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ADATA ships its Premier and Premier Pro SSDs to US, gives your laptop a dose of energy
If you remember those Premier SP800 and Premier Pro SP900 solid-state drives that ADATA teased us with in February, you'll be glad to know that they've crossed the Pacific to reach the US and Canada. The two SSDs are meant to give a swift kick to the performance of laptops with regular-sized, 2.5-inch drive bays. Both use SandForce controllers, but are focused on very different areas: the Premier's SATA II interface, 280MB/s reads and 260MB/s writes suit it most to newcomers looking to escape the land of spinning hard drives, while the tangibly faster SATA III, 550MB/s reads and 520MB/s writes of the Premier Pro cater more to the speed junkie set. Tracking down the Premier's 32GB and 64GB flavors might be a challenge, based on our early checks, but we've already found the Premier Pro's 64GB, 128GB and 256GB varieties lurking on Newegg at pre-discount prices between $100 and $300.
Sub-$1500 Kingmax 1TB SSD spotted in Japan
Terabytes. We all want them -- especially if they're served solid-state. But if you're not quite ready to pony up for OCZ's Octane SSD 1TB model, you might want to take a trip to Japan. KingMax's SMU25 Client Pro 1TB SSD has been spotted for 119,000 yen (roughly $1,490), shaving a good chunk off the price of its OCZ rival, although there is a trade-off. The Kingmax drive doesn't quite catch up to the Octane performance-wise, with 250MB/s read speeds bested by 460MB/s on the pricier drive and 200 MB/s write speeds trumped by 330MB/s on OCZ's model. According to Bit-tech, there's no plans for the drive to leave the Land of the Rising Sun for US just yet, although the Taiwanese manufacturer is already doing business in other parts of Asia so you might just get lucky if you shop around. Its full spec list is housed at source below.
RunCore's Mini DOM packs single-chip, SATA-based SSD into tiny places
Fitting a truly quick solid-state drive into a small space isn't easy, and for that reason RunCore's new Mini DOM (Disk On Module) stands out from the crowd. It's billed as the first single-chip SSD to use a SATA interface (SATA II, to be exact), giving it that much more bandwidth than the pokey IDE and PATA DOMs of old while remaining under half the size of a regular mSATA drive. RunCore's own tests show it hitting about 113MB/s sequential reads and 47MB/s writes. Neither figure will knock the socks off even a mainstream budget SSD like Intel's SSD 330, but they're more than brisk enough for embedded gear. The drives can survive brutal conditions, too: an Industrial Grade trim level can survive temperatures as chilly as -40F and as scorching as 185F. So, the next time you pry open some military equipment and see one of these sitting inside, in three different formats and capacities from 8GB to 64GB, you'll know exactly what you're looking at.
Fusion-io SDK gives developers native memory access, keys to the NAND realm
Thought your SATA SSD chugged along real nice? Think again. Fusion-io has just released an SDK that will allow developers to bypass all the speed draining bottlenecks that rob NAND memory of its true potential (i.e. the kernel block I/O layer,) and tap directly into the memory itself. In fact, Fusion-io is so confident of its products abilities, it prefers to call them ioMemory Application Accelerators, rather than SSDs. The SDK allows developers native access to the ioMemory, meaning applications can benefit from the kind of hardware integration you might get from a proprietary platform. The principle has already been demonstrated earlier this year, when Fusion-io delivered one billion IOPS using this native access. The libraries and APIs are available now to registered members of its developer program, hit the more coverage link to sign up.
Intel 330 Series SSDs official, prices start at $89
Been holding off on stuffing solid state storage into your existing machine because of high prices or reliability issues? Bargain hunters, your SSD may have just arrived in the form of Intel's 330 Series SSDs. We got the low down on them weeks ago, but in case you forgot, Intels new 25nm NAND entry utilizes a SATA 6 Gb/s connection to deliver up to 500 MB/s sequential reads and 450 MB/s writes. Such speeds aren't spectacular compared to other SSDs, but combine them with Chipzilla's reputation for crafting quality drives, low prices -- $89 for 60GB, $149 for 120GB, and $234 for 180GB -- and a three year warranty, and the 330 has some serious curb appeal. Want one? All three sizes available now online or at you local retailer (assuming it's still there, of course).
