Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:58:09 -0400 http://ssd-reviews.com/ SSD Reviews http://ssd-reviews.com/images//themes/ssd_reviews/images/ssd-reviews.jpg http://ssd-reviews.com/ davidyee@yahoo.com http://ssd-reviews.com/a-84.html Intel today introduced the Intel X25-V Value SATA SSD. Priced at $125, the 40 gig SSD drive is aimed at value segment netbooks and dual-drive/boot drive desktop set-ups to offer users the performance and reliability advantages of solid-state computing at an affordable, entry-level price. SSDs can replace or coexist with traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). With no movable parts or spinning platters, SSDs are more reliable and higher performing than HDDs. This makes users more productive as they experience faster overall system responsiveness. With the affordable price point, consumers can now enjoy the benefits of an SSD by adding an SSD option to their current desktop PC in a dual-drive or "boot drive" set up. In a dual-drive configuration, the Intel X25-V SSD is added to a desktop with an existing HDD. The SSD is loaded with the operating system and favorite applications to take advantage of the speedy performance which is nearly 4x faster than a 7200RPM HDD. Users keep their existing HDD as a means of higher capacity data storage. This capability is commonly referred to as a "boot" drive since the SSD accelerates boot or start up time. For example, with 40GB of boot drive capacity, a user could load the SSD with the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, Microsoft Office applications and their favorite gaming application, such as Dragon Age: Origins, and experience up to 43 percent faster overall system performance or 86 percent improvement in their gaming experience. The SSD also speeds operations such as system start up, the opening of applications and files or resuming from standby. "The Intel solid-state drive is our top-selling SSD," said Stephen Yang, product manager for solid-state drives at e-tailer Newegg.com. "This new value entry from Intel means more customers will have the chance to experience the benefits of SSDs, not just in notebooks or high-end PCs, but in mainstream desktops as a boot drive. This is the right price point to help convert more users to SSD computing." The Intel X25-V features 40GB of 34nm NAND flash memory. This non-volatile memory retains data, even when the power is turned off, and is used in applications such as smartphones, personal music players, memory cards or SSDs for fast and reliable storage of data. SSD benefits over a traditional HDD include higher performance, battery saving and ruggedness. "Adding the Intel X25-V to our existing family of high-performance SSDs gives our resellers a full range of high-performing, quality SSDs for notebook upgrades, dual-drive desktop set ups or embedded applications," said Pete Hazen, director of marketing for the Intel NAND Solutions Group. "SSD adoption continues to be one of the more exciting trends in personal computing, and this entry-level product enables users to enjoy the productivity and performance benefits of Intel SSDs at a new price point." The 40GB Intel X25-V complements Intel's higher performance Intel® X25-M Mainstream SATA SSD product line that offers 80GB and 160GB capacities. All Intel SSDs are designed and manufactured by Intel using its own NAND flash memory from IM Flash Technologies (IMFT) and include a proprietary controller and updatable firmware. The X25-V is priced at $125 for 1,000-unit quantities and is currently stocked and available in worldwide distribution. In addition, the X25-V supports the Microsoft Windows 7 Trim function via the Intel SSD Optimizer. Also included is the Intel® SSD Toolbox, a set of utility tools developed by Intel to help better manage and retain the out-of-box performance of Intel SSDs. Windows XP and Vista users can also use these enhancements which can be downloaded at: www.intel.com/go/ssdtoolbox. To review the specifications of the Intel X25-V please visit www.intel.com/go/ssd. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:58:09 -0400 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-83.html OCZ Technology has unveiled the OCZ Onyx SATA II 2.5” Solid State Drive (SSD) Series, an ultra-affordable Multi Level Cell (MLC)-based solid state storage solution designed for consumers looking to take advantage of flash-based storage technology. Offering a faster and more durable alternative to traditional hard drives in a cost-efficient SSD, the Onyx delivers reliable performance without the high price normally associated with SSD drives. “As new technologies become available, OCZ continues to expand both our enterprise and consumer SSD lines, and one of our goals is to make SSDs more affordable to end-users. Our new Onyx series SSD does exactly that and is a perfect solution for netbooks, laptops, or home desktop PCs,” commented Ryan Petersen, CEO of the OCZ Technology Group. “Designed to offer the best of both worlds, the new OCZ Onyx SSD delivers the speed and reliability of solid state storage to mainstream consumers at an aggressive price point that makes the technology more accessible to customers who want to take advantage of all the benefits of the SSDs without incurring the high cost normally associated with the solution.” With a sub 100 dollar MRSP the aggressively priced Onyx 32GB SSD delivers an enhanced computing experience with faster application loading, snappier data access, shorter boot-ups, and longer battery life. Onyx SSDs feature HDD-dominating access times, up to 125MB/s read and 70MB/s write speeds, 64MB of onboard cache, and unique performance optimization to keep the drives at peak performance over the long term. OCZ Onyx SSD drives feature a durable yet lightweight housing, and because OCZ SSDs have no moving parts, the drives are more rugged than conventional hard drives. Available first in 32GB capacity the Onyx state drives are ideal for use as a boot up drive or for mobile PCs and Netbooks as a quality hard drive replacement. Designed for ultimate reliability, Onyx SSDs have an excellent 1.5 million hour mean time between failure (MTBF), and OCZ also offers a leading 3-year warranty and award-winning technical support with the series, making SSDs a more viable upgrade for users requiring ultimate levels of customer service. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:58:05 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-82.html Corsair today announced the Force Series of SSDs, providing outstanding SATA II performance based on innovative SSD Processor technology from SandForce Inc. By utilizing the state-of-the-art SandForce SF-1200 SSD processor combined with MLC flash memory, the Corsair Force Series of solid-state drives deliver outstanding performance figures of up to 280MB/sec read and 260MB/sec write. In addition, these drives feature class-leading random read/write performance. The highly innovative SandForce DuraClass™ Technology also delivers unparalleled write endurance and error correction features. "The Force Series are the fastest SSDs that Corsair has launched to date," stated Kevin Conley, Vice President of Engineering at Corsair. "We have been very impressed with the SandForce SSD Processor innovations in the months that we have been working with them, and we can't wait to get these extraordinarily fast SSDs into the hands of our most demanding customers." The Force Series of SSDs are available in capacities of 100GB and 200GB and support the TRIM command in Windows® 7, which helps to maintain optimal performance over the drive's lifetime. "The SandForce SF-1200 SSD Processor employs revolutionary flash management technology to create a new class of SSD with unparalleled performance and reliability," stated Thad Omura, Vice President of Marketing at SandForce. "We have enjoyed working closely with Corsair to bring this exciting technology to market for Corsair's large worldwide network of system builders, retailers, and computing enthusiasts." The Force Series of SSDs will be available within two weeks from Corsair's worldwide network of authorized distributors and resellers. For more information on Corsair Force Series SSDs, please visit http://www.corsair.com/products/ssd_force/. Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:07:42 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-81.html Corsair today announced the addition of the Reactor Series and Nova Series to its family of solid-state drives (SSDs). Both the Nova Series and Reactor Series provide the performance benefits of solid-state technology at an attractive cost per gigabyte. The Reactor Series, including 60GB and 120GB drive capacities, is built using the new JMicron JMF612 controller. This second-generation controller from JMicron incorporates 128MB of DDR2 cache memory for stutter-free performance. The 120GB Reactor Series SSD delivers speeds of up to 250MB/s read and 170MB/s write, while the 60GB Reactor Series SSD features speeds up to 250MB/s read and 110 MB/s write. The Nova Series is built using the popular Indilinx Barefoot controller with 64MB of cache memory, and is offered in drive sizes of 64GB and 128GB. The 128GB Nova Series SSD is able to achieve speeds of up to 270MB/second read and 190MB/second write, while the 64GB Nova Series SSD delivers speeds up to 270MB/s read and 130MB/s write. Both Reactor Series and Nova Series SSDs fully support the TRIM command in Microsoft Windows 7 operating systems, which automatically maintains optimal performance over the lifetime of the drives. The Reactor Series and Nova Series are available immediately from Corsair’s authorized distributors and resellers worldwide and are backed by a Two-Year Limited Warranty. Complete customer support via telephone, email, forum and Tech Support Express is also available. For more information on Corsair solid-state drives, please visit the Corsair SSD category page. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:29:20 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-80.html Kingston today announced it will ship its second generation SSDNow V Series solid-state drive (SSD) on February 15. Targeted for mainstream consumers and small and medium businesses, the new Kingston® SSDNow V Series offers higher performance than its predecessor and supports Windows® 7 TRIM functionality while maintaining pricing. Capacities are 30GB, 64GB and 128GB and the drive comes as a standalone unit or with a bundled solution for desktop or notebook systems. "Kingston has really increased the performance on the new second generation SSDNow V Series drive without raising the price. A first-generation SSDNow V Series 64GB bundle upgrade kit can be found for about $150 (U.S.) at retailers and e-tailers so maintaining pricing will be huge for our customers," said Ariel Perez, SSD business manager, Kingston. "By bundling together all of the software, hardware and step-by-step instructions with the drive, we make it easy for everyday users to upgrade with an SSD. The addition of TRIM support is a key benefit because it enables the SSD to maintain optimal performance throughout its lifespan." Kingston's SSDNow V Series upgrade bundles are the simplest, most efficient upgrade path to inject new life and performance into an existing desktop or notebook PC. There is no need to reload the operating system or do anything that would alter critical data files. The included cloning software makes it simple to move the contents of the existing hard-disk drive (HDD) to the SSD. The SSDNow V Series upgrade bundle kits include: * Kingston SSDNow V Series solid-state drive * Acronis® True Image cloning software and CD installation guide * 3.5" mounting brackets and hardware (desktop bundle only) * SATA data and power cable extenders (desktop bundle only) * 2.5" USB SATA external enclosure (notebook bundle only) The Kingston SSDNow V Series and bundle are backed by a three-year warranty, 24/7 tech support and legendary Kingston reliability. For more information visit www.kingston.com. Kingston SSDNow V Series Features and Specifications: * Sequential Speed*: o 128GB: up to 200MB/sec. read; 160MB/sec. write o 64GB: up to 200MB/sec. read; 110MB/sec. write o 30GB: up to 180MB/sec. read; 50MB/sec. write * PCMark® HDD 2005**: o 128GB: 20,177 o 64GB: 21,317 o 30GB: 18,900 * Performance: enhances productivity; makes users more efficient * Innovative: 2.5" form factor; uses NAND Flash memory components * Silent: runs silent and cool with no moving mechanical parts * Reliable: less likely to fail than a standard hard drive * Shock Resistant: no moving parts so the SSD handles rougher conditions than a hard drive * Supports TRIM: TRIM notifies the SSD which data blocks are available to be written to * Supports S.M.A.R.T.: Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology * Guaranteed: backed by a three-year Kingston warranty, 24/7 tech support * Capacity†: 30GB, 64GB, 128GB * Storage temperatures: -40° C to 85° C * Operating temperatures: 0° C to 70° C * Vibration operating: 2.17G (7-800Hz) * Vibration non-operating: 20G (20–2000Hz) * Power specs: 128GB, 64GB Active: 5.2W (TYP); Sleep: 0.7W (TYP) 30GB Active: 1.7W (TYP); Sleep: 0.05W (TYP) * Life expectancy: 128GB , 64GB: 1 million hours MTBF 30GB: 500,000 hours MTBF Kingston SSDNow V Series Solid-State Drives Part NumberCapacity and FeaturesMSRP (U.S. only). SNV125-S2/30GB 30GB 2.5" SATA SSD stand-alone drive$ 109.99 (shipping 3/1/10) SNV425-S2/64GB 64GB 2.5" SATA SSD stand-alone drive$ 208.00 SNV425-S2/128GB128GB 2.5" SATA SSD stand-alone drive$ 362.00 SNV425-S2BN/64GB 64GB 2.5" SATA SSD notebook bundle$ 216.00 SNV425-S2BN/128GB128GB 2.5" SATA SSD notebook bundle$ 377.00 SNV125-S2BD/30GB 30GB 2.5" SATA SSD desktop bundle$ 124.99 (shipping 3/1/10) SNV425-S2BD/64GB 64GB 2.5" SATA SSD desktop bundle$ 216.00 SNV425-S2BD/128GB128GB 2.5" SATA SSD desktop bundle$ 377.00 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:59:21 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-79.html Intel Corporation and Micron Technology today announced the world’s first 25-nanometer (nm) NAND technology, which provides a more cost-effective path for increasing storage capacity in such popular consumer gadgets as smartphones, personal music and media players (PMPs), as well as the new high-performance class of solid-state drives (SSDs). NAND flash memory stores data and other media contained in consumer electronics products, retaining information even when the power is turned off. The drive toward smaller NAND processes enables the continued development and introduction of new uses for the technology. Not only is the 25nm process the smallest NAND technology, it is also the smallest semiconductor technology in the world – a technological accomplishment that continues the advancement of more music, video, and other data in today’s consumer electronics and computing applications. Manufactured by IM Flash Technologies (IMFT), Intel and Micron’s NAND flash joint venture, the 25nm process produces 8 gigabytes (GB) of storage in a single NAND device, creating a high-capacity storage solution for today’s tiny consumer gadgets. It measures just 167mm2-- small enough to fit through the hole in the middle of a compact disc (CD), yet packs more than 10 times the data capacity of that CD (a standard CD holds 700 megabytes of data). With a committed focus and investment in NAND research and development, Intel and Micron have doubled NAND density roughly every 18 months, which leads to smaller, more cost-efficient and higher capacity products. IMFT started production with a 50nm process in 2006, followed by a 34nm process in 2008. With today’s 25nm process, the companies are extending their process and fabrication leadership further with the introduction of the smallest semiconductor lithography available in the industry. “To lead the entire semiconductor industry with the most advanced process technology is a phenomenal feat for Intel and Micron, and we look forward to further pushing the scaling limits,” said Brian Shirley, vice president of Micron’s memory group. “This production technology will enable significant benefits to our customers through higher density media solutions.” “Through our continued investment in IMFT, we’re delivering leadership technology and manufacturing that enable the most cost-effective and reliable NAND memory,” said Tom Rampone, vice president and general manager, Intel NAND Solutions Group. “This will help speed the adoption of solid-state drive solutions for computing.” The 25nm, 8GB device is sampling now and is expected to enter mass production in the second quarter of 2010. For consumer electronics manufacturers, the device provides the highest-density in a single 2 bits-per-cell multi-level cell (MLC) die that will fit an industry-standard, thin small-outline package (TSOP). Multiple 8GB devices can be stacked in a package to increase storage capacity. The new 25nm 8GB device reduces chip count by 50 percent compared to previous process generations, allowing for smaller, yet higher density designs and greater cost efficiencies. For example, a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD) can now be enabled with just 32 of these devices (versus 64 previously), a 32GB smartphone needs just four, and a 16GB flash card requires only two. