Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[TRIM or RAID 0? SSD owners will no longer have to choose]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/trim-or-raid-0-ssd-owners-will-no-longer-have-to-choose/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/trim-or-raid-0-ssd-owners-will-no-longer-have-to-choose/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/21/trim-or-raid-0-ssd-owners-will-no-longer-have-to-choose/#comments Owners of multiple SSDs will be familiar with this dilemma: do you opt for RAID 0 to put all those precious GBs to use, or do you go for AHCI mode in order to gain TRIM support and maintain performance over time? Well, the next release of Intel's RST should support TRIM for RAID 0, so switching to solid state storage will become an even smarter decision than it is right now.

[Thanks, Brian]

TRIM or RAID 0? SSD owners will no longer have to choose originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AHCIminipostRAIDRAID 0Raid0solid statesolid state drivesolid state storageSolidStateSolidStateDriveSolidStateStorageSSDssd driveSsdDriveTRIMTRIM supportTrimSupportMon, 21 Nov 2011 08:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Corsair unveils Performance Pro Series SSDs, loads 'em with 6Gb/s Marvell controllers]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/10/corsair-unveils-performance-pro-series-ssds-loads-em-with-6gb/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/10/corsair-unveils-performance-pro-series-ssds-loads-em-with-6gb/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/10/corsair-unveils-performance-pro-series-ssds-loads-em-with-6gb/#commentsSandForce-equipped SSDs are seemingly all the rage nowadays, but lest we forget that others, like Marvell, have some peppy controllers of their own. Step up Corsair, who's just announced its new Marvell-equipped line of SATA 3 Performance Pro Series 6Gb/s SSDs. These 2.5-inch storage slabs can achieve 515 MB/s read and 440 MB/s sequential write speeds, and sports a TRIM-like "built-in advanced background garbage collection," which company deems helpful for RAID setups. Notably, desktop users will be pleased to know that the drives will mount into 3.5-inch slots via an included adapter. If you're interested, $280 will snag you a 128GB version, while $530 doubles the capacity to 256GB. You'll find more details in the press release past the break.

Continue reading Corsair unveils Performance Pro Series SSDs, loads 'em with 6Gb/s Marvell controllers

Corsair unveils Performance Pro Series SSDs, loads 'em with 6Gb/s Marvell controllers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>128gb256gb6gbscorsairmarvellmarvell controllerMarvellControllerPerformance Pro Series SSDPerformanceProSeriesSsdraidsata 2sata 3sata iiiSata2Sata3SataIiissdtrimThu, 10 Nov 2011 17:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Mac OS X Lion has TRIM support for SSDs, HiDPI resolutions for improved pixel density?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/26/mac-os-x-lion-has-trim-support-for-ssds-hidpi-resolutions-for-i/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/26/mac-os-x-lion-has-trim-support-for-ssds-hidpi-resolutions-for-i/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/26/mac-os-x-lion-has-trim-support-for-ssds-hidpi-resolutions-for-i/#comments As you'd expect, developers have wasted no time in tearing apart the Mac OS X Lion preview, and in so doing they've allegedly discovered some intriguing things -- namely, support for the SSD-wiping TRIM command, and a series of high-DPI display modes which would allow for icons and UI elements with twice the graphical detail -- which could mean a PC-sized Retina Display. The former doesn't sound like the most exciting upgrade, but it's truly a boon for Mac users with solid state storage, as TRIM can greatly improve write speeds in compatible drives. As far as the improved pixel density rumors are concerned, it's not clear whether Apple's actually looking at doubling display resolutions in new computers (9to5Mac imagines a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2880 x 1800 screen) or whether Apple's simply moving to maintain icons that are precisely the same physical size across all its displays -- which would make fantastic sense for a touchscreen UI, by the way.

