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OCZ breaks into bargain market with 'sub-$100' 32GB Onyx SSD
Say it ain't so! OCZ Technology -- a mainstay in the storage realm but an outfit that tends to serve the performance (read: affluent) market first and foremost -- has just dove headfirst into the value-priced SSD segment. Debuting today, the Onyx SATA II 2.5-inch SSD is the company's most affordable MLC-based solid state storage solution to date; it packs 64MB of onboard cache, up to 125MB/sec read speeds, write rates of 70MB/sec and an MSRP of under $100 for a 32GB version. You know that hasty boot drive you've been looking for? Look up.
WD's first SiliconEdge Blue SSD launches, gets reviewed
Remember when Western Digital picked up SiliconSystems for a song during the height of last decade's Great Recession? Here we are a year later looking at the first fruit of that relationship, as WD has just introduced its first consumer-oriented solid state drive in the SiliconEdge Blue and its enterprise-ready SiliconDrive N1x. Both 2.5-inch families feature a native SATA 3.0Gbps interface along with read speeds as high as 240 - 250MB/sec and write rates peaking at around 140 - 150MB/sec, and the former has already hit the test bench on a number of occasions. For those considering the upgrade, you should probably dive into those links below -- most everyone came away feeling that the SiliconEdge Blue was a wee bit underwhelming for the price, with Hot Hardware noting that the "Micron C300 and Intel X25-M were measurably faster overall," and the lofty MSRP just left 'em looking for more. Here's hoping for a price drop and / or a SiliconEdge Black, eh?
SanDisk's 64GB iNAND embedded flash adds memory girth to handhelds
Isn't it amazing how flash memory has grown over the years? Not too dissimilar from your ego, right? Just two years ago SanDisk was only offering 16GB modules in the high end of its iNAND embedded flash range, and today the same company presented a new MLC NAND chip with four times the capacity. The trick in this 64GB 32nm silicon gem is the same-old X3 flash technology (along with undisclosed, but evidently significant, "innovations in flash management"), which allows each cell to store three bits. Go on, OEMs -- just shove one of these chips into our next phone and we'll promise to leave you alone until next February. Wait, did we say "promise?" Try... we meant try.
Micron RealSSD C300 becomes first SSD to leverage SATA 6Gbps interface
Seagate may have claimed the rights to the planet's first SATA 6Gbps hard drive, but it's Micron claiming the same feat in the SSD realm. The outfit's new RealSSD C300 is the first of its kind to natively comply with the wicked fast new specification, which will (at least in theory) provide read speeds of up to 355MB/sec and write speeds of up to 215MB/sec. It's also the first solid state drive to use ONFI 2.1 high-speed synchronous NAND, and while we're obviously eager to see what real-world benchmarks show, the demonstration vids after the break already have our mouths watering. As for availability? Tthe drive is currently sampling in 1.8- and 2.5-inch sizes, though consumers shouldn't expect to pick one up (in 128GB or 256GB sizes) until Q1 of next year. Best start saving, bud. %Gallery-79352%
SanDisk ships world's first X4-based flash memory cards, humans wait for capacity increases
SanDisk was busy trumpeting the benefits of X4 technology way back in February, and now the company's tooting its own horn once more by shipping the planet's first memory cards based on the new tech. For those who've forgotten, X4 can hold four bits of data in each memory cell, which is twice as many as the cells in traditional MLC NAND memory chips. In theory, this stuff will allow for bigger capacities in the flash memory that we so dearly love, but for whatever reason (read: cost concerns), the first X4-based SDHC and Memory Stick PRO cards top out at just 16GB. Wake us up when we can slam a sub-$50 256GB SDHC card into our D90, okay?
Intel and Micron announce smallest, cheapest NAND flash yet
Hynix was first out of the gate with triple-level-cell flash memory, but Intel and Micron just pushed the MLC state of the art with their new 34nm three-bits-per-cell NAND, which they say will produce even smaller and cheaper 32Gb chips than those currently on the market. That means we should be seeing some monster storage in some tiny packages later this year when these guys ship -- everyone ready for another round of flash drive purchases?[Via CNET]
Intel's 34nm SSDs go official, no 320GB model in sight
Ugh, seriously Intel? While we've been waiting for 34nm-based SSDs for what feels like ages now, it's not so much the new process technology that had our interest piqued. Instead, it was the hope of a 320GB model from the outfit. Today, Intel got official with a new pair of 34nm SSDs, though neither of 'em are any larger than the previous 50nm X25-M (2.5-inch) and X18-M (1.8-inch). In fact, the new units even boast the same model names. The newcomers arrive in 80GB and 160GB sizes, and while actual hard drive benchmarking tools are apt to show a marginal increase in performance, even Intel admits that most folks won't see "noticeable gains" in real-world use. So, what's the point of popping out 34nm SSDs that are silver instead of black? Lower prices, or so the company says. If the market reacts to the cost savings that are being passed forward, you can expect the 80GB model to run $225, while the 160GB edition gets marked at $440, both in quantities of 1,000. Call us spoiled, but we're still longing for more.[Thanks, Joseph]
Lexar Media issues 64GB, 128GB and 256GB Crucial M225 SSDs
It's been a long, long while since we've seen a new Crucial-branded SSD, but we'd argue that Lexar Media couldn't have picked a better time to end the hiatus. The M225 solid state drive family is the fastest, most capacious Crucial SSD line to date, and while they still lag behind OCZ's new Vertex Turbo SSD drives, they don't lag by much. The 2.5-inch SATA units can hit read speeds of up to 250MBps and write speeds of up to 200MBps, and the whole lot features MLC NAND flash memory and a SATA 2.0 (3Gbps) interface. Available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB models, the trio is also fully compatible with the Crucial SK01 external drive storage kit, and unlike so many competitors, Lexar decided to go rouge and actually announce prices for the now-available units: $169.99, $329.99 and $599.99 in order of mention. Not too shabby, wouldn't you agree?
