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Ask Engadget: Best SSD under $150?
We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from David, who's looking to get himself a boot drive that's fast, durable, fast, reliable and fast. "I'm looking for a solid state drive, around 32 to 64GB, for use in my web server. The drive will contain my web sites and the operating system, either Windows Server 2008 R2 or Ubuntu. Large storage is handled by a separate RAID array, so capacity is not an issue. Rather, I am looking for the fastest, longest-lasting, and most reliable drive under $150 that is suitable to my application. Any thoughts? Thanks!" SSDs still aren't cheap, but the smaller ones have definitely come down quite aways in price. Anyone got a particular 32GB or 64GB platter that they're hearting at the moment? Go ahead, let your crush be known.
OCZ's Colossus desktop SSD gets reviewed: oh yeah, it's fast
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 needs a name for USB 3.0 solid state drive
That faint sound you can hear right now is the approaching sonic boom of a new portable speedster. OCZ, already the proud patriarch of some pretty radical SSD varieties, has confirmed a new external drive that will hook up via the super speedy USB 3.0 interconnect (whose uncertain future we've discussed here). It's no secret that SSDs tend to get all choked up around current-gen USB or Firewire connections, so we always welcome forward-thinking new drives with open arms. OCZ is still in the process of crowdsourcing a name for its new product, so don't look for specs just yet, but if there are any mysteries left by January, rest assured that CES 2010 will clear them all up.
OCZ's Colossus desktop SSD line ships next week
OCZ Technology has been trumpeting its Colossus SSD desktop solution since June, but due to some strange issues with the housing that have been troubling engineers for the past few months, the company has been forced to quietly push back the expected release date. At any rate, the company has informed us that the drives -- which will arrive in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB flavors and tout maximum read / writes rates of 260MB/s -- will begin shipping to retailers "next week." If you're lucky, you might catch one or two e-tailers selling their stock early, but first you'll need to figure out where exactly that $300, $650, $1,200 or $2,200 (in order of mention) is going to come from.
Fusion-io ioXtreme PCI Express SSD reviewed: wicked fast, bloody expensive
Okay, so maybe you didn't need a full-on review to tell you that Fusion-io's ioXtreme PCI Express SSD was staggeringly pricey, but at $11 per gigabyte ($895 for 80GB), you may want to turn a blind eye right now if you're short on disposable income. If you've managed to continue on, then you owe it to your collective senses to give the read link a look. The gurus over at HotHardware were able to get one of these lightning fast devices in for review, and while we were always assured that performance would be mind blowing, it's another thing entirely to see those promises proven in the lab. Critics found the card to be the "fastest overall SSD solution on the market today," with consistent 700MB/sec reads and 300MB/sec writes. Of course, they were still anxious to get their hands on a supposedly forthcoming update to make this thing bootable, and the omission of a RAID BIOS definitely put a small damper on things; still, it's hard to let annoyance such as those overshadow the monster performance numbers, but we'd recommend giving the full skinny a good lookin' at before committing your child's college education fund to a pile of NAND.
Intel and Numonyx pave the way for scalable, higher density phase change memory
Both Intel and Numonyx have been talking up phase change memory for years now, but for some reason, we're slightly more inclined to believe that the latest breakthrough is actually one that'll matter to consumers. In a joint release, the two have announced a new non-volatile memory technology that supposedly "paves the way for scalable, higher density phase change memory products." Put as simply as possible, researchers have been testing a 64Mb chip that "enables the ability to stack, or place, multiple layers of PCM arrays within a single die," and the two are calling the discovery PCMS (phase change memory and switch). We know, you're drowning in technobabble here, but if these two can really apply Moore's Law to density scaling, you'll be thanking 'em as you pick up your $50 6TB hard drive in 2014.
Kingston's $85 40GB SSDNow V Series SSD gets heavily benchmarked
Aw, snap. For years now, we've been waiting (and waiting) for solid state disc prices to stoop down from the realm of you've-got-to-be-kidding-me, and now it finally looks like the everyman can ditch the HDD and get onboard with flash. Kingston's newly announced SSDNow V Series 40GB Boot Drive ain't very capacious, but for just $84.99 (after rebates) at NewEgg, it's definitely affordable. The drive itself isn't slated to ship until November 9th, but the cool kids over at Legit Reviews seem to have already wrangled a unit for review. Kingston promises sequential read rates of up to 170MBps and write rates of up to 40MBps, and while that's certainly not mind-blowing, it's not too awful given the 2.5-inch form factor and bargain-basement price. Oh, and critics found that the drive far surpassed published speed ratings in testing, which is always completely and utterly awesome. Hit the via link for more, vaquero. [Via Legit Reviews]
Intel's SSD Toolbox, firmware update promise boost in performance
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!