Mac OS X Lion has TRIM support for SSDs, HiDPI resolutions for improved pixel density? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Feb 2011 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>10.7AppleDPIHiDPIiconiconsLionMac OS XMac OS X LionMacOsXMacOsXLionpixel densityPixelDensityresolutionscreen resolutionScreenResolutionsolid state storageSolidStateStorageSSDTRIMSat, 26 Feb 2011 19:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Kingston debuts 96GB SSDNow V+100 solid state drive, complete with 25 percent performance boost]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/kingston-debuts-96gb-ssdnow-v-100-solid-state-drive-complete-wi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/kingston-debuts-96gb-ssdnow-v-100-solid-state-drive-complete-wi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/02/kingston-debuts-96gb-ssdnow-v-100-solid-state-drive-complete-wi/#commentsAnother week, another SSDNow drive. This go 'round, Kingston's trotting out a midrange 96GB version of the SSDNow V+100, which promises to offer a 25 percent increase in performance over existing V+ units. Furthermore, this guy has an enhanced 'always-on' garbage collection feature, which purports to clean redundant data from the drive to prevent performance degradation and maintains the drive over its life cycle. Thankfully for you dual-boot users, the garbage collection scheme operates independently from the OS -- in other words, it works with both modern, TRIM-supporting systems such as Windows 7, as well as older legacy OS' such as Windows Vista and XP that do not support TRIM. The 96 gigger carries an MSRP of $290, while a 64GB unit can be had for as little as $220 and a 512GB version for a staggering $1,900.

Continue reading Kingston debuts 96GB SSDNow V+100 solid state drive, complete with 25 percent performance boost

Kingston debuts 96GB SSDNow V+100 solid state drive, complete with 25 percent performance boost originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Nov 2010 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flashKingstonnandsolid state driveSolidStateDriveSSDssdnowstorageTRIMTue, 02 Nov 2010 11:42:00 EST<![CDATA[Viking Modular's SATADIMM jacks an SSD into your memory slot]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/27/viking-modulars-satadimm-jacks-an-ssd-into-your-memory-slot/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/27/viking-modulars-satadimm-jacks-an-ssd-into-your-memory-slot/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/27/viking-modulars-satadimm-jacks-an-ssd-into-your-memory-slot/#comments Explaining the differences between DRAM and non-volatile storage is about to get that little bit harder, thanks to Viking Modular. The company's decided to "borrow" the DIMM form factor for its latest enterprise SSD offering, equipping it with a 240-pin array to draw power from your spare memory slots. Of course, you'll still need to hook up a SATA cable to get data flowing to this SSD -- at a very respectable 260MBps for both read and write -- but we must admit we're in love with the very idea of it. This new design offers another option for consolidating storage right onto the motherboard and should help case modders yearning for ever-slimmer enclosures. Alas, the SATADIMM is only available to enterprise and OEM clients for now, but we can't think of any reason why it won't test the consumer waters as well -- if not by Viking, maybe someone else?

[Thanks, David]

Continue reading Viking Modular's SATADIMM jacks an SSD into your memory slot

Viking Modular's SATADIMM jacks an SSD into your memory slot originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dimmenterpriseform factorFormFactorinnovativeoemquirkysanminasatasatadimmserversolid statesolid state drivesolid state memorySolidStateSolidStateDriveSolidStateMemoryssdtrimuniquevikingviking modularVikingModularFri, 27 Aug 2010 07:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Corsair's 100GB Force SSD scorches the test bench with its blazing speed]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/24/corsairs-100gb-force-ssd-scorches-the-test-bench-with-its-blazi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/24/corsairs-100gb-force-ssd-scorches-the-test-bench-with-its-blazi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/24/corsairs-100gb-force-ssd-scorches-the-test-bench-with-its-blazi/#comments 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.

Corsair's 100GB Force SSD scorches the test bench with its blazing speed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>corsaircorsair f100corsair forcecorsair ssdCorsairF100CorsairForceCorsairSsdf100flash storageFlashStorageforcemlcmlc nandMlcNandreviewsandforcesandforce controllersandforce sf-1200SandforceControllerSandforceSf-1200sf-1200solid statesolid state drivesolid state storageSolidStateSolidStateDriveSolidStateStoragessdstoragetrimWed, 24 Mar 2010 03:59:00 EST<![CDATA[NVIDIA's Optimus uncovered in Sony VAIO Z, along with TRIM support?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/23/nvidias-optimus-uncovered-in-sony-vaio-z-along-with-trim-suppo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/23/nvidias-optimus-uncovered-in-sony-vaio-z-along-with-trim-suppo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/23/nvidias-optimus-uncovered-in-sony-vaio-z-along-with-trim-suppo/#comments Sony's illustrious VAIO Z may have a so-called "Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System," but NVIDIA's Optimus it is not. Or is it. Notebook Review's own igorstef started digging deeper within the laptop's switchable GPU setup, and lo and behold, it sure looks as if Optimus is underneath. He went through the painstaking process of installing a slew of new drivers and tweaking some code within select .inf files, and in the end he seemingly found a way to get Optimus drivers working on the new rig. Of course, the debate has been raging on for five pages now, and it still seems inconclusive as to what's really going on behind the scenes. In related news, ZoinksS2k seems to have discovered a way to get Windows 7's TRIM feature working on his SSD-equipped VAIO Z, and if you're interested in doing some tinkering of your own in either case, you know where to dive in.

