don’t have to strain your eyes. The old generation coped with it indoors, so it’s unlikely that many will appreciate the feature, but interacting with the new product on the restaurant’s summer deck has become more comfortable.
Hardware measurement of the heat of ambient light (TrueTone) remains, the image gradually warms up in the room and almost turns yellow in the evening, thereby reducing eye strain. The accuracy has been preserved from the previous generation, but even there it was the best on the market - it’s good that they didn’t spoil this useful feature.
ProMotion pleases, but does not make you want to buy a new product to replace devices from 2014-2016, the larger diagonal and brightness also provide little incentive to spend a lot of money, and the new resolution also causes inconvenience. If we consider the new product as a replacement for the iPad Air and older, it makes sense to think about it, but buy new device Instead of iPad Pro 9.7 (and even Air 2) it’s hardly worth it, especially since the screen is the only difference noticeable to the user.
Performance
iPad Pro 10.5 received a 6-core Apple A10X Fusion processor with two clusters: three cores each for demanding tasks and energy efficiency. This scheme has been used in Android for several years, and last year the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus switched to it (two clusters of two cores).
The iPhone loses frames when using “weak” cores in some applications, but the iPad Pro 10.5 already has enough power not to slow down at all. The more powerful cluster delivers benchmark numbers on par with mid-range laptops (beats the MacBook and even base MacBook Pro configurations in Geekbench tests):
iPad Pro 10.5
Geekbench Multi-Core
Geekbench Single-Core
iPad Pro 10.5
Games run perfectly: fast, smooth, without frame loss or any stuttering. Even NBA 2K17, which heats up Apple tablets uncomfortable state and lags during incoming notifications, on the new firmware it runs smoother than ever and leaves the device barely warm even after 30 minutes of gameplay.
iPad Pro 10.5 received 4 GB RAM, in the iOS world this is enough for anyone existing tasks, including excellent multitasking - at least 20 applications coexist side by side and do not slow down the robot
Now the iPad Pro 10.5 is in a position where there is simply nothing to load it with: everything works as fast as possible in principle, but the same can be said about the iPad Pro 9.7, therefore buying a newer device does not make sense in terms of performance, at least for today - the “old man” is enough.
Camera and augmented reality
Apple's calculations say that the new iPad Pro 10.5 is 30% faster in terms of processor and 40% faster in graphics than the previous 9.7-inch firmware. If we take into account that old tablet It doesn’t slow down in principle, why did the iPad need to be so powerful? The answer lies in the new technologies that come with iOS 11, in particular machine learning, which runs on the device itself, and augmented reality technologies. For the sake of the latter, most likely, they introduced the same camera as the iPhone 7:
The most powerful and advanced tablet under Android control gives a 9.7-inch AMOLED display, glass front and back, good battery life and supports an accessory in the form of a physical keyboard. The main disadvantage of the device when compared with the iPad is Android, for which there is little optimized software, for the most part these are extended phone applications. If you are interested in a device for consuming content, and the iPad is not considered ideologically, the Tab S3 is the best alternative, but the price is appropriate - 21 thousand or 27 thousand UAH for modifications with Wi-Fi and LTE, respectively (and this is with 32 GB of permanent memory ).
Under Windows control 10 is cheaper (23 thousand UAH), and the kit includes a pen for drawing, and you don’t need to buy a keyboard separately. The device is heavier and works slower than the iPad, it is not as convenient in tablet mode, and although the keyboard is present, it has no travel, which is why the typing process is almost no different from typing on the touch version of the iPad Pro 10.5. However, the trump card in Windows 10 cannot be beat - all software for “large” computers runs on the Yoga Book.
Competition will intensify with the release of iOS 11, which will change the way the iPad works and bring it closer to laptops running desktop OSes. Nevertheless, new version the system will not solve main problem- iPad lacks advanced software. This situation arose for two reasons: the iPad’s popularity peaked with very weak devices (developers were limited in resources), and now, when the hardware has improved, a software market has already formed with low prices that do not pay for the creation of powerful applications.
There are isolated glimpses - at WWDC 2017 there was even an announcement for a lot of money - but these are still exceptions. If consumers pay the same amount as for computer software, programs with similar capabilities will appear, but until then, the iPad will only be able to replace a laptop for undemanding users and will likely act as a more functional alternative to Android tablets.