Intel's 34nm-based 320GB solid state drive creeps closer to reality
Hankering for an SSD that's as big as your traditional HDD? So is Intel, or so we hear. In fact, we've been hearing whispers that a capacious 320GB solid state drive was in the works since January, and now those whispers have been upgraded to library-like voices. According to the generally reliable Golum, Intel's so-called Postville SSD family is well on its way to reality, and with them should come much needed price drops. The new series should top out at 320GB, with an 80GB and 160GB version falling underneath. Word on the street has it that both of the smaller two will be around $100 cheaper than the same-sized X25-M drives, though there's been no leaks on the 320GB model's MSRP. Still, Intel has a golden opportunity here if it'll just get these things to market -- a cheap(er) SSD with a brand name like Intel could blow the solid state market wide open.[Thanks, Marius]
OCZ Summit Series SSDs get boost from new Samsung MLC
Intel's X-25M SSD may be the current go-to drive for those primarily concerned with speed, but it looks like it could soon have some competition from OCZ's latest Summit Series drives, which get a significant boost from some new Samsung MLC memory, not to mention 64MB of on-board cache. According to PC Perspective, those additions show themselves the most in write speeds, which manage to top even the X-25M, although the Summit drive fell slightly behind when it came to read speed tests, prompting the site to still give the overall edge to the X-25M. PC Perspective does speculate, however, that, given OCZ's past track record, the drives (available in sizes up to 250GB) could come in significantly cheaper than Intel's offerings, which would make the X-25M a much harder sell even with its slight performance edge. Hit up the link below for the complete benchmarks and a peek inside the drive.[Thanks, Ryan]
Intel 80GB SSD price cut by one-third, still very expensive
Looks like Intel is giving some of its SSDs a more reasonable -- yet still very exorbitant -- price tag. The company has slashed the 2.5-inch 80GB X25-M from $595 in September to now $390. While a 34 percent cut is nothing to scoff at, that's still $90 more expensive than Western Digital's 2TB spinner, which offers 25 times the capacity. The company also recently discounted its 160GB variant 19 percent, from $945 to $765. No reason was given for the markdown, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize the economy isn't looking too kindly on solid state's dollar-to-data ratio.
Toshiba announces 512GB SSD, other smaller SSDs
We'd heard Toshiba was working on 512GB SSDs back in April, and the company's delivering right before CES. The industry-first half-terabyte drive is the highlight of Tosh's new line of 43nm MLC drives, which also includes 64GB, 128GB and 256GB units in both 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch form factors -- just right to pudge out your laptops and netbooks. No word on price, but you've got plenty of time to save up, as these won't hit mass production until at least April.
Toshiba rolls out 256GB laptop SSD, 32GB flash modules for netbooks
Get your flash here, red hot flash memory. Toshiba is now sampling its new 256GB SSD with a 120MB max read and 70MBps write via 3.0Gbps SATA interface -- not the fastest consumer SSD but not bad. This 2.5-inch slab measures just 3.0-mm thick and targets laptops looking to shed the 9.5-mm constraint presented by standard hard disks. Like Samsung, Tosh also announced new 8GB, 16GB and 32GB SATA flash modules aimed directly at the booming netbook market with speeds topping-out at 80MBps for reads and 50MBps for writes. All the drives feature MLC-based NAND which accounts for the less-than blazing SSD speeds. On the other hand, that should help keep the costs low when these things ship in quantity later this year.
Samsung goes after low-cost laptop market with new SATA II SSDs
We have a strange feeling there's more marketing hoopla here than anything else, but whatever the case, Samsung sure feels like its newest line of SSDs will work just great within low-cost laptops. The outfit has begun to sample "low-density, higher-performance solid state drives that are only 30-percent of the size of 2.5-inch SSDs and highly cost-efficient to manufacture." The MLC-based drives only come in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB flavors, and read / write performance ranges from 90MB/sec to 70MB/sec, respectively. Mass production is scheduled to crank up next month, and while you'd expect SSDs aimed at netbooks to boast remarkably low price tags, Sammy doesn't even bother spilling those beans.