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:09:21 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-78.html Kingston today announced the release of the second-generation SSDNow V+ solid-state drive. The SSDNow V+ solid-state drive has Windows® 7 TRIM support, is available up to 512GB and provides faster performance than the previous generation. ”The new SSDNow V+ is an ideal solid-state drive for high-level consumers and in corporate environments where efficiency and performance are important as more system resources are in use,” said Ariel Perez, SSD business manager, Kingston®. “Users will be more productive as the drive now features TRIM support, is available in higher capacities and is speedier overall with improved read/write speeds.” Kingston SSD Now V+ SSDs Part Number Capacity and Features MSRP (U.S. only) SNVP325-S2/64GB 64GB 2.5″ SATA SSD (stand-alone drive) $ 268.00 SNVP325-S2/128GB 128GB 2.5″ SATA SSD (stand-alone drive) $ 512.00 SNVP325-S2/256GB 256GB 2.5″ SATA SSD (stand-alone drive) $ 992.00 SNVP325-S2/512GB 512GB 2.5″ SATA SSD (stand-alone drive) $ 1,969.00 SNVP325-S2B/64GB 64GB 2.5″ SATA SSD (complete bundle) $ 283.00 SNVP325-S2B/128GB 128GB 2.5″ SATA SSD (complete bundle) $ 528.00 SNVP325-S2B/256GB 256GB 2.5″ SATA SSD (complete bundle) $ 1,008.00 SNVP325-S2B/512GB 512GB 2.5″ SATA SSD (complete bundle) $ 1,985.00 The addition of TRIM support helps keep the SSDNow V+ maintain optimal write speed throughout its lifespan. Using PCMark® Vantage 1.0.1 for Windows 7, the 512GB SSDNow V+ drive received a score of 28,264, whereas a 7200RPM hard-disk drive reached 3,294**. PCMark Vantage 1.0.1 for Windows 7 runs a series of tests such as operating system startup, importing photos, adding music to Windows Media Center and application loading. The score is an indicator of how many bytes are moved per second. The SSDNow V+ is the latest addition to Kingston’s SSDNow family of solid-state drives. It is available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities. As part of Kingston’s goal to provide an easy upgrade path, the drive is also available with a bundle that includes cloning software, 2.5" USB enclosure, 2.5" to 3.5" mounting brackets and SATA data and power cables. The Kingston SSDNow V+ solid-state drive is backed by a three-year warranty, 24/7 tech support and legendary Kingston reliability. For more information visit www.kingston.com. Kingston SSDNow V+ Features and Specifications: * Sequential Speed*: 230MB/sec. read; 180MB/sec. write * Innovative: 2.5" form factor; uses MLC NAND Flash memory components * Silent: runs silent and cool with no moving parts * Shock Resistant: no moving mechanical parts means the SSD handles rougher conditions * Supports S.M.A.R.T.: Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology * Guaranteed: three-year Kingston warranty, 24/7 tech support * Interface: SATA 1.5Gb/sec. and 3.0Gb/sec. * Capacity1: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB * Storage temperatures: -40° C to 85° C * Operating temperatures: 0° C to 70° C * Dimensions: 69.85mm x 100mm x 9.5mm * Weight: 84 grams * Vibration operating: 2.17G * Vibration non-operating: 20G * Operating Shock: 1500G * Power specs: 2.6W active; 0.15W idle * Life expectancy: 1,000,000 hours MTBF Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:44:50 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-77.html Super Talent Technology today announced a new line of TeraDrive SSDs designed specifically for high end enterprise and database server applications. "Super Talent has a solid track record of developing leading edge SSDs. Their new TeraDrive series, incorporating SandForce technology, is an impressive advance in enterprise storage" commented Thad Omura, VP Marketing at SandForce Inc. The new TeraDrive FT2 is a SATA 3Gbps SSD based on the advanced new SandForce SF-1500 SSD processor. It delivers sequential read and write speeds up to 250MB/sec that will not degrade over time. It also supports blazing fast transaction speeds up to 30,000 IOPS, making it a formidable storage solution for database servers where random read and write speeds are critical. The TeraDrive FT2 makes no compromises in reliability or endurance with state-of-the-art wear leveling, bad bit management, and excellent ECC with up to 24 bytes correctable per 512 byte sector. Set to revolutionize enterprise storage, the TeraDrive FT2 is available with either MLC or SLC NAND flash, and is offered in capacities from 50GB to 400GB. Part Number Description FTM05F225H 50GB 2.5" MLC SATA TeraDrive FT2 SSD FTM10F225H 100GB 2.5" MLC SATA TeraDrive FT2 SSD FTM20F225H 200GB 2.5" MLC SATA TeraDrive FT2 SSD FTM40F225H 400GB 2.5" MLC SATA TeraDrive FT2 SSD FTD05F225H 50GB 2.5" SLC SATA TeraDrive FT2 SSD FTD10F225H 100GB 2.5" SLC SATA TeraDrive FT2 SSD FTD20F225H 200GB 2.5" SLC SATA TeraDrive FT2 SSD According to Joe James, Director of Marketing at Super Talent, "We engineered the TeraDrive FT2 for optimum performance and reliability in server applications, especially where fast random access to small files is needed". MLC and SLC TeraDrive SSDs are available to OEMs directly from Super Talent in sample quantities this month and in volume later in Q1/2010. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:11:23 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-76.html Keynote by Micron Vice President Dean Klein on “The Organics of SSDs” When: January 5 - 6, 2010 Where: Storage Visions Conference, Riviera Hotel, 2901 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109 What: At the Storage Visions conference this week in Las Vegas, Micron will showcase its RealSSD C300 solid-state drive, the industry’s fastest SSD for desktop and laptop PCs. For media and analysts attending the event or for those arriving early for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), make sure to stop by Micron’s booth on the Storage Visions show floor (booth #10) to see a live demonstration of the RealSSD C300 drive. Who: Micron’s vice president of memory system development, Dean Klein, will give a keynote entitled “The Organics of SSDs.” In his keynote Klein will explain why understanding the underlying NAND architecture is critical for next-generation SSD performance and endurance. He’ll also explain how having NAND expertise opens the door to a wider array of applications that utilize solid-state technology. • Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 9:30 a.m. in the Riviera Hotel Micron will also have several technology experts participating panels throughout the conference: * “The Technology of Storage,” Jan. 5, 4:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. o Justin Sykes, director of SSD marketing * “The Future of Content Delivery,” Jan. 6, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. o Jim Cooke, senior strategic marketing manager for NAND Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:57:22 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-75.html OCZ Technology today announced that enterprise solid state storage provider WhipTail