Tag Archives: PciExpress

Intel’s first hyper-fast 3D drive is meant for servers

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At last, Intel is making a stand-alone drive based on its extremely fast 3D storage technology... although you're probably not about to pick one up yourself. The chip maker has unveiled the Optane SSD DC P4800X, a drive destined for the PCI Express o...

SATA 3.2 standard finalized, promises faster and smaller storage

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SATA 3.2 standard finalized, promises faster and smaller storage

There's no doubt that Serial ATA storage is hitting a wall when even mainstream PCs like the MacBook Air and VAIO Pro use the PCI Express interface to get around performance bottlenecks. It's a good thing that SATA-IO just ratified the improved SATA 3.2 specification, then. The new standard centers on SATA Express, which lets SATA storage ride on the PCIe bus and more than doubles the available bandwidth to 16Gbps (2GB/s). Version 3.2 also brings support for the M.2 format, giving Ultrabooks and tablets access to SATA Express in a tiny form factor. We're already getting a peek at what the new spec can do when M.2-based PCIe drives offer comparable performance, but SATA 3.2's ratification should bring that kind of speed to many more PCs in the future.

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Source: SATA-IO

Samsung makes first PCIe-based SSD for Ultrabooks, we see one likely customer

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Samsung starts making first PCIe SSD for Ultrabooks

Solid-state drives are so speedy these days that that even a SATA interface might not have the bandwidth to cope. It's a good thing that Samsung has started mass-producing the first PCI Express-based SSDs for Ultrabooks, then. The new XP941 series uses PCIe's wider data path to read at nearly 1.4GB/s -- that's 2.5 times faster than the quickest SATA SSDs, and nimble enough to move 500GB in six minutes. It also ships in a tinier M.2 format that makes past card-based SSDs look gargantuan, even when there's up to 512GB of storage. Samsung hasn't named laptop makers receiving the XP941, although it doesn't take strong deductive skills to spot one of the (probable) first customers. When Apple is shipping a new 13-inch MacBook Air that just happens to use a very similar PCIe SSD from Samsung, there's likely more than coincidence at work.

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Source: Samsung

Facebook’s Open Compute Project splits up monolithic servers with help from Intel, more

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Facebook's Open Compute Project splits up monolithic server design with help from Intel, more


As much as it's important to have every component of a PC stuck together in a laptop, that same monolithic strategy is a major liability for server clusters: if one part breaks or grows obsolete, it can drag down everything else. Facebook and its Open Compute Project partners have just unveiled plans to loosen things up at the datacenter. A prototype, Atom-based rackmount server from Quanta Computer uses 100Gbps silicon photonics from Intel to connect parts at full speed, anywhere on the rack. Facebook has also garnered support for a new system-on-chip connection standard, rather affectionately named Group Hug, that would let owners swap in new mini systems from any vendor through PCI Express cards. The combined effect doesn't just simplify repairs and upgrades -- it lets companies build the exact servers they need without having to scrap other crucial elements in the process. There's no definite timeframe for when we'll see modular servers put to work, but the hope is that a cluster's foundations will stay relevant for years instead of months.

Continue reading Facebook's Open Compute Project splits up monolithic servers with help from Intel, more

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Source: Open Compute Project

Fusion-io brings Fusion ioScale SSD to small, speedy server clusters

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Fusionio brings 32TB Fusion ioScale SSDs to sma server clusters

Fusion-io has made a name for its Fusion ioDrive solid-state drives by selling them to the largest of enterprises -- the sort that crave thousands of servers. Not everyone wants that level of computing muscle, though, which is why the pro-grade storage firm is now selling the Fusion ioScale to a much wider audience. Cloud service hosts and other, smaller companies just have to buy a (relatively) paltry 100 or more of the PCI Express-based drives, which include both slim 1.6TB and full-size, 3.2TB versions. Neither will be cheap for datacenters when prices start at $3.89 per gigabyte, although Fusion-io is vowing better deals for those buying in buik. We also suspect that the time saved by moving to fast flash storage could be worthwhile in itself.

Continue reading Fusion-io brings Fusion ioScale SSD to small, speedy server clusters

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Source: Fusion-io

OCZ demos Vector SSD in even speedier PCI Express form for the pros

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OCZ demos Vector SSD in even speedier PCI Express form for the pros

OCZ produced something of a surprise when its in-house Vector SSD stood well against more seasoned competition. It's proud enough of that feat that it's following up with demos of a PCI Express model for creative pros and others that may deal with exceptionally massive file transfers. The switch away from SATA isn't just cosmetic, as PC Perspective saw: PCIe gives the Vector more bandwidth and raw actions per second, on top of boosting the peak storage and reducing lag. OCZ warns us that the demo unit is a prototype and doesn't say when we might see a production model, though we'd venture that the usual PCIe storage price premium will be in effect.