Intel announces its first SSDs, plans to ship in a month
Intel's keeping the announcements coming at this year's IDF -- today we got word that the company will launch its first SSDs in a month or so just as we expected. The 1.8-inch X-18M and 2.5-inch X-25M drives will be targeted at laptops and MIDs and come in 80GB and 160GB sizes using MLC tech, while the 32GB and 64GB SLC-based X-25E is aimed at servers and will be out in 90 days. Intel hasn't locked down pricing, but the M-series drives should cost about $8/GB, which would put the 160GB unit at a whopping $1,280 and the 80GB at $640. We're hoping those estimates are skewed a little high -- and Intel says there might be a cheaper 40GB unit on the way as well. We'll see in a month, we suppose.[Via Electronista]
Indilinx and Mosaid aim to squeeze 600MB/s out of SSDs
Indilinx just recently caught eyes with its Barefoot solid state drive controller, which has reportedly shown a read speed of 230MB/sec. Merely days later, it's already talking about the next best thing. Said firm, along with Mosaid, is preparing for a third-generation of the controller for the SATA 3 interface, which will provide a mind-boggling 600MB/sec. Unfortunately, no other details were provided, but just in case you were terrified that the internal drive you purchase in 2013 wouldn't transfer files any faster than the one you're using now, at least you've one less worry on your mind.[Thanks, Johnny]
Intel's "mainstream" 80GB and 160GB SSDs ready to launch with mainstream price?
Looks like Intel, the big bad daddy of silicon, is about to unleash its first consumer oriented SSDs into the market. While Intel's 1.8- and 2.5-inch 80GB and 160GB SSD plans were pretty thoroughly detailed in those May leaks, Expreview has slapped up an honest-to-goodness slide which looks like it came straight from the Intel deck. Assuming it's authentic, then we now know that Intel's 2.5-inch X25-M and 1.8-inch X18-M SSDs top out with a 240MBps sustained read and 70MBps write. That's just a bit slower than the blazing Micron RealSSD C20 but still seriously quick and hopefully priced for the mainstream audience they are targeting. Dell, for example, sells a 128GB Samsung SSD for $450 -- surely Intel can beat that cost per Byte... right Intel? We're guessing that the enterprise-class 32GB and 64GB X25-E SSDs will feature some of that Micron co-developed "world's fastest" SLC NAND in order to achieve that ridiculous 240MBps / 170MBps read / write speed at what's expected to be an equally ridiculous price. The 80GB X25-M and X18-M are expected to launch in Q3 (so any day now) while the 160GB solid state slab should break free for consumers in Q1 (not Q4 2008) of 2009. Expect to hear more on these next week as Intel kicks off another International Developers Forum. [Via TG Daily]
Indilinx trumpets SSD controller with 230MB/sec read speed
With SSDs, there really is no "fast enough." In the never-ending quest for more speed, Indilinx has just introduced its Barefoot solid state drive controller with 90-nanometer process technology. Said device has reportedly shown the "fastest read speed (230MB/sec) of all the products currently available in the market and supports the capacity up to 512GB with multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash." Additionally, it plays nice with SATA 2.0 and flash memory from Samsung, Toshiba, Hynix and Intel / Micron. Sadly, mass production isn't scheduled until Q4 of this year, so now you can sit on that vanilla HDD even longer as you wait for the future to arrive. Ugh, what a tease.
Micron announces insanely quick RealSSD C200 SSDs
Intel's partner in solid state crime, Micron, just announced an update to its RealSSD lineup of SSDs. Based on the typically slower (and cheaper) MLC NAND process technology, the new 2.5-inch (up to 256GB) laptop and 1.8-inch (32GB to 128GB) ultra-portable storage slabs offer a 3Gbps SATA interface and ridiculous 250MBps read and 100MBps write speeds -- yes, that's fast, damn fast when you consider the 70MBps write and 90MBps read speeds of Samsung's latest consumer oriented SSDs. They even best the listed read speeds of Samsung's top-ender. Unfortunately, no prices were given though it's said to be "balanced price to performance." Expect 'em to hit the market in Q4 under the Lexar brand, and maybe even Crucial, Seagate, and Intel for all we know.
SanDisk CEO says Vista "not optimized" for SSDs
SSDs have been quite the hot topic of late, with conflicting power usage reports and free-falling (almost) prices being the two angles most commonly yapped about. Now, however, we have a completely different reason to mention 'em in passing, as SanDisk's dutiful CEO let loose some questionable comments during its Q2 2008 earnings call. Noting that Windows Vista would present unique challenges for SSD manufacturers, he stated that "as soon as you get into Vista applications, you start running into very demanding applications because Vista is not optimized for flash memory solid state disk." Furthermore, he proclaimed that the "next generation controllers need to basically compensate for Vista shortfalls," and finished things up by asserting that "SSD performance in the Vista environment falls short of what the market really needs." It seems all those statements were just used to deflect blame for it being behind schedule, but we're a bit curious about how it intends on defending said statements with real-world numbers. Hmm?