Technologies will utilize OCZ’s premium solid state drives to meet its customers’ needs for ultimate productivity in conjunction with its solid state storage appliances. By teaming with industry leaders such as WhipTail that combines its own software innovations with cutting-edge hardware, OCZ continues to leverage its SSDs across various applications while meeting the needs of mission-critical systems and IT environments. “We are proud to support WhipTail with our enterprise class OEM SSD products,” commented Ryan Petersen, CEO at the OCZ Technology Group. “WhipTail’s unique Racerunner solution takes full advantage of all the benefits of solid state drives to provide their customers with an exceptional storage appliance that gives their customers a competitive advantage.” “OCZ’s OEM division has provided an excellent product built to our specifications, allowing WhipTail to focus on building a better appliance, rather than having to build custom SSDs,” said James Candelaria, CTO of WhipTail. OCZ not only offers its industry-leading SSDs direct to the consumer market, but also empowers its partners such as WhipTail who are able to take advantage of OCZ’s hardware expertise in conjunction with its own solutions for enterprise use. Making use of the latest SSD technology, WhipTail is able to configure a high-end server product designed to maximize throughput of data intensive applications for databases and virtualization centers. As a specialized supplier of mass storage combined with data acceleration software, WhipTail’s Racerunner utilizes OCZ’s SSDs as building blocks into a highly reliable and performance oriented platform that meets stringent quality requirements. OCZ’s enterprise class OEM SSDs are tailored to a wide spectrum of applications, along with high shock, temperature, and vibration resistance in a form factor much more compact than spinning hard disc arrays. Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:32:55 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-74.html Corsair today announced that it has released firmware with TRIM support and a firmware update tool for its award-winning Performance Series P64, P128 and P256 solid-state drives. The firmware (revisionVBM19C1Q) and update tool were both developed by Samsung, and have been rigorously qualified by both Samsung and Corsair using a large number of test platforms, in conjunction with a controlled end-user BETA test of the new firmware. "This new firmware release for Corsair's Performance Series SSDs adds support for the TRIM performance-maintenance command in Microsoft Windows 7, further enhancing what are already some of the fastest and most respected SSDs on the market," said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing for Corsair. "While other SSD manufacturers have rushed out bug-ridden firmware and update tools, sometimes with disastrous consequences for end-users, Corsair refused to jump on the bandwagon. We took the time to rigorously test and quality our tools, ensuring that our users will have the best experience possible." The new firmware and firmware update tool are available immediately from Corsair's Product Forum. The new firmware has been specifically designed to add support for the TRIM command in Windows 7, which enables the operating system to progressively 'clean' previously deleted or 'invalid' data from the drive's memory cells, automatically maintaining optimal performance over time. In addition to the end-user firmware update tool for existing owners, all new Corsair Performance Series solid-state drives currently have firmware VBM19C1Q pre-loaded by default. Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:44:53 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-73.html A-DATA today announced a collaboration with SandForce Inc. on A-DATA’s solid state drives (SSDs). As its major partner, A-DATA will work closely together with SandForce on a broad-scale basis in developing enterprise storage solutions for high-end workstations/servers in light of the emerging cloud computing technology in the near future. A-DATA has also planned to include the next-generation SandForce-based SSDs in its product lineup. “Combining high-performance SSD Processors from SandForce with A-DATA’s experienced design team and complete manufacturing base is expected to create synergy to further propel the SSD performance to the ultimate,” said Gibson Chen, Vice President of A-DATA Technology. “From enterprise solutions designed for high-end workstations to mainstream solutions for general personal computing, A-DATA strives to optimize each aspect and detail to bring out an outstanding performance.” “Combining A-DATA’s expertise in peripheral memory products for both high-end and mainstream PCs with SandForce’s industry-leading SSD processor technology will create SSDs with outstanding reliability, performance and power efficiency,” said Thad Omura, Vice President of marketing at SandForce Inc. “Leveraging A-DATA’s design and production platform will help us drive SandForce products into new markets.” SandForce SF-1500 and SF-1200 SSD Processors will be embedded in A-DATA SSDs to meet the various requirements from cloud-computing infrastructure to personal storage. Multiple interface connectivity and industrial solutions will also be the area of focus next year. Products are now in the final testing stage and will be exhibited at the upcoming 2010 International CES before its official launch to the market in the near future. Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:30:12 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-72.html Fusion-io today announced the company’s core ioMemory technology will serve as the basis for a solid-state storage solution offered exclusively in IBM’s family of System x servers. The new solution is designed to address the storage needs of data-heavy applications such as those used in social media, ecommerce and financial services. The new IBM High IOPS Adapter will help database, application and system administrators architect their data centers to meet performance goals that could not be realized with traditional, disk-based storage solutions. For example, by utilizing the server-deployed storage tier, known as Flash Memory Tier (FMT), data-heavy graphics and 3-D renderings from medical research could be processed in minutes instead of hours. Additionally, the power and cooling costs of these solid-state technologies are less than one percent of traditional spinning drives. Since the High IOPS Adapter is deployed directly in the server, storage rack space requirements can be reduced to zero in some applications. "In today’s data center, systems running everything from online commerce to medical records are being asked to manage massive amounts of data," said Robert Galush, vice president, IBM Systems & Technology Group. "Working with Fusion-io, System x servers are delivering technology that optimizes these data-heavy workloads, allowing systems to not only handle the increases, but do so more efficiently." The IBM High IOPS Adapter supports enterprise customers’ reliability needs by offering Fusion’s Flashback protection, which features chip-level redundancy. The Adapter also gives customers advanced error correction and many other features that make the solid-state solution one of the most dependable in the industry. “We are excited to to collaborate with IBM and bring easily managed, server-deployed solid-state technology to more of the world’s system and database administrators,” said David Flynn, CTO and president of Fusion-io. “In addition to the data performance improvements and industry-leading reliability, IBM customers have the ability to significantly reduce capital equipment, floor space and power consumed by their data center operations, enabling innovation at all levels of the data center architecture." The new IBM High IOPS Adapter can be purchased through IBM. To learn more, visit: http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/storage/disk/ssd/ssd_adapters.html. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:03:33 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-71.html Micron Technology today announced its RealSSD C300 SSD, the industry’s fastest for notebook and desktop PCs. Micron’s new RealSSD C300 drive enables users to enjoy a more powerful and responsive computing experience—including faster operating system (OS) boot and hibernate times, and speedier application load, data transfer and file copying. To see a video demonstration of the performance advantages achieved when using Micron’s RealSSD C300 drive, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqnL3jX3dik. “The C300 SSD not only delivers on all the inherent advantages of SSDs – improved reliability and lower power use – but also leverages a finely tuned architecture and high-speed ONFI 2.1 NAND to provide a whole new level of performance,” said Dean Klein, vice president of memory system development at Micron. While benchmark tests have shown that the C300 SSD is the fastest PC SSD leveraging the industry standard SATA 3Gb/s interface, the SSD performance is further boosted by natively supporting the next generation high-speed interface – SATA 6Gb/s. What Does SATA 6Gb/s Mean? It’s All in the Numbers. Native support of SATA 6Gb/s means that the data path between the host computer and the SSD is twice as fast as the previous SATA 3Gb/s interface. While some drive architectures require a trade-off between throughput-sensitive and IOPS (Input/Output Per Second)-sensitive data streams, Micron’s core design and higher speed interface provides advantages for both. The C300 SSD leverages the SATA 6Gb/s interface to achieve a read throughput speed of up to 355MB/s and a write throughput speed of up to 215MB/s. Using the common PC Mark Vantage scoring system, the C300 SSD turns in a score of 45,000 from the HDD Suite. To see a Micron C300 SSD competitive performance benchmark video, visit www.micronblogs.com. “Hard drives gain little performance advantage when using SATA 6Gb/s because of mechanical limitations,” said Klein. “As a developer of leading-edge NAND technology, along with our sophisticated controller and firmware innovations, Micron is well positioned to tune our drives to take full advantage of the faster speeds achieved using the SATA 6Gb/s interface. The combination of these technology advancements has enabled the RealSSD C300 drive to far outshine the competition.” Designed Using Micron’s Industry-Leading 34nm NAND Flash Memory The RealSSD C300 drive leverages Micron’s established 34nm MLC NAND flash memory, allowing the company to provide a cost-competitive, high-capacity SSD solution. Bringing another first to SSDs, Micron’s 34nm MLC NAND supports the high-speed ONFI 2.1 standard, ensuring the NAND performance keeps pace with the faster SATA 6Gb/s interface. The drives will be available in 1.8-inch and 2.5-inch form factors, with both drives supporting 128GB and 256GB capacities. Micron is currently sampling the C300 SSD in limited quantities and expects to enter production in the first quarter of calendar 2010. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:10:02 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-70.html RunCore today introduced the Runcore Pro IV Light SSDs. This mini-SATA drive is focused on bringing optimum performance to smaller devices such as the Asus Eee PC T91 by boosting computer performance 4x to 20x in various benchmarks. RunCore Pro IV Light mini-SATA SSDs are available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB with smaller capacity drives for OEM or Manufacturer needs available upon request. This revolutionary new SSD design not only boosts your sustained performance but it also focuses on random small file read and write speeds, the speeds that create bottle necks in current and past PATA, SATA HDDs, and some SSDs. With operating system and applications consisting of thousands of small files, the RunCore Pro IV Light SSD can process these files at nearly 4 times the speed of a conventional spinning hard drive while creating a more efficient and satisfying user experience. The RunCore Pro IV Light mini-SATA PCIe SSD is the ideal choice for the storage media of the ultra-mobile PC. With its small footprint and industry-standard design, the Mini-SATA PCIe SSD format is fit for embedded solid state storage because it allows for high capacity and high performance while ensuring compatibility in ultra-mobile PC’s. Key Features * 80MB/s write and 125MB/s read speeds * 4K random: 18MB/s read and 5 MB/s write speeds * 32MB (16GB, 32GB) and 64MB (64GB) cache size * Speed increases in startup, application launch, multitasking between programs, opening/rendering/saving large files, and shutdown * Silent operation * Extended battery life * Heat reduction * Increased reliability and durability * Compliant with SATA 2.6 protocol * Easily install any major OS: Windows9X/Me/NT/XP/CE/Vista/Windows7, MAC, Linux and Unix. Easy 3 Step Do-It-Yourself Upgrade All RunCore Pro IV SSD offers upgrading made easy with our simple 3 Step Do-It-Yourself upgrade package give you all the tools you need and simplifies the process where even novice computer users can easily complete. 1. Plug the RunCore SSD drive into an available USB port. 2. Run the included cloning software. 3. Install the SSD and enjoy. It’s that easy! The upgrade package includes: * High Speed USB 2.0 HDD case and cables to clone your existing drive and turn it into an external USB drive * 15 Day Free Trial of Acronis Migrate Easy for Cloning your Current Drive * Screwdriver * Runcore Stickers For more information please visit www.Runcore.com. Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:23:16 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-69.html Patriot today announced the release of their new PS-100 Series SSDs. The PS-100 is the latest in Patriot's "cache" based SSD drives and has been targeted for cost-conscious consumers pursuing performance and reliability without having to empty their bank account. The 2.5" SSD makes use of a 64GB cache, power consumption of 5.3W when operating, and .5W when in standby mode; an option that is sure to attract notebook and laptop users alike. The PS-100 boosts sequential read speeds of up to 210MB/s, with sequential write speeds up to 150MB/s, another feature that will be attractive to end users. The low power consumption of the PS-100 drives extends battery life on notebooks and netbooks while the performance reduces system boot times and application load times improving overall system responsiveness. "Our PS-100 is a great option for consumers that want all the reliability and performance of an SSD, but are looking for aggressive pricing," say Eric Ackerson, Patriot's Director of Marketing. "We are excited about getting this product into the market just in time for the holiday season, and with capacities from 32GB to 256GB, the PS-100 family brings improved system performance and longevity with a broad range of capacities and price points." Part Number Description UPC/EAN PS256GS25SSDR Patriot PS-100 256GB SATA 2.5" SSD 0879699009447 PS128GS25SSDR Patriot PS-100 128GB SATA 2.5" SSD 0879699009430 PS64GS25SSDR Patriot PS-100 64GB SATA 2.5" SSD 0879699009423 PS32GS25SSDR PPatriot PS-100 32GB SATA 2.5" SSD 0879699009416 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:54:58 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-68.html OCZ Technology today released the Colossus 3.5” Solid State Drive (SSD) Series, designed to meet the performance and storage demands of high-end desktop users and enterprise clients. Available in up to one terabyte configurations, the Colossus Series marks a milestone in solid state drive technology, making it possible to have both high performance and high capacity in one solution. “The new Colossus Series is designed to boost desktop and workstation performance and is for high power users that put a premium on speed, reliability and maximum storage capacity,” said Eugene Chang, VP of Product Management at the OCZ Technology Group. “The Colossus core-architecture is also available to enterprise clients with locked BOMs (build of materials) and customized firmware to match their unique applications.” In addition to ample