Tag Archives: SolidStateDrive

Samsung unveils not-so-entry-level SSD 840 EVO with up to 1TB of space

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Samsung SSD 840 EVO

Disappointed that most entry-level solid-state drives are limited in capacity, speed or both? You'll be happy with Samsung's newly unveiled SSD 840 EVO, then. While it's badged as a starter model, the 2.5-inch SATA drive carries up to 1TB of storage, or twice as much as the regular SSD 840. Thanks to both 10nm-class flash memory and a multi-core MEX memory controller, the EVO range is also faster than you'd expect from the category. Depending on the model, sequential write speeds have doubled or tripled versus the original series, peaking at 520MB/s; the flagship 1TB edition can read at a similarly blistering 540MB/s. Samsung doesn't yet have US pricing for the SSD 840 EVO line, although it expects the drives to reach "major" markets worldwide by early August, with other regions coming later.

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Source: Samsung

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

Sandisk introduces Extreme II SSD, boasts 19nm tech and faster speeds

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Sandisk introduces Extreme II SSD for enthusiasts, gamers

We haven't heard a peep about Sandisk's solid state drives since CES, so we perked our ears when the flash maker announced a new consumer SSD today. It's called the Extreme II, a SATA III SSD the company claims is fast and responsive enough to please gamers or just anyone hungering for a performance boost. Built with 19nm process and nCache technology, the Extreme II promises quicker boot-ups and faster runtimes. The hardware boasts up to 550MB/sec sequential read and 510MB/sec sequential write speeds, and up to 95,000 random read Input/Output Operations per Second (IOPS) and 78,000 random write IOPS. You can snag one now in 120GB, 240GB and 480GB capacities for $129.99, $229.99 and $439.99 each. Or you can save some cash and get something a little more budget-minded.

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Seagate launches the 600 SSD, its first solid-state drive for consumers

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Seagate launches the 600 SSD as its first clientside solidstate drive

Seagate has come a long way in its attitude toward solid-state drives: it went from fighting the future to embracing SSDs with open arms, albeit only in enterprise at first. Now, it's launching its first-ever flash drive for end users, the 600 SSD. The storage will seem familiar to those who've gone shopping for regular SSDs, offering a 480GB max capacity, a laptop-friendly width and a 6Gbps SATA interface. Also, it may be just the perfect fit for those with extra-slim PCs: one 600 SSD variant will have the same 5mm height as Western Digital's Blue UltraSlim. Seagate hasn't disclosed its pricing, but the 600 SSD as well as the server-oriented 600 Pro SSD, 1200 SSD and X8 Accelerator should be available now.

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Source: Seagate

Crucial M500 SSD review round-up: 960GB at $600 is cheapest in class, available now

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DNP Crucial M500 SSD review roundup 960GB at $600 is cheapest among peers, available now

Crucial's budget-friendly yet high-capacity 2.5-inch M500 SSD has finally cropped up for sale today, as have the reviews of it from the usual enthusiast sites. While it's still not exactly low-cost, many applaud the fact that the company's $600 960GB drive is the cheapest near-1TB model you can get on the market. It uses Micron's 20nm MLC NAND flash, a SATA 6 Gb/s controller and is the first to implement the new 128Gb MLC NAND die. According to Benchmark Reviews, it certainly bests its m4 predecessor with peak speeds that reach 500 MB/s read and 400 MB/s write, with 80,000 IOPS in operational performance.

Both TweakTown and Anandtech concur that it's not quite as fast as its closest competitor, the Samsung 840 Pro, but as Anand Lai Shimpi said in his review: "If you need the capacity and plan on using all of it [960GB], the M500 is really the only game in town." TechnologyX, however, gives the nod to the 480GB model, if only because it's about $200 cheaper if you're willing to compromise on space. Crucial also offers the M500 in 120GB and 240GB for $130 and $220 for those with smaller wallets. If you're keen to see the full breakdown on this tiny wonder, head on over to the sources to judge for yourself, or just click on the Crucial link below to get your own.

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Source: Benchmark Reviews, Tweaktown, Anandtech, TechnologyX, Crucial

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.

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Source: Fusion-io

Foremay claims to have the first 2TB, 2.5-inch SSDs

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Foremay claims to have the first 2TB, 25inch SSD

It's been relatively easy for awhile to get a solid-state drive with 2TB or more of storage -- if you've been willing to buy a large PCI Express card, that is. Foremay is bringing that kind of capacity to a more portable form. It claims that both its TC166 (for end users) and SC199 (industrial) drives are the first to stuff 2TB of flash memory into a 2.5-inch SATA enclosure. The 9.5mm thickness should let them fit into many laptop hard drive bays and space-sensitive machinery without having to give up all those valuable extra bytes. Before reaching for a credit card, however, we'd warn that there aren't many details so far -- we don't know the performance, or how much it costs to buy either model. We've reached out and will get back if there's firmer details, but at least corporate customers who want speed and ample storage in one drive will be glad to hear that Foremay's new SSDs are already in mass production.

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Source: Foremay (1), (2)

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

SanDisk releases Ultra Plus and X110 SSDs with speed on a budget

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SanDisk releases Ultra Plus and X110 SSDs with speed on a budget

SanDisk is coming to CES with the aim of democratizing solid-state drives, and its new Ultra Plus (X110 for PC builders) just might do the trick. The 2.5-inch drive (not yet pictured here) musters 530MB/s peak read speeds and 445MB/s writes, like many higher-end SSDs, but promises to ditch some of the premium we commonly associate with that breakneck pace. The 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities on offer will cost just $75, $110 and $220 -- low enough that we could see them easily slotting in as a fast boot drive or a full-fledged replacement in a laptop. Anyone looking for a quick storage pick-me-up should already find the Ultra Plus waiting at Amazon, Microcenter and Newegg.

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Source: SanDisk

OCZ Vector SSD review roundup: consistently fast

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OCZ Vector SSD review roundup consistently fast

When OCZ gave us a peek at its Vector SSD, we were curious as to how the drive would fare with a Barefoot 3 controller built through the team from its Indilinx buyout. Would it be the validation of a new strategy, or produce classic rookie mistakes? As long as you're fine with the OCZ badge, it's mostly the former. Reviews don't have the Vector winning outright in every benchmark, but it's one of the more reliably quick drives on the market; multiple sites point out that Barefoot 3's balanced approach to techniques like garbage collection (freeing up data blocks for future use) keeps the overall speed high. Write performance is the strong suit, staying closer to the ideal where others sometimes trail off quickly. Drawbacks most center around the less predictable factors -- Barefoot 3 doesn't have an established track record for reliability, and the pricing isn't always favorable against high-end peers like Samsung's SSD 840 Pro. That OCZ managed to do so well with its first in-house controller is still a positive sign, and those willing to give the Vector a shot may find it worth the initial uncertainty.

Read - HardOCP
Read - HotHardware
Read - Legit Reviews
Read - Storage Review
Read - The Tech Report
Read - TechSpot
Read - Tom's Hardware

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