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Super Talent teases whip-fast RAIDDrive UpStream PCIe SSD
Super Talent's developed a PCI Express flash storage system that's far faster than your current SSD yet promises to be cheaper than the company's current PCIe offerings. The RAIDDrive UpStream uses a Sandforce controller to push around 1GBps of data at twice the speed of a SATA unit. Available to buy in 220GB, 460GB and 960GB editions, it sandwiches in four RAID drives to competitor OCZ's two, and is promised to be an "upsetter" by marketing director Peter Carcione. The company's hoping to get the devices into boxes and onto shelves by the end of April, for a price that's yet to be decided. Just remember, powerful SSDs are like having a butler: desirable, yes, but also a little pricey if your surname isn't Abramovitch or Buffett.
Super Talent intros enthusiast-level TerraNova SSDs
Super Talent has released a new range of "enthusiast" level MLC NAND Flash SSDs that offer the sort of face-melting speed that only comes when someone else is paying. The SATA Rev. 3.0 drives come with a SandForce 2200 processor (with a firmware tweaked for performance) in a 2.5-inch form factor that offers the usual 6Gb/s pipeline in: 64GB (540 Read / 490 Write), 120GB (540 / 510), 240GB (540 / 520) and 480GB (540/480) flavors. The drives begin shipping "today" and will set you back $109 / 60GB, $179 / 120GB, $365 / 240GB and $920 for the 480GB whopper. Head on past the break to see what the company has to say on the matter.
Super Talent USB 3.0 Express RC8 looks like a thumb drive, acts like an SSD
It seems too much to hope for, but Super Talent insists it has the benchmarks to prove it: a USB 3.0 stick that achieves 270MB/s reads and 240MB/s writes under optimal conditions. Unlike your average joe flash drive, the RC8 boasts a fully-fledged (albeit previous-generation) SandForce SSD controller that permits the simultaneous use of eight channels of NAND memory. In other words, this zippy little thing actually is an SSD, enclosed in an aluminum case that measures 1-inch wide, 4-inches long and 0.3-inches thick. No definitive word on pricing yet, but it was reported at Computex that a 50GB variant would go for around $110, while 25GB and 100GB capacities will also be available. Now, could someone please hurry up and build a Thunderbolt version?
Super Talent debuts CoreStore MV, super small, super fast mini PCIe SSD
Super Talent is living up to its name today with the release of the world's "smallest and fastest" mini PCIe SSD. When we last took a look at the company's mini PCIe offerings, they were rocking 40MBps reads and 15MBps writes, but with the release of the new CoreStore SSD line, these exceptional storage makers have destroyed those 2009 specs with speeds topping out at 350MBps and 80MBps. The speedy CoreStore MV measures a mere 30mm x 50.95mm, combines Marvell's latest controller with DDR ONFi 2 flash, and is compatible with netbooks, notebooks, and other devices sporting a second gen mini-PCIe slot. Those devices working a standard PCIe slot can expect 350MBps reads and 220MBps writes with MV's big brother, the CoreStore MP. Both drives come in 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB and should be available starting next month at an undisclosed price -- though we figure true speed freaks will pay just about anything to get their fix. Jonesing for specs? Check out the source link below.
Super Talent intros 500GB USB 3.0 Storage Pod, wants $99 for it
Looking for a little zip in your next portable hard drive? Look no further than Super Talent's latest, the svelte USB 3.0 Storage Pod. As you've likely pieced together by now, that ultraslim black box above contains a 500GB hard drive and the appropriate circuity to transfer files using SuperSpeed USB, or right around ten times faster than USB 2.0. It's completely bus-powered, too, so don't bother packing an AC adapter. The company claims that it'll pass along files at up to 90MB/sec (vid's after the break as proof), and if you're already sold, you can fetch one yourself next month.
Super Talent USB 3.0 RAIDDrive nabs an extra 55MB/sec
How's this for post-purchase pleasantries? Super Talent has just revealed a new tidbit surrounding the world's first USB 3.0 thumb drive (that would be the RAIDDrive), and it's one that takes full advantage of second generation USB 3.0 controller technology -- presumably on the PC side and not via a firmware update. The end result? An extra 55MB/sec on the benchmarking front, pushing its proven maximum speed to 370MB/sec. Head on past the break and mash play if you don't believe us, and feel free to start pressing your own storage boutique of choice for something similar for all those other SuperSpeed products.
