ProductWiki

Corsair Performance Pro Series

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:54:07 -0500

The Performance Pro Series SSD was announced on November 10, 2011 by Corsair for release in a 128GB and 256GB version. These solid state drives employ a Marvell SATA III 6Gbs controller that can reach read and write speeds of up to 515MBs sequential read/440 MBs sequential write in the 256GB version, and 500 MBs sequential read/340 MBs sequential write in the 128GB version. Built in maintenance function similar to TRIM support found in computer operating systems lets the Performance Pro Series SSD's perform their own waste management, keeping them running at maximum efficiency without wasting unused memory blocks as well as allowing multiple drives to be used in RAID formation. 2.5 inch form factor is ideal for use in mobile computers, while an included adapter makes for compatibility with the desktop standard 3.5 inch bay. Although made with the more recent SATA 3 controller, they are backwards compatible with SATA 2 ports as well. Like all SSD drives they have a long life expectancy or MTBF (mean time before failure) of 1.5 million hours of use, as well as a shock sustainability of up to 1500 G's.

Features

256GB

SSD Unformatted Capacity: 256 GB
Max Sequential Read/Write (using ATTO Disk Benchmark): Up to 515 MB/s sequential read — 440 MB/s sequential write
Max Random 4k Write (using IOMeter 08): 65k IOPS (4k aligned)
Interface: SATA 6Gb/s
Technology: Supercharged Synchronous NAND
Form Factor: 2.5 inch
DRAM Cache Memory: No
Weight: 80G
Voltage: 5V ±5%
Power Consumption (active): 1.4A
Power Consumption (idle/standby/sleep): 0.2A
S.M.A.R.T. Support: Yes
Shock: 1500 G
MTBF: 1,500,000 hours
Warranty: Three years
Manufacturer Price: $549.99 USD

128GB

SSD Unformatted Capacity: 128 GB
Max Sequential Read/Write (using ATTO Disk Benchmark): Up to 500 MB/s sequential read — 340 MB/s sequential write
Max Random 4k Write (using IOMeter 08): 65k IOPS (4k aligned)
Interface: SATA 6Gb/s
Technology: Supercharged Synchronous NAND
Form Factor: 2.5 inch
DRAM Cache Memory: No
Weight: 80G
Voltage: 5V ±5%
Power Consumption (active): 1.4A
Power Consumption (idle/standby/sleep): 0.2A
S.M.A.R.T. Support: Yes
Shock: 1500 G
MTBF: 1,500,000 hours
Warranty: Three years
Manufacturer Price: $289.99 USD

Samsung PM800

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:37:35 -0400

The Samsung PM800 is a solid-state drive (SSD) released by Samsung in mid 2009. Unlike conventional, mechanical hard-disc drives, the SSD PM800 offers much higher performance: even higher than 10,000rpm performance. Once connected via a SATA-II interface (3.0Gb/s), it quickly retrieves and submits data faster than any mechanical drive on the market. Note also that it’s available in three different physical sizes: 2.5” SATA, 1.8” SATA, and slim uSATA. Each physical size has three capacities: 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The benefit to using a PM800 SSD is higher speed and greater writing accuracy. The big drawback, however, is the extremely expensive price.

Features

Solid-State Drive (SSD)
Up to 256GB Capacity
2.5”/1.8”/uSATA Slim Sizes

General Specifications

Manufacturer: Samsung
Interface: SATA 3.0Gb/s
Host Transfer: 300MB/sec
Maximum Sequential Read: 220MB/s
Maximum Sequential Write: 200MB/s

Model Variations

Samsung PM800 | 2.5” SATA 3.0G | 256GB | MMDOE56G5MXP-0VB
Samsung PM800 | 2.5” SATA 3.0G | 128GB | MMCRE28G5MXP-0VB
Samsung PM800 | 2.5” SATA 3.0G | 64GB | MMCRE64G5MXP-0VB
Samsung PM800 | Slim uSATA | 256GB | MMDPE56GFDXP-MVB
Samsung PM800 | Slim uSATA | 128GB | MMCRE28GFMXP-MVB
Samsung PM800 | Slim uSATA | 64GB | MMCRE64GFMXP-MVB
Samsung PM800 | 1.8” SATA 3.0G | 256GB | MMDPE56G8DXP-0VB
Samsung PM800 | 1.8” SATA 3.0G | 128GB | MMCRE28G8MXP-0VB
Samsung PM800 | 1.8” SATA 3.0G | 64GB | MMCRE64G8MXP-0VB

OCZ Technology Octane-S2 Series

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:09:38 -0400

The OCZ Technology Octane-S2 Series is a series of high-capacity 2.5" SSDs similar to the OCZ Technology Octane Series. The sole difference between the Octane and Octane-S2 series is that the Octane-S2 series is limited to SATA II 3Gbps rather than SATA III 6Gbps for read speeds of 275MB/s and write speeds of 265MB/s. Otherwise, both series sport the same capacity options (128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB) and technologies including latency reduction technology and NDurance technology.

The Octane-S2 Series' proprietary page mapping algorithms ensure consistent mixed-workload performance meaning fast performance across all applications. Its latency reduction technology provides the Octane-S2 Series with lower read and write access times (0.06ms and 0.09ms respectively). Meanwhile, the Octane-S2 Series' NDurance technology helps to increase the lifespan of its NAND flash memory for improved reliability.

Features

Available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities
SATA II 3Gbps compatible
Maximum read speeds of 275MB/s and write speeds of 265MB/s
Latency reduction technology: read and write access times as low as 0.06ms and 0.09ms respectively
NDurance technology
Advanced BCH ECC engine enabling more than 70 bits correction capability per 1KB of data
Boot time reduction optimizations

OCZ Technology Octane Series

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:09:38 -0400

The OCZ Technology Octane Series is a series of high capacity 2.5" SSDs which includes the first 2.5" SSD with a 1TB capacity (other capacities include 128GB, 256GB and 512GB). Each Octane Series drive is SATA III 6 Gbps compatible, allowing for maximum read speeds of 560MB/s and write speeds of 400MB/s. Additionally, Octane Series drives sport latency reduction technology and NDurance technology.

The Octane Series utilizes proprietary page mapping algorithms in order to achieve steady mixed-workload performance, meaning equivalent read/write speeds across all applications. Its latency reduction technology provides the Octane Series with read and write access times as low as 0.06ms and 0.09ms respectively for improved application responsiveness and boot times. Meanwhile, the Octane Series' NDurance technology increases the lifespan of its NAND flash memory, for improved reliability.

Features

Available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities
SATA III 6 Gbps compatible
Maximum read speeds of 560MB/s and write speeds of 400MB/s
Latency reduction technology: read and write access times as low as 0.06ms and 0.09ms respectively
NDurance technology
Advanced BCH ECC engine enabling more than 70 bits correction capability per 1KB of data
Boot time reduction optimizations

Samsung SSD 830 Series

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:47:14 -0400

The Samsung SSD 830 Series is a high-end 2.5" solid state drive aimed specifically at notebook users due to its compact size but can also be used in desktop systems. It features full SATA III compatibility, allowing it to take full advantage of its 6Gbps transfer rates while an included mounting bracket aids in installation in desktops and its included Norton Ghost software makes for easy system upgrading.

The SSD 830 Series' SATA III compatibility provides it with a maximum data transfer rate of 6Gbps, ensuring optimal performance and minimal wait times. Its included mounting bracket allows the SSD 830 Series to be easily installed in any 3.5" hard drive enclosure. Meanwhile, the SSD 830 Series' Norton Ghost software aids users in upgrading from an older hard drive to SSD 830 Series, reducing upgrade time by up to 75%. The Samsung SSD 830 Series is available in 64, 128, 256 and 512GB capacities.

Features

SATA III compatible
Transfer rates up to 6Gbps
Included mounting bracket
Included Norton Ghost software
Included Samsung Magician software
Unique brushed-aluminum enclosure
Available in 64, 128, 256 and 512GB capacities

OCZ Vertex 3

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:25:18 -0500

The OCZ Vertex 3 is a solid state hard drive and one of the first to feature a second generation SandForce processor, making it capable of reaching incredible read and write speeds of up to 550 and 525 megabytes per second. This is a considerable increase over the company's original Vertex 1 and 2 series drives which are only capable of half of that. It was announced on February 24th 2011 along with the Vertex 3 EX and Vertex 3 Pro, with the only differences being capacity selection and in this case an MLC or 'multi-level-cell' NAND flash based design. The Pro version also uses MLC while the EX uses SLC(single-level-cell) NAND flash, which translates to faster access times and cheaper production. These drives use a SATA III 6GBps interface and have been engineered to make the most out of this newer protocol. The entire series also uses TRIM, with which your computer can inform the drive which blocks of data are no longer considered in use and can be erased internally. Set for release in March 2011, it will be available in 120GB and 240GB capacity.

Features

SandForce SF-2281 processor
SATA 6GBps interface
25nm NAND
Max read - 550 MB/s
Max write - 525 MB/s
4KB random write - up to 60,000 IOPS
120GB and 240GB capacities
Enhanced BCH ECC capability
Supports SATA-7 Security Erase
TBW - 232TB up to 1.44 PB depending on workload
MTBF(mean time before failure) - 2 million hours
3 year warranty
2.5" form factor

SanDisk SSD P4

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:32:05 -0400

The SanDisk SSD P4 is a high-end Solid State hard drive designed for use in netbook laptops. Like its notebook equivalent, the SanDisk SSD G4, it boasts a read speed of 220MB per second and a write speed of 160MB per second. However, due to its size, the SSD P4 is available in a lower range of capacities from 8-126GB.

Thanks to its solid state design, the SanDisk SSD P4 has no moving parts, unlike regular hard drives, allowing for much faster read/write speeds and resulting in faster overall system performance. Also, its solid state design ensures minimal power consumption by the SanDisk SSD P4 (0.1W to 0.3W), making it more environmentally and battery-life friendly.

Features

8 - 126GB capacity
Read speed of 220MB per second and a write speed of 160MB per second
Energy efficient
32-nanometer form factor
Adaptive Flash Management technology enables faster read/write times
Estimated lifetime of 2,000,000 hours
Light weight: up to 9gr

OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:33:36 -0400

The OCZ RevoDrive Hybrid is a high performance solid state drive and hard disk drive combination, presented in a single unit, devised for reads and writes for both on a single PCI Express card. Building off of the same SSD technology as its co-release, the RevoDrive 3 x2, the Hybrid is capable of using multiple SandForce SF-2200 controllers arranged in a RAID o array to provide a cache for the attached hard disk. Utilizing Dataplex software from Nvelo that is capable of working with up to 120 GB of solid state storage, the Hybrid promises speeds of 575 MB/s reading, and 500 MB/s writing. Offered in a variety of capacities to suit need and budget, the base model includes a 500 GB HDD, and 60 GB SSD, while the premium model doubles those numbers.