capacity, the OCZ Colossus delivers excellent performance made possible by an internal RAID 0 architecture. Excelling at small file processes during common tasks such as emailing, web browsing, and file transfer, Colossus allows for a state-of-the-art computing experience from basic to complex applications. For enterprise applications, Colossus SSDs not only diminish performance bottlenecks suffered by mechanical hard drive infrastructures, but reduce both heat and noise and provide a more durable alternative. This translates into exceptional energy-savings and reduced maintenance costs. Furthermore, the Colossus line is built with cost-effective multi-level cell (MLC) flash to make it a viable option for enterprise clients hesitant to adopt competing products due to the higher costs. The Colossus SSD is available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB solutions to accommodate a broader spectrum of applications than current 2.5” SSD products; the 3.5” housing is a straight drop in for many existing rack systems. The Colossus SSD series has an excellent 1.5 million hour mean time between failures (MTBF) and comes backed by a leading 3-year warranty and dedicated technical support, ensuring peace of mind over the long term. Additionally, OCZ offers unique customization options for OEM clients that may require tailored hardware and firmware solutions for their unique business. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:05:16 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-67.html OCZ today announced its collaboration with SandForce on OCZ’s next generation of mainstream and enterprise solid state drives (SSDs). Based on the highly-anticipated SandForce SSD Processor family, OCZ’s new line of SSDs will be the pinnacle of storage options designed to optimize complex IT infrastructures as well as the computing experiences of everyday consumers. To accommodate a wide range of consumer and enterprise storage applications, OCZ’s impending solutions will feature various configurations of SandForce’s innovative SF-1500 and SF-1200 SSD Processors and multi-level cell (MLC) and single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory, all with the objective of providing best-in-class storage with exceptional performance, reliability, endurance, and power efficiency. The SandForce-based SSD line will be available in multiple interfaces including 3Gb/s SATA and 6Gb/s SAS in capacities ranging from 50GB to 400GB, addressing an assortment of storage and infrastructure requirements. “OCZ is committed to delivering SSD solutions to our enterprise clients and also has a strong following for our consumer solid state products; partnering with SandForce enables us to offer an even more robust offering to both these markets,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of the OCZ Technology Group. “Together with SandForce we are focused on making enterprise-class MLC-based SSDs which offer excellent reliability and performance coupled with superior total cost of ownership for all our customers.” “OCZ has a proven track record in the design and manufacture of solid state drives and is in a distinctive position to deliver SSDs to both the enterprise and consumer space,” said Thad Omura, VP of Marketing at SandForce. “SandForce SSD Processors reliably enable the usage of low cost, MLC-based SSDs in volume, mainstream enterprise applications.” The OCZ Technology Group aims to take storage to the next level with SandForce SSD Processors, further increasing the advantages of SSDs over traditional hard disc drives for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), enterprise clients, and enthusiast consumers who place a premium on performance, total cost of ownership (TCO), and efficiency. Product announcements will be made in the next few weeks leading up to the 2010 International CES show. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:29:39 -0500 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-66.html A-DATA announced today its industry-leading SSD S596, a 2.5” STATII SSD designed specifically for PC enthusiastic, multi-task and heavy-graphic users to perform assorted applications five times faster! Tie the loose end and deliver high performance truly Delivering sequential read and write speed up to 250 MB/sec and 180 MB/sec, the S596 eases the bottleneck conventional HD causes. The S596 utilizes the next generation of Flash technology and DDR2 SDRAM cache buffer to provide an amazingly fast boot-up time at 20 seconds on platforms running Windows 7, a 40% performance improvement compared to platform equipped with ordinary SSD. Designers and heavy PC users liberated Ever wonder why a system equipped nothing but grade A components never quite keep up with one’s expectation? Simply put, the HD running averagely between 30-50MB/sec is choking the process. With A-DATA’s S596, one can multi task and switch between graphic-editing software such as Photoshop, illustrator, AutoCAD, or 3D max gracefully with only one fourth (1/4) of the original processing time. No more tiresome waiting! Capacity available at 64, 128, and 256GB, the S596 is completely in compliance with Windows 7 and Mac Snow Leopard. A mini USB port that comes with S596 extends the use of the SSD to become a secondary external hard drive. S596 is indeed a perfect solution for PC enthusiastic, multi-task, and graphic designers. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:47:15 -0400 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-65.html Kingston today announced the release of the SSDNow V Series 40GB Boot Drive, the latest addition to its V (Value) family of solid-state drives (SSD). The Kingston® SSDNow V Series 40GB Boot Drive is one of the best and most cost-effective ways to accelerate any desktop's boot, shutdown and application load times. It is available for as low as $84.99 after rebates (U.S. only) at e-tailer Newegg.com at launch*. "The SSDNow V Series 40GB Boot Drive offers instant performance enhancement coupled with reliability and lower power consumption at a fraction of the cost of a new system," said Ariel Perez, SSD business manager, Kingston. "The 40GB Boot Drive is the latest offering in our V Series SSD line. It provides a low-cost upgrade solution that complements the installed hard-disk drive to extend the life cycle of existing desktop computers and workstations in homes and offices." Using the industry-standard PCMark® Vantage Advanced HDD Suite, the 40GB Boot Drive received a score of 13,883, whereas a 7200RPM hard-disk drive attained a score of 3,708**. PCMark Vantage Advanced HDD Suite runs a series of tests such as Windows Vista® startup, importing photos, adding music to Windows Media Center and application loading. The score is an indicator of how many bytes were moved per second. Kingston's SSDNow V Series 40GB Boot Drive is designed for novice SSD users looking to increase their current desktop performance. As part of Kingston's goal to provide an easy upgrade path for first-time SSD users as well as do-it-yourself system builders, the drive is also available with a bundle that includes cloning software, 2.5" to 3.5" brackets and SATA data and power cable extenders. The SSDNow V Series 40GB Boot Drive is designed for a desktop system to be used in conjunction with an existing hard-disk drive (HDD). A PC operating system and key applications reside on the SSD while all data such as documents, music, files and photos remain on the HDD. The Kingston SSDNow V Series 40GB Boot Drive has an MSRP of $115.00 (U.S.) and will begin shipping on November 9, 2009. It is backed by a three-year warranty, 24/7 tech support and legendary Kingston reliability. For more information visit www.kingston.com. Kingston SSDNow 40GB Boot Drive Features and Specifications: * Sequential Speed***: up to 170MB/sec. read 40MB/sec. write * Performance: enhances productivity; makes users more efficient * Innovative: 2.5" form factor; uses NAND Flash memory components * Silent: runs silent and cool with no moving parts * Reliable: less likely to fail than a standard hard drive * Shock Resistant: no moving parts; handles rougher conditions than a hard drive * Supports S.M.A.R.T.: Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology * Guaranteed: three-year Kingston warranty, 24/7 tech support * Capacity¹: 40GB * Storage temperatures: -40° C to 85° C * Operating temperatures: 0° C to 70° C * Vibration operating: 2.17G (7-800Hz) * Vibration non-operating: 20G (20-2000Hz) * Power specs: Active: 0.15W (TYP); Sleep: 0.06W * Life expectancy: 1 million hours MTBF * Offer available for limited time only. Will begin shipping November 9, 2009. ** Test system: Intel® DG45ID Desktop Motherboard; Intel® Core™2 Duo E6550 Desktop Process @ 2.33 GHz; 4GB system memory; on-board SATA 3Gbps with ACHI enabled; Windows Vista® SP2. *** Based on internal testing. Performance may vary based on system settings. 