TweakTown tests the best thumb drives, invites USB 3.0 models to the party
Most USB thumb drives are cheap enough that it rarely seems worth comparison shopping but, as usual with computer hardware, if you want the best you'd best look at some benchmarks. Following in the footsteps of Kristofer Brozio, TweakTown gathered together 16 of the fastest and most common models to test and some of the big brands, like Lexar, finished near the bottom in terms of performance. If you want a fast USB 2.0 drive, the Silicon Power LuxMini 920, a 64GB model, is the one to get -- if you can find it. Meanwhile the rather more readily available Patriot Memory models clocked in at a close second. However, taking all the honors is the OCZ Enyo, but given that's more of an external SSD we question its inclusion. For proper thumb drives, it's the USB 3.0 Super Talent SuperCrypt taking the cake for performance -- as it should for a $120, 16GB model.
Super Talent intros 8GB USB 3.0 Express Duo flash drive for $14
Pricing pressure, anyone? Super Talent has just put a serious kink in the plans of storage makers hoping to milk their dwindling USB 2.0 flash drive inventories into the holiday season, as the introduction of the USB 3.0 Express Duo line sets a new bar for MSRPs on these things. Expected to ship later this month, these critters are available in 8GB and 16GB capacities, with each offering USB 3.0 speeds, USB 2.0 backwards compatibility and price points of $14 and $29, respectively. Who doesn't love a good stocking stuffer, anyway?
Super Talent's dual interface UltraDrive MX SSD does SATA II and mini-USB
She ain't the first solid state drive to ship with a keen understanding of both SATA II and USB, but in the case of niche storage devices, the more the merrier, right? The newest member of the UltraDrive family (that'd be the UltraDrive MX, if you're curious) has given Super Talent its first two-faced SSD, complete with a dual interface that enables it to be used as an internal or external drive. The company claims that this makes laptop drive swaps a lesson in simplicity, as you simply mount it via USB in order to clone your existing drive, and then connect it via SATA once you're ready to take it beneath the surface. We're told to expect read and write speeds as high as 250MB/sec and 180MB/sec, respectively, with capacities of 60GB, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB being available. Oh, and speaking of which -- these bad boys won't actually ship until September 1st, so we'd suggest pinching those pennies in the meantime.
Super Talent's USB 3.0 SuperCrypt thumbdrive reviewed, Cryptkeeper approves
Sure, USB 3.0 can make external hard drives pretty snappy, but who wants to lug around a rock? We want to know where the SuperSpeed port takes our tiny USB keys, and the fine folks at PC Perspective have the answer to that question. They found the Super Talent SuperCrypt not only a capable performer, but nearly as fast as a modern SSD, with average read and write speeds of 185MB / sec and 50MB / sec respectively. Given that the silver stick costs more than an SSD, too (from $119 for 16GB to $778 for 256GB), that's not so surprising... but the idea of transferring the full contents of a dual-layer DVD from this sucker in under a minute is positively jaw-dropping. Assuming that -- like Cryptkeeper -- you still have one to drop.
Super Talent debuts SuperCrypt thumbdrives with USB 3.0, 256-bit encryption
Hot on the heels of its USB 3.0 thumb drive the kids at Super Talent have announced the SuperCrypt line of secure portable storage. These devices are available in capacities up to 256GB and offers up to 240 MB/s transfer rates, with your choice of either 128-bit ECB (SuperCrypt) or 256-bit XTS (SuperCrypt Pro) encryption. As for the rest of us, this bad boy is fully backward compatible with USB 2.0, so you'll be able to access Grandma's famous top secret chicken recipe (why else would you own one of these?) on damn near any computer you need to. No word on a price or release date, but we'll be keeping our eyes peeled. In the meantime, feel free to check out the PR after the break.
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.
Super Talent introduces world's first USB 3.0 flash drive
USB 3.0 devices are just now starting to peek their heads out at retail, and it looks as if Super Talent is doing its darnedest to not be left out of the spotlight. Said company has just introduced what looks to be the planet's first USB 3.0 thumb drive (or "RAIDDrive," as it were), promising transfer rates of up to 320MB/sec when relying on a separate UAS Protocol driver with a USB 3.0 port. If you're using a stock USB 3.0 socket, you'll see speeds as high as 200MB/sec, while those bold enough to slam this into a USB 2.0 connector will see it slow to USB 2.0 speeds. There's no mention of a price or release date, but it should ship relatively soon in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB flavors. %Gallery-77281%
Super Talent's 2TB RAIDDrive shipping next month to the rich and silly
Remember that 2TB PCIe RAIDDrive we peeked earlier this year? Yeah, that was no April Fool's joke. Super Talent's answer to OCZ Technology's Z-Drive is on track to ship next month, shortly after it makes a quick stop by IDF next week. The device slots into one's PCIe bus and utilizes a RAID architecture specifically tailored to work with NAND flash memory. In fact, the outfit has actually boosted the transfer speeds from the 1.3GBps estimate to a 1.4GBps promise. The aluminum enclosure houses four discrete SATA SSDs, with the RAIDDrive GS being the model that tops out at 2TB. For those able to deal with "just" 1TB, there's the RAIDDrive ES and RAIDDrive WS, both of which are detailed further in the read link. No exact pricing has been nailed down yet for the flagship unit, but considering that the 1TB RAIDDrive GS is pegged at $4,999 for OEMs, we'll let your imagination do the rest.
