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Samsung shrinks its 1TB EVO SSD, claims industry first
It's pretty much common knowledge that upgrading to a solid-state drive is one of the easiest ways to give an aging machine a shot in the arm, but not everyone considers drive size. The average SSD fits in your standard 2.5-inch drive bay, but Ultrabooks and other thin devices lean on a smaller 1.8-inch mSATA standard -- the problem is, these smaller drives don't always hold as much as their big brothers. Samsung hopes to change that: Its latest 840 EVO SSD claims to be the industry's first 1TB mini-Serial ATA solid state drive. The new SSD fits in to the smaller compact mSATA form factor, but none of its predecessor's core states seem to have changed. The new EVO still promises to read at 540 MB/s and write almost as fast: 520 MB/s. Certainly quick enough to give your old notebook a leg up. Sammy hasn't released prices just yet (though we're betting it won't be cheap), but says the new little big drives should be available sometime later this month. Don't need a full terabyte? No worries: The 840 EVO mSATA will be available in 120, 250 and 500GB volumes as well.
Plextor trots out M5M series mSATA drives at CES
Plextor just unearthed a new lineup of mSATA drives that will be targeted at enthusiasts looking to give their ultraportables an additional shot of adrenaline. Known as the M5M series, the diminutive chips will come in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB sizes, each which boast a highly respectable sequential read speed of 540 MB/s. Meanwhile, sequential write speed for the three models is rated at 160 MB/s, 320 MB/s and 430 MB/s, respectively. The M5M series carries a mean time before failure (MTBF) of 2.4 million hours, and is said to become available this quarter. No word yet about pricing, however. To learn about the security features of the Plextor M5M series, feel free to hit up the PR after the break. [Image credit: AnandTech]
Intel's Core i3 NUC mini-system bares it all for IDF (hands-on video)
What's red or black, 4 x 4 inches and exposes itself shamelessly on the show floor at IDF 2012? If you answered Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC), you'd be right. The diminutive PC was on display at Intel's Developer Forum along with its motherboard and cooling assembly. It comes in two flavors, a consumer-geared model with a single HDMI connector and Thunderbolt (in red) and a more business-centric version with two HDMI outputs and Ethernet (in black). Both mini-systems feature a third generation (Ivy Bridge) Core i3 CPU, QS77 chipset, two dual-channel DDR3 SoDIMM slots, mSATA and mini-PCIe interfaces (for SSD and WiFi cards), five USB 2.0 ports (two back, one front, two internal) and a socket for an external 19V DC power supply. The company hopes to get the attention of OEMs and DIY-ers alike when it makes this small, light and simple computer design available in October for about $400. Check out the gallery below and our hands-on video after the break.
Maingear Solo 21 receives a makeover, $899 all-in-one PC is now fully upgradable
Back in March, Maingear entered the world of the all-in-one PC with the utilitarian Solo 21. Even though the unit is now only five months old, it's being replaced with a model that's more attractive, more functional and that carries a lower price. We're most excited that the redesigned Solo 21 is now fully upgradable -- and yes, this includes the Mini-ITX motherboard itself. Available from $899 on up, the baseline configuration includes a 3.3GHz Intel Core i3 2125 CPU (Ivy Bridge), 4GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, a DVD burner, Bluetooth, WiFi and Windows 7 Home Premium. The Solo 21 also supports mSATA SSD storage and can also be outfitted with Blu-ray in place of the standard DVD configuration. You'll also find it supports the VESA mount, should you decide to throw the PC on your wall. If you'd like to become a bit better acquainted with Maingear's latest refresh, you'll find the full PR after the break.
Crucial ships mSATA-based m4 SSD upgrade, your Ultrabook never felt better
Crucial has already managed to stuff its m4 SSD into Ultrabook sizes, but the 7mm thick design may still be too portly for the thinner laptops in the pack. With that in mind, the flash memory guru has just started shipping the m4 mSATA, a barebones card that sits cozily next to the motherboard either as a cache for a rotating disk or as a main drive. It's still as speedy as many of its bigger cousins, with read speeds of up to 500MB/s per second. We suspect most buyers will be lured in by the low prices: at just $53 for a cache-friendly 32GB SSD and no more than $226 for a 256GB example, it's entirely feasible to give that spinning-drive Ultrabook a shot in the arm.