OCZ says its Indilinx controller is actually built by Marvell, but has custom firmware
OCZ received stacks of praise following its brave switch to in-house Indilinx-branded controllers, which have delivered solid performance in both the Octane and Vertex 4 SSDs. However, the company has now confirmed to AnandTech that its Indilinx Everest 1 and 2 controllers are actually still based on Marvell products, with a little overclocking on the side, and it hasn't yet implemented its own hardware. That would explain why the latest SSDs are so closely on a par with other Marvell-powered drives, like the Crucial's m4 and Intel's 520. But if it sounds like the brightest kid in the class just admitted to copying some other student's homework, then we should probably all chill out: after all, OCZ never made any precise claims about Everest's provenance in the first place. Besides, one of the most important aspects of a solid state drive is its firmware and OCZ insists that's totally home-cooked. The news here is that we still haven't seen what OCZ is fully capable of following its Indilinx acquisition.
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.
Intel 313 SSDs bring improved caching to ultrabooks, desktops, life in general
Just like Intel's older 311 batch of small cache SSDs, the new 313 series is designed to sit alongside a traditional spinning HDD in order provide a tasty blend of speed and capacity. These newer drives are still SATA II, so there's no 6Gbps action here, but they use superior 25nm SLC flash, offer faster speeds for the same price (starting at $120 for 20GB) and are explicitly approved for use in the coming wave of Ultrabooks -- so don't be surprised if that's where you meet 'em next.
OCZ Vertex 4 SSD released, wins calm praise on the review circuit
The Vertex 4 is a big deal for OCZ, because it's the company's first top-end SSD to come with an in-house Indilinx controller. We first saw an earlier version of this proprietary silicon put to good effect in the Octane drive a few months ago, and by most accounts the Vertex 4's updated Everest 2 controller continues in the same vein. The new drive will ship in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB varieties, with MSRPs of $179, $349 and $699 respectively, which stacks up well against Intel's 520 series. Bearing in mind that only the larger two variants have been sent out for review so far, the general feedback is that the Vertex 4 is reliable and indeed excels in certain key benchmarks like random write performance, which Anandtech described as "incredible." On the other hand, read performance and some other real-world benchmarks were less earth-shattering, and most reviewers have been quite measured in their conclusions. Storage Review, for example, suggested that the new Vertex's attractiveness will grow over time, as pricing gets more aggressive and OCZ's decision to use its own controller pays dividends in terms of support and firmware tweaks. Check out the source links for all the usual benchmark graph goodness. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Intel 330 SSD leakage hints at bargain price tag, perhaps just $149 for 120GB
A number of online retailers listed an Intel 330 SSD over the weekend, which would have been cool except that the drive was supposed to remain in the shadows until given a proper announcement. Some sellers pulled their listings pronto, but not before giving us a good glimpse at the drive's likely specs. These include the arrival of the SATAIII 6Gbps interface in this budget line, the same 25nm NAND fabrication process used for last year's 320, and promised sequential read / write speeds of up to 500MB/s and 450MB/s. None of this is especially thrilling, perhaps, when you recall that a similarly-specced SSD, the SanDisk Extreme, topped even the premium Intel 520 in recent benchmarks, but it all starts to make sense when you look at the pricing. SabrePC lists $149 for the 120GB variant, which is a full $40 cheaper than SanDisk's rival, $60 cheaper than the Intel 320, and only enough to pick up 60GB-worth of Intel 520. There are also 60GB and 180GB flavors, listed at $89 and $234 respectively. Assuming these prices hold tight, and that there's no repeat of the 320's firmware issues, this could be a bargain drive worth waiting for.Update: Amazon UK helpfully lists April 13th as launch day.