Features

PCI-Express x4
Onboard RAIDo configuration
4 x SandForce SF-2200
Max 30,000 IOPS 4K random write
MLC Flash
Various capacities and price points catered to need
Supports TRIM/SMART
2.5" HDD

OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:33:36 -0400

The OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2 is a Solid State Drive that builds upon it's predecessor, the RevoDrive X2, by doubling its performance and adding TRIM support to eliminate extraneous, unused data. Adopting PCIe x4 cards rather than the earlier models' less costly PCI-X RAID, the RevoDrive 3 X2 features up to 4 SandForce SF-2200 controllers and RAID o for vastly improved performance speed and allowance of SMART support for the anticipation of drive failure. Available in various capacities ranging from 240 GB to 960 GB, the 3 X2 is capable of up to 1.5 GB/s reads and 1.2 GB/s write (using highly compressible data) and is quoting up to 200,000 4KB random write IOPS.

Features

PCI-Express x4
Onboard RAIDo configuration
4 x SandForce SF-2200
Max 1.5GB/s read and 1.2GB/s write
Max 200,000 IOPS 4K random write
MLC Flash
Various capacities and price points catered to need
Supports TRIM/SMART

Intel SSD 320 Series

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:20:12 -0400

The Intel SSD 320 Series is a solid state drive released in 2011 as a replacement and successor to the original X-25M series. As a third generation Intel SSD, the 320 Series features a new 25 nanometer NAND flash memory that offers improved performance and reliability, not to mention larger capacities. In addition, due to the 25 nanometer manufacturing process, the 320 Series SSD drives are in fact available for prices 30% cheaper than its 2nd and 1st generation predecessors. The 320 Series also upgrades from its predecessors by adding along power loss management to help ensure greater data redundancy, meaning users need not worry about losing their most important files. Note that the 320 SSDs use a SATA II interface that allows it to attain a 23,000 IOPS write on its highest capacity drives. More importantly, the sequential write speed has been doubled up to 220 MB/s, which means users can more easily multitask without experiencing lag.

Features

3rd Generation Intel SSD
25nm NAND Flash Memory
Power Loss Management
Data Redundancy
SATA II Interface
39,500 IOPS Read
23,000 IOPS Write
220-270MB/s Write/Read
128-Bit Advanced Encryption
3-Year Warranty
Intel SSD Toolbox
Intel SSD Optimizer
Intel Data Migration
40GB, 80GB, 120GB, 160GB, 300GB and 600GB Capacities

Crucial m4

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:37:46 -0400

The Crucial m4 solid state drives (SSD) are advertised to be Crucial's top of the line SSDs with read and write speeds of up to 415MB/s and 260MB/s respectively. The m4 line's capacities range from 64GB to 512GB, all compatible with SATA 6Gb/s. Crucial have managed to keep the performance of these SSDs whilst decreasing their prices, making them some of the most affordable SATA 6Gb/s compatible SSD. These SSDs use MLC NAND and are backward compatible with 3Gb/s SATA connections. They have a MTB life time of 1.2 million hours and are backed by a 3 year limited warranty. The Curcial m4 series solid state drives are good options for buyers looking for capable performance at a manageable price.

Features / Specifications

64GB to 512GB Capacities (their performance will vary based on capacities)
Micron MLC NAND memory modules
SATA 6Gb/s
SMART
Up to 415MB/s read, 260MB/s write
Weight: 75g
Active avg power: 150-280mW
Idle avg power: 65-100mW
MTB: 1.2 Million hours
Built-in EDC/ECC
3 year warranty

Corsair Force Series 3

Tue, 17 May 2011 16:50:40 -0400

The Corsair Force Series 3 is a range of high performance solid state drives using the SATA 6Gb/s interface. It is available in 3 capacities: 60GB, 120GB, and 240GB. The Force Series 3 utilises a SandForce SF-2281 controller to provide high read and write performance of 550MB/s and 510MB/s respectively. Other specifications include random 4k write of up to 85k IOPS, an average operating power consumption of 2W, and an MTBF life time of 1 million hours. These high performance components are backed by a 3 year warranty from Corsair. The Corsair Force Series 3 is a good option for buyers looking for a fast solid state drive at a reasonable price.

Features / Specifications

Available capacities: 60GB, 120GB, 240GB
2.5''
550 MB/s sequential read
510 MB/s sequential write
85k IOPS (4k aligned)
SATA 6Gb/s
Asynchronous NAND
SandForce SF-2281
SMART support
MTBF: 1,000,000 hours
3 year warranty

OCZ Solid 3

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:55:39 -0400

The OCZ Solid 3 is a MLC NAND solid state drive with up to 120GB capacity. It is a budget oriented addition to OCZ's existing SSD line up alongside the Vertex and Agility series. The Solid 3 is capable of read speeds up to 500MB/s and write speeds up to 450MB/s. It uses a SandForce SF-2200 controller, providing high performance with 4KB random write of 20,000IOPS and good reliability with an MTBF of 2 million hours. Other features include native TRIM support, SATA II backwards compatibility, and a low power consumption of 2.7W during use. The OCZ Solid 3 is one of few solid state drives that offers SATA 6Gbps interface at this price segment.

Features / Specifications

Available in 60GB and 120GB Capacities
MLC NAND Flash
Interface: SATA 6Gbps / Backwards Compatible 3Gbps
Native TRIM support
Seek Time: .1ms
99.8 x 69.63 x 9.3mm
Lightweight: 77g
Operating Temp: 0°C ~ 55°C, Storage Temp: -45°C ~ 85°C
Low Power Consumption: 2.7W Active, 1.5W Idle
Shock Resistant up to 1500G
RAID Support
Max Read: up to 500MB/s
Max Write: up to 450MB/s
Random Write 4KB (Aligned): 20,000 IOPS
MTBF: 2 million hours
3 year warranty

OCZ Agility 3

Wed, 11 May 2011 16:55:39 -0400

The OCZ Agility 3 is a 2.5'' solid state drive (SSD) designed for affordable performance. It sits between the Vertex 3 and Solid 3 series SSDs as a midrange SSD with SATA III (6Gbps) interface. The Agility 3 series offers a read speed of up to 525MB/s and a write speed of up to 500MB/s. It is offered in 3 capacities: 60GB, 120GB, and 240GB. Other features include native TRIM support, a SandForce SF-2200 controller, a low operating power consumption of 2.7W, a seek time of 0.1ms, and MTBF life time of 2 million hours. The OCZ Agility 3 is a good option for buyers look for a SSD to improve their notebook or desktop computer's performance at a reasonable price.

Features / Specifications

Available in 60GB, 120GB, and 240GB Capacities
MLC NAND Flash
Interface: SATA 6Gbps / Backwards Compatible 3Gbps
Native TRIM support
Seek Time: .1ms
99.8 x 69.63 x 9.3mm
Lightweight: 77g
Operating Temp: 0°C ~ 55°C, Storage Temp: -45°C ~ 85°C
Low Power Consumption: 2.7W Active, 1.5W Idle
Shock Resistant up to 1500G
RAID Support
Compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP 32-bit/64-bit, Mac OSX, Linux
MTBF: 2 million hours
Max Read: up to 525MB/s
Max Write: up to 500MB/s
Random Write 4KB (Aligned): 50,000 IOPS
3 year warranty

Intel X25-V

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:18:57 -0400

The Intel X25-V is a solid-state drive released in early 2010. The 40GB X25-V is basically a reduced-size version of the more capacious X25-M G2. It competes directly with Kingston’s V Series boot drive, which retails in a smaller size (30GB), but supposedly offers an improved upgrade kit. Both units have the same aim: to attractive the attention of users seeking a performance boost at an affordable price. It’s especially geared for housing an operating system; users are still recommended to pursue a conventional SATA drive for storing all their media files. The most touted features include an embedded set of Windows utility tools for fine-tuning performance; support for Windows 7 TRIM function to extend the drive’s usable lifetime; and a write speed up to 35MB/s.

Features

Solid State Drive
Affordable Solution
Performance Boost
Miniature Version of X25-M G2
Competes with Kingston V
Larger Size, Less Upgrade Options
Geared for OS / Pivotal Files
Embedded Windows Utilities
Windows 7 TRIM Function Support

Specifications

Product code: SSDSA2M040G2R5
Flash: 34nm NAND
Architecture: MLC
Form Factor: 2.5"
Capacity: 40GB
Interface: SATA 300
Power Consumption (Active): 150 mW
Typical Power Consumption (Idle): 75 mW
Typical Sequential Access: Read up to 170MB/s
Sequential Access: Write up to 35MB/s
Features Random: 4 KB reads up to 25 K IOPS, random 4 KB writes up to 2.5 K IOPS
Read Latency: 65 microseconds
Write Latency: 110 microseconds
MTBF: 1,200,000 hours
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years

Corsair Force GT Series

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:19:53 -0500

The Corsair Force GT Series are solid-state hard drives designed to take full advantage of the speeds made available by newer SATA standards. Information is processed by the SandForce SF-2000 SSD Processor, which ensures a wide range of compatibility and fast speeds. Native support is included for SATA 6 Gigabyte per second speeds, and up to 60,000 random write IOPS are possible. Users can expect read speeds of up to 520 Megabytes per second, and write speeds of up to 500 Megabytes per second. These drives come in a number of different capacities and don't need any special power considerations.

Features

Solid-state drive
SandForce SF-2000 SSD Processor
Native support for SATA 6Gb/s (SATA 3)
Up to 60K Random Write IOPS
Read speeds of up to 520 MB/s
Writes speeds of up to 500 MB/s
Takes full advantage of speeds available over SATA 2

OCZ Z-Drive R3

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:13:42 -0500

The OCZ Z-Drive R3 is one of three speed solid-state drives (Vertex 3 EX, Vertex 3 Pro, Vertex R3) released together in early 2011. Unlike the other two SSDs, which rely on a SATA III interface, the Z-Drive R3 connects via PCI-Express, making it the first of its kind from OCZ. In particular, it has been engineered for Tier-0/1 data applications, so in turn it offers ultra-high transfer speeds up to 1 GB/sec and 135,000 IPOS. It’s essentially geared for the enterprise market. Plus it can be purchased in sizes up to 1.2TB, though there is a version known as the IBIS “XL” with up to 4GB of capacity.

Features

SSD
PCIe Interface
Tier-0/1 Data Applications
1GB/sec Transfer Speeds
135,000 IPOS
Geared For Enterprise Market
Up To 1.2TB Capacity

OCZ Technology Synapse Cache Series

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:11:12 -0400

The Synapse Cache Series is a line of solid state hard drives from the OCZ Technology company. Available in 64 and 128-gigabyte denominations, these models are designed specifically for application caching to work in conjunction with a computer's standard hard disc drive. Using the included Dataplex software component, users can simultaneously monitor the to status of both drives to optimize performance through placement of CPU-intensive and non-CPU-intensive files in the proper location. Built around the SATA III storage interface, the Synapse Cache SSDs offer ultra-fast read and write speeds of up to 550 and 490 megabytes-per-second respectively, making the unit ideal for housing complex, data-intensive programs. Fairly lightweight at an average of 79 grams, the drives maintain low operations temperatures with minimal power consumption for low ecological emissions. The Cache Series comes with an MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) rating of 2 million hours, and a 3-year parts and labor warranty for reliable use.

