SSD Topic Center

Solid-state drive (SSD) news, in-depth articles and more

Samsung hits high gear, rolls out densest flash chip

Samsung today announced it is now mass-producing a 3-bit per cell, sub-20 nanometer class NAND flash chip that is the densest memory to date.
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WD releases its first 12Gbps SAS SSDs

WD subsidiary HGST today released the its first 12Gbps SAS and Fibre Channel SSD line, which sport top speeds of 1,200MB/s.

Fusion-io releases 1.6TB flash card, HP preps workstations for them

Fusion-io announced a flash module for workstations that has more than three times the capacity of its previous model, and for the first time Hewlett-Packard is preparing to ship workstations with the drives.

QLogic promises speed, simplicity with first Mt. Rainier cache-on-adapter products

QLogic's technology for clustered cache storage on SAN adapters will hit the market this month in the form of adapters with integrated 200GB or 400GB flash cards.

Seagate upgrades hybrid drive family, adds desktop model

Seagate announced new models of its 2.5-in. hybrid laptop drives with 40% better performance, as well as its first 3.5-in. desktop hybrid drive.

EMC unveils all-SSD array, one app to manage all flash

EMC today announced its first purpose-built, all-SSD array along new PCIe server flash cards and a new software suite that can offer administrators a single view of all their flash assets across the data center.

Micron unveils high-endurance, data center SAS SSD

Micron released today announced a new SAS SSD that it said is aimed at tier one, mission critical applications. The SSD can withstand up to 10 full data fills per day for five years, Micron says.

Intel releases SSD cache acceleration software for Linux servers

Intel today released its Cache Acceleration Software for applications running on SSDs inside Linux servers.

SSD market revenue set to more than double

A new generation of lower-cost and more appealing ultrabooks is expected to lead to a more than doubling of global shipments of SSDs in 2013, according to IHS iSuppli.

Micron introduces its highest-endurance MLC SSD for servers

Micron today announced it's highest endurance SSD for servers, the P400m, boasting the ability to fill a 400GB drive 10 times a day for five years.

Review: StarTech's flash drive duplicator, eraser is fast and simple

The 1-to-2 Flash Drive duplicator transfers data at up to 1.5GB per minute and like StarTech's hard drive duplicator, it's remarkably simple to use.

CalDigit AV Pro a speedy storage device for creative pros

With a handful of ways to customize the drive and the high-speed USB 3 interface, the AV Pro is a storage device built to help streamline the workflow of creative professionals. CalDigit offers two different models of the AV Pro: a model with a 3.5-inch hard drive, or one with a 2.5-inch solid-state drive. Regardless of which model you choose, the AV Pro has user-serviceable drives that allow easy replacement of the drive mechanism when the need arises.

Intel delivers good performance and value with its 525 Series mSATA drives

Intel is looking to capture and more of the SSD market with the release of its 525 Series mSATA drives. These tiny storage devices deliver respectable performance at good prices. The new 525 Series is based on Intel's 25nm NAND memory and LSI Logic's SandForce SF-2281 controller. They measure approximately 3.7mm thick by 51mm long by 30mm wide (full-size mSATA) and come in 30GB, 60GB, 90GB, 120GB, 180GB, and 240GB capacities.

Crucial M4 (512GB): A fast-reading, slow-writing, high-capacity SSD

The 512GB Crucial M4 is one of the highest-capacity solid-state drives we've tested; it also proved to be one of the faster readers. Using a Marvell 9174 controller, 25nm MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memory, and the latest SATA 6Gbps interface, the M4 read our 10GB collection of small files and folders at 416.7 megabytes per second (MBps). The drive was also quick when reading a single large file--it accessed our 10GB test file at 472.8 MBps.

SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD review: Fast and inexpensive

The SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD, which sports data speeds of up to 530MB/s, is aimed squarely at replacing aging hard drives in existing desktops and laptops.

Review: Apple's new 21.5-in. iMac

Apple's new iMac features a redesigned case that tapers at the edges, an optional Fusion Drive for storage and an updated system architecture, making it a stylish all-in-one desktop computer. But there are some caveats, says Michael DeAgonia.

SSDs vs. hard drives vs. hybrids: Which storage tech is right for you?

In times past, choosing the best PC storage option required merely selecting the highest-capacity hard drive one could afford. If only life were still so simple! The fairly recent rise of solid-state drives and hybrid drives (which mix standard hard drives with solid-state memory) have significantly altered the storage landscape, creating a cornucopia of confusing options for the everyday consumer.

Hard disk drives vs. solid-state drives: Are SSDs finally worth the money?

While SSDs offer the best upgrade to a computer money can buy, they don't come cheap -- but there are alternatives that provide the performance you want without breaking the bank.

Crucial Adrenaline review: SSD cache drive speeds up your PC

The Crucial Adrenaline SSD cache drive will enable you to easily improve your PC's performance for less than $100.

Elgato's Thunderbolt SSD drive delivers speed, sticker shock

Elgato's external SSD is the first of its kind with a 10Gbps Thunderbolt port, which enables data transfers at more than three times the speed of USB. But there are drawbacks, too.