Kontron preps first Tegra 3-based Mini-ITX board, homebrew gets an ARMful
Believe it or not, there's a potentially cheaper (and more customizable) way to get NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 into your life than to spring for a Nexus 7. Kontron is readying a rare Mini-ITX motherboard, the KTT30, that combines the ARM-based chip with expandable RAM and a trio of mini PCI Express slots for expansion like a micro SATA drive or a 3G modem. The external ports are more the kind you'd find on a do-it-yourself x86 PC, too: full-size HDMI, USB and even Ethernet make a show at the back. The only hurdles are an unusually throttled back 900MHz processor speed and, quite simply, the lack of release details. Kontron hasn't promised more than a release "coming soon" -- with much more complete Tegra 3 devices now hitting the $199 mark, though, we can't see the KTT30 putting much strain on any budding hobbyist's wallet.
Eurocom Racer 2.0 laptop receives Ivy Bridge, offers Radeon HD 7970M graphics
Eurocom calls its Racer 2.0 a small form factor mobile workstation -- by which it means it's a rather sizable laptop, but with plenty of power and decent aesthetics. Known for designing its rigs to be upgradable, the Racer 2.0 is such a recipient, which now offers the Intel HM77 Express chipset and support for both Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs. It offers a 15.6-inch, 1080p display (in both glossy and matte configurations), which is powered by a 1.5GB GeForce GTX 660M GPU as the basic option. Those desiring even more oomph may opt for the 2GB Radeon HD 7970M, and even those in need of true workstation graphics may select from a lineup of NVIDIA's Quadro GPUs. The four SO-DIMM slots will accommodate up to 32GB of RAM, and it'll even accept two hard drives (in addition to an mSATA SSD), so long as you're willing to fill the optical drive's slot. Naturally, all the upgrades can make the price soar in a hurry, but the base configuration starts at reasonably palatable $1283. Ready to be sold a new laptop? You'll find the PR after the break.
Micron ships RealSSD C400 mSATA SSD into slender Ultrabooks
The only problem with mobile gizmos getting even more mobile? The cost of those bantam components squeezed within 'em. That said, at least we have the option to trim a few more millimeters from the chassis of our next-generation laptops, as Micron has announced a new mSATA solid state drive that's engineered specifically for the increasingly crowded Ultrabook market. The RealSSD C400 emanates realness, boasting a form factor that's around the size of a business card and arriving with capacities ranging from 32GB to 256GB with a SATA 6Gbps interface. Furthermore, Micron has tapped its 25 nanometer process technology to craft these things, with OEMs having access to the first lot; upgraders can look forward to a Crucial-branded version later this year, but who knows how much you'll have to pay.Update: Looks like our pals at Storage Review have a full review up, replete with more benchmarks and charts than you could shake a 3- x 5cm stick at.
Samsung's mSATA PM830 is eight grams of pure SSD
The newest member of Samsung's 6Gb/s PM830 family of SSDs is designed to sit inside the Ultrabooks of 2012, which means it's had go through some slimming down. The mSATA drive uses 20 nanometer NAND for face-melting speed, but is crammed into a 50.95 x 30 x 3.8mm package, weighing only eight grams. The drive will comfortably read 500MB/s and write 260MB/s on a clear day, six times faster than a comparable HDD. It'll allow Windows to boot in under ten seconds and transfer "five DVD files" (roughly 45GB) in around a minute. The drives also come with 256-bit AES for those moments when your Ultrabook gets stolen, or more likely, floats away in the wind. 64GB, 128GB and 256GB variants will roll out to OEMs shortly but we expect a consumer version to be announced shortly for everyone with some courage and a screwdriver.
RunCore outs T50 6Gb/s mSATA SSD, SandForce speeds included
It's finally here: a 6Gb/s mSATA SSD, rocking those highly coveted SandForce speeds. RunCore's new T50 series offers maximum sequential reads of 550 MB/s and writes of 470 MB/s, with the help of SandForce's SF-2281 controller (formerly relegated to the big boys). The little guy's being marketed for high-end portables and offers 60GB for $198 or 120GB for $358. The outfit's also touting the new I50 line, serving up more modest 280 MB/s reads and 270 MB/s writes based on SATA 3Gb/s. The I50's targeted at tablets and laptops, and ranges from $178 for 60GB to $308 for 120GB. We'll hold our final judgement for when we see these things hit the market in late July -- until then, you can peep the full PR after the break.