Conclusions
The iPad Pro 10.5 is the best all-around tablet on the market: reasonable size, most advanced display, great performance, great speakers, flagship camera, large selection BY. If you buy a tablet now, and your budget is not limited, you should buy this one.
If we omit the progress in the screen (ProMotion, brightness, quality), the superiority over competitors will not be fully revealed, at least in the coming months. And even with the release of iOS 11, the device, due to a lack of advanced programs, will not be able to fully combat compact laptops, be they devices running Windows or macOS, despite its higher performance compared to many models.
It’s hardly worth replacing the iPad Pro 9.7 or iPad Air 2 with a new one, at least until the release of iOS 11, and there’s no need to abandon the 2017 iPad. Of course, the current top-end tablet is better, but the difference is not as big as reflected in the price, and when the discrepancies in performance become noticeable, Apple will release another generation or two of iPad. However, these arguments can be used in relation to each flagship in comparison with its predecessor, regardless of the manufacturer.
iPad Pro 10.5 itself is beautiful, - best tablet has become even better on the market - this is exactly what you expect from a new product. But there is no revolution, and even though a cool, iterative update will not return popularity this class devices and is unlikely to attract a new audience. If you know why you need such a gadget, you will definitely be satisfied.
5 reasons to buy iPad Pro 10.5:
- magnificent screen
- mighty performance
- iOS 11 coming soon
- camera and sound
- need the best tablet on the market
3 (temporary) reasons not to buy the iPad Pro 10.5:
- Have an iPad Air 2 or newer on hand
- not able to completely replace a small laptop due to lack of advanced software
- iOS 11 is not out yet
the site thanks the online store for providing it for review.
I finally got to try out the new iPad Pro 10.5. In this post you will find a video review and my impressions of the new product.
Video review of Apple iPad Pro 10.5
Let me start with the fact that after unpacking there is no wow effect. It's just a new iPad, and the mechanical home key was even a little frustrating. Especially considering that the iPhone 8 will not have it at all. I would like to see the same solution here as in the iPhone 7 Plus.
And also, although I didn’t expect this, moisture protection would be useful, because many people sit in the bathroom with a tablet. Well, okay, then everything starts to please. Let's skip the setup and installation of the software I need, let's get straight to work.
The very first thing you want to pay attention to after turning it on is the Promotion technology, which is responsible for changing the screen refresh rate. If previously it was fixed at 60 Hz, now, depending on the scenarios, it can vary from 24 to 120 Hz. For example, if you are looking at a photo, you will get 24 Hz, while watching a movie - 60 Hz, and when working with the interface or drawing with an Apple Pencil - all 120. This is visible when flipping through desktops, scrolling lists, opening applications, and so on. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to try the Apple Pencil.
The diagonal increased to 10.5″, while the dimensions of the tablet increased slightly: the thickness remained the same (6.1 mm), the height increased by a centimeter and the width remained almost unchanged. I can still wrap around the width of the tablet.
It’s interesting that there are now four screen sizes in the iPad line: 8.9″, 9.7″, 10.5″ and 12.9″. To maintain a pixel density of 264 per inch, the resolution was increased to 2224x1668 pixels. I can confidently call the iPad Pro 10.5's display the best on the market. Compared to Samsung's Super AMOLED, this one has more natural colors that are not distorted by deviations.
The frames on the sides of the display have been reduced. It has become more beautiful, but now it is not so convenient to hold the tablet in a vertical orientation with both hands. I'm glad that Apple has provided for the possibility of false clicks on the sides and solved the problem. Even if you hold the tablet by the edges, it will be comfortable to use. Unless part of the display will be covered with your fingers.
And iPad Pro 10.5 is the most productive mobile device for today. Inside is the new Apple A10x processor, PowerVR Series 7XT graphics, 4GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. There should be enough hardware to use the iPad as a full-fledged ultrabook if you connect a keyboard. Especially considering the announcement of iOS 11, which will be released in the fall. With it, the iPad will be transformed and will receive many cool features: a convenient dock, a multitasking menu, a file manager, drag and drop, and so on. You can already install a beta version, but then you will have to put up with bugs and lags even on such productive hardware. On at the moment The tablet is sold with iOS 10. Honestly, I would try to completely abandon the laptop for a week in favor of an iPad Pro + keyboard combination, I think I could do it. Moreover, it would be interesting to edit a video to understand how realistic it is to work not just with text and on the Internet, but also with demanding tasks.
iPad Pro 10.5 Specifications
- Dimensions: 250 x 174 x 6.1 mm.