Features

Matte black aesthetic
Available in 67 and 128GB capacities
SATA III solid state drive interface
Dataplex caching software
3-year warranty
Compatible will all PC-based platforms
Native TRIM support
Read speeds up to 550MB/s
Write speeds up to 490 MB/s

Kingston HyperX Max 3.0

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:52:58 -0500

The Kingston HyperX Max 3.0 is an upper mid-cost solid state drive. Kingston promotes the HyperX Max 3.0 as an ideal drive solution for any prosumer, computer enthusiast or professional requiring extremely fast file transfer to their PC, and with portability requirements. This solid state drive is USB 3.0 SuperSpeed certified, meaning it delivers file transfers at speeds ten times faster than USB 2.0. The read speed of the HyperX MAX 3.0 is 195MB/sec. When paired with a USB 3.0 compatible device, the write speed of this solid state drive goes up to 160MB/sec. The HyperX Max 3.0 is also fully compatible with USB 2.0 devices, as the speed defaults back to USB 2.0 capability. The aluminum design of this drive helps to make it durable. The Kingston HyperX Max 3.0 is shock resistant.

Features

Model variations
Shock Resistant
Flash Memory Design
USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Certified
195MB/sec read speed
160MB/sec write speed
USB 2.0 compatible
Aluminum design
3 year warranty
Plug and Play setup
Dimensions: 2.89" x 4.67" x 0.47"
Vibration Operating: 20G Peak, 10-2000Hz, (20min/Axis) x 3 Axis
Vibration Non-operating: 20G Peak, 10-2000Hz, (12 Cycle/Axis) x 3 Axis, x 20min.
Operating Shock: 1500G
Operating Temperature: 0° to 60°C / 32° to 140°F
Storage Temperature: -20° to 85°C / -4° to 185°F
Power Consumption: 4.5W
Dual LED: blue for USB 3.0, green for USB 2.0

Model Variations

64GB - $199.00
128GB - $351.00
256GB - $551.00

OCZ Colossus Desktop SSD

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:34:46 -0500

The OCZ Colossus Desktop SSD is a solid state drive designed for desktop systems. As an alternative to disk-based hard drives, this product is designed to provide increased performance for high-end users. Compared to traditional hard drives, the OCZ Colossus reduces heat and noise output, which translates into increased energy savings. While many competing SSDs are only available in 2.5” configurations, the OCZ Colossus is designed specifically for desktops and server racks with standard 3.5” drive bays. The larger size means users do not have to use a mounting bracket to install OCZ’s SSD inside their computers. This SSD is available in 120GB, 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB capacities. The OCZ Colossus Desktop SSD comes with a 3 year warranty.

Features

3.5” drive enclosure
120GB, 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB capacities
128MB Onboard Cache
Dual-Controller design
Seek Time: <.1ms
Internal RAID 0
3 year warranty

Plextor M2 Series

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:00:33 -0500

The Plextor M2 Series is a line of SATA III solid state drives. Plextor promotes this line of SSDs as one of the fastest on the market, and one of the first to support SATA 6GB/s data transfer speeds. These 2.5 inch SSDs have a sequential read speed of 480MB/sec, and a sequential write speed of 330MB/sec. These speeds are much faster than the average SATA II SSD. Aiding in this performance speed is the M2 Series' 128MB DDR3 cache buffer. To help ensure a performance that is consistent, these SSDs are designed with a Dynamic Wear Leveling algorithm that helps to cut down on performance loss. The Windows 7 TRIM command support allows these SSDs to manage memories efficiently, which also helps to combat performance loss. To back up these claims of continual high performance, the Plextor M2 Series of SSDs have a three year warranty.

Features

Model variations
480MB/sec read speed
330MB/sec write speed
Marvell 88SS9174 controller
Color: Silver
6Gbps
SATA III
2.5" form factor
3 year warranty
128MB DDR3 cache buffer
1.5 million hour MTBF rate
Dynamic Wear Leveling algorithm
Windows 7 TRIM command support
Acronis True Image software

Model Variations

64GB - $180
128GB - $330
256GB - $700

Corsair Performance 3 Series

Wed, 04 May 2011 17:12:55 -0400

The Corsair Performance 3 Series is a series of high-end solid state drives with capacities of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. Each of the Performance 3 Series models sport 400Mbps+ sequential read speeds and 200Mbps+ write speeds due to supercharged synchronous NAND technology, robust background garbage collection and an MTBF of 1,500,000 hours.

The Performance 3 Series' supercharged synchronous NAND technology works with the latest Marvell SATA III controllers to provide read/write speeds that take better advantage of the 6Gbps SATA III bandwidth. Its robust background garbage collection ensures optimal performance from each Performance 3 Series drive from day one. Meanwhile, the Performance 3 Series' 1,500,000 hour MTBF ensures optimal durability, thanks primarily to SSD's non-mechanical composition, for a longer lasting drive.

Features

Capacities: 64GB, 128GB and 256GB
400Mbps+ sequential read speeds and 200Mbps+ write speeds (differs with each model)
Supercharged synchronous NAND technology
Robust background garbage collection
MTBF of 1,500,000 hours
2.5" form factor
Power consumption (standby): 0.2A

OCZ Vertex 3 EX

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:13:41 -0500

The OCZ Vertex 3 EX is one of three speed solid-state drives (Vertex 3 EX, Vertex 3 Pro, Vertex R3) released together in early 2011. As the weakest in the trio, the Vertex 3 EX relies on a SATA 6Gbps interface and a Sandforce SF2582 controller to allow it to read sequential read & write speeds up to 550MB/sec and 525MB/sec, respectively. In fact, it supports an 80,000 IOPS. Unlike its immediate counterpart, the Pro, the EX relies on SLC NAND based flash memory versus MLC NAND. Otherwise practically the same, the OCZ Vertex 3 EX is also available in capacities of 50GB, 100GB, 200GB, and 400GB.

Features

SSD
SATA II Interface
Sandforce Controller
80G IOPS
Up to 500MB/s Speeds
SLC NAND Flash
50-200GB Capacities

Western Digital SiliconDrive II PATA CF

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:41:36 -0400

The Western Digital SiliconDrive II PATA CF is an internal Solid State hard drive that is comprised of a CF card (the drive), making it very compact. Available capacities range from 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB and it supports read/write speeds of 34MB/s and 19MB/s respectively. WD drives are made for rugged use in the field or any security intensive applications and are even available in an extended temperature version. This broadens the capable operational temperature for use in extreme hot/cold conditions, hence the company's suggestion of possible military use. Although replaced by the faster SiliconDrive III Series in June 2009, these actually have a higher MTBF, or, mean time between failure of an incredible 4 million hours compared to that Series' 3 million. The usual WD technologies are featured on this model such as PowerArmor for protection from brown outs and surges, SiSecure for protecting your data and SolidStor data transfer algorithms which maximize the drives efficiency.

Specifications

Interface: PATA ATA-5
Form factor: Compact Flash (CF)
Read: 34MB/second
Write: 19MB/second
Seek Time: 2ms
1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 1.433 X 1.685 X 0.130 inches
Weight: 109.769 gm
Shock resistant to 1000G
Standard temperature version: 0° C to 70° C
Extended temperature version: -40° C to 85° C
Non-operating temperature: -55°C to 125°C
Altitude: 80 000 feet max
4 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Intel SSD 510 Series

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:56:25 -0500

The Intel SSD 510 Series is a solid-state drive (SSD) family released as a competitor to the OCZ Vertex 3. It upgrades from previous generations of Intel SSD by opting for a 6-Gbps SATA III interface like the Vertex. Combined with an integrated Marvell processing chip, 510 Series SSD drives can now achieve read and write speeds up to 500 Mbps and 315 Mbps, respectively, which are double to triple the speeds of past SATA-II based Intel SSDs. Featured is Intel’s 34nm NAND flash memory, and available capacities of 120GB and 250GB. According to a spokesman from Intel, the SSD 510 Series drives are supposedly faster than even 10,000 rpm SATA drives, making them especially optimal for gamers.

Features

Solid State Drive
SATA III Interface
6Gbps Connection
500Mbps Write Speed
315Mbps Read Speed
34nm NAND Flash
120/250GB Capacities
Geared for Gamers

Model Variations

Intel SSD 510 Series SSDSC2MH120A2XX | 120GB, $284
Intel SSD 510 Series SSDSC2MH250A2XX | 240GB, $584

OCZ Vertex 3 Pro

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:13:41 -0500

The OCZ Vertex 3 Pro is one of three speed solid-state drives (Vertex 3 EX, Vertex 3 Pro, Vertex R3) released together in early 2011. Unlike the Vertex 3 EX, the Vertex 3 Pro relies on MLC NAND flash memory, making it a little less friendly for enterprise and server grade applications. Otherwise a duplicate, it too uses a SATA III (6Gbps) interface with a Sandforce SF2582 controller. This allows it an 80,000 IOPS, which translates to sequential speeds up n ear 550MB/sec write and 525MB/sec read. It too is available in various capacities, including 50GB, 100GB, 200GB, and 400GB.

Features

SSD
SATA II Interface
Sandforce Controller
80G IOPS
Up to 500MB/s Speeds
MLC NAND Flash
50-400GB Capacities

Samsung 470 Series

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 18:35:52 -0500

The Samsung 470 Series is a high-end solid state drive, geared toward laptop use. The specially engineered controller of this drive is tightly integrated, which makes for fast data reading (up to 250MB/sec) and writing (up to 220MB/sec). On a random read, the 470 Series offers up to up to 25,000 IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second). On a random write, up to 7,000 IOPS. This Serial ATA solid state drive offers an up to 3Gbps data transfer rate. The DRAM of the Samsung 470 Series houses the block placement and wear leveling directory, keeping your data safe and easily accessible. The hard shell case of this solid state drive is made of composites that insulate the internal components from shock, dust and corrosion. There are size options available for the Samsung 470 Series solid state drive, from 64GB to 256GB.

Features

Size options
Laptop-oriented
Hard shell case
NAND flash
DRAM
Up to 250MB/sec read
Up to 220MB/sec write
Random Read: Up to 25,000 IOPS
Random Write: Up to 7,000 IOPS
Reliability (Hours): 1,000,000
64MB density
Size options
Serial ATA
Up to 3Gbps data transfer rate

Size Options

64GB - MZ-5PA064, $129.99
128GB - MZ-5PA128, $259.99
256GB - MZ-5PA256, $599.99

Kingston SSDNow V100

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:29:42 -0500

The Kingston SSDNow V100 is a high-end Solid State Drive, made for mainstream consumers. Kingston promotes the SSDNow V100 as the best performance enhancer and most cost-effective upgrade path for desktops and notebooks, short of a total system replacement. The SSDNow V100 has Windows 7 TRIM support, which means that this SSD will have an enhanced performance with less strain put on the drive. The advanced NAND Flash technology makes for increased read and write performance. The SSDNow V100 comes with a controller for operating the reading and writing functions. The SSDNow V100 comes as either a stand-alone unit or as an upgrade bundle kit. The desktop bundle kit comes with cloning software, SATA data cable, power cable, and 3.5″ hard-drive mounting brackets and hardware. The notebook bundle kit comes with cloning software and a 2.5″ external enclosure allowing the replaced hard drive to be used as extra storage. The Kingston SSDNow V100 comes in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB versions.