[Thanks, Bill]

NVIDIA's Optimus uncovered in Sony VAIO Z, along with TRIM support? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hacklaptopmodnvidianvidia optimusNvidiaOptimusoptimusrumorsoftwaresonyssdstoragetrimvaiovaio zVaioZwindows 7Windows7zz11Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel's X25-V and Kingston's SSDNow V Series face off in battle for best value SSD]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/19/intels-x25-v-and-kingstons-ssdnow-v-series-face-off-in-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/19/intels-x25-v-and-kingstons-ssdnow-v-series-face-off-in-battle/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/19/intels-x25-v-and-kingstons-ssdnow-v-series-face-off-in-battle/#comments Got $125 and a burning desire to get in on the SSD fun? Intel and Kingston both have models priced to seduce that cash away from your pocket, and here comes AnandTech with a comparative review to help you make an informed decision. To start off with, Intel's X25-V sports 40GB of storage and is described as a smaller version of the X25-M G2, whereas Kingston's V Series boot drive offers a smaller 30GB capacity but also comes with a fuller upgrade kit. Since this is 2010 and not some prehistoric age, both drives naturally come equipped with Trim support. In benchmark results, Intel's drive took the advantage in the performance of random read/write tasks, but was second best when it came to sequential write jobs. Ultimately, that extra 10GB of storage and the fact you're more likely to capitalize on random, rather than sequential, drive access swung it in favor of the X25-V. Hit up the full review for the more nuanced impressions.

Intel's X25-V and Kingston's SSDNow V Series face off in battle for best value SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>benchmarkscomparisonintelintel x25-vIntelX25-vkingstonkingston ssdnowkingston ssdnow vKingstonSsdnowKingstonSsdnowVreviewsolid statesolid state drivesolid state storageSolidStateSolidStateDriveSolidStateStoragessdtrimvaluex25-vFri, 19 Mar 2010 10:13:00 EST<![CDATA[Corsair Force gives us another SandForce-controlled SSD speed demon]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/corsair-force-gives-us-another-sandforce-controlled-ssd-speed-de/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/corsair-force-gives-us-another-sandforce-controlled-ssd-speed-de/http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/04/corsair-force-gives-us-another-sandforce-controlled-ssd-speed-de/#comments Seriously, if you're shopping for an SSD and don't know the name SandForce yet, you're not doing it right. The producer of what looks to be the consensus fastest controller on the market is spreading its wings today with a new drive announced by Corsair that offers its SF-1200 chip and capacities of either 100GB or 200GB. The Force follows swiftly in the wake of the Nova and Reactor series and represents Corsair's new flagship device in this space. It'll offer the generous consumer a sweet 280MBps read and 260MBps write speeds (yes, those are megabytes we're talking about), "class-leading random read/write performance," and the requisite Trim support to ensure it maintains that performance in the long run. A specific price is not yet known, but these are expected out within the next couple of weeks.

Corsair Force gives us another SandForce-controlled SSD speed demon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>corsaircorsair forcecorsair ssdCorsairForceCorsairSsdforcesandforcesandforce controllersandforce sf-1200SandforceControllerSandforceSf-1200solid state driveSolidStateDrivessdstoragetrimThu, 04 Mar 2010 06:37:00 EST<![CDATA[SanDisk ships 60GB / 120GB G3 SSD to North America and Europe]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/23/sandisk-ships-60gb-120gb-g3-ssd-to-north-america-and-europe/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/23/sandisk-ships-60gb-120gb-g3-ssd-to-north-america-and-europe/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/23/sandisk-ships-60gb-120gb-g3-ssd-to-north-america-and-europe/#comments Lookin' to get your flash on, are you? Fret not, as SanDisk has just announced that its 60GB and 120GB G3 solid state drives are headed out to retailers as we speak. Both North America and Europe are getting served simultaneously, with the drives promising sequential performance of up to 220MB/sec on the read side and up to 120MB/sec on the write side. You'll also be thrilled to know that the G3 range supports the newest Windows 7 TRIM feature, which enables the drive to "continuously manage its resources and retain optimized performance throughout its lifespan." Those anxious to supplant their existing 2.5-inch HDD can snag one now from the web for $229.99 (60GB) / $399.99 (120GB), while those who prefer ye old B&M sales will have to wait a few weeks still.

