SSD MacBook Air 2013 Review: A Snappier Performance

The introduction of Samsung's PCIe SSD controller in the latest MacBook Air models has raised expectations for improved storage performance. In this review, we'll take a closer look at how this new storage subsystem performs in real-world scenarios.

To test the new SSD, I ran a modified version of our IO consistency test on the Boot Camp partition, which was set up to run within a 91GB space. The results were impressive, with roughly 300MB/s reads and 300MB/s writes when copying large files from/to the MacBook Air's PCIe SSD. This is a significant improvement over the old Samsung SATA SSD found in the rMBP15, which had slower sequential transfer speeds of around 200/200MBps.

One of the most noticeable benefits of the new SSD is its improved performance during system use. Wake-from-sleep and application launches are now faster and more responsive, making it feel like a snappier overall experience.

While low-queue-depth sequential transfers don't require PCIe for optimal performance, the gains in sequential speed become more apparent at higher queue depths. Random write performance took a slight hit, but it's still fast enough to handle client workloads without issue.

To put this new PCIe SSD's performance into perspective, I created a Boot Camp partition of around 120GB and ran our standard iometer benchmarks. The results were impressive, with peak random read performance comparable to the previous-generation Samsung controller.

Overall, the new SSD in the MacBook Air 2013 is a significant improvement over its predecessor. While it may not offer revolutionary speeds for large file transfers or high-speed Thunderbolt arrays, it provides a noticeable boost in system responsiveness and everyday use.

Ssd macbook air 2013