SanDisk outs faster U100 and i100 SSDs for ultra-portables and tablets, we go hands-on
SanDisk has been pumping out press releases all day thanks to Computex-mania, so we shuffled past its stall to see what all the fuss is about. The biggest news is the U100 range of tiny SSDs for ultraportables, which crank data in and out at twice the speed of SanDisk's previous generation P4 drives. We're talking 450MB/s reads and 340MB/s writes thanks to the latest SATA III interface, plus a max capacity of 256GB -- specs which have already enticed ASUS to use the U100 in its lightweight UX-series notebooks. Mass production is expected in Q3 of this year. Specs table and triple-shot of PR coming up after the break, plus a gallery showing size comparisons of the U100 SSD in its glorious mSATA and Mini mSATA varieties, stacked up against some common objects like a 2.5-inch SSD drive, an HP Veer, and a vaguely goth bracelet. Meanwhile, SanDisk hasn't forgotten about our desperate need for faster tablets. The company has doubled the speed of its existing iNAND embedded flash modules, and is also releasing a brand new SATA III drive, the i100, specifically for this form factor. The i100 maxes out at 128GB and achieves a significantly slower write speed (160MB/s) than the U100, but it has same impressive read speed (450MB/s) -- which should mean nippier tablets in the not-too-distant future. %Gallery-124851%
Gigabyte bolts an SSD to a motherboard (so you don't have to)
Gigabyte has decided to simplify matters for those who want the power of an SSD in their desktop, but don't want to deal with the hassle of buying and connecting one. The company's new Z68XP-UD3-iSSD (catchy, no?) motherboard comes with a 20GB Intel SSD 311 mounted right on it. It's not clear if you can simply dump files on it like a normal drive -- what it can do, however, is use Intel's Smart Response tech to cache frequently accessed data, like your OS, to improve performance. Essentially, it turns any hard disk you connect to the system into a hybrid drive with a much larger reserve of flash storage, which should sound somewhat familiar. The board also features the ability to switch between discrete and built-in graphics thanks to Lucid Logix's Virtu. The rest of the features are pretty standard fare: USB 3.0, a pair of 16x PCI-E slots, and 6GB SATA connections. The latest Z68 board from Gigabyte will go on sale early in June and, while we don't have a price, we've done a little (PR) embedding of our own after the break.
Lenovo's ultraslim ThinkCentre 91z All-in-One gets official, starts at $699
Anyone lucid during the past 24 hours won't be particularly shocked to see the arrival of Lenovo's slick new all-in-one -- though the thing is officially becoming official a day before originally anticipated. Not surprisingly, the company's really playing up aesthetics with the ThinkCentre Edge 91z, calling it the thinnest AIO, at 2.5 inches -- and certainly its thinner than, say, the HP TouchSmart 610. The centerpiece of the system is that glossy 21.5-inch widescreen HD Infinity LED display (1920 x 1200), which is capable of playing back HD video with ease. The system ships with an optional spill-proof wireless keyboard, featuring the familiar chiclet design we've seen in recent Edge model notebooks, and while the omission of Lenovo's customary pointing stick certainly feels glaring, the bright red clickwheel on the Edge wireless mouse makes up a bit for that loss. The 91z also packs built-in speakers, a 2MP webcam, six USB ports, Windows 7, and a 6-in-1 card reader. At the high end, you'll get an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, AMD Radeon HD6650A 1GB graphics, 8GB of DDR3 memory, and either a 1TB 7,200 RPM SATA HDD or an 80GB mSATA SSD -- either way, Lenovo says the system boots 30 percent quicker than "non-optimized" systems, though the latter promises to have you up and running in a breezy 20 seconds. It'll begin shipping in June, with pricing starting at $699. Press release after the break. %Gallery-123706%
Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 91z leaks out: a 21.5-inch all-in-one desktop with optional boot drive
If you're looking for a sleek, angular slab of an all-in-one desktop computer, Lenovo may have the machine for you, as we've just intercepted plans for this unannounced ThinkCentre Edge 91z, and she's most definitely a beaut. According to the leaked PDF, Lenovo will fully reveal the 21.5-inch, 1080p desktop in just two days and ship it in June, but for now we can tell you that it can be configured with low-power Intel Core i7 processors, discrete ATI graphics and a 80GB mSATA auxiliary SSD -- the latter of which Lenovo says can boot in just 20 seconds. You'll also find HDMI output and VGA input to connect (or use the 91z as) a second screen, a "spill proof" wireless keyboard, VESA mounting options and a built-in carrying handle. Expect prices to range between $700 and $1200 when it hits the market, if these slides are correct. %Gallery-123676% [Thanks, Andrew]
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.