Super Talent's Pico USB drive: still world's smallest, now 32GB
While USB flash drives are now available in sizes that likely dwarf your own HDD, Super Talent's Pico line isn't looking to compete on sheer capaciousness. What it lacks in capacity, so to speak, it makes up for in size -- or, the lack thereof, we should say. The outfit's "world's smallest*" drive just jumped from 8GB to 32GB, and considering that there's at least a marginal chance that this thing slips out of your palm / pocket / etc. and into a puddle, Super Talent even threw in a dash of water resistance. A half dozen models are expected to ship this week, with prices ranging from $85 to $99. Too bad you won't even be able to find it between the couch cushions after it arrives.*Image probably isn't to scale, but it might be.
Super Talent ships $1,500 2.5-inch MasterDrive RX 512GB SSD
Just a year ago, Toshiba was dreaming of 512GB SSDs while simultaneously trying to figure out why in the world HD DVD became such a dumpster fire. Fast forward to today, and you can own one of these mythical masterpieces (albeit with a Super Talent logo) if you don't mind parting with $1,499.99. Starting this very moment, the company's most capacious MasterDrive RX device yet is ready to rumble, bringing with it loads of MLC NAND flash, 230MB/sec read rates and 200MB/sec write rates. Suddenly, that forthcoming Z Drive doesn't look so outrageously priced, huh?[Via HotHardware]
Super Talent's 2TB PCIe RAIDDrive promises 1.3GBps sequential writes, 1.2GBps reads
These PCIe SSD drives can't arrive fast enough for our needs... ok, wants considering the thousands they cost. The latest announcement comes by way of Super Talent Technology with its new 2TB RAIDDrive. The card slips into a PCIe x8 slot and ships in Enterprise (battery backed), Workstation, and Gamer (!) configurations with MLC (cheap, fast) or SLC (expensive, faster) NAND and optional RAID 5 capability. Super Talent claims that its RAIDDrives "are capable of delivering sequential Read speeds of up to 1.2GB/s, sequential Write speeds of up to 1.3GB/s." Unfortunately, no ship date or price was announced, only that we'll get more "performance details" in June. Presumably that means something useful like random IOPS benchmarks.[Via Impress]
Super Talent ships decently priced UltraDrive ME / LE SSDs
In terms of affordability, solid state drives still have quite some ways to go before they can actually be considered as viable replacements for most consumers. That being true, Super Talent is still doing its best to narrow the gap with the lower-priced UltraDrive families. Both the ME and the LE crews began shipping today, with the former arriving in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB flavors and the latter in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities. The LE lot rolls a touch faster at 230MB/sec (maximum read) and 170MB/sec (maximum write), while the ME editions are rated at 200MB/sec write and 160MB/sec read. There's no mention of the LE prices, but the UltraDrive ME drives can be snapped up now for $128 (32GB), $205 (64GB), $379 (128GB) and $645 (256GB) from NewEgg.[Via HotHardware]
Super Talent unloads 32GB / 64GB SSDs for ASUS Eee PC S101
If your prior budget forced you to select an ASUS Eee PC S101 with just 16GB of succulent SSD storage space, Super Talent has the cure. The outfit has just introduced three new solid state drives made specifically for the aforementioned netbook, all of which tout 90 MB/sec maximum sequential read speeds and up to 55 MB/sec write speeds. You can select from the FPM16RSE (16GB), FPM32RSE (32GB) or the FPM64RSE (64GB), though you'll have to guess on the prices of the first two. As for the big daddy? It'll run right around $169.[Via HotHardware]
21 USB drives tested, 20 immediately misplaced
It's three days until Christmas and you're looking for last-minute gift ideas for tech-inclined friends and colleagues. You decide on a USB drive, but how do figure out what's best to get -- attraction to hammers, ability to open beer bottles, or some other, clearly inferior metric entirely? Kristofer Brozio at Test Freaks Blog took 21 drives of various sizes (5 each of 1, 2, 4 and 8GB and one 64GB Patriot Magnum) and models and tested their transfer speeds. Top marks went to the 4GB OCZ, Sandisk, Lexar, and Super Talent models, as well as the 1GB SanDIsk. Given the small sample size, we can't really say if the speeds were the result of the capacities of the drive or the company who makes them, but it's definitely some flash-based food for thought. Hit the read link for the full results.
