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Samsung unveils not-so-entry-level SSD 840 EVO with up to 1TB of space
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.
Samsung SSD 840 Pro caters to speed seekers with faster random access
It's difficult to thrive in the solid-state drive world. Unless you've got just the right controller and flash memory, most performance-minded PC users will rarely give you a second glance. Samsung muscled its way into that narrow view with the SSD 830 last year; it intends to lock our attention with the new SSD 840 and SSD 840 Pro. The Pro's 520MB/s and 450MB/s sequential read and write speeds are only modest bumps over the 830, but they don't tell the whole story of just how fast it gets. The upgraded MDX controller boosts the random read access to a nicely rounded 100,000IOPS, and random writes have more than doubled to 78,000IOPS or 90,000IOPS, depending on who you ask and what drive you use. The improved performance in either direction is a useful boost to on-the-ground performance, as both AnandTech and Storage Review will tell you. We're waiting on details of the ordinary triple level cell-based 840 model beyond its 120GB, 250GB and 500GB capacities, although there won't be an enormous premium for the multi-level cell 840 Pro over existing drives when it arrives in mid-October -- the flagship line should start at $100 for a basic 64GB drive, and peak at $600 for the ultimate 512GB version.
Seagate and DensBits team up on solid-state drives for the home, call truce in the HDD versus SSD war
It's an understatement to say that Seagate started off on the wrong foot in its attitude towards solid-state drives: the company only slowly came around to embracing flash memory, and then mostly for the enterprise crowd and hybrid drive lovers. A newly-struck partnership between Seagate and controller maker DensBits is signalling a more serious attempt to offer SSDs to everyday users. Along with catering to the business folk, Seagate wants its new teammate's help on building "low-cost, high-performance" consumer SSDs. Most of the drives for the plebeians will use slower but denser 3-bits-per-cell memory made on a process under 20 nanometers, while the suits will get faster 2-bits-per-cell flash for their servers. The deal doesn't have any timetable attached, although Seagate's decision to pour equity cash into DensBits suggests it's not just a one-time fling.
OCZ expects to ship cheap TLC solid state drives in early 2012
It's about time triple-level-cell NAND came to life in consumer products and it looks like OCZ is blazing that trail. The company expects to release its first TLC drive early next year, with a vaunted 30 percent price reduction compared to current MLC drives, which are themselves much cheaper than SLC. The downside is shorter life expectancy, which will be as low as four years, but more durable forms of the technology are due to arrive later in 2012.
Engadget Primed: SSDs and you
Primed goes in-depth on the technobabble you hear on Engadget every day -- we dig deep into each topic's history and how it benefits our lives. You can follow the series here. Looking to suggest a piece of technology for us to break down? Drop us a line at primed *at* engadget *dawt* com. If you're a storage aficionado -- and who here isn't? -- you've probably heard a lot about SSDs, those friendly solid-state disks promising dramatically improved performance over their magnetically inclined brethren. No doubt you've heard about the advantages, thanks to NAND storage that makes them silent, shock resistant, energy efficient and lightning quick. Yet you've also heard the horror stories: drive slowdowns, controller failures and manufacturer recalls. And adding to all those anxiety-producing headlines, there's the price premium. While most magnetic drives average around a nickel or dime per gigabyte, even consumer-grade SSDs still run $1-2 per gigabyte, often for drastically smaller-capacity drives. Three years ago, Intel launched its X25-M and X18-M: the "M" stood for "mainstream," and the pair of drives were designed to reintroduce solid-state storage to a cost-conscious consumer market. (Perhaps more importantly, they were also meant to solidify Intel's standing in the nascent SSD realm, up to that point a chaotic, Wild West-style domain. But we'll get to that.) For most users magnetic drives still remain king, with solid states appealing primarily to a niche of enterprise IT professionals and modding enthusiasts. How did that happen -- and should it be different? After the break we'll look at how and why SSDs haven't (yet) conquered the storage world, and examine whether they're poised to do just that.
Open your IOPS to ioDrive's next-gen SSDs
We're ripe for an ioRefresh and thankfully here it is: the ioDrive2 and ioDrive2 Duo will be out from November, bringing hugely faster speeds at a much lower dollar-per-gig compared to their predecessors. The single-level cell version of the next-gen Duo (depicted above) will deliver 700,000 read IOPS, 900,000 write IOPS and a 3GB/s bandwidth that could possibly surpass OCZ's Z-Drive R4. Prices start at $6,000 and top out at something too ridiculous to mention for a maximum 2.4TB of storage. But you're an enterprise, remember, so at least try to haggle before you settle for a cheaper alternative. Full PR after the break.