1 Some of the listed capacity is used for formatting and other functions and thus is not available for data storage. For more information, please consult Kingston's Flash Memory Guide at Kingston.com/Flash_Memory_Guide. Kingston SSDNow 40GB Boot Drive Part NumberCapacity and FeaturesMSRP (U.S. only) SNV125-S2/40GB 40GB 2.5" SATA SSD (stand-alone drive) $ 115.00 SNV125-S2BD/40GB 40GB 2.5" SATA SSD (desktop bundle) $ 130.00 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:23:53 -0400 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-64.html Intel today announced the availability of the Intel® Solid-State Drive (SSD) Toolbox, with Intel® SSD Optimizer and firmware update, for its 34nm Intel® X25-M Mainstream SATA SSDs. The latest tools are designed to help better manage and retain the out-of-box performance of Intel SSDs. An SSD is built to replace a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) with added performance, lower power consumption and higher reliability. The Intel SSD Toolbox allows users to more effectively monitor and manage the SSD's health. The firmware upgrade and Intel SSD Optimizer use the Windows* 7 ATA Data Set Management Command (known as Trim) to help keep the Intel SSD running at continued high performance. In addition, the SSD Toolbox and Optimizer also allow the respective enhancements to work with Windows* XP and Vista* operating systems. "Fast and reliable access to data is critical for our SSD users," said Pete Hazen, director of marketing, Intel NAND Solutions Group. "The latest firmware and toolbox upgrade for Intel 34nm SSD users provide a host of new management, information and diagnostic tools to help SSDs retain out-of-box performance. We are encouraging our 34nm customers to download the new firmware update today. Not only will Windows 7 users receive the performance enhancements of the Trim command, but so will our Windows XP and Vista users." For 34nm X25-M 160GB owners, the firmware update also offers a performance boost to sequential write speeds by delivering up to 100MB per second, a 40 percent performance improvement over the existing firmware version. The Trim attribute of the ATA Data Set Management Command, often referred to as Trim, synchs the operating system's view of deleted files with those that are deleted, but not erased on the drive. Trim tells the SSD which data blocks are no longer in use. This helps stabilize the performance and health of the SSD over time. The Intel SSD Toolbox provides SSD management tools and information about the drive, including comparing Self-Monitoring and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) drive attributes to manufacturer threshold. It provides basic and full diagnostics, along with recommended actions. The Toolbox also features an easy-to-use graphical user interface that will allow end users to schedule and run the Trim command independent of the operating system. The company recommends users install the firmware update and toolbox, and run the Trim function daily to ensure best performance. The firmware upgrade can be found at www.intel.com/go/ssdfirmware and the Intel SSD Toolbox and Optimizer at www.intel.com/go/ssdtoolbox. Intel's award-winning X25-M SSD began shipping on 34nm in July. The multi-level cell (MLC) Intel® X25-M Mainstream SATA SSD is aimed at laptop and desktop PCs, and available in 80 Gigabyte (GB) and 160GB versions. SSDs are data storage devices found inside computers. Because SSDs have no moving parts they offer faster performance and greater energy efficiency and durability than traditional HDDs. A draw for gamers, media creators and technology enthusiasts, SSDs have also played a key role in the emergence of ultra-thin and light notebook PCs that are becoming increasingly popular due to their design, size and longer battery life. For more information on Intel SSDs visit www.intel.com/go/ssd. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:16:28 -0400 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-63.html When designing solid-state storage for enterprise applications, standard SLC NAND has been the technology of choice because of its reliability and endurance. But customers are often challenged on how to cost-effectively reach their capacity requirements. Micron Technology is meeting customers’ requirements by announcing today that it has leveraged its award-winning 34nm NAND process to manufacture an MLC Enterprise NAND device, which provides enterprise organizations a way to cost-effectively and reliably double their flash-based enterprise storage capacity (since MLC provides twice the capacity in the same die size as SLC). Micron’s new MLC Enterprise NAND device achieves 30,000 write cycles – a 6x increase in endurance when compared to standard MLC NAND. And for enterprise applications that are more performance driven, Micron today also introduced a 34nm SLC Enterprise NAND device that achieves 300,000 write cycles – a 3x increase in endurance when compared to standard SLC NAND. Additionally, leveraging the full performance capability of NAND, Micron’s newest Enterprise NAND products also support the ONFI 2.1synchronous interface, delivering a 4- to 5x improvement in data transfer rates when compared to legacy NAND interfaces. Micron’s 34nm Enterprise NAND portfolio includes a 32Gb MLC NAND chip and a 16Gb SLC NAND chip that can be configured into multi-die, single packages supporting densities up to 32GB MLC and 16GB SLC, respectively. Micron is now sampling its Enterprise NAND products with customers and controller manufacturers, and is expected to be in volume production in early 2010. For further explanation on Micron’s Enterprise NAND products, visit Micron’s Innovations blog to catch a video that describes how Micron leveraged its mature 34nm NAND process to achieve these levels of reliability. “By leveraging our mature 34nm NAND process, Micron has developed Enterprise NAND products that support customers’ high-endurance requirements. These products ensure that enterprise organizations have a highly reliable NAND flash solution – be it MLC or SLC – for design into the broader enterprise storage platform,” said Brian Shirley, vice president of Micron’s memory group. “The use of advanced NAND flash is required to achieve broad SSD adoption in enterprise applications,” said Steffen Hellmold, vice president of business development at SandForce. “We are very excited to work with Micron and enable cost effective, reliable, high-performance SSD solutions that support stringent enterprise lifecycle requirements.” Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:04:49 -0400 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-62.html Adaptec today released the results of third-party performance benchmark testing of its new MaxIQ SSD Cache Performance Solution in Web server environments. AppLabs, the world's largest independent testing, quality management and certification solutions company, found that Adaptec MaxIQ (with MaxIQ SSD cache enabled) improved user response rates by six times, increased Web server throughput by four times, improved the "Time to First Byte" by five times, and boosted average web page response times by more than 10 times when compared with a non-cached environment. Adaptec's MaxIQ SSD Cache Performance Solution integrates up to four tuned 32GB Intel® X25-E Extreme SATA SSDs, with Adaptec's MaxIQ SSD caching software and its Series 5Z, Series 5 or Series 2 Storage Controllers to provide I/O intensive data center and cloud computing customers with cost-effective scalability and increased performance without disrupting existing operations. It is the first solution for building and managing High-Performance Hybrid Arrays (HPHAs) - storage arrays using both solid-state drives and hard disk drives - which dramatically increase I/O performance, reduce capital and operating expenses by as much as 50 percent, and can deliver significant savings in power consumption over hard disk drive-only arrays. AppLabs evaluated the performance of MaxIQ in its Web Server Testing Environment and found that throughput in megabits per second (Mbps) increased 4 times with MaxIQ SSD cache enabled. "Time to First Byte," the amount of time for a Web browser to initiate a request to the server and respond with data back to the browser, improved by five times. In addition, average web page response times and user response times saw a performance gain of up to 10 times that of similar environments without MaxIQ SSD caching installed. These improvements result in higher levels of system resource utilization and enable as many as two times more users per Web server, improving system level return-on-investment (ROI) and reducing data center sprawl. AppLabs evaluated the performance of MaxIQ in its Web Server Testing Environment and found that throughput in megabits per second (Mbps) went from 29.4 Mbps with MaxIQ SSD cache disabled, to 107.0 Mbps with MaxIQ SSD cache enabled. "Time to First Byte," the amount of time for a Web browser to initiate a request from a Web server and for the Web server to respond with data back to the Web browser, also improved significantly. With 1,500 WebLoad users, performance jumped from 2.5 seconds with MaxIQ SSD cache disabled to 0.5 seconds with MaxIQ SSD cache enabled for a gain of five times over the non-cached environment. In addition, average web page response times with 1,500 WebLoad users for pages to be served went from 42.2 seconds with MaxIQ SSD cache disabled to 4.1 seconds with MaxIQ SSD cache enabled resulting in over 10 times increased performance. And, user response times for 2500 WebLoad users improved from 15.7 seconds with MaxIQ SSD cached disabled, to 2.6 seconds with MaxIQ SSD cache enabled for an improved response rate of up to six times. "With the growth of Web data showing no signs of slowing, Adaptec's MaxIQ SSD Cache Performance Solution is an ideal way for data center and enterprise IT managers to cost-effectively accelerate Web server performance and host more users with fewer servers," said Marc Lowe, Adaptec vice-president of marketing and business development. "AppLab's testing confirms MaxIQ's performance advantages and underscores its value in today's competitive global economy." The Adaptec MaxIQ SSD Cache Performance Solution is the latest product within Adaptec's Data Conditioning Platform strategy, an innovative approach to deliver business value to data center managers by intelligently routing, optimizing and protecting data as it moves through the I/O path. The Data Conditioning Platform is at the core of the company's strategic goal of lowering costs, maximizing performance and achieving Green IT objectives in next generation enterprise and cloud data centers. Adaptec customer solutions built on the Data Conditioning Platform provide data center managers, system integrators, and storage and server OEMs with improved hardware and software utilization, along with non-intrusive technology integration to lower the risks traditionally associated with adopting new data center technologies. For additional information, and more testing details, download the AppLabs report from Adaptec's Web site. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:47:59 -0400 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-61.html OCZ Technology today announced the Z-Drive m84, a PCI-Express Solid State Drive (SSD) designed to offer the performance of OCZ’s Z-Drive product line to enthusiasts for a more affordable price point and availability in the mainstream market segment versus the enterprise channel. The Z-Drive m84 is the answer to the demand from end-users to have access to this state-of-the-art storage solution. “The OCZ m84 Z-Drive is the newest addition to our line of PCI-E solid state drives and is designed to offer consumers a high performance yet aggressively priced solid state solution,” said Eugene Chang, Vice President of Product Management at the OCZ Technology Group. “While the previously released p84 and e84 Z-Drives were intended specifically for enterprise applications, the m84 delivers much of the same performance but at a price point that is competitive with standard SSD drives. This is the first time that such a high performance PCI-E based SSD that is optimized for media editing, gaming, and workstation productivity, has been so within the reach of power users.” With cost-effective multi-level cell (MLC) NAND and a bootable internal RAID 0 configuration, the Z-Drive m84 is ideal for desktop enthusiasts seeking plug and play solid state technology. By taking the SATA bottleneck out of the equation with a high-speed PCI-Express interface, the Z-Drive m84 pushes the performance barrier future than competing mainstream SATA-based SSD products. With speeds up to 750MB/s read and 650MB/s write (based on 256GB model), the m84 can accommodate a wider range of applications and computing environments such as video editing and other multi-media creation and management, all while providing lower power consumption, superior durability, and shock resistance compared to traditional rotational-based drives. Perfect for bleeding-edge users migrating to SSD solutions but needing ample storage capacity for their workstations or desktops, the m84 is available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB (1024GB) models to house a comprehensive collection of applications and files. The Z-Drive m84 comes backed by a leading 3-year warranty and dedicated technical support, ensuring unparalleled peace of mind for your performance investment. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:09:08 -0400 http://ssd-reviews.com/a-60.html Super Talent today announced the new co-branded UltraDrive DX SSDs that offer two levels of security to prevent unauthorized data theft or loss. Co-branded Toshiba, the new UltraDrive DX SSDs will be sold through Super Talent’s North American retail and distribution channel starting this week. As a first level of security the UltraDrive DX supports password protection with an encrypted password. This blocks malicious hackers from accessing the data stored on the SSD. As a second level of protection the DX incorporates new hardware data randomization technology. Data randomization happens automatically with every write to the drive to prevent unauthorized copying of blocks of data. Both encrypted password protection and data randomization are standard features that do not affect performance. UltraDrive DX SSDs include sophisticated ECC and wear leveling algorithms for superior reliability and extended endurance. The DX has passed intensive testing with a gamut of hardware and software configurations to ensure unmatched reliability. While the DX was designed primarily for exceptional security and reliability, it is also surprisingly fast, and is specified to support sequential read speeds of up to 230 MB/sec and sequential write speeds of up to 180 MB/sec. Part NumberDescriptionRetail PriceFTM64DX25H64GB UltraDrive DX, MLC Flash$219FTM128DX25H128GB UltraDrive DX, MLC Flash$439FTM256DX25H256GB UltraDrive DX, MLC Flash$719FTM512DX25H512GB UltraDrive DX, MLC Flash$1649 “As the first Toshiba co-branded SSD on the market, UltraDrive DX features a Toshiba controller and Toshiba’s MLC NAND flash memories.The DX provides best-in-class security and reliability features combined with cutting edge performance in both read and write speeds”, explained Super Talent Director of Marketing, Joe James. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:34:42 -0400