Samsung invests in Fusion-io, takes relationship to 'a new level'
Specializing in PCI Express-mounted flash storage, Fusion-io has managed to not only survive in these tough economic times, but garner additional investments from some clearly impressed onlookers. Loathe to be left out of the loop, Samsung -- the world's biggest NAND flash manufacturer and also Fusion-io's chief supplier -- has thrown some cash at the young startup company, and declared that the pair are now officially dating. Or, in their parlance, they've agreed to "jointly evaluate technology for new SSD applications." Samsung won't have any board level influence, but providing a reliable supply chain and the clout of its name should ensure that Fusion-io is around long enough for us to eventually be able to afford an ioDrive.[Via PC World]
Dane-Elec comes clean with external USB 3.0 HDDs / SSDs
It's been almost an entire year since we heard a peep from the good lads and ladies at Dane-Elec, but those very individuals have today informed us that a few USB 3.0 drives are on the way from its labs. 'Course, we'd like to point out that it's being a little ambitious with that whole "world's first" thing, but given the youth of the format, we'll take all the competition (and excitement) we can get. The outfit's So SuperSpeed line of external drives will soon be taking on the US market, offering consumers up to 250MBps data transfers starting on December 11th. Sizes will range from 500GB to 2TB (in both 2.5- and 3.5-inch forms), and we're told that the SSD options (80GB and 160GB) will indeed be Intel-branded under the hood. Looking for prices? Sure you are -- they're just past the break.
Toshiba 43nm MLC NAND-based SSDs spotted in retail
If you were lusting after those 43nm drives that Toshiba recently started shipping to OEMs, we found a source for you. If you're in Japan (or comfortable ordering from Japan) ioPLAZA has the 256GB (2.5-inch) SSDs listed for ¥85,800 (about $970). Intrigued? We bet you are. Orders placed now ship later this month. Hit the read link to see for yourself.
OCZ's PCIe SSD Z-Drive finally starts shipping
Call it coincidence if you will, but on the same day that Super Talent announced that its 2TB RAIDDrive would begin shipping next month, OCZ has finally confessed that its Z-Drive is shipping... right now! Originally shown in prototype form back at CeBIT, this PCIe card is equipped with four SSDs linked in a RAID 0 configuration. We'd originally assumed that just a few capacities of the same device would be available, but we're learning today that two iterations will be produced: the Z-Drive p84 will be MLC-based and tout a 750MBps maximum read rate / 650MBps maximum write rate, while the SLC-based Z-Drive e84 cranks that to 800MBps and 750MBps (respectively). Also of note, both models will be available in 256GB and 512GB sizes, though the 1TB flagship will be p84 only. We've checked Amazon again and it's still showing "1 to 3 months" before release, but hopefully there's a memo waiting in some admin's inbox to remedy that.
OWC Mercury On-The-Go Pro takes longer to say than to boot
One of these days, SSDs will hit a price point that doesn't require a second mortgage to buy one. Until then, we can just gawk at things like OWC's latest, which is a portable version of Crucial's still relatively new line of affordable SSDs, built around the familiar Indilinx controller and Samsung NAND flash. Coming in sizes from 64GB ($280) to 256GB ($730), the new Pro devices can transfer data and get their power from either a Firewire or USB port. Alas, that means you'll be limited to 100MBps read rates -- as opposed to the 250MBps you could get from an eSATA connection -- but that's a small sacrifice to make if you care about losing the moving parts in your portable storage. [Via Electronista]
Final press shots emerge of OCZ's Z-Drive, shipments still forever away
Le sigh. When OCZ's hotly-anticipated Z-Drive popped up for pre-order on Amazon back in May, we just knew that this thing would be shipping out to consumers in no time flat. Yet, here we are in early September with an estimated ship date of "1 to 3 months." Thankfully for those anxiously awaiting a serious dose of PCI-Express-based SSD goodness, it looks as if the firm has finally nailed down the final look, feel and performance numbers for the device. There's no arguing that the unit you see above is all the excuse you need to invest in a translucent chassis, but it's the promised sustained write rates of up to 600MB/sec that really have us drooling. So far as we know, the outfit will still be charging somewhere in the neighborhood of four arms and 2.5 legs for the privilege of ownership, but if that 1TB edition just feels too far out of reach, hopefully the 250GB and 500GB models will only require a smattering of heists.