Samsung's 6Gbps SSD gets a consumer label, October release date
Many SSDs could easily blow away that legacy spinning drive in your notebook, but there's always room for a performance boost when it comes to tech. Announced last week, Samsung's 830-series SSD packs up to 512GB of storage, and full support for SATA's 6Gbps max throughput -- a 100 percent boost over Samsung's previous gen drive. There's only one problem with last week's version: it's only available to OEMs, leaving a DIY upgrade out of the question. Well, today Samsung announced consumer availability for the same drive, letting any Joe Bag O' PC Upgrades pick one up at retail come October. Drives will be available in 64, 128, 256, and 512GB capacities, with pricing details coming at the official launch this fall. Jump past the break for the full PR, should you care to read all about the drive's "precision engineered" brushed metal enclosure, with "deep black" highlights and a "stylish and chic exterior" -- exactly the features you should be looking for in an SSD.
Samsung's speedy 6Gbps SSDs shreds bits, blows minds
For most of us, the decision to move to flash-based storage has been one wrought with compromise: suffer through a year of ramen to afford a capacious SSD, or splurge on steak and settle for a cramped one. While we await our platterless future, Samsung keeps on chuggin', having just begun volume production of a speedier line of solid state drives it calls the PM830. Available in 128, 256 or 512GB flavors, they tout 20nm-class MLC NAND flash and SATA 6Gb/s support -- which equates to 500MB/s reads and 350MB/s writes, or almost double last year's model. Before you reach for the plastic, know that the line is available only to OEMs -- you know, computer manufacturers -- with the firm promising consumer-friendly goodies for all you DIY types soon. Of course, no word on when that'll be or how much they'll cost, but at least the PR after the break's free, right?
Intel's 710 'Lyndonville' and 720 'Ramsdale' SSDs see full spec leak well ahead of release
You may recall Intel's 710 "Lyndonville" and 720 "Ramsdale" enterprise SSDs outted by a leaked roadmap back in April, but details were as thin as high mountain air. Luckily, German site Computer Base has obtained what appears to be a full spec sheet for the aforementioned drives. Starting with the 710, this 25nm HET MLC -- a more durable variant of MLC -- device will come in 100GB, 200GB, and 300GB flavors, and it claims to have read and write speeds at up to 270 MB/s and 210 MB/s, respectively, along with a 3Gbps SATA connection. Things are a bit wild with the 720: not only does it have 34nm SLC chips making up the 200GB and 400GB versions, but it also boasts some truly insane read and write speeds of up to 2200 MB/s and 1800 MB/s, respectively. Yes, 2200 MB/s and 1800 MB/s, garnished by the fast 4K IOPs as well. We had our doubts initially, but looking at the previously stated 6Gbps PCIe interface and the much higher power draw, we think there's a good chance for this to come into reality. Well, only time will tell if these numbers will stick around for the Q3 launch this year -- not that our wallets will want to know, mind you. Hit the source link for the full lowdown. Update: As pointed out by our readers, it looks like the 720 will need more than 6Gbps at the PCIe bus to accommodate its maximum read and write speeds. At this point, we can only assume that there is indeed a typo somewhere -- either on the roadmap or on this table.
Buffalo's 256GB SSD comes with 6GBps SATA interface, silly price tag
The SSD market is about to get a little more crowded, now that Buffalo has unveiled a new, 256GB fatty. The company's SSD-N256S/MC400 has a SATA 6Gbps interface, supports multi-level cell NAND Flash memory and boasts read and write speeds of up to 405 MB/s and 223 MB/s, respectively. If you're interested in grabbing one, you'll have to shell out a cool ¥72,200 ($882). Or, you could get an even faster SSD for less money. The choice is yours.
Samsung's 64Gb toggle DDR 2.0 NAND flash memory with 400Mbps transfer rate hits production
Get ready for it speed freaks, Samsung's toggle Double Data Rate 2.0 MLC NAND chips are now in production -- an industry first. The 64 gigabit flash chips manufactured using 20nm processes boast an impressive 400Mbps transfer rate. That makes these toggle DDR 2.0 chips about three times faster than toggle DDR 1.0 (a 133Mbps interface) or ten times faster than the 40Mbps SDR NAND flash in widespread use today. Look for 'em in future teardowns of tablets, SSDs, and smartphones.