SanDisk ships 60GB / 120GB G3 SSD to North America and Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>europeG3G3 ssdG3Ssdnandnorth americaNorthAmericanow shippingNowShippingSanDiskshipshippingshipssolid state driveSolidStateDriveSSDstorageTRIMukusaTue, 23 Feb 2010 11:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Kingston's latest SSDNow V+ reviewed in 128GB flavor]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/kingstons-latest-ssdnow-v-reviewed-in-128gb-flavor/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/kingstons-latest-ssdnow-v-reviewed-in-128gb-flavor/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/17/kingstons-latest-ssdnow-v-reviewed-in-128gb-flavor/#commentsKingston's latest SSDNow V+ reviewed in 128GB flavor Kingston's SSDNow V+ series is hitting the streets, and bit-tech.net has put it, and its new Toshiba controller, through the wringer. That new silicon offers TRIM support in Windows 7, intended to remove any lingering fears of performance degradation, and this drive has been graced with 128MB of internal cache to conquer random read and write performance. In general the review finds that the controller does its job and TRIM'd deletes don't have a major affect on performance, but there still was some degradation after 1TB worth of writes and deletes. Beyond that the included cache didn't seem to help random I/O performance, and in general the drive doesn't exactly dominate the benchmarks. So, if you've recently upgraded to something else and were feeling a bit of buyers' remorse, you're safe -- for now.

Kingston's latest SSDNow V+ reviewed in 128GB flavor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>128gbkingstonkingston ssdnow v+KingstonSsdnowV+reviewssdssd controllerSsdControllerssdnowssdnow v+SsdnowV+toshibatrimwindows 7windows 7 trimWindows7Windows7TrimWed, 17 Feb 2010 09:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows 7 gets a thorough SSD optimization guide]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/02/windows-7-gets-a-thorough-ssd-optimization-guide/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/02/windows-7-gets-a-thorough-ssd-optimization-guide/http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/02/windows-7-gets-a-thorough-ssd-optimization-guide/#commentsWe all know we want an SSD, but do we truly know what to do with one when we get it? Sure, you could plug it into the familiar SATA and power cables and consider your job done, but that's not really the way of the geek. To educate us wistful, hopeful, soon-to-be SSD owners, TweakTown have put together a comprehensive guide on optimizing your solid state storage -- starting from the very first step of picking out the right drive. What lies ahead is a full breakdown of the controllers available on the market today, along with helpful reminders of the importance of Trim command and garbage collection support. After you pick out your perfect life partner, you'll be wanting to ensure it plays along nicely with Windows 7 as well, and they've got you covered on that front too. Just hit the source link and get informed. We did, even though we still can't afford to buy one of these mythical drives.

Windows 7 gets a thorough SSD optimization guide originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>garbage collectionGarbageCollectionguidehow-tomemoryoptimizationoptimization guideOptimizationGuideossolid statesolid state driveSolidStateSolidStateDrivetrimtrim commandTrimCommandtweaktweakingtweaktownwindowswindows 7Windows7Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Kingston's SSDNow V+ series hits 512GB capacity, adds Trim support]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/25/kingstons-ssdnow-v-series-hits-512gb-capacity-adds-trim-suppo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/25/kingstons-ssdnow-v-series-hits-512gb-capacity-adds-trim-suppo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/25/kingstons-ssdnow-v-series-hits-512gb-capacity-adds-trim-suppo/#comments Kingston's upping the ante on its solid state drive series in pretty much all the ways that count. The SSDNow V+ line boasts a 512GB upper limit, twice the previous generation, with iterative options for 256GB, 128GB, and 64GB. Read / write speeds have more than doubled to 230MB/sec and 180MB/sec, respectively. Best of all, these suckers now support TRIM. Prices range from as low as $268 for standalone 64GB an can go as high as $1968 for 512GB, with an extra $15 or so tacked on if you want the bundle instead -- still alluring, still not for the feint of funding, but the good news is, if you don't need Trim or the extra speed, the original SSDNow V series is available for much smaller dents on your wallet.