Features

Model options
Three year warranty
Windows 7 TRIM support
NAND Flash technology
Shock-resistant
Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.)
Power: Active 6.4W (TYP) / Sleep 1.0W (TYP)
Controller
Upgrade bundle kit (optional)
Notebook bundle kit (optional)
Color: Black

Model Options

256GB - $489.00
128GB - $244.99
64GB - $121.99

OCZ RevoDrive X2

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:29:41 -0500

The OCZ RevoDrive X2 is a consumer-level, PCIe solid-state drive (SSD) released in November 2010 as an upgrade from the original RevoDrive (June 2010). Though it looks and feels the same, the revised X2 features double the NAND Flash and four total SandForce 1200 series SSD controllers. The result is a performance boost from 540MB/sec up to 740MB/sec, and a maximum throughput up to 120,000 IPS—which for clarification is triple the throughput of the most premium SATA drive. Most importantly, the ReveoDrive X2 is completely bootable, meaning it can and is in fact mainly designed to be used to house an operating system. It’s available in 100GB to 960GB capacities and includes a RAID 0 design.

Features

Consumer-Level SSD
100GB to 960GB Capacities
PCI Express (x4) Interface
Four SandForce Controllers
Two Slabs NAND Flash
Internal RAID 0
1500g Shock Resistance
0.1ms Seek Time
2,000,000 MTBF
Windows ONLY Compatibility
3-Year Limited Warranty

Model Variations (740MB/s Write, 690MB/s Read)

OCZ RevoDrive X2 | OCZSSDPX-1RVDX0100 (100GB)
OCZ RevoDrive X2 | OCZSSDPX-1RVDX0160 (160GB)

Model Variations (740MB/s Write, 720MB/s Read)

OCZ RevoDrive X2 | OCZSSDPX-1RVDX0240 (240GB)
OCZ RevoDrive X2 | OCZSSDPX-1RVDX0360 (320GB)
OCZ RevoDrive X2 | OCZSSDPX-1RVDX0480 (480GB)
OCZ RevoDrive X2 | OCZSSDPX-1RVDX0960 (960GB)

OCZ Enyo

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:04:20 -0400

The OCZ Enyo is a USB 3.0 portable solid state drive, available in capacities ranging from 64GB to 256GB. The drive is housed in a anodized aluminum enclosure, and is relatively thin at 0.4-inches. The manufacturer claims this drive enables speeds up to 10 times faster than a standard USB 2.0 drive. OCZ cites reads up to 260MB/s and writes up to 200MB/s. For example, if a 6GB DVD image was copied to the drive over USB 3.0, users could expect it to take about 20 seconds. The same task would take approximately 3.3 minutes over USB 2.0. Expert reviewers have indicated that while sustained drive speeds aren’t quite as fast as the manufacturer claims, the Enyo is still quicker than competing products such as the USB 3.0 Super Talent thumb drive. A white cable and the instruction manual are included in the box.

Features

64GB, 128GB, 256GB capacities
MLC flash storage
Anodized aluminum housing
USB 3.0 interface
Backwards compatible with USB 2.0
Read: Up to 260 MB/s
Write: Up to 200 MB/s
Sustained Write: Up to 150 MB/s
Power consumption: 2.4w (1.1w idle)
Dimensions and weight: 56mm x 120mm x 10mm, 87.7g

Models

64GB ($229.99) - (225MB/sec read speed, 135MB/sec write speed)
128GB ($409.99) - (260MB/sec read speed, 200MB/sec write speed)
256GB ($819.99) - (260MB/sec read speed, 200MB/sec write speed)

OCZ Z-Drive R2 p84

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:48:34 -0400

The OCZ Z-Drive R2 p84 is one of three bootable and field-serviceable PCI-E SSD drives released in April 2010 as an upgrade from the first generation Z-Drive models from 2009. Aimed strictly at the professional market, the p84 and its peers utilize interchangeable NAND modules designed to make them both field-serviceable and field-upgradeable. As an upgrade from the m84, the p84 offers improved speeds up to 500-800+ MB/s write and 750-850+ MB/s read, depending on capacity, which ranges between 256GB and 1 TB. Like its predecessor, the R2 p84 hosts a four-way RAID 0 configuration and is optimized for background Garbage Collection. Together with the together with the PCI-E architecture, the p84 delivers low-cost field upgradeability, unprecedented flexibility, superior sequential performance speeds, lowered power consumption, enhanced shock resistance, and superior durability.

Features

Next Generation OCZ-Drive Series
PCI-Express (PCI-E) Solid-State Drive (SSD)
Designed for the Professional Market
Interchangeable NAND Modules
Field-Serviceable
Field-Upgradeable
Four-Way RAID Configuration
Fast Read/Write Speeds
Background Garbage Collection
Eliminates SATA Bottleneck
Lowered Power Consumption
Enhanced Shock Resistance
Superior Durability
Dedicated Technical Support
3-year Limited Warranty

Specifications

Local Cache: 256MB
Interface: PCI-e (x8)
SATA Connectors: 4
MTBF: 1,000,000 Hours
Write Speed: 500-800+ MB/s MAX
Read Speed: 750-850+ MB/s MAX

Model Variations

OCZSSDPX-ZD2P84256G | 256GB - $1205.00
OCZSSDPX-ZD2P84512G | 512GB - $2405.00
OCZSSDPX- ZD2P841T | 1TB - $4550.00

OCZ Onyx 2

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:32:54 -0400

The OCZ Onyx 2 is a high-end multi-level cell solid state drive designed to balance the higher speeds of SSDs with price. It boasts a read speed of 270MB/s and a write speed of 265MB/s as well as up to 10,000 random write Input/output Operations Per Second (4k aligned). Additionally, the Onyx 2 is available in two capacities: 120GB and 240GB.

The Onyx 2's fast read/write speeds ensure faster application loading, near-instantaneous data access, shorter boot times and decreased energy usage (reducing battery usage on laptops). When used as a system's primary OS drive, the Onyx 2 can boost system performance noticeably. Meanwhile, the Onyx 2, like all SSDs, boasts a much longer operating life than standard hard disk drives as it features no moving parts.

Features

Available in 120GB and 240GB capacities
Max Read: up to 275MB/s
Max Write: up to 265MB/s
Random Write 4KB (Aligned): 10,000 IOPS
Seek Time: < .1ms
Slim 2.5" Design
Power Consumption: Idle: 375mW Active: 1000mW
Shock Resistant up to 1500G
RAID Support
Compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, Mac OS X and Linux
MTBF: 1.5 million hours
2-Year Warranty

PhotoFast PowerDrive

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:17:46 -0400

The PhotoFast Powerdrive is a high-end solid state drive. It is similar to another solid state drive by Photofast, the 1.8" GMonster MicroSATA V3, as they share aspects with each other. Both SSDs serve the same function, and both support the same operating systems. However the Powerdrive builds on everything the 1.8" GMonster MicroSATA V3 has, by giving a bigger selection of models (comes in 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB), and far greater speeds, reading at 1.4 GBps, and writing at 1.5GBps (as opposed to 200MBps and100MBps). The Powerdrive features nearly instant access to data, as it's reading speeds allow it to read the equivalent of two CD-Rs every second. Asides from this, the Powerdrive also features a 512MB DDR2 cache built in, which can help enhance the speed of the drive. It does this exactly the same way a computer writes data to RAM, allowing for even faster speed than what normally would be possible on a SSD.

Features

Supports Windows Server 2003/2008/2008R8, Windows XP/Vista/7
Supports Red Hat Linux, SUSE Linux
Supports VMware ESXi 4.0
Comes in 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB models
Reads at 1.4GB per second
Writes at 1.5GB per second
512MB DDR2 Cache
Internal RAID controller
Compatible with x8 PCI 2.0 slot
Uses Multi-cell level NAND flash memory

SanDisk SSD G4

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:31:10 -0400

The SanDisk SSD G4 is a high-end Solid State hard drive meant for use in laptops. It has a capacity range of 64-256GB, a read speed of 220MB per second and a write speed of 160MB per second. Its Solid State design utilizes 32-nanometer, multi-level cell process technology and does not utilize any moving parts, allowing for its high readand write speeds.

The SanDisk SSD G4's read/write speed allows for faster file transfer speed, allowing your system to subsequently run faster. Its 32-nanometer form factor allows for its small laptop-friendly size that can be tweaked according to manufacturer's specifications. Additionally, the SanDisk SSD G4's lack of moving parts makes it very energy efficient and therefore battery- and environmentally-friendly.

Features

64 - 256GB capacity
Read speed of 220MB per second and a write speed of 160MB per second
Energy efficient
32-nanometer form factor
Adaptive Flash Management technology enables faster read/write times
Long-term Data Endurance of 160TB written, sufficient for over 10 years of PC usage

OCZ Z-Drive R2 m84

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:19:42 -0400

The OCZ Z-Drive R2 m84 is one of three bootable and field-serviceable PCI-E SSD drives released in April 2010 as an upgrade from the first generation Z-Drive models from 2009. Aimed strictly at the professional market, the m84 and its peers utilize interchangeable NAND modules designed to make them both field-serviceable and field-upgradeable. As the base unit, the m84 hosts a four-way RAID 0 configuration with capacities up to 1TB, with a read speed between 700-800+ MB/s and a write speed between 500-750+ MB/s, depending on the unit size. Together with the together with the PCI-E architecture, the m84 delivers low-cost field upgradeability, unprecedented flexibility, superior sequential performance speeds, lowered power consumption, enhanced shock resistance, and superior durability.

Features

Next Generation OCZ-Drive Series
PCI-Express (PCI-E) Solid-State Drive (SSD)
Designed for the Professional Market
Interchangeable NAND Modules
Field-Serviceable
Field-Upgradeable
Four-Way RAID Configuration
Fast Read/Write Speeds
Eliminates SATA Bottleneck
Lowered Power Consumption
Enhanced Shock Resistance
Superior Durability
Dedicated Technical Support
3-year Limited Warranty

Specifications

Local Cache: 256MB
Interface: PCI-e (x8)
SATA Connectors: 4
MTBF: 1,000,000 Hours
Write Speed: 500-750+ MB/s MAX
Read Speed: 700-800+ MB/s MAX

Model Variations

OCZSSDPX-ZD2M84256G | 256GB - $1257.50
OCZSSDPX-ZD2M84512G | 512GB - $2210.00
OCZSSDPX-ZD2M841T | 1TB - $4225.00

Kingston SSDNow V Series

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:27:42 -0500

The Kingston SSDNow V Series represents a set of affordable, entry-level solid-state drives built for enhancing the performance of computers that sport a Serial ATA (SATA) interface. They range from 40GB to 128GB and retail as stand-alone and in laptop/desktop bundles. Each unit utilizes a 2.5” form factor with NAND flash memory components. This means that there are zero mechanical moving parts, which in turn renders the unit completely silent, yet more reliable and less likely to fail than a conventional hard drive. The most popular unit in the series is the 40GB Boot Drive, which was released in November 2010 and is designed to significantly increase a desktop's boot, shutdown, and application load times. It's designed to work alongside a conventional drive and hold only the most essential files, including the operating system and key applications.