Intel SSD 720, 710 and 520 Series leak out, Larsen Creek and Paint Creek bring up rear guard
Remember Intel's Larsen Creek SSD? It's not alone. By the end of the year, it looks like Intel expects to ship five new solid state storage series in total -- some of them even speedier than its current SSD 510 Series flagship. We managed to obtain this leaked roadmap listing the potential additions, and we're afraid to ask how much the new kings of the hill might cost -- the "Ramsdale" SSD 720 Series uses up to 400GB of SLC NAND in a PCI Express card form factor, and the "Lyndonville" SSD 710 series with a similar quantity of enterprise-grade MLC flash. There's also a direct successor to the current top-of-the-line in the "Cherryville" SSD 520 Series, which will stretch all the way up to 480GB and down to 64GB in Q4 of this year, as well as Paint Creek, which seems destined for boot drives with only 80GB and 40GB capacities to choose from. Still, the most intriguing addition might be Larsen Creek after all, which sounds like it's been purpose-built for caching data from your existing rotational storage. It's slated to come in both 2.5-inch SATA and mSATA configurations in Q3 and uses SLC NAND, which suggests it won't run cheap despite the tiny capacity here. We can't wait to find out for sure.
SanDisk and Toshiba announce world's smallest NAND flash memory chips for tinier gadgets
20 nanometer manufacturing processes, you say? We say pshaw, be gone luddite. Sandisk and Toshiba just announced the latest product from their joint venture: a 19nm 64Gb (8GB) X2 memory chip; aka, the smallest NAND flash memory chip in the world. At least it will be when it hits production in the second half of the year. They are, however, sampling the monolithic chip this quarter in case you're interested in stacking a batch of 16 into an ultra-high density 128GB SSD. Anyone?
Seagate Pulsar XT.2 and Pulsar.2 SSDs target enterprise, reliability-obsessed consumers
Seagate has just taken the wraps off a slew of fresh enterprise storage drives, highlighted by a pair of new Pulsar SSDs. The MLC NAND-equipped Pulsar.2 is capable of 6Gbps speeds over SATA, while the 2.5-inch XT.2 uses SLC memory and a 6Gbps SAS connection, and both are unsurprisingly touted as being the fastest and finest guardians you can buy for your company's data. Seagate sees the use of MLC flash on the Pulsar.2 as a major advantage in lowering costs, while its data-protecting and error-correcting firmware is expected to maintain the high levels of data integrity required in this space. No price is actually given to validate Seagate's claims of a breakthrough price / performance combination, but both of its new SSDs should be available in the second quarter of this year. The XT.2 is already shipping out to OEMs, along with its 360MBps read and 300MBps write speeds. There are also new Savvio and Constellation HDDs from the company, but you'll have to read the 1,400-word essay press release after the break to learn more about them.
Intel's 25nm solid state drives boast huge capacity, improved reliability, four times longer life?
Solid state storage is maturing rapidly, as you can see on this allegedly leaked slide, but AnandTech reports that the improvements aren't all about price per gigabyte -- the 25nm successor to Intel's X25-M G2 is shaping up to be one killer drive. In addition to increasing capacity to 600GB for a 2.5-incher and 300GB for a 1.8-inch size, the publication reports that the Postville Refresh will bring up to 40,000 IOPS in random 4K writes, and transfer larger sequential files with up-to-250MB/s reads and 170MB/s writes. To put that in context, they should be competitive with today's very best SandForce SF-1200 drives, and hopefully trounce them on price. More impressive (if true), however, is that these new Intel X25-M G3 units are built to last: they're reportedly able to transfer at least 30TB before they give up the ghost, and have a "power safe write cache" feature that may keep errant power outages from prematurely conking them out. We don't exactly expect OCZ, Corsair, Mushkin and Crucial to sit around while Intel revolutionizes the market, though -- even if Intel's 25nm plant only benefits Intel, smaller die sizes will help solid state storage companies across the board.