SanDisk Extreme SSD has 'mighty' mix of performance and support
SanDisk's new Extreme SSD sounded nice enough when it launched recently, but we weren't expecting anything too crazy -- just another 6Gbps SandForce-based drive that would compete on $-per-GB more than performance. As it turns out, that doesn't do it justice. StorageReview has shown that the unit actually beats the Intel 520 in some key real-world tests and delivers a "chart-topping" 4K random write speed of 88,324 IOPS. With the bonus of the low price-point -- starting at $190 for 120GB -- and the level of support from SanDisk, the Extreme SSD can now boast an Editor's Choice trophy. Click the source link for the full report.
SanDisk launches Extreme SSDs: $190 for 120GB, $400 for 240GB
SanDisk is hauling its consumer SSD range into the SATAIII era, offering a pair of Extreme branded drives that deliver performance broadly on-par with other 6Gbps rivals. The 120GB and 240GB variants are available now priced at $190 and $400, while a 480GB version will ship "later this year" with a $750 asking price. Random reads / writes are claimed to reach 83,000 / 44,000 IOPS, with 550MB/s and 520MB/s sequential speeds. The PR after the break also mentions a new X100 OEM drive for PC manufacturers, just any of them happen to read it.
Kingston launches new family of high performance SSDs, doesn't care if you're a business or a consumer
Kingston's turning its SSD solutions up to eleven on its new SSDNow family of products. The SSDNow V+200 is a solid state drive toting SATA 3.0 SandForce SF-2281, capable of up to 535 MB/s read speeds and 480 MB/s writing speeds. Regardless of whether it's for your office or home rig, Kingston reckons it's got your storage needs covered, offering up the V+200 in 60GB, 90GB, 120GB, 240GB and 480GB sizes. The 2.5-inch drives arrive with self-encryption as standard, alongside a three-year warranty with support -- something that's getting increasingly rare. The full press release is waiting below. Update: Prices, alongside the upgrade kit, range from $156 to $985 -- depending on exactly how many photo albums you need on solid state storage.
pureSilicon announces Kage K1 SATA and USB SSDs, up for pre-order now
It seems like only yesterday that pureSilicon released its new Nitro N2 and Renegade S4 SSDs. Today, the company followed up on that announcement with the Kage K1 USB SSD, and the Kage K1 SATA SSD. The former is a USB 3.0-based SSD drive that measures around 4.5mm in thickness and offers up to 240GB of MLC space. It's available for pre-order now, at a price of $230, with shipments expected to start up sometime during Q1 of this year. As for the Kage K1 SATA SSD, it's more in line with what you'll find with the aforementioned Nitro N2 and Renegade S4 varieties. Capable of delivering up to 6Gb/s, the eMLC NAND flash memory-based SATA SSD promises reading speeds of up to 540 MB / sec, writing speeds of 520 MB / sec, and boasts up to 400 GB of usable eMLC. That'll cost you a bit more, though, with a price tag of $975. It too, is available for pre-order now, with shipments slated for early this year.
Plextor announces M3 Pro SSD with 24nm flash and 7mm form factor
Bored by Plextor's safe and steady M3S? Then ponder on its new performance model, the 2.5-inch, SATAIII-sporting M3 Pro. It notches up random read/write speeds by around seven percent to 75,000/69,000 IOPs, while sequential read/writes have also had a marginal bump to 540MB/s and 450MB/s. It's not yet clear how much the new drives will cost when they reach stores in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB varieties next month, but the use of 24nm toggle flash -- which squeezes more storage onto less silicon -- should help to keep pricing relatively sane. Oh, and the 7mm height also means that the M3 Pro will slide happily into the compressed bowels of your Ultrabook -- unless that slot has already been reserved for a Crucial. Read on for the press release.
Rocstor outs Amphibious hard drive, keeps top-secret docs safe from wandering peepers
If you're a fan of keeping all of those precious work files locked down tight on your portable storage device, Rocstor has a rugged new option for you. The company has announced the launch of Amphibious at CES 2012, a portable hard drive that sports real time encryption and offers not one, but two-factor authentication via Smart Card and keypad -- keeping those top-secret merger plans shrouded in mystery. Incorporating a SATA HDD (up to 1TB) or SSD, the device connects via USB 2.0 or Firewire 800 and protects data behind AES-256 bit key strength and a FIPS 140-2 validated crypto module. In terms of durability, the pocket-sized Amphibious is housed in an aircraft grade aluminum alloy case. You can take a look at the full list of specs in the PR after the break and get ready to snag one for yourself during Q1 of 2012.