Kingston's SSDNow V+ series hits 512GB capacity, adds Trim support originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kingstonsolid statesolid state drivesolid-statesolid-state driveSolid-stateDriveSolidStateSolidStateDrivessdssd nowssd now vssd now v+SsdNowSsdNowVSsdNowV+trimMon, 25 Jan 2010 20:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel SSD firmware 02HD brings back Trim support, sans bugs]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/02/intel-ssd-firmware-02hd-brings-back-trim-support-sans-bugs/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/02/intel-ssd-firmware-02hd-brings-back-trim-support-sans-bugs/http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/02/intel-ssd-firmware-02hd-brings-back-trim-support-sans-bugs/#commentsIntel's 34nm X25-M G2 drives might not've had the most peaceful of existences so far, but you can't fault the company's efforts to fix whatever maladies have popped up. The latest firmware update from Santa Clara brings back the lauded Trim support, but this time leaves the drive-killing antics behind. User experiences so far have been positive, though unsurprisingly a couple of people have questioned whether Trim is in fact enabled on their drives -- clearly, the difference between fast and really, really fast is not as distinguishable as we like to think. The source link will provide you with the latest firmware update tool and the precious new code -- if you dare risk it.

[Thanks, Alex]

Intel SSD firmware 02HD brings back Trim support, sans bugs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>02HDbug fixBugFixfirmwarefirmware updateFirmwareUpdatefixintelsolid stateSolidStatessdstoragetrimx25-mx25-m g2X25-mG2x25mWed, 02 Dec 2009 08:08:00 EST<![CDATA[OCZ's Colossus desktop SSD gets reviewed: oh yeah, it's fast]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/22/oczs-colossus-desktop-ssd-gets-reviewed-oh-yeah-its-fast/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/22/oczs-colossus-desktop-ssd-gets-reviewed-oh-yeah-its-fast/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/22/oczs-colossus-desktop-ssd-gets-reviewed-oh-yeah-its-fast/#comments It's been a long time coming, hasn't it? OCZ Technology's Colossus is the outfit's first in the desktop SSD space, and with capacities scaling as high at 1TB, it's certainly tempting for performance junkies who just can't pry themselves away from their tower. The benchmark-minded kids over at PC Perspective were able to get a drive in with final firmware a few weeks back, and they've pushed out a full review just prior to these things hitting retail en masse. Needless to say, all the numbers in the world won't make this any cheaper, but for those willing to spend at least $3.24 per gigabyte on internal storage, there's hardly a better option out right now. Reviewers found that read and write speeds seriously pushed the SATA 3Gb/sec limit, and the latter were "faster than on any SATA device tested to date." Sadly, the lack of TRIM support and the inability for end-users to upgrade the firmware put somewhat of a damper on things, but if neither one of those tidbits bother you, pulling the trigger just might be the right thing to do.

OCZ's Colossus desktop SSD gets reviewed: oh yeah, it's fast originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>benchmarkbenchmarkedbenchmarksColossusdesktop ssdDesktopSsdIndilinxoczocz ColossusOczColossusRAIDreviewreviewedsatasata raidSataRaidsilicon imageSiliconImagesolid state driveSolidStateDrivessdstorageTRIMSun, 22 Nov 2009 20:17:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel pulls SSD Toolbox for killing drives under Windows 7]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/27/intel-pulls-ssd-toolbox-for-killing-drives-under-windows-7/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/27/intel-pulls-ssd-toolbox-for-killing-drives-under-windows-7/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/27/intel-pulls-ssd-toolbox-for-killing-drives-under-windows-7/#comments Well, that was a short honeymoon -- Intel's now pulled its SSD Toolbox and associated TRIM firmware update amid reports that it was bricking drives under Windows 7. We haven't heard more than anecdotal evidence about this, but we'd definitely pick having a functional drive over the promised 40 percent speed boost from the code, so you should probably hold off if you've downloaded but haven't updated yet. We're looking into things, we'll let you know -- but man, the X-25M just hasn't had an easy life, has it?