OCZ debuts SandForce-driven Onyx 2 SSDs, priced as low as $1.58 per GB
Tired of waiting for SSD prices to hover anywhere near HDD prices? Join the crowd. Regrettably, we're still no closer to that actually happening, but OCZ Technology is doing its darnedest to bring solid state storage to more of the masses with its newfangled Onyx 2 range. Available in 120GB and 240GB capacities, these SandForce-based drives offer 270MB/s read, 265MB/s write, and up to 10,000 random write IOPS (4k aligned), all without the higher costs that are generally associated with similar multi-level cell (MLC)-based solutions. For those looking to swap out their aging hard drive for an SSD that's not diminutive in terms of storage space, the 120 gigger is listing for $189.99, while the 240GB model is going for $439.99. Hit the links below for more of those nitty-gritty tech details.
PhotoFast's PowerDrive-LSI PCIe SSD screams past the competition at 1400MB a second
Usually we find overwrought product names, ostentatious paintjobs, and flame decals tacky, but all's forgiven with this PCI Express 2.0 SSD. CompactFlash stalwart PhotoFast has unveiled its all-new PowerDrive, which claims it can read your mind data at 1.4GBps and write it at an even faster 1.5GBps. That's the rough equivalent of reading two full CDs' content every second! Need we say more? The PowerDrive's speed puts the stinking fast Fusion-io ioXtreme to shame, humbles PhotoFast's own 1GBps G-Monster, and matches OCZ's otherworldly Z-Drive. The supported OS list includes a nice selection of Linux flavors as well, and sizes stretch from 240GB up to 960GB. Pricing? One word: unaffordable.
Samsung first with 20-nm NAND Flash: cheaper, faster SD cards on the way (update)
Let it sink in, 20 nanometers. It wasn't that long ago when 45-nm manufacturing processes were all the rage. Now we've got Samsung following Toshiba with a sub-25nm flash memory announcement all its own. Samsung's 20-nm class 32Gb (gigabit) MLC NAND is sampling now, however, for use in embedded memory solutions and SD memory cards ranging from 4GB to 64GB. In addition to increasing densities and decreasing manufacturing costs, Samsung's 20-nm class NAND is claimed to be more reliable and 30 percent faster than the 30-nm MLC chips forming the core of its existing 8GB and higher SD cards. That translates to cheaper class 10 (20MBps read, 10MBps write) SD cards when these ship to consumers later this year -- always a good thing. Update: There's a chance that Samsung is playing fast and loose with words here. It repeatedly says "20-nm class" without specifying the actual node size. Is it 20nm, 22nm, 27nm? We're digging for details and will update this post when we have them. Update 2: Samsung's response: "Unfortunately, we are not disclosing the actual process node for our memory devices. Thank you in advance for your understanding." Yeah, we understand: Samsung's process node is likely larger than the 25nm threshold set by Intel and Micron.
Corsair's 100GB Force SSD scorches the test bench with its blazing speed
The name's Force, SandForce. Corsair's making it kinda easy on us to spot its first SandForce-controlled SSD, and there's no reason it should be bashful about it, given that the SF-1500 is currently the fastest SSD processor around. The F100 in question has the SF-1200 onboard, offering a lesser 285MBps read and 275MBps writes (oh, such measly specs!), but that also means you might, might, actually find a way to afford one. The TweakTown crew took one for a spin recently and were happily surprised to find little in the way of performance difference between SandForce's supposedly enterprise-class SF-1500 and consumer-class SF-1200 -- both sped ahead of the Intel X25-M G2 and Indilinx Barefoot-controlled drives. The speed conclusion was clear cut, and with pricing for the 100GB F100 projected to be as low as $400, the value proposition doesn't look too bad either. The 200GB variant is expected to land somewhere around $700 when Corsair's Force SSDs make it out to retail in a few days' time.
Active Media Products ships 100MB/sec eSATA flash drives, shrugs off USB 3.0 noise
Who needs 200MB/sec when you've got... 100MB/sec? Nah, Active Media Products' newest flash drives aren't quite as snappy as those few USB 3.0 keys that are making their way out, but for folks who aren't quite ready to upgrade (or are just dying to make use of that otherwise empty eSATA port), this here unit is the ticket. Outfitted with 16GB or 32GB of MLC NAND memory, these units boast sequential read and write speeds up to 100MB/sec and 55 MB/sec, respectively, and in case you cruise over to a legacy machine that lacks eSATA, a mini USB 2.0 port is also provided for universal access. 'Course, a USB cable is still required in the eSATA port for power, but hey, at least you'll be "with the times," right? Check 'em right now on Amazon for $69.95 and $109.95 in order of mention.