- Weight: 469 g
- Operating system: iOS 10.2.
- Processor: six-core Apple A10X.
- Graphics: PowerVR Series 7XT.
- Display: 9.7 inches, 2224 x 1668 pixels, 264 PPI.
- Memory: 64 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB.
- RAM: 4 GB.
- Cameras: main – 12 MP, front – 7 MP.
- Wireless technologies: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2.
- Interface connectors: 3.5 mm headphone, Lightning connector, Smart Connector.
- Battery: 30.4 Wh.
The autonomy of the tablet remains at the same level. From one charge it can last on average 10 hours of use. According to personal feelings, there are no problems with this, it is enough for me for any task.
I will note two more points that I really liked. The first is cameras. Both the main and front ones are migrated from the iPhone 7: 12 and 7 MP, respectively.
Unless without optical stabilization. As expected, photos and videos are of excellent quality, especially for a tablet.
The second is sound. As before, the iPad Pro has 4 speakers. They were cool before, but it never ceases to amaze me how such a thin and compact device can sound like that. Loud, clear, juicy. Watching clips, videos on YouTube and movies is a pleasure.
To be honest, I stopped using the iPad a long time ago, and looking at some other top-end tablets, I thought that the cost of the new product would be more. Basic version for 64 GB it will cost $650 without taxes (700-800 here). The cost of the iPad Pro 10.5, by the way, is . For comparison, the main competitor, the Samsung Tab S3, will cost $800 or more for the version with 32 GB of storage. So I can’t call the iPad expensive.
In general, well done Apple, they were able to revive the tablet, although to a greater extent due to software that is not yet available. I recommend purchasing the iPad Pro 10.5 starting in the fall, by which time it may become a little cheaper.
We would like to thank the cool store DIDI Insider for providing the iPad for review.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
With excellent results in the Display, Features and Control test categories, as well as a new form factor, the 10.5-inch Apple iPad Pro sits atop our tablet rankings by a wide margin. and thereby declassed all competitors. In addition, thanks to ingenious software features and an optimal keyboard, it is finally suitable for productive use.
Advantages
superb display
top management
good autonomy
modern design
Flaws
long charge
value for money
Test results for Apple iPad Pro 10.5 LTE 512GB
- Price/quality ratio
Fine - Place in the overall ranking
2 out of 40
- Price/quality ratio: 65
- Management (50%): 100
- Mobility (20%): 84.2
- Display (20%): 100
- Equipment (10%): 87.1
100%
Editorial rating
100%
User rating
You have already rated
New iPad Pro
Productivity in the familiar iPad format: despite the fact that the new iPad with a 10.5-inch display diagonal offers images larger size Compared to the classic model (9.7-inch), Apple managed to change very little in the dimensions of the case - only the display frames have now become noticeably thinner.
At the same time, the statement is still true: the current generation of the device combines the advantages of the Pro series with the compactness of the Air models.
During testing, we found this combination of qualities convincing in all respects. A big contributor to this impression is the new chip developed by Apple, called the A10X. The manufacturer claims that the new iPads are the fastest they have ever created - and the test results can only confirm this. The chip offers 6 cores at once, three of which, however, serve only to save energy. During the tests they demonstrated their full strength. For example, in the 3DMark IceStorm Unlimited benchmark, a result of almost 55,000 points was achieved.
For comparison: the new one received “only” 26,000 points in the same benchmark. In addition, in practice, the iOS operating system provides very fast and smooth operation. Anyone who has already owned an iPad, in particular an iPad Air 2 or an iPad Pro 9.7, knows: Apple tablets fit well in the hand and are controlled with childlike ease. Stuttering is also practically non-existent.