SSD shootout, round III: OCZ, Corsair and PhotoFast butt heads
Like clockwork, we've stumbled upon yet another updated SSD shootout almost a year to the day since the last one, and nearly two years since the first. Since 2008, we've seen OCZ introduce a new "garbage collection" algorithm for its Vertex Series 120GB SSD, Corsair introduce its P64 and PhotoFast make waves with its supposedly speedy G-Monster-V5. The benchmarking gurus over at HotHardware had the patience to sit 'em all down and break out the rulers, and the long and short of it is this: the Vertex Turbo and G-Monster V5 bested the Corsair, with the PhotoFast drive in particular showing remarkably strong performance in read / write tests. Of course, all of the units were quite a bit quicker than traditional HDDs, but the folks at HH maintained that SSD pricing is still way out of reach for many consumers. But hey, if you've got the means to lay down $3 per gigabyte, feel free to tap that read link and ingest.
OCZ's Indilinx-based Solid 2 SSDs bring MLC NAND to the masses
Indilinx controllers are widely viewed as some of the best in the industry, and while most SSD manufacturers don't have any issues charging a few arms and a leg for the privilege of ownership, OCZ Technology is hoping to bring the charm and pizazz of said controller to the general populace. The firm's newest SSD range, the Solid 2 crew, is comprised of just two models to start: the 60 (64GB) and the 120 (128GB). Designed to fit into 2.5-inch laptop spaces, these "mainstream" SSDs offer up 125MBps read rates and 100MBps write rates, not to mention 64MB of onboard cache and "unique performance optimizations to keep the drives at peak performance." We're guessing that it's referring to that oh-so-endearing garbage cleanup system we heard about earlier in the week, but don't say you heard from us. Oh, and if you're curious about whether or not these are actually priced for Joe Six Pack, it looks like you'll have to ping your favorite flash dealer to find out.
Intel issues X25-M G2 SSD firmware fix for BIOS password conundrum
Eagerly waiting to change that drive password within the system BIOS on your fancy new X25-M G2 solid state drive? Good news, storage junkies -- today you can. After Intel saw its next-gen SSD launch party hit a snag with an off-the-wall quirk that could cause data corruption for those who altered or disabled a drive password within the system BIOS, the company has finally come forward with a firmware update that solves the dilemma, along with world hunger, "the economy" and an undisclosed amount of other universal pains. Hit the read link for instructions on how to update your drive, but don't blame us if every precious memory you've ever collected goes down in flames during the process. Just kidding.[Via HotHardware]
Indilinx firmware cleans dirty SSDs, restores performance while idle
You know those quirky, not-at-all convenient issues that can cause certain solid state drives to lag with extensive use? Yeah -- not cool. Thankfully, the engineers at OCZ Technology and Indilinx are fed up, and rather than sitting around doing nothing, they've both collaborated on a breakthrough firmware that can actually clean and restore one's "dirtied" SSD while the drive sits idle. In short, the firmware instructs the SSD to perform a "garbage collection" process in order to mitigate the unwanted block re-writing quandary, where the drive actively seeks and removes garbage that hinders read / write performance when handling small chunks of data. The crew over at HotHardware managed to run a few speed tests with said firmware firmly implemented, and the results are downright shocking: after just five minutes of idle time, the SSD was restored to near new, with an hour of downtime being enough to "totally restore" performance. Don't believe us? Give that read link a tap, bub.
Toshiba ships 43nm MLC NAND-based SSDs to OEMs for unknown amounts
It started out as just disheartening, but now it's downright frustrating. With rare exception, each and every SSD release we hear about these days scuttles skillfully around the issue of price. Take Toshiba, for example, who has just confessed to shipping its 43nm MLC NAND-based solid state drives to five undisclosed OEMs. Not only do we have no clue as to which companies will be integrating these into their machines, but we've no idea what these mystery firms are paying. What we do know is this: Tosh's new range of 1.8- and 2.5-inch SSDs are leaving the docks now in capacities of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB -- good luck figuring out where they'll land.[Via HotHardware]
OCZ's 1TB Colossus SSD gets a price and launch timeframe
We already got word of the starting price for the entry-level 128GB drive in OCZ's new Colossus line of SSDs, but details on the standout 1TB model have unfortunately been quite a bit harder to come by. OCZ's now finally cleared up most of those remaining questions, however, and announced that the drive will be available mid-August for a jaw-dropping $2,500 (give or take a few bucks). The 500GB drive will also apparently be available at the same time, although OCZ doesn't seem to be saying anything more than that it'll be "less expensive."[Via Electronista]Update: OCZ just hit us up with the official information. The company is actually "about three weeks" out from release, and it'll ship the Colossus 120 (128GB), 250 (256GB), 500 (512GB) and 1TB (1024GB) for $300, $650, $1200 and $2200 in order of mention.