Intel's mSATA SSD 310 reviewed: a pint-size performer through and through
The forecast for speedy, razor-thin laptops is looking pretty sunny right about now, because it seems Intel's SSD 310 truly does bring the power of a full-sized solid state drive on a tiny little board. Storage Review and The SSD Review thoroughly benchmarked the tiny 80GB mSATA module this week, and found it performs even better than advertised -- easily tearing through 200MB / sec reads and 70 MB / sec writes -- which put it slightly behind Intel's legendary X25-M series but well ahead of the company's X25-V boot drives. While we're still not seeing Sandforce speeds from Intel's tried-and-true controller and 34nm silicon and they might not make Toshiba's Blade run for the hills, we can't wait to test it out in some new Lenovo ThinkPads when they integrate the SSD 310 later this year. Oh, by the way, that big green board up above isn't the drive. It's actually the tiny one on top.
Intel 310 mSATA SSD knows that size matters, fits 80GB into less space than a credit card
Watch out, Toshiba, your tiny SSD modules aren't the only game in town for ludicrously small flash storage anymore. Intel's just announced a new SSD 310 line that offers spectacularly minimal 51mm by 30mm by 5mm dimensions, while retaining X25-class performance (up to 200MBps read and 80MBps write speeds). To give you an idea of what those measurements mean, the industry-standard 2.5-inch form factor, an already diminutive footprint, is eight times larger than these newfangled storage chips. 40GB and 80GB variants of the SSD 310 are shipping out to OEMs already and Lenovo has confirmed it plans to roll these into its next refresh of the venerable ThinkPad laptop line. Prices are set at $99 and $179 (depending on size) when bought in batches of 1,000, though direct sales to end users are predictably off the table for now. Better start saving up for that next ultrathin laptop if you want one.
SanDisk works it harder, unveils G4 and P4 solid state drives
Still haven't dropped a speedy solid state drive into your PC? SanDisk might just tempt you with its latest batch. At Computex 2010 the memory manufacturer announced its fourth-generation SSD lineup, consisting of the laptop-sized SSD G4 and the diminutive SSD P4 -- those tiny mini-SATA netbook boards you see chilling outside Jefferson's posh, nickel-plated mansion. The former will arrive in up to 256GB capacities with 220MB / sec read speeds and 160MB / sec writes (a sizable bump from prior numbers) while the latter range in size from 8GB to 128GB. Both feature the usual set of marketing buzzwords indicating speed and reliability, and both are slated to enter the OEM market in Q3 2010. That said, considering SanDisk's recent track record here, we wonder if the company meant third quarter next year. PR after the break.
Toshiba bolsters 32nm mSATA SSD lineup, your future netbook nods approvingly
We like to think of 'em as the SSDs for the little guys, and we couldn't be happier to hear that they're getting bigger and bigger in terms of capacity. Toshiba introduced the first solid state drives to use the mini-SATA interface back in September of '09, and while those 32nm units were made available in 30GB and 62GB sizes, the pack rats weren't satisfied. Now, the company has introduced a 128GB flavor with an mSATA interface, offering up a maximum sequential read speed of 180MB/s and a maximum sequential write speed of 70MB/s. The 128GB modules are said be one-seventh the volume and one-eighth the weight of 2.5-inch SSDs, and in case that's not enough, the third-generation HG SSDs will bring nearly twice the aforesaid speed and will ship in capacities of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. Hit the source link for all the dirt... except for the pricing, naturally.
Toshiba announces first SSD drives using new mini-SATA interface
Netbook SSDs have come in all manner of shapes, sizes, and connectors for a while, but finding the right model for your machine is about to get a lot easier -- the SATA-IO working group just announced a new mini-SATA standard called mSATA that should put an end to the mish-mash. Toshiba's the first out the gate with 32nm drives in 30 and 62GB sizes, but expect to see mSATA drives and machines from a whole host of heavy hitters in the future, like Samsung, Dell, HP, SanDisk, Lenovo, STEC, and Toshiba. That's pretty good news -- now let's just hope standardization leads to lower prices as well. Read - SATA-IO announces mini-SATA standard Read - Toshiba announces first mSATA drives