Features

Entry-Level Solid-State Drives
40-128GB Sizes
Standalone/Bundle Packages
2.5” Form Factor w/FLASH Memory
Zero Mechanical Moving Parts
Ultra-Quiet Performance
Shock Resistasnt
Supports S.M.A.R.T.
3 Year Warranty

Specifications

Form Factor: 2.5”
Capacity: 40/64/128GB
Life Expectancy: 1 million hours
Sequential Speed (64/128GB): 100MB/sec read; 70MB/sec write
Sequential Speed (40GB): 170MB/sec read; 40MB/sec write

Model Variations

SNV125-S2/40GB (stand-alone drive)
SNV125-S2/64GB (stand-alone drive)
SNV125-S2/128GB (stand-alone drive)
SNV125-S2BN/64GB (notebook bundle)
SNV125-S2BN/128GB (notebook bundle)
SNV125-S2BD/40GB (desktop bundle)
SNV125-S2BD/64GB (desktop bundle)
SNV125-S2BD/128GB (desktop bundle)

Super Talent UltraDrive MX

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:25:08 -0400

The UltraDrive MX is a sold-state laptop computer hard drive from Super Talent that offers a step-up from the company's UltraDrive GX series. The MX is a dual-functioning model compatible with Mini-USB and SATA II ports, and is capable of serving as both an internal and external drive. Set to release on September 1st 2010, the device intends to simplify the process of porting data from an old device to a new device, allowing users to keep their old hard drive intact while re-writing to the UltraDrive MX via Mini-USB. Featuring read speeds up to 250 megabytes-per-second and write speeds up to 180 megabytes-per-second, the device is capable of cloning and re-transferring the contents of an average laptop hard drive in under an hour. The device will be available in sizes ranging 60 gigabytes to 480 gigabytes, with prices varying accordingly.

Features

Sold-state design
Available in 60 GB, 120 GB, 240 GB and 480 GB models
Mini-USB external compatibility
SATA II external compatibility
Read speeds up to 250 MB/s
Write speeds up to 180 MB/s
3-year SLC warranty
2-year MLC warranty

A-Data SSD S596

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:08:09 -0400

The A-Data SSD S596 is a solid state drive for people who need an extremely fast and durable hard drive. It can be connected via standard 7+15 pin SATA II in your computer's 2.5in hard drive bay, or connected on the fly via a mini-USB port. Note that in order to get the major speed benefits, a SATA II connection is required.

Model Variances

The A-Data SSD S596 comes in a variety of sizes, and the speed varies accordingly. The 64GB model handles read and write speeds of up to 240MB/s and 110MB/s. The 128GB model handles read and write speeds of up to 250MB/s and 180MB/s. The 256GB model can read and write at up to 240MB/s and 180MB/s.

Features

7+15 pin SATA II
Optional mini-USB connection
2.5in form factor
128MB DDR2 SDRAM cache buffer
64GB performance
- Read : Up to 230~240MB/s
- Write : Up to 100~110MB/s
128GB performance
- Read : Up to 240~250MB/s
- Write : Up to 170~180MB/s
256GB performance
- Read : Up to 230~240MB/s
- Write : Up to 170~180MB/s

Western Digital SiliconDrive III 1.8

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:53:17 -0400

The Western Digital SiliconDrive III 1.8 is a 1.8" Micro SATA internal Solid State hard drive that is available in 15GB, 30GB and 60GB capacities. Read and write speeds are average for SSD at 100MB/s and 80MB/s respectively but what sets this series apart is it's reliability and lifespan, which has been rated at 3 million hours mean time between failure(MTBF). This is more than twice the rated life of the typical SSD, which can be attributed to a few of WD's own technologies. PowerArmor monitors the drives' voltage ahead of time in case of an otherwise drive-corrupting power failure(3 out of 4 drive failures are due to brownout, power spike or unstable voltage levels). SiSMART is an endurance monitor which keeps an eye on the write/erase cycles of each block, replacing them with spare blocks when they become worn out and sending that information to the host system to keep a record of remaining spare blocks. Announced in June 2009, this series is Western Digital's first attempt at SSD drives, which are a quickly expanding sector. They have been marketed to the business and also military professional who require top system stability and reliability, even offering an extended temperature version for use in more extreme conditions.

Features

Read: 100MB/second
Write: 80MB/second
Seek Time: 0.25ms
15GB, 30GB and 60GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 3.081 X 2.126 X 0.197 inches
Weight: 43g
Shock resistant to 1000G
Standard temperature version: 0° C to 70° C
Extended temperature version: -40° C to 85° C
Non-operating temperature: -55°C to 125°C
Altitude: 80 000 feet max
3 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Intel X25-M Mainstream

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:37:23 -0400

The Intel X25-M Mainstream is an MLC-based, 2.5” solid-state disk drive geared toward regular laptop/desktop PCs. It utilizes 34nm NAND flash memory lithography to deliver a 250MB/sec sustained read rate and 70MB/sec write speed. And unlike a conventional hard-disc drive, the X25-M can handle a greater workload with less space, zero cooling, and bare-minimum power consumption. It is in fact very similar to the 50nm SSDs on the market, save that it’s more compact, delivers improved latency, and much superior Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS). According to reports, the X-25M Mainstream is equipped to deliver up to 66000 4KB write IOPS and 35000 read IOPS. This not only blows away traditional HDDs, but sets the bar higher for SSDs as well.

Features

MLC-Based SSD
NAND Technology
Zero Cooling
Energy Efficient

Specifications

Model Name: Intel X25-M Mainstream SATA Solid-State Drive
Capacity: 80/160GB
NAND Flash: 10 Parallel Channel Architecture w/34nm MLC ONFI 1.0
Bandwidth (Write): Sequential up to 250MB/s
Bandwidth (Read): Sequential up to 70MB/s
Ready Latency: 85 microseconds
Interface: SATA I/II

OCZ Z-Drive R2 p88

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:48:38 -0400

The OCZ Z-Drive R2 p88 is one of three bootable and field-serviceable PCI-E SSD drives released in April 2010 as an upgrade from the first generation Z-Drive models from 2009. Aimed strictly at the professional market, the p88 and its peers utilize interchangeable NAND modules designed to make them both field-serviceable and field-upgradeable. As the top model in the series, the R2 p88 hosts an eight-way RAID 0 configuration with 512MB of cache, allowing it to reach ultra-fast speeds up to 1-1.4GB/s write and 1.3-1.4GB/s read. Plus the unit comes with a background Garbage Collection function that maintains performance levels over time as the drives read and write and wipe their cells. Together with the together with the PCI-E architecture, the p88 delivers low-cost field upgradeability, unprecedented flexibility, superior sequential performance speeds, lowered power consumption, enhanced shock resistance, and superior durability.

Features

Next Generation OCZ-Drive Series
Top Model in Series
PCI-Express (PCI-E) Solid-State Drive (SSD)
Designed for the Professional Market
Interchangeable NAND Modules
Field-Serviceable
Field-Upgradeable
Eight-Way RAID Configuration
Fast Read/Write Speeds
Background Garbage Collection
Eliminates SATA Bottleneck
Lowered Power Consumption
Enhanced Shock Resistance
Superior Durability
Dedicated Technical Support
3-year Limited Warranty

Specifications

Local Cache: 512MB
Interface: PCI-e (x8)
SATA Controllers: 8
MTBF: 1,000,000 Hours
Write Speed: 1-1.4 GB/s MAX
Read Speed: 1.3-1.4 GB/s MAX

Model Variations

OCZSSDPX-ZD2P88512G | 512GB - $2795.00
OCZSSDPX-ZD2P881T | 1TB - $5135.00
OCZSSDPX-ZD2P882T | 2TB - $10270.00

Patriot Zephyr

Mon, 03 May 2010 17:57:31 -0400

The Patriot Zephyr Solid State Drive (SSD) line offers great performance and various capacity to suit buyer's needs. They all have TRIM support in Windows 7, up to 240MB/s read speeds and up to 180MB/s write speeds. Due to the fact that SSDs do not have mechanical parts unlike traditional hard drives, it is not prone to failure from drops and shocks. The Zephyr line is also built with a durable and lightweight aluminum cases. the MLC NAND flash and JMicron 612 controller provides high performance for your computer. They use the SATA I/II interface with RAID 0,1 and 0+1 support. At peak performance they consume 6.6W of power. The Zephyr line is available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities along with a 3 year manufacturer's warranty.

Features / Specifications

Capacity: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
2.5'' SATA I/II Interface
Sequential Read: up to 240MB/s, Sequential Write: up to 180MB/s
64MB DRAM Cache
JMicron 612 controller paired with qualified MLC NAND flash for best performance reliability
TRIM support (Windows 7 only)
Power Consumption: DC 5V Operating 6.6W
Data Retention: 5+ years at 25°C
Operating Temperature: 0°C~70°C
3 Year Warranty

OCZ Onyx Series SSD

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:26:33 -0400

The OCZ Onyx Series SSD is a budget-friendly, 2.5” solid-state drive (SSD) released in March 2010. It retails in a 32GB capacity size for under $100, making it, according to Engadget, “the most affordable MLC-based solid-state storage solution to date.” It fits into a SATA-II slot and offers speeds of up to 125MB/sec (read) and 70MB/sec (write). OCZ speaks of the SSD’s Indilinx controller, which they say allows the drive to deliver an enhanced computing experience with faster application loading, snappier data access, shorter boot-ups, and longer battery life.

Features

Budget-Friendly 2.5” SSD
Durable/Lightweight Housing
MLC NAND Flash Technology
Ideal as Boot Up Drive
32GB Capacity Size
SATA-II Interface
Indilinx Controller
Faster Application Loading
Snappier Data Access
Shorter Boot-Ups
Longer Battery Life
TRIM Support
2-Year Limited Warranty

Specifications

Part #: OCZSSD2-1ONX32G (32GB)
Cache: 64MB Onboard
Seek Time: <.1ms
MTBF: 1.5 Million Hours
Read: Up to 125 MB/s
Write: Up to 70 70MB/s

OCZ Colossus LT Series

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:10:41 -0400

The OCZ Colossus LT Series are solid state drives built to meet the demands of high-performance PC enthusiasts. It reads and writes at speeds of up to 260MB/s, and has a large storage capacity. It has internal RAID 0 support, a dual-controller design, 128MB onboard cache, and MLC NAND which all work together to make the drive as fast as possible. The casing is made of lightweight aluminum, and is shock resistant to up to 1500G of force. The drive has a MTBF of a predicted 1 million hours, and is covered by a 3-year manufacturer's warranty.

Model Variations

The drive comes in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB capacities. The cost of a OCZ Colossus LT Series solid state drive is directly related to its capacity, and a wide variety of prices are set depending on how big of a drive you are purchasing.

