Corsair -- Engadget

Corsair's blistering P256 SSD reviewed: look out, X25-M

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 6th 2009 at 8:08AM

While just about any SSD will make your average computing experience a fair bit more awesome, it takes a really unique device to make said experience Animal-Style-Triple-From-In-N-Out special. Up until now, the general consensus was that Intel's X-25M was the crème de la crème, but it seems that Corsair's recently launched P256 may just be giving that very drive a real run for its money. After seeing a pre-production unit deliver some respectable early results, we figured it prudent to pass along bit-tech's full-on review. In most cases, the 256GB P256 either topped or fell just behind Intel's 80GB unit, though the drive did seem to suffer a bit in the random read / write tests. Still, critics felt comfortable recommending the drive, and while pricey, noted that it offered better value per gigabyte in comparison to similar 256GB units on the market.

Corsair DDR3 memory clocked at 2533MHz, women swoon 'round the world

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted May 21st 2009 at 12:23PM

Corsair -- the swashbucklin' favorite of privateers in need of RAM and SSDs -- has just announced that its Dominator GT DDR3 memory has been overclocked at a pretty astonishing 2533MHz. As you'd expect from a company made of braggarts and rogues, its claiming the world record for itself -- unless, of course, one of you other memory manufacturers feels like taking this bad boy on. Kingston, we're looking at you. Hit that read link for all the salacious details.

Corsair's speedy P256 256GB solid state drive now shipping

by Darren Murph, posted May 12th 2009 at 6:11AM

Remember that then-named S256 we saw sneak out right around a month ago? Yeah, that bad boy's finally on sale, and it's shipping as we speak from a number of trustworthy e-tailers. Said SSD -- which now goes formally by P256 -- packs specially selected Samsung MLC flash memory and a sophisticated Samsung Controller IC, coupled with 128MB of cache memory and Native Command Queuing (NCQ) support for stutter-free performance. By the books, this one can reach speeds of up to 220MB/sec (read) and 200MB/sec (write), though you can bet you'll be paying for the haste. We're seeing it on sale for around $658 online, though Dell's listing shows a wicked steep $851.99. Either way, ouch. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Corsair's speedy P256 256GB solid state drive now shipping

Corsair's ultra speedy 256GB SSD sneaks out, hits the bench

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 8th 2009 at 10:26AM

My, how fast the cutting edge becomes dull. Nary four months ago, we were introduced to Corsair's first SSD: a 2.5-inch 128GB slab of MLC NAND goodness that promised 90MB/sec read and 70MB/sec write speeds. Needless to say, those numbers weren't about to shatter any records, so the company went out and produced something that just might. The benchmarking fiends over at HotHardware managed to scoop up a 256GB S256 from the company and put it through the first of many tests. As for results? Early reports show average read speeds nailing the 200MB/sec mark, while average write rates hovered just under 170MB/sec. The only issue is the breathtaking $749 price tag (expected, anyway), but at least you've apparently got a few months to save up.

Corsair gets official with mostly pointless Voyager Port

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 1st 2009 at 6:03AM

Corsair actually debuted its questionably useful Voyager Port earlier this month at CeBIT, but it's just now getting around to making things official. By the books, this one is described as an "innovative solution to transform any USB flash drive into a powerful and flexible portable backup and recovery device," but really, it does nothing that a standalone USB stick couldn't do given the right software. Essentially, one plugs this into their machine, loads up the bundled NovaBACKUP 10 application, sticks in a USB flash drive and mashes a single button to start the PC-to-USB drive backup process. In other words, it's an unnecessary middleman. Unfortunately, Corsair has yet to come clean with pricing, but anything over $5 or so could be classified as highway robbery.

Corsair launches Voyager Port at CeBIT: eyes-on

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 5th 2009 at 7:33PM

In an effort to better market its flash drives as more than just this generation's floppy drive, Corsair has stepped up at CeBIT this year to introduce the Voyager Port. Put simply, this flash drive dock connects to one's PC and provides one-touch backup straight to whatever USB stick is plugged in. By including the NovaBackup 10 software, the docking station transfers a copy of a user's hard drive to any USB drive (provided that it's large enough), and while you may argue that an external HDD could do just the same, this could be a cheaper option for someone who already threw down for a capacious USB stick. Pop down below for a look at the admittedly simple device.

Gallery: Corsair launches Voyager Port at CeBIT: eyes-on

DDR3 shootout pits OCZ, Kingston and Corsair against one another

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 25th 2009 at 3:13PM

DDR3 modules aren't exactly new or anything, but given just how low the prices of big time kits have become, we figured it prudent to pass along one of the most thorough shootouts on the subject that we've seen. HotHardware grabbed a few DIMMs from the labs of OCZ Technology, Corsair and Kingston, threw 'em all in a Core i7 rig (not simultaneously, silly!) and benchmarked the lot until they literally fell asleep at the keys. The results? We'd love to tell you which sticks came out atop the pile, but that would just be spoiling the fun for you, now wouldn't it? Give the read link a look if you're ready for the action.