Autonomy: better than its predecessor, but with one drawback
The most disappointing drawback of the previous model was the indicators of processes related to the battery - first of all, this concerned the duration of charging the tablet. In this regard, Apple has managed to achieve significant improvements: the current generation of the device can last about 7 hours 30 minutes when playing video or surfing the Internet, that is, 2 hours longer than its predecessor. But the charging process, which is 4 hours and 20 minutes, is too long.
Display: Larger diagonal and higher refresh rate
When designing a new iPad Apple company not only increased the display diagonal, but also completely changed technical stuffing. In particular, the resolution was raised to 2224x1688 pixels (265 ppi), and the screen also gained the ability to dynamically increase the image refresh rate to 120 Hz (previously 60 Hz).
And although at first glance the difference is difficult to discern, when scrolling websites, text and photographs remain clearly clearer while moving. While there is no need for a high refresh rate, this figure drops to 48 or 24 Hz to save battery power.
Combined with the optional stylus, the aforementioned 120Hz brings another benefit: latency when writing or drawing is reduced by 20ms - so you see what's written on the screen faster. In addition, all other measurement results of the display characteristics also turn out to be convincing in all respects. When it comes to brightness, staggered contrast or color space coverage, the tablet shows no weaknesses and earns a "Very Good" rating in the Display test category.
New functionality with iOS 11
With the release of iOS 11, Apple adds large number functionality, which should help with productive work: in particular, using the “Drag and Drop” method in split-screen mode, you can drag photos, text or other content from one window to another - for example, an image from a website directly into an email.
In addition, handwriting recognition has been significantly improved, and the results obtained are taken into account in search forms. But the real highlight is the file manager: in iOS 11, you can copy files from the cloud, for example, and see all your files on your iPad at a glance. What has long been possible to do on Android is now available (with limitations) on iPad.
Alternative options
Apple iPad Pro 9.7 inches WiFi + Cellular 256GB
It is the immediate predecessor and still a very good tablet, which is also convincing with its very good quality display and excellent control. In addition, it will also receive an update to iOS 11 and thus provide the user with many new functionalities.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 LTE 9.7"
If you're looking for a productive tablet with a keyboard dock, but still prefer... operating system Android, best choice will become for you. This is the company's current flagship tablet and is currently the best Android device presented in the corresponding rating. Based on the test results, this device has established itself as a high-performance tablet with an AMOLED display and above-average equipment. In addition, a stylus is included in the package.
Characteristics and test results of Apple iPad Pro 10.5 LTE 512GB
| Price/quality ratio | 65 |
| OS during testing | iOS 10.3.2 |
| CPU | Apple A10X + M10 Motion (2.34 GHz) |
| Number of CPU cores | 4 |
| Video core | PowerVR 7XT |
| RAM capacity | 4.096 MB |
| Storage capacity | 512 GB |
| Memory card slot | - |
| WLAN | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth LE | Yes |
| IR port | - |
| Phone features | LTE (4G) |
| Docking station | - |
| USB host on USB Type A connector | - |
| USB to go | - |
| USB 3.0 | - |
| USB Slave | proprietary |
| NFC | - |
| Digital pen included | - |
| Benchmark: 3DMark IceStorm Unlimited total. | 54.534 points. |
| Benchmark: 3DMark IceStorm Unlimited Graphics | 111.258 points. |
| HDMI | proprietary |
| MHL | - |
| Display: diagonal | 10.5 inches |
| Display: Pixel Density | 265 ppi |
| Display: resolution | 2.224 x 1.668 pixels |
| Display: aspect ratio | 4:3 |
| Display: maximum brightness | 507 cd/m² |
| Display: checkerboard contrast | 144:1 |
| Display: maximum contrast | 1.520:1 |
| Display: reflectivity (more is more reflective) | 3:1 |
| Display: Full HD support | Yes |
| Main camera: photo resolution | 12.2 megapixels |
| Main camera: flash | Yes |
| Battery: Video playback time | 7:37 h:min; |
| Battery: surfing time | 7:46 h:min; |
| Battery: charging time | 4:20 h:min; |
| Battery: charging via Micro-USB | - |
| Battery: capacity | 30.4 Wh |
| Charging: power | 13 W |
| GPS receiver | Yes |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Light Sensor and Fingerprint Sensor |
| Control: browser | very good (1.0) |
| Loading time chip.de | |
| Loading time for a complex website | 1.0 sec |
| App store assortment | |
| Dimensions | 25.1 x 17.4 x 0.6 cm |
| Weight | 478 |
| Charging weight | '99 |
| Test date | 2017-06-16 |
In six years SSD drive and turned from an expensive toy for the elite, into a thing that should stand on any modern computer. All thanks to the fact that solid-state drives have become popular due to their high data exchange speed, quiet operation, shock resistance, compactness, and of course prices, which are slowly but constantly decreasing. Today you can find a large number of SSD drives on sale from a variety of brands. To make it easier for you to navigate, we present the ten best SSDs of 2016 that are worth paying attention to.
