OCZ reveals consumer-level RevoDrive PCIe SSD, blazing fast HSDL data interface

By Darren Murph

posted June 2nd 2010 10:27PM

Hands-On

OCZ has a penchant for doling out new kit at trade shows, and this year's Computex is no different. The star of the new-release show was the RevoDrive, a PCIe card with between 128GB and 480GB of SSD onboard. The unit we saw here in Taipei was near-final, with a pair of SandForce SF-1200 controllers, a daughter board expansion slot (for possibly combining two in a RAID scenario) and a promised starting price of around $400 to $600 (not to mention read / write times of nearly 540MB/sec). Obviously, this hits well below the multi-thousand dollar PCIe SSD options from Fusion-io and company, and it's the first time we've seen PCIe SSD become even remotely affordable. If all goes well, the RevoDrive will start shipping within a few months. In related news, the company also announced that the Vertex 2 line of solid state solutions will be slimmed down for the 1.8-inch form factor (like you'd find in an iPod classic), but details on pricing or availability were nowhere to be found. Lastly, and potentially most importantly, the company revealed a fresh-out-of-the-lab prototype that could significantly enhance transfer rates from PCIe devices. Codenamed HSDL (high speed data link; shown above), the solution combines an industry standard SAS connector with an OCZ-built PCIe board in order to enable transfer rates as high as 20Gbit/sec. The company said a final product is at least six months out, but it's already toying with the idea of selling a single and quad-slot card in due time. Peek the gallery below for more of what's to come.

OCZ RevoDrive and HSDL data interface hands-on at Computex 2010

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OCZ TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASES NEW ENTERPRISE AND CONSUMER SSDs AT COMPUTEX 2010

OCZ to Unveil the RevoDrive, a Bootable PCI-Express Based SSD Designed for High-Performance Gaming and Multimedia Applications

Taipei, Taiwan-June 1, 2010-OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory modules for computing devices and systems, is attending this year's Computex to be held June 1-5 2010 in Taipei, Taiwan. As a pioneer in the burgeoning global SSD market, OCZ is showcasing the latest storage technologies that deliver the highest levels of performance for both consumers and enterprise clients. For conference participants interested in viewing OCZ's products, the company is hosting exhibition suites at the Grand Hyatt, rooms 1003 and 1004.

"Computex is always a good opportunity to showcase our latest solutions to both our clients and trade press and this year we have a complete range of solid state drive solutions that further push the envelope," commented Ryan Petersen, CEO of the OCZ Technology Group. "At the show we will be demonstrating exciting new products, including a truly affordable PCIe SSD for consumer applications, ultra reliable enterprise drives and a first look at the HSDL (High Speed Data Link) interface that delivers far superior transfer rates over traditional SATA."

OCZ's solid state drives not only continue to redefine storage performance, reliability, and power efficiency, but also address a wide range of applications from top-tier data management to personal notebooks. Showcasing a demo system with new Deneva Series SSDs in an eight-way RAID configuration, these drives are qualified specifically for the highest throughput, compatibility, and reliability in enterprise environments. OCZ will showcase the innovative HSDL (High Speed Data Link) interface, which was developed to raise the bar in data throughput and management to solid state storage drives.

Focusing on both performance and affordability for consumers, OCZ is unveiling the RevoDrive, a bootable PCI-Express based SSD designed for high-performance gaming PCs and workstations. With speeds up to 540MB/s read, 530MB/s write, and 75,000 IOPS, the RevoDrive can accommodate a wide range of computing environments beyond everyday use to video-editing and other multi-media creation and management applications.

Also on display are new 1.8" Vertex 2 and Onyx SATA II SSDs for mobile systems. With the proliferation of on-the-go performance computing for personal, business, and educational needs, the OCZ 1.8" drives are ideal for users seeking to integrate SSDs into systems with small form factors such as ultra-thin notebooks, netbooks, nettops, and tablet PCs. Built with SATA 3Gb/s and available in a range of capacities, the drives easily integrate into today's mobile platforms and feature TRIM support for Windows 7 systems.