Seagate teams with Monster for staggeringly overpriced Momentus XT upgrade kits
Too lazy to pop your existing HDD out in favor of a Momentus XT solid state hybrid drive? There's a Monster for that. In what has to be one of the poorest partnership decisions of the new millennium, Seagate has decided to hitch its wagon to a company famous for scamming customers, suing small businesses and charging a fortune for things that... well, shouldn't cost a fortune. Here at CES, Seagate and Monster Digital are introducing the Dakar series of upgrade kits, which will be offered with 750GB and 500GB models of Seagate's Momentus XT drive at suggested retail prices of $289.99 and $269.99, respectively. For those keeping count, the drives alone will run you around $100 (500GB) and $185 (750GB), which means that you're paying well over a Benjamin for the following: software (not needed; download cloning apps for free), cables (a couple of bucks on Monoprice), an instructional video (Monster should actually pay you to watch this) and a screwdriver (you have ten -- just look). Great product launch, guys. Just great.
pureSilicon's Nitro N2 and Renegade R4 SSDs go fast, resist bullying (respectively)
Mmm, speed. pureSilicon has just introduced a pair of robust new solid state drives, each of which claim their own territory in the grand scheme of accolades. The Nitro N2, which is aimed at high-end enterprise and datacenter applications, delivers 6Gb/sec and up to 130K transactions per second, not to mention protection from host power fail events. Then there's the Renegade R4, which meets MIL-STD-810F standards and features self-encryption and security features. We're told that the Nitro N2, through the use of PIPA, is able to accelerate I/O performance by up to 400 percent while also boosting lifetime terabytes written by a similar factor. As for raw specs, the N2 offers up to 1.6TB of usable MLC, under ten watts of power consumption and read / write sequential speeds of 540MBps / 520MBps. It'll be sold in 7mm and 9.5mm form factors, with pricing to start at a staggering $1,995. The R4 is engineered to meet the needs of defense, aerospace and medical customers, with up to 200GB of usable SLC, up to 60K of random read and random write IOPS, a SATA 6Gb/sec interface and up to 540MB/sec sequential read and 520MB/sec sequential write rates. It's self-encrypting beast with "military-grade, secure-erase algorithms for compliance," and the price on this guy will start at $1,155. Pre-orders are open now for a Q1 ship date, and you can dig in deeper through the press release just after the break.
RunCore outs new storage solutions for CES, Marvell-based Falcon series included
If you're looking to quell your inner storage enthusiast after the holidays, RunCore may have something to satisfy your appetite. The company announced that it has two products intended for launch at CES. The Falcon series is a Marvell-based storage solution that boasts R / W IOPS speeds that best the outfit's Pro V SATA 6Gb/s SSDs. Speaking of the Pro V series, RunCore is looking to set up shop in Ultrabooks with a 7mm model of its 2.5-inch SATA 6Gb/s SSD with 540 MB/s read and 500 MB/s write speeds. Looking for a bit more info? Hit the full PR after the break.
OCZ Octane SSD benchmarked, new Indilinx controller holds its ground
Maybe it's just interference from our seasonal goggles, but isn't there something quite cheery about SSD reviews? In the case of OCZ's Octane drive, our good spirits derive from the sturdy performance of its freshly-conceived Indilinx Everest controller, which ought to keep big players like SandForce and Samsung on their toes. HotHardware just reviewed the $369 $879 512GB variant and found that it delivered fast boot-up times, strong read speeds and writes that were just shy of enthusiast-class drives. Follow the source link for the full and possibly festive benchmarks. Update: Sorry about the optimistic price error. Guess we got carried away with all the holiday discounts. As many of y'all spotted, it's the 256GB version that goes for $369. Update: We just added links to reviews from AnandTech and Storage Review, which both arrived at similarly positive conclusions.