Corsair joins SSD party with 2.5-inch 128GB drive

by Ross Miller, posted Jan 21st 2009 at 12:17PM

Corsair is entering the solid-state market with a 2.5-inch 128GB SSD. The MLC NAND-based drive boasts rather moderate 90MB/sec read and 70MB/sec write speeds. At £326 / $449, it's priced on par with OCZ's offerings, but you're still paying a hefty premium to say goodbye to hard disks. No word yet on availability. The company promises more SSDs are in the pipeline.

Corsair's Peltier memory cooler gets demonstrated

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 11th 2009 at 3:42AM

Corsair's Dominator memory can apparently get quite hot, particularly if the overclocking bug catches you right. If a product shown off at CES hits the commercial market, however, everything is sure to stay cool. The Peltier cooling device is expected to play nice with second-gen Dominator modules, and when attached to existing heatsinks it can be used to cool a larger heat block in pretty much any water cooling setup. We know, you're probably scratching your head, but hop on past the break for a quick video demonstration.

[Thanks, Ryan]

Continue reading Corsair's Peltier memory cooler gets demonstrated

Corsair's new 64GB Flash Voyager USB drive going for $199

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 1st 2008 at 6:56AM

Progress is beautiful, is it not? Just shy of two years ago, Corsair blew minds with its ruggedized 16GB Flash Voyager, built to withstand all but the nastiest of drops and hold oodles of quarterly reports for a mere $299. Earlier this year, we saw the capacity double up and the price fall to just $229. Now, the bootable drive has been bloated further with a full 64GB of space, only this one's available right now for just a buck ninety-nine. Dollars to donuts we'll see a 128GB version in under 12 months for around $150, but don't let that sway your purchasing decision or anything.

Read - Corsair release
Read - On sale for $199.99

Corsair Dominator memory sets new DDR3 speed record

by Tim Stevens, posted May 21st 2008 at 8:44AM

Corsair memory dominates DDR3 speed record

In the world of high-end gaming rigs, it isn't size of your megahertz that equates to higher performance, but the multiplier on your bus -- if you catch our drift. Regardless, for most gamers bigger numbers will always be better, and when it comes to fast memory Corsair now holds the record with a 1GB stick of Dominator DDR3 SDRAM. Overclocking in at 2462MHz (supposedly the highest recorded frequency to date), it survived the brutal testing thanks in part to an integrated four-layer extruded aluminum sink, which helps shuttle heat away from your bits and into your case. Naturally, these numbers come at a premium: over $200 per gig. But if you absolutely must have the fastest, this is it -- for the moment.

Corsair bringing 16GB Voyager GT flash drive to CeBIT

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 28th 2008 at 6:41PM

Don't worry, you're not losing it -- yet, anyway. Corsair has indeed already launched a 16GB (and 32GB, for that matter) Voyager flash drive, but its forthcoming Voyager GT promises access speeds "up to four times faster" than standard USB 2.0 drives. Furthermore, this one comes housed in a water and shock resistant all-rubber casing, and could be entirely more appealing if that keyring slot were expanded to open bottles. Nevertheless, Corsair's hoping that you'll find enough to love to drop $169.99 after it debuts at CeBIT in just a few days.

Corsair announces 32GB Flash Voyager / Flash Survivor drives

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 3rd 2008 at 1:12PM

Not that 32GB flash drives are revolutionary or anything, but they're pretty far from being old hat. Thankfully, Corsair is readying a new pair to be unveiled at CES, both of which will boast USB 2.0 connectivity and fairly reasonable price tags considering the capaciousness. Both the Flash Voyager and the über-rugged Flash Survivor will be bumped to 32GB, and both should be able to withstand the desert heat with ease. The pain? $229.99 and $249.99, respectively, and both units should be making their way out as we speak.

Corsair releases "Flash Padlock" PIN-based flash drive

by Conrad Quilty-Harper, posted Aug 18th 2007 at 2:19PM

Innovation in the flash drive sphere seems to be limited to bringing the price down, and adding on new security features. Corsair's new "Flash Padlock" flash drive seemingly does both, by retailing at $29.99 and $39.99 in 1GB and 2GB variants, and tacking on a PIN based security system that limits who can access the drive. The benefit to the Flash Padlock is that its security solution is entirely hardware based, so it's supposedly impervious to hackers and crackers and other deviant folk: the downside is that if your computer's USB ports are out of reach, then this solution is going to be extremely bad for your back.

Corsair Flash Survivor GT 8GB escapes torture test unscathed

by Darren Murph, posted May 24th 2007 at 1:34AM

We've seen some mighty rugged flash drives put to the test in our day, but Corsair's Flash Survivor GT 8GB managed to withstand a well-planned and carefully executed attack on its life like none that have come before it. This soldier of a USB drive not only performed great when tested against more fragile alternatives, it somehow escaped sans injury after being submerged in a pool, cooked in boiling water for ten solid minutes, and being creamed with a hammer numerous times. The torturers expected the CNC-milled anodized aircraft-grade aluminum housing to hold up fairly well under duress, but even they were utterly amazed at how invincible this thing really seemed. The $130 drive earned a much deserved 10 out of 10 rating from the flabbergasted review crew, and while we're not quite sure if it could withstand a nuclear attack like one of its competitors, it can apparently live through just about anything that you yourself could.

[Thanks, Rodger]