Features

128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB capacities
Read : up to 260MB/s
Write : up to 260MB/s
Internal RAID 0
Dual-Controller design
128MB Onboard Cache
MLC NAND
Seek Time: < .1ms
Lightweight Aluminum Casing
Shock Resistant up to 1500G
Compatible with Windows 7, XP, Vista, and Linux
MTBF: 1 million hours
3-Year Warranty

OCZ Agility 2

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:55:58 -0400

The OCZ Agility 2 is a solid state hard drive for users looking for storage media that is very fast and can handle a reasonable storage capacity. It can read at speeds of up to 285MB/s, and write at up to 275MB/s. It has native TRIM support and RAID support, and is compatible with WIndows XP, Windows 7, and Linux. It fits in a 2.5in hard drive bay and weighs 77g, but also comes with an adapter bracket for desktops with a 3.5in space. It takes very little power as well: 2W in operation, and 0.5W while in standby mode.

Model Variations

The OCZ Agility 2 comes in 50GB, 100GB, and 200GB capacities. A significant price decrease can be found in lower capacity models.

Features

50GB, 100GB, and 200GB capacities
Read : up to 285MB/s
Write: up to 275MB/s
Native TRIM support
2.5in form factor
Weight: 77g
Low Power Consumption: 2W in operation, 0.5W in standby
Shock Resistant up to 1500G
RAID Support
Included 3.5in Desktop adapter bracket
Compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, and Linux
3-Year Warranty

Corsair Nova Series

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:35:27 -0400

The Corsair Nova Series are solid state drives for users that need a fast and durable storage solution but don't need a giant storage capacity. The drive connects via a standard SATA II connection, and comes with mounting brackets so that it can be put in a 2.5in or 3.5in bay. It can handle read speeds of up to 270MB/s, and write at speeds of up to 190MB/s. To move data in and out of storage it uses an Indilinx Barefoot controller and MLC NAND flash. It also has 64MB of cache to render stutter-free performance.

Model Variations

The Corsair Force Series is made up of a number of drives which vary according to storage capacity. There are 64GB and 128GB versions available.

Features

SATA II connectivity
2.5in form factor
Maximum read speed 270MB/s
Maximum write speed 190MB/s
Indilinx Barefoot controller and MLC NAND flash
64MB cache
TRIM support (O/S support required)
Included 2.5in to 3.5in bracket
Two year warranty

Corsair Force Series

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:28:15 -0400

The Corsair Force Series are solid state drives for users that need an extremely fast and durable storage solution. The drive connects via a standard SATA II connection, and comes with mounting brackets so that it can be put in a 2.5in or 3.5in bay. It can handle read speeds of up to 285MB/s, and write at speeds of up to 275MB/s. To move data in and out of storage it uses a Sandforce controller and MLC NAND flash.

Model Variations

The Corsair Force Series is made up of a number of drives which vary according to storage capacity. There are 100GB and 200GB versions available.

Features

SATA II connectivity
2.5in form factor
Maximum read speed 285MB/s
Maximum write speed 275MB/s
Sandforce controller and MLC NAND flash
TRIM support (O/S support required)
Included 2.5in to 3.5in bracket
Two year warranty

A-Data SSD S599

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:20:17 -0400

The A-Data SSD S599 is a sold state drive for users who require an extremely fast and durable hard drive. It connects via a standard 7+15 pin SATA II connector, and fits into a 2.5in bay in your computer. It can read at speeds of up to 280MB/s, and can write at speeds of up to 270MB/s. It runs standard MLC flash.

Model Variations

There are two sizes of S599: one at 100GB, the other at 200GB. Their specifications are identical in every other way.

Features

7+15 pin SATA II connector
2.5in form factor
MLC flash
100GB performance
- Read : Up to 280MB/s
- Write : Up to 270MB/s
200GB performance
- Read : Up to 280MB/s
- Write : Up to 270MB/s

Corsair Extreme Series

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:50:33 -0400

The Corsair Extreme Series is an internal Solid State drive that uses the state of the art Indilinx Barefoot controller and can reach read/write speeds of up to 240MB/s and 170MB/s respectively. RAID 0 configuration is also supported which lets you run multiple drives together and have them recognized as one big drive, and the available capacities are 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. The MLC NAND design is made from Samsung flash memory and 64MB of onboard RAM is included which helps maintain a stutter-free data stream. These drives come with a two year company warranty and a 100+ year life expectancy and are designated with an X at the beginning of the model number.

User upgradeable firmware means you can stay up to date with new features as they are made available like the TRIM command in Windows 7 and other operating systems which keeps the drive running at top speed throughout it's lifespan. SSD drives can become slower due to disregarded memory building up over time that was never erased so there is a need for a computer to have a TRIM function. This has been remedied in the second generation Samsung controllers used in the Performance Series which have a feature called Self-Healing built in instead.

Features

Read: 240MB/second
Write: 170MB/second
32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacity
Samsung MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memory
Form Factor: 2.5"
Weight: 80g
Shock resistant to 1500G
RAID 0 support
100+ year lifespan

OCZ Vertex Limited Edition

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:33:11 -0400

The OCZ Vertex Limited Edition is a solid state drive for power users. The Limited Edition's advantage over the Vertex 2 is in the 4k random write, which specializes in fast access to data scattered around the hard drive. This makes it a good drive for Windows users. It has a maximum read speed of up to 270MB/s, and can write at up to 250MB/s. It has native TRIM and RAID support. The drive fits into a standard 2.5in bay and weights 77g. It draws 2 watts in operation and 0.5 watts while in standby. The unit is shock resistant to forces of up to 1500G.

Model Variations

The OCZ Vertex Limited Edition comes in 50GB, 100GB and 200GB capacities. Expect the smaller capacities to be significantly cheaper.

Features

50GB, 100GB and 200GB capacities
Read : up to 270MB/s
Write : up to 250MB/s
Random Write 4k: 15,000 IOPS
Max 4k IOPS: 50,000
Native TRIM support
Seek Time: .1ms
2.5in form factor
Weight: 77g
Low Power Consumption: 2W in operation, 0.5W in standby
Shock Resistant up to 1500G
RAID Support
Compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, and Linux
MTBF: 1.5 million hours
3-Year Warranty

OCZ Vertex 2

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:20:56 -0400

The OCZ Vertex 2 is a solid state hard drive aimed at hardcore gamers and multimedia professionals. It reads at high speeds of up to 285MB/s, and writes at up to 275MB/s. It supports TRIM natively and has RAID support. This supports a seek time of 0.1ms. The drive fits in a standard 2.5in bay and weighs 77g, but comes with a 3.5in adapter bracket for desktop computers. It's light on power usage, taking just 2W in operation and 0.5W in standby. This drive is shock resistant to forces of up to 1500G.

Model Variations

The OCZ Vertex 2 comes in 50GB, 100GB, and 200GB capacities. Expect prices to be lower for the smaller capacities.

Features

50GB, 100GB, and 200GB capacities
Read : up to 285MB/s
Write : up to 275MB/s
Native TRIM support
Max IOPS Firmware
Seek Time: .1ms
2.5in form factor
Weight: 77g
Low Power Consumption: 2W in operation, 0.5W in standby
Shock Resistant up to 1500G
RAID Support
Included 3.5in Desktop adapter bracket
Compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, and Linux
MTBF: 2 million hours
3-Year Warranty

Corsair Reactor Series

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 11:49:52 -0400

The Corsair Reactor Series are solid state drives for users that need a fast and durable storage solution but don't need a giant storage capacity. It is similar to the Corsair Nova Series, but with a new controller and slight variances in speed and capacity. The drive connects via a standard SATA II connection, and comes with mounting brackets so that it can be put in a 2.5in or 3.5in bay. It can handle read speeds of up to 250MB/s, and write at speeds of up to 170MB/s. To move data in and out of storage it uses a JMicron JMF612 controller and MLC NAND flash. It also has 64MB of cache to render stutter-free performance.

Model Variations

The Corsair Force Series is made up of a number of drives which vary according to storage capacity. There are 60GB and 120GB versions available.

Features

SATA II connectivity
USB connectivity
2.5in form factor
Maximum read speed 250MB/s
Maximum write speed 170MB/s
JMicron JMF612 controller and MLC NAND flash
128MB DRAM cache
TRIM support (O/S support required)
Included 2.5in to 3.5in bracket
Two year warranty

Western Digital SiliconEdge Blue

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:38:24 -0400

The Western Digital SiliconEdge Blue is a consumer-oriented solid state drive (SSD) released in March 2010. It’s available in capacities up to 256GB and features a native SATA (3Gb/s) interface that supports read speeds as high as 240-250MB/sec and write speed peaking at approximately 140-150MB/sec. Plus they sport a wide array of new technology, including advanced wear-leveling and correction control, TRIM/NCQ command support for maximum drive performance and endurance, and full plug and play compatibility. According to WD, the Blue SSDs have been designed for both read-intensive client/consumer applications and write-intensive, 24/7 OEM applications.

Features

Consumer SSD
64/128/256GB Capacities
SATA-Based Interface
Ultra-Fast Write/Read Speeds
Advanced Wear-Leveling
Advanced Correction Control
TRIM and Native Command Queuing
Plug and Play Compatibility
Passed 130,000 Hours of Testing

Specifications

Form Factor: 2.5”
Interface: SATA 3 Gb/s
Sustained Read Speed: Up to 250 MB/s
Sustained Write Speed: Up to 170 MB/s
MTBF: 1,400,000 Hours
Operational Read Latency: Unlimited
Operational Write Latency: 17.5 GB/Day

Model Options

SSC-D0064SC-2100 | 64GB USB Flash - $279.00
SSC-D0128SC-2100 | 128GB USB Flash - $259.00
SSC-D0256SC-2100 | 256GB USB Flash - $999.00

Patriot PS-100

Mon, 03 May 2010 17:56:27 -0400

The PS-100 series is Patriot's budget SSD line aimed at users who are new to SSDs or those looking for the extra performance and reliability of flash memory over traditional harddrives. The PS-100 series comes in a variaty of sizes (32GB - 256GB) to suit the needs of buyers. They have a low standby power consumptio of 0.5W and an operating consumption of 5.3W. These SSDs are advertised with a data retention period of up to 10 years and the drives are covered by a 3 year warranty. Whilst the PS-100 series might not have the blazing speed of the Torqx line, it still has read/write speeds of 210MB/s and 150MB/s respectively. Overall the PS-100 series offers flexibility and performance at a reasonable cost.

Features / Specifications

Capcities: 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Interface: SATA I/II
Raid Support: 0, 1, 0+1
Sequential Read: up to 210MB/s, Sequential Write: up to 150MB/s
64MB DRAM Cache
Power Consumption: DC 5V, Standby 0.5W, Operating 5.3W
Data Retention: 10 years at 25°C
Operating Temperature: 0°C~70°C
O/S Support: Win98 / 2000 / XP / Vista
3 Year Warrant

SanDisk G3 Solid State Drive

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:48:12 -0400

The SanDisk G3 Solid State Drive is a low cost solid state drive built to be durable and reliable. It can withstand shocks and vibrations reasonably well, and uses ExtremeFFS technology to handle accessing data that is scattered around the hard drive while minimizing wear. It can read at speeds of up to 220MB/s and write at speeds of up to 120MB/s. The drive runs quietly and with very little power consumption.

