Super Talent adds SandForce controller to new TeraDrive SSDs

All we ever hear of that SandForce SF-1500 controller seems to be about how wickedly fast it is, so we'd be remiss not to inform you that it's found another home -- this time inside Super Talent's new enterprise-class SSD line. Branded as TeraDrive FT2, these drives will range from 50GB to 400GB on MLC NAND flash, or up to 200GB on the even nicer SLC-based stuff. The only hurdle in all this glory is that the hardware seems destined primarily for non-consumer markets, with OEMs getting samples now and expecting volume deliveries by the end of this quarter. Then again, if you really can't wait for these to filter through in consumer machines, we're sure OCZ and RunCore will be more than happy to sell you some of their own silly fast SandForce-infused gear.

[tekdemon Posted Jan 23rd 2010 2:16PM]

The idea of SLC+SF-1500 has me drooling...

[cosmicinglewood Posted Jan 23rd 2010 2:19PM]

@tekdemon ^^ I agree that SLC is the kind of this tech. When they get a SSD of this class into the 1TB sized, then I will be foaming at the mouth with consumer drool.

[cosmicinglewood Posted Jan 23rd 2010 2:16PM]

And let us hope that the price of fast SSD's also comes down so that near term future notebook offerings can finally sport "closer to instant start" full OS launching; likewise they should tune these little lithography happy bricks with a power throttling option so that the user can choose more modest performance at lower power consumption for mobile, or wicked fast operation when the lap warmers are plugged into the grid.

[Fanfoot Posted Jan 23rd 2010 2:41PM]

If you're thinking OCZ, I'd watch the ratings on newegg. The OCZ Vertex failure rates aren't looking so good these days and their ratings are dropping from the 5 stars to the 3 stars because of that. No idea if this would affect their other drives or not, but since they're selling unreliable stuff I'd be wary.

[Ghen Posted Jan 23rd 2010 2:52PM]

Just bring the frigging price down a little bit! SSD prices have been going up ever since the illinix chip made SSD's viable and popular (relatively speaking) prices have been going up? Seriously someone go mass market!

[paul34 Posted Jan 23rd 2010 4:14PM]

@Ghen

Well, if production hasn't been able to follow the relatively recent surge in SSD interest, then prices are bound to increase. With so many manufacturers now trying to cash in, it won't be too much longer until manufacturing becomes cheaper and more efficient.

It sucks waiting, but it's worth it (twss?)

[tylersmyler Posted Jan 23rd 2010 4:30PM]

Why do they call them TeraDrive's if they aren't Terabytes .... silliness

[Mr Coffee Posted Jan 23rd 2010 4:41PM]

@tylersmyler Bytes? Who said anything about bytes?

400000 megabytes is roughly 3 terabits

[rchives Posted Jan 23rd 2010 4:42PM]

@tylersmyler

That's what I was thinking. Should be called SubTeraDrive.

[Michael Pollard Posted Jan 25th 2010 3:18PM]

How would people like an optical drive company to put out a line of BluBurners, a line of DVD-only drives that doesn't even offer a Blu-ray option...

[Michael Pollard Posted Jan 25th 2010 3:24PM]

There's nothing (short of non-standard ways of looking) "tera" about these drives. No terabyte capacities, no terabit transfer rates. They should be called GigaDrives, since the capacities are only gigabytes and transfer rates are gigabit speeds. Assuming SATA 3Gb -- I hope a new product isn't using older IDE/SCSI Mb speeds.

Well, they may have tera-dollar retail costs...

[vVv Posted Jan 23rd 2010 4:34PM]

SandForce and Micron's RealSSD C300, now Intel's finally got some real competition. The heat is on and we're definitely going to see some exciting stuff this year in the SSD arena! I'm getting f*cking stoked!

[Nitesh Posted Jan 23rd 2010 4:44PM]

It amazes me that the only controller to challenge Intel's is from a startup company...Kudos.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 23rd 2010 5:19PM]

@Nitesh Intel- beware the RUNCORE!

[BrownSound Posted Jan 23rd 2010 9:51PM]

I am drooling. I feel so tempted to buy a new ssd. a new better one coming out every month doesint help