Update: Intel just gave us its official statement on the matter:
Yes, we have been contacted by users with issues with the firmware upgrade for our 34nm SSDs and we are investigating. We take all sightings and issues seriously and are working toward resolution. We have temporarily taken down the firmware link while we investigate.
[Thanks, Joseph and Ty]

Read - Former SSD Toolbox download page
Read - Intel support forum page

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Intel pulls SSD Toolbox for killing drives under Windows 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brickbrickingbugerrorintelssdssd toolboxSsdToolboxtrimwindows 7Windows7Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel's SSD Toolbox, firmware update promise boost in performance]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/intels-ssd-toolbox-firmware-update-promise-boost-in-performan/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/intels-ssd-toolbox-firmware-update-promise-boost-in-performan/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/intels-ssd-toolbox-firmware-update-promise-boost-in-performan/#comments We won't say that we love products leaving the oven before they're completely done, but we do adore gratis firmware updates that better a product even after you've purchased it. That being said, we're actually stoked that Intel has decided to out its second major firmware update for the second-gen 34nm X25-M SSD, and unlike the first, this one has the potential to put smiles on lots and lots (as opposed to a few) faces. The newfangled SSD Toolbox includes an SSD Optimizer for the aforementioned device, which promises to help users "more effectively monitor and manage the SSD's health." It also offers a performance boost to sequential write speeds by delivering up to 100MB/sec on the 160GB model, which represents a rather substantial 40 percent uptick over the existing firmware. The best news of all? Intel's doing more than just blowing hot air, as the benchmarking gurus over at Hot Hardware found out. Hit the read link for their eye-opening analysis.

Update: Down for more benchmarks, including ones focused on TRIM testing? Good!

Intel's SSD Toolbox, firmware update promise boost in performance originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>34nm34nm ssd34nmSsdbenchmarkbenchmarkedbenchmarksfirmwareintelperformancesolid state driveSolidStateDrivessdssd toolboxSsdToolboxTRIMupdatevistawindowswindows xpWindowsXpx-25mMon, 26 Oct 2009 16:06:00 EST<![CDATA[AnandTech explores the virtues and woes of today's SSD]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/27/anandtech-explores-the-virtues-and-woes-of-todays-ssd/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/27/anandtech-explores-the-virtues-and-woes-of-todays-ssd/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/27/anandtech-explores-the-virtues-and-woes-of-todays-ssd/#commentsAnandTech explores the virtues and woes of today's SSD
If you're interested in SSD, chances are you've been paying attention to the allegations of performance degradation in Intel's X25-M drives. AnandTech dives into the issue (and many, many more topics) in 31 page exploration of the state of solid state. It's a spine-tingling read, in part explaining how write-speed degradation is largely thanks to partially used pages containing portions of deleted files. We all know deleted files typically aren't really gone until they're overwritten, a problem in SSDs because to clear a section of a page the entire page needs to be cleared. That entails moving anything you want to keep to the cache, wiping the whole page, then re-writing that good data from cache. The hope is that a new delete command dubbed TRIM (set to find support in Windows 7) will speed up writes by forcing the system to perform this work during deletes, but ahead of that the article still recommends Intel's drives; even at their worst they're still generally faster than the comparably priced competition when it comes to average use -- not to mention faster than your platters.

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AnandTech explores the virtues and woes of today's SSD originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>intelintel ssdintel x25-mIntelSsdIntelX25-mssdtrimtrim commandTrimCommandwindows 7Windows7write degradationWriteDegradationx25mFri, 27 Mar 2009 10:09:00 EST<![CDATA[Nikon's ritzy D60 Black Gold edition DSLR seen in the wild]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/26/nikons-ritzy-d60-black-gold-edition-dslr-seen-in-the-wild/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/26/nikons-ritzy-d60-black-gold-edition-dslr-seen-in-the-wild/http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/26/nikons-ritzy-d60-black-gold-edition-dslr-seen-in-the-wild/#comments
We've seen Pentax put the Midas touch on a few of its DSLRs before, but Nikon? In a rare effort to draw attention to its D60, the outfit has evidently unveiled a "Black Gold" edition which merely adds a few niceties in the way of revamped trim. In other words, you'll see no upgrades on the camera that aren't cosmetic, and unless you're really into that gilded look, you may not even appreciate the Gold Edition strap, logo'd box, gold shutter button / strap lugs and the shiny new D60 badge. Is $50 too much to ask for those puny tweaks? Answer with your wallet, please.

[Thanks, Bo]

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Nikon's ritzy D60 Black Gold edition DSLR seen in the wild originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>black goldBlackGoldd60d60 black goldD60BlackGolddslrgoldhands-onin the wildInTheWildnikonpicturestrimFri, 26 Sep 2008 09:25:00 EST