Model Variations

The SanDisk G3 Solid State Drive comes in both 60GB and 120GB storage capacities, but otherwise has the same features in both. The price is significantly lower in the 60GB version.

Features

SATA II connection
60GB and 120GB storage capacity
Read : 220 MB/s
Write : 120 MB/s
Withstands shocks and vibration
ExtremeFFS technology
Lower power consumption
Noise reduction for quiet drive operation

Crucial Technology 128GB Crucial M225 Series 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive (CT128M225)

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:53:08 -0500

The Crucial M225 series Solid-State Drive is an excellent alternative to a traditional hard drive in notebooks and netbooks. No moving parts provides for a quieter, cooler, and more durable storage solution. It employs an industry-standard interface and dimensions, so it is easy to install. The Crucial brand of memory has long been synonymous with quality, reliability, and performance.

Seagate Pulsar SSD

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:59:31 -0500

The Seagate Pulsar SSD is Seagate's introductory product into the solid state drive market. Solid state hard drives differ from standard drives by containing no moving parts and operate in a similar way to a computer's RAM (or memory). Due to the lack of moving parts, solid state drives produce significantly less heat, less noise, and consume less power than standard drives. SSDs also benefit from a faster start-up time. The Seagate Pulsar SSD is available in 2.5 inch form factor and can hold up to 200GB of information. The drive is intended to be a complementary addition to computing systems, not a replacement of standard drives, specifically targeted to house information that needs to be readily available for instantaneous use at all times.

Features

5 year warranty
data protection to prevent data loss from power outages
2.5 inch form factor and 7mm height
cool, silent device
up to 200GB of storage
RAM-like response time for hard drive information

Corsair Performance Series

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:24:27 -0400

The Corsair Performance Series is an internal SATA II Solid State hard drive that uses a Samsung controller and Samsung MLC NAND flash memory and comes in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities. Read and write speeds are quite fast at 220MB/s and 180MB/s respectively considering the better performing Indilinx Barefoot controller was not used in this model(found in the Extreme Series). Onboard RAM cache has been doubled to 128MB from that version also, with the addition of NCQ support (Native Command Queuing) for a smooth and stutter free performance. A feature called Self-Healing is new with this generation of controllers which is a built in remedy to the speed problems that can plague SSD drives over time. Normally a TRIM feature on the computer's operating system would 'trim' away excess data that the drive didn't erase, now that function has been built into the drive itself so it will maintain top speed throughout its life, although it only clears this data when the system is idle. RAID 0 is also supported which makes running multiple drives together as one drive possible, and more efficient than conventional hard drives in a RAID formation considering SSD drives have very little latency to begin with.

Features

Read: 220MB/second
Write: 180MB/second
64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacity
Onboard cache: 128MB DRAM with NCQ
RAID 0 support
Samsung MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memory
Samsung S3C29RBB01 controller with built in Self-Healing feature
Form Factor: 2.5"
Weight: 80g
Shock resistant to 1500G
1 million hours mean time between failure MTBF

Samsung SS805

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:59:31 -0400

The Samsung SS805 is an eco-friendly solid-state disk drive announced by Samsung at the Storage Visions 2009 Conference as an affordable competitor to traditional 15,000rpm serial-attached SCSI (SAS) hard-disc drives. It is a 2.5”, 100GB SSD drive designed specifically for high-performance servers that handle video-on-demand, internet data centers, and online transaction processing. It relies on single-layer cell NAND flash memory, interleaving NAND flash chips, and multiple parallel channels to increase internal throughput and performance. In fact, Samsung claims that the SS805 can process as much as 100x the # of IOPS per watt as a conventional 2.5” SAS drive. Additonal notable features include a 230MB/s sequential data read speed, 180MB/s sequential write speed, and a power consumption of only 1.9W in active mode.

Features

Solid-State Disk Drive (GREEN)
2.5” / 100GB (100x IOPS)
NAND Flash Memory
Full Data Encryption
Energy Efficient
Enterprise Storage Function

OCZ Agility EX Series

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:50:32 -0400

The OCZ Agility EX Series is an internal 2.5" SATA II Solid State hard drive that comes with a 60GB capacity and 64MB onboard cache. Shock resistance up to 1500G and RAID 0 support are some standout features as well as extremely fast read/write speeds which are 255MB/s and 195MB/s respectively. This is one of the first drives to incorporate a single-level cell (SLC) design at this price point in a market where typically multi-level cell's (MLC) are more affordable. The difference between these two technologies is that SLC offers faster write performance and greater reliability even at higher temperatures while MLC has a larger available storage capacity and is cheaper to manufacture. These drives may be used as enterprise servers to host programs for a large company to access, also they may be used in conjunction with data intensive applications like video editing, where a large process needs to be saved or recalled very quickly. Released in August of 2009, the Agility EX has been tested to be one the fastest SSD drives in this growing market.

Features

Seek Time: less than 0.1ms
60GB capacity
64MB cache
SLC NAND technology
Dimensions: 99.8 X 69.63 X 9.3mm
Weight: 77g
Shock resistant to 1500G
RAID 0 support
1.5 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Patriot KOI

Mon, 03 May 2010 17:55:36 -0400

The KOI solid state drives by Patriot Memory is specially designed for Apple Mac computers. In terms of hardware it is identical to the Torqx SSD line with similar claims of up to 260MB/s read speed and up to 180MB/s write speed. The drive itself does support TRIM but only under Windows 7 and might require not so straight forward updates. Unfortunately the Apple OSX operating system does not support TRIM at the moment. The KOI drives are tested by Apple themselves to ensure capability with their Mac desktop and Macbook products. They come with a 5 year warranty and are available in 128GB or 256GB capacities. As SSDs do not have mechanical parts, they are less prone to failure due to shocks and drops. The KOI's operating power consumption is only 2.75W which is lower than traditional hard drives.

Features / Specifications

Available in 128GB and 256GB capacities
Interface: SATA I/II
Raid Support: 0, 1, 0+1
Sequential Read: up to 260MB/s Sequential Write: up to 180MB/s
64MB DRAM Cache
Operating Consumption & Power: DC 5V, <550mA, 2.75W
Operating Temperature: -10°C~70°C
Data Retention: 5 years at 25°C
Dimensions: 99.88 x 69.63x 9.3 mm, Weight: 91g
5 Year Warranty

Kingston SSDNow Vplus Series

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:34:10 -0400

The Kingston SSDNow V+ Series are affordable solid state drives for users that want a reasonably fast storage media. This is a follow-up to the original V Series, but with larger storage capacities. They connect to a standard SATA II connection and fit into a 2.5in hard drive slot. The maximum read speed is at 230MB/s, and the maximum write is 180MB/s. They use 10 parallel channel architecture, and S.M.A.R.T to detect when the drive may be failing.

Model Variations

The Kingston SSDNow M Series is available in two storage capacities: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB.

Features

64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage capacity
SATA II connection
2.5in form factor
Read : 230MB/s
Write : 180MB/s
10 parallel channel architecture
S.M.A.R.T (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology)
3 year warranty

OCZ Z-Drive p84

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:32:46 -0400

The OCZ Z-Drive p84 is one of two plug-and-play, bootable PCI-E SSD drives released in September 2009. Designed as a “cost-effective means for enterprise customers” seeking to employ SSD technology, the Z-Drive retails in multi-level cell (e84) and single-level cell (p84) formats. The MLC Z-Drive p84 offers an increased capacity up to 1TB, but it offers reduced performance speeds of 640MB/s write and 770MB/s read. Like its predecessor, the p84 works by combining high-speed, 8-lane PCI-E architecture with a four-SSD, enterprise-grade RAID 0 configuration that essentially eliminates the SATA bottleneck. The result is lowered power consumption, enhanced shock resistance, and superior durability, which in turn equates to reduced maintenance costs and more energy savings.

Features

PCI-Express (PCI-E) Solid-State Drive (SSD)
Designed for Enterprise-Level Customers
Multi-Level Cell (MLC)
Fast Read/Write Speeds
Up to a Terabyte Capacity
8-Lane PCI-E Architecture
Four-SSD, RAID 0 Configuration
Eliminates SATA Bottleneck
Lowered Power Consumption
Enhanced Shocko Resistance
Superior Durability
Dedicated Technical Support
3-year Limited Warranty

Specifications

NAND Flash: Single Level (SLC)
Local Cache: 256MB
Sata Controllers: 4
Interface: PCI-e (x8)
MTBF: 1,200,000 Hours
Write Speed: 640+ MB/s
Read Speed: 770+ MB/s

Model Variations

OCZSSDPCIE-ZDP84256G | 256GB
OCZSSDPCIE-ZDP84512G | 512GB
OCZSSDPCIE-ZDP841T | 1TB

OCZ Z-Drive m84

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:32:42 -0400

The OCZ Z-Drive m84 is a plug-and-play, bootable PCI-E SSD drive released in October 2009 as an affordable alternative to the enterprise level e84 and p84. Geared mainly for at-home users and small business owners, the m84 utilizes multi-level cell (MLC) NAND memory and an internal RAID 0 configuration, which together with the PCI-E architecture allows users to avoid a SATA bottleneck. It retails in capacities up to 1TB, and it offers a read speed between 500-750+ MB/s and write speed between 700-800+MB/s, depending on the unit size. Despite its affordability, the m84, like its superior counterparts, provides lowered power consumption, enhanced shock resistance, and superior durability.

Features

PCI-Express (PCI-E) Solid-State Drive (SSD)
Designed for At-Home and Small-Business Owners
Multi-Level Cell (MLC)
Fast Read/Write Speeds
Up to a Terabyte Capacity
8-Lane PCI-E Architecture
Four-SSD, RAID 0 Configuration
Eliminates SATA Bottleneck
Lowered Power Consumption
Enhanced Shock Resistance
Superior Durability
Dedicated Technical Support
3-year Limited Warranty

Specifications

Local Cache: 256MB
Interface: PCI-e (x8)
MTBF: 1,000,000 Hours
Write Speed: 500-750+ MB/s MAX
Read Speed: 700-800+ MB/s MAX

Model Variations

OCZSSDPCIE-ZDM84256G | 256GB - $939.99
OCZSSDPCIE-ZDM84512G | 512GB - $1,814.99
OCZSSDPCIE-ZDM841T | 1TB - $3,808.99

OCZ Z-Drive e84

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:12:26 -0400

The OCZ Z-Drive e84 is one of two plug-and-play, bootable PCI-E SSD drives released in September 2009. Designed as a “cost-effective means for enterprise customers” seeking to employ SSD technology, the Z-Drive retails in multi-level cell (e84) and single-level cell (p84) formats. The SLC Z-Drive e84 provides maximum speeds of 750MB/s write and 800MB/s read, and it’s available in either 256GB or 512GB sizes. It works by combining high-speed, 8-lane PCI-E architecture with a four-SSD, enterprise-grade RAID 0 configuration that essentially eliminates the SATA bottleneck. The result is lowered power consumption, enhanced shock resistance, and superior durability, which in turn equates to reduced maintenance costs and more energy savings.