10. Crucial BX200 480GB – $120
The Crucial BX200 is attractive primarily because of its price; otherwise, it is inferior to its competitors in almost every way, despite all the attempts and engineers to increase the data exchange speed through caching. This SSD drive can be recommended for upgrading a computer to get rid of a hard drive, or for building a relatively inexpensive computer.
9. Crucial MX200 1GB - $280
Crucial MX200 is a fairly high-quality SSD drive, where the developers sacrificed speed in favor of proven components that they had previously worked with. The most attractive thing here is the price, one gigabyte free space will cost approximately 28 cents. In general, it’s a good drive, which, however, is inferior in data transfer speed, functionality and workmanship to products from Samsung, SanDisk and OCZ.
8. Kingston HyperX Savage 480GB - $155
Kingston HyperX Savage is made solidly, efficiently and reliably according to this principle. In terms of data exchange speed, this drive is almost in no way inferior to Samsung and SanDisk SSDs. Kingston HyperX Savage which can be recommended to gamers and computer enthusiasts who pay a lot of attention to appearance gland.
7. OCZ ARC 100 240GB - $80
Although this is a budget drive from OCZ, it has good performance, is assembled from high-quality components and has a 3-year warranty. An excellent choice for people who decide to try a solid-state drive in action and are afraid for the safety of their data.
6. PNY CS2211 240GB – $70
PNY CS2211 is one of the most affordable, or rather cheap, SSD drives on the market, which at the same time demonstrates a very good data exchange speed. But there is one big problem, it is very difficult to buy, everything that appears in online stores is sold out in a few hours.
5. Kingston KC400 SSDNow 512GB - $165
The Kingston KC400 SSDNow is a fantastic SSD drive that ranks first in data transfer speeds in all tests, all thanks to the new Phison S10 memory controller and high-speed MLC NAND memory from Toshiba. It can be recommended to install it both on new computers and for upgrading old ones, although it will cost a little more than the Samsung 850 Evo.
4. SanDisk Extreme PRO 480GB - $190
SanDisk Extreme PRO is SanDisk's most advanced consumer SSD. The manufacturer made a major bet on reliability, giving a 10-year warranty, SanDisk is so confident in the quality of the components used in the production of drives. Everything is complemented by an although not outstanding, but very decent data exchange speed.
3. Samsung 850 PRO 1TB – $425
Although the terabyte Samsung 850 PRO drive was released at the beginning of last year, it still has competitors in the world of SATA SSD drives. Here, for the first time, 3D V-NAND memory was used on a consumer market drive, and the firmware for the in-house MEX controller was completely rewritten, which made it possible to achieve high data exchange speeds. If you need a large and fast SSD drive for a SATA connector, then the Samsung 850 PRO is an excellent choice.
2. Toshiba Q300 480GB (2016) - $130
The 2016 Toshiba Q300, assembled on a memory controller of its own production, boasts a lower price than most competitors, while demonstrating high data transfer speeds in different modes work, without obvious failures. The Toshiba Q300 solid state drive is an excellent choice for a relatively budget computer or for a planned upgrade of your system unit.
1. Samsung 850 Evo – $155
Samsung 850 Evo with a capacity of 500 gigabytes is perhaps the best SSD drive you can buy today. Its main advantages are high data exchange speed and reliability (5-year warranty for itself), all this is complemented by a bunch of technologies designed to increase the service life of the disk and the reliability of data storage. If you want to replace your old hard drive or SSD drive, then without hesitation you should choose the Samsung 850 Evo.