Continue reading OCZ demos Vector SSD in even speedier PCI Express form for the pros

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Source: PC Perspective

Micron’s RealSSD P320h PCI Express SSD gets reviewed: wildly fast, but a little unstable

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Micron's RealSSD P320h PCI Express SSD gets reviewed wildly fast, but a little unstable

"Taking one's sweet time" just took on an entirely new meaning. Well over a year after Micron first introduced its RealSSD P320h PCI Express SSD, the aforesaid device is finally hitting the general availability stage. And with that, the flood of reviews begins. What sets this guy apart right out of the box is its native stature; much like Fusion-io (and very unlike most all other rivals from OCZ, Intel, LSI, etc.), this thing sidesteps the mishmash of SATA / SAS controllers and opts for a direct-attached PCIe approach. At around $7,000, it's clearly aimed first at enterprise, but given Micron's history in the consumer space, one could assume that this kind of wizardry will eventually trickle down. The fine folks over at HotHardware found their tester to be shockingly quick, easily outpacing its rivals when it came to read and write performance. Unfortunately, the Windows drivers provided weren't exactly mature, which led to a few booting issues when swapping in varying motherboards. Of course, no one ever said the Ferrari of PCIe SSDs would purr without a bit of finagling. Hit up the links below for the full spiel.

Continue reading Micron's RealSSD P320h PCI Express SSD gets reviewed: wildly fast, but a little unstable

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Micron's RealSSD P320h PCI Express SSD gets reviewed: wildly fast, but a little unstable originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Creative reveals Sound Blaster ZxR, Zx, and Z PCI-Express sound cards, pumps up the volume

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Creative reveals Sound Blaster ZxR, Zx, and Z PCIExpress sound cards, pumps up the volume

Along with your first day at school, and (for the boys at least) growing your first peach fuzz mustache, many of you might also never forget your first Sound Blaster soundcard. In the present day (unless you're blessed with youth) only the Sound Blaster can be enjoyed again, and today Creative introduces its new Z-series. The latest PCI-Express cards use the firm's Core3D quad-core sound and voice processor and come in three variants: the Sound Blaster ZxR, the Zx and the Z. As you might have guessed, the more letters, the higher up the food chain it is. The flagship ZxR ($249.99) boasts a 127dB SNR, sockets for swappable Op-Amps, 80mW into 600 ohm headphone pre-amp, plus RCA / optical connectivity (via additional daughter board) and an external "ACM" control module for less fiddling around the back of your machine. You can save yourself $100 with the Zx model, if you don't want the ZxR's "DBpro" daughter board, and the Z edition saves a further $50 at the expense of the external controller. Want to dive into the full specifications? Plug in to the PR after the break.

Continue reading Creative reveals Sound Blaster ZxR, Zx, and Z PCI-Express sound cards, pumps up the volume

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Creative reveals Sound Blaster ZxR, Zx, and Z PCI-Express sound cards, pumps up the volume originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 07:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexar XQD memory cards announced, will duel with Sony for Nikon D4’s attention

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Lexar XQD memory cards announced, will need to duel with Sony for Nikon D4's attention

Nikon's D4 is currently the only belle at the XQD ball, and until now, Sony was its only memory suitor. However, Lexar's just arrived with a new line of cards to compete for the D4's affections. The Fremont-based company says it collaborated with Nikon to build the PCI Express-based memory, and that they'll hit the market sometime in the third quarter of 2012 -- with no mention of specs or prices so far. Unfortunately, that means we don't know how Lexar's offerings will stack up against Sony's H-series or S-series cards already on the market. That said, while you wait for more details about Lexar's new cards, feel free to check out the lovely data the D4 will be putting on 'em when they arrive.

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Lexar XQD memory cards announced, will duel with Sony for Nikon D4's attention originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 02:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD announces 900MHz version of the Radeon HD 7750, calls it ‘the other 7750’

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AMD announces 900MHz version of the Radeon HD 7750, calls it 'the other 7750'

The original Radeon HD 7750 won plaudits for its low-wattage performance and $109 price tag, but now AMD's decided to put out an additional version with 100MHz more clock whizz. The new card also happens to be called the Radeon HD 7750, and it'll sit alongside its doppelganger on the shelves of the world's computer stores just daring you spot the difference. How will you do that? By checking if it requires a separate power supply: the original 7750 was powered entirely through the PCIe slot, limiting its power to 75W and hence its clock speed to 800MHz, while the new one accepts additional power to deliver slightly more grunt and stay ahead of looming competition from NVIDIA. XFX has already jumped aboard with the 7750 Black Edition Double Dissipation priced at $115 after a rebate, and AnandTech says other vendors will follow suit. So, unless you're totally out of power jacks, you know what to look for.

Image courtesy of Newegg.

AMD announces 900MHz version of the Radeon HD 7750, calls it 'the other 7750' originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 03:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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