Features

PCI-Express (PCI-E) Solid-State Drive (SSD)
Designed for Enterprise-Level Customers
Single-Level Cell (SLC)
Ultra-Fast Read/Write Speeds
Up to Half a Terabyte Capacity
8-Lane PCI-E Architecture
Four-SSD, RAID 0 Configuration
Eliminates SATA Bottleneck
Lowered Power Consumption
Enhanced Shocko Resistance
Superior Durability
Dedicated Technical Support
3-year Limited Warranty

Specifications

NAND Flash: Single Level (SLC)
Local Cache: 256MB
Sata Controllers: 4
Interface: PCI-e (x8)
MTBF: 1,200,000 Hours
Write Speed: 750+ MB/s
Read Speed: 800+ MB/s

Model Variations

OCZSSDPCIE-ZDE84256G | 256GB
OCZSSDPCIE-ZDE84512G | 512GB

Cavalry CASD Pelican Series

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:38:53 -0400

The Cavalry CASD Pelican Series is a SATA II Solid State internal hard drive that comes with a USB 2.0 port for optional external use and is available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities. This is a step up from the Eagle Series in terms of capacity but a step down in terms of speed, with a maximum read/write of 130MB/s and 90MB/s respectively. Otherwise it shares the same hardware design with MLC NAND flash memory, 15000G Ultra-shock resistance while operating and the ability to run in temperatures between 0°C to 70°C. As with most SSD's it has a long estimated life span, although less than the Eagle Series which is rated over 2 million hours, the Pelican has a 1.3+ million hour life expectancy. The Pelican Elite Series features much faster read/write speeds although no USB, making it better for professional applications and gaming albeit with no external usability.

Features

Interface: SATA II(internal use), USB 2.0(external use)
Read: 130MB/second
Write: 90MB/second
32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memory
Form Factor: 2.5"
Weight: 0.2 lbs
Shock resistant to 15000G
Operating temperature: 0°C to 70°C
1.3+ million hour life expectancy

Cavalry CASD Eagle Series

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:22:15 -0400

The Cavalry CASD Eagle Series is a Solid State hard drive with SATA II and USB 2.0 connections which make it usable either internally or externally. Available capacities are 32GB and 64GB. Typical of current SSD drives, MLC NAND flash memory has been used giving it almost zero latency and 0.1ms seek time. Sequential read and write speeds of up to 170MB/s and 130MB/s respectively can be achieved along with a random read/write speed of 130MB/s and 45MB/s. Lightweight and durable, the series has been rated at over 2 million hours of operation, can function in temperatures between 0°C and 70°C and has an amazing 15000G of shock resistance while operating. The other model in the CASD series is the Pelican Series which is available in up to 128GB capacities and also has the USB 2.0 interface. Please note that since the product was recently released in September of 2009 there are no pictures of the actual Eagle series available yet, the similar Pelican Series was used instead.

Features

Interface: SATA II(internal use), USB 2.0(external use)
Read: 170MB/second
Write: 130MB/second
32GB and 64GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memory
Form Factor: 2.5"
Weight: 0.2 lbs
Shock resistant to 15000G
Operating temperature: 0°C to 70°C
2 million hour life expectancy

OCZ Solid 2 Series

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:18:24 -0400

The OCZ Solid 2 Series is an internal Solid State(SSD) SATA II hard drive that has 64MB of onboard RAM and is available in 60GB and 120GB capacities. RAID support is featured which makes it possible to run multiple drives as one large large drive, increasing the total storage capacity. Introduced in August of 2009, the Solid 2 Series has some advantages over the original Solid Series including the onboard RAM and the new Indilinx Barefoot controller which is currently the fastest in use by OCZ. The read and write speeds have changed from that version also, with the 2 Series having a slower read speed of 125MB per second yet a faster write speed of 100MB per second. Seek time has been improved as well to less than 0.1ms from <0.2-0.3ms on the original Solid Series. Lifespan of an SSD generally is over a million hours and OCZ has rated their drives at 1.5 million hours before failure, this is due to the fact that they have no moving parts, require half the energy/battery power to operate and perform at ten times the speed of conventional HDD drives.

Features

Seek Time: less than 0.1ms
60GB and 120GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 99.8 X 69.63 X 9.3mm
Weight: 77g
Shock resistant to 1500G
RAID support
1.5 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Model Variations

60GB
- Read: Up to 125 MB/s
- Write: Up to 80 MB/s
120GB
- Read: Up to 125 MB/s
- Write: Up to 100 MB/s

OCZ Solid Series

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:54:44 -0400

The OCZ Solid Series is an entry level Solid State SATA II internal hard drive that is made with MLC NAND technology. Capacities are 30GB, 60GB, 120GB and 120GB and the maximum read and write speeds are 155MB/s and 90MB/s. A mini USB port is also included for the purpose of updating the drives' firmware should new versions become available. OCZ claims that these SSD drives use 50% less power than the most advanced traditional HDD drives with their moving parts and all, while at the same time performing ten times faster. Another benefit is they are so light and compact and use little battery power which makes them ideal for laptops and are a fast growing market. RAID support is also offered which makes it possible to run multiple drives together as one big drive, and they are rated at 1500G of shock resistance. Those seeking even faster performance and onboard RAM might want to check out other OCZ drives such as the Vertex Series.

Features

Read: 155MB/second
Write: 90MB/second
Seek Time: less than 0.2 - 0.3ms
30GB, 60GB, 120GB and 250GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Mini USB port for firmware updates
Dimensions: 99.8 X 69.63 X 9.3mm
Weight: 77g
Shock resistant to 1500G
RAID support
1.5 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Patriot Torqx M28

Mon, 03 May 2010 17:57:01 -0400

The Torqx M28 series is Patriot's performance SSD line. Available only in 128GB and 256GB capacity, the Torqx M28 series is aimed at enthusiasts and users looking for high performance storage solutions. It is equipped with 128 of DRAM cache which is double from the Patriot Torqx line's 64MB. Advertised as an efficient and reliable product the Torqx M28 line is backed by a 10 year warranty. It has read/write speeds of up to 220MB and 200MB respectively along with native RAID support. The Torqx M28 line comes in 2.5'' format like most SSDs but a 3.5'' bracket is included for those who intend to use the drives in a desktop setting.

Features / Specifications

Capacity: 128GB, 256GB
2.5'' SATA I/II Interface
3.5'' Bracket included
Sequential Read: up to 220MB/s, Sequential Write: up to 200MB/s
128MB DRAM Cach
Power Consumption: DC 5V Operating 1.2W
Data Retention: 5+ years at 25°C
Operating Temperature: 0°C~70°C
Shock Resistant: 1500G/0.5ms
10 Year Warranty

Patriot Torqx

Mon, 03 May 2010 17:56:44 -0400

The Torqx line from Patriot is their performance SD line featuring high performance controller from Indilinx. Whilst many cheaper SSDs suffers from low quality controllers and memory modules, the Torqx line uses only quality components. Advertised with read/write speeds of up to 260MB/s and 180MB/s respectively, the Torqx line is faster than many of it's competitions, rivaling the well recommended Intel X25-M drives. The drives are available in the 2.5'' format fitting most laptop computers. The packaging also includes a 3.5'' bracket for desktops. They come with a 10 year warranty from Patriot. The Torqx line comes in 64GB, 1298GB and 256Gb capacities. They are aimed at users looking for top of the line performance.

Features / Specifications

Available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities
Interface: SATA I/II
Raid Support: 0, 1, 0+1
Sequential Read: up to 260MB/s Sequential Write: up to 180MB/s
Operating Consumption & Power: DC 5V <550mA 2.75W
Operating Temperature: 0°C~70°C
Data Retention: 5 years at 25°C
10 Year Warranty
Dimensions: 99.88 x 69.63x 9.3 mm , Weight: 91g
Indilinx Controller

A-DATA 500 Series 2.5" S592

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:21:00 -0400

The A-DATA 500 Series 2.5" S592 SATAII SSD is an internal Solid State hard drive with a maximum read speed of 230MB/s and write speed of 170MB/s thanks to 64MB of onboard mobile SDRAM and is available in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities. Released in July 2009, this is currently the mid-level internal SSD being sold by A-DATA next to their 300 and 700 Series, not including their Intel X25-M based drive. Low power usage and quick start times are a benefit of using SSD drives as well as a major increase in overall speed and lifespan over conventional HDD drives. This is a major update over earlier 500 Series drives which only had a read/write speed of 100MB/s and 90MB/s respectively(the original model number is S591). RAID 0 mode is also supported with the ability to run multiple drives together as one large drive with next to no latency or overheating.

Features

32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GBcapacity
Onboard cache: Mobile SDRAM
RAID 0 support
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memory
Form Factor: 2.5"
Shock resistant
Silent operation
Low power consumption
Windows 7 compatible

Performance

32GB
    Read: Up to 230MB/s
    Write: Up to 150MB/s

64GB
    Read: Up to 230MB/s
    Write: Up to 150MB/s

128GB
    Read: Up to 230MB/s
    Write: Up to 170MB/s

*256GB read/write specs unavailable

Western Digital SiliconDrive III Series

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:11:55 -0400

The Western Digital SiliconDrive III Series is a line of internal SSD drives announced in mid June 2009. Capacities vary between models with the 2.5" SATA and 2.5" PATA versions coming in 15GB, 30GB, 60GB, 90GB and 120GB and the 1.8" Micro SATA version available in 15GB, 30GB, and 60GB. All models share the same WD-developed technology which includes PowerArmor, SiSMART and SolidStor. These have helped the drives achieve a 3 million hour lifespan as well as notify you of a potential failure(SiSMART), protect against a power surge(PowerArmor) and improve overall efficiency and accuracy with the patented data transfer algorithms of SolidStor. Aimed at professional applications and military as well, there is an extended temperature version available in all three models which increases the maximum operational temperature for use in extreme climates. Shock resistance is rated at 1000G's and a maximum operating altitude is also given up to a maximum of 80,000 feet. The inclusion of a PATA version is also a benefit to those institutions and/or users who still use that protocol.

Specifications

2.5" SATA

Read: 100MB/second
Write: 80MB/second
Seek Time: 0.25ms
15GB, 30GB, 60GB, 90GB and 120GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 3.937 X 2.75 X 0.370 inches
Weight: 100g
Shock resistant to 1000G
Standard temperature version: 0° C to 70° C
Extended temperature version: -40° C to 85° C
Non-operating temperature: -55°C to 125°C
Altitude: 80 000 feet max
3 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

1.8" Micro SATA

Read: 100MB/second
Write: 80MB/second
Seek Time: 0.25ms
15GB, 30GB and 60GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 3.081 X 2.126 X 0.197 inches
Weight: 43g
Shock resistant to 1000G
Standard temperature version: 0° C to 70° C
Extended temperature version: -40° C to 85° C
Non-operating temperature: -55°C to 125°C
Altitude: 80 000 feet max
3 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

2.5" PATA

Interface: PATA ATA-7
Read: 85MB/second
Write: 60MB/second
Burst speed: 133MB/second
Seek Time: 0.25ms
15GB, 30GB, 60GB, 90GB and 120GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 3.937 X 2.75 X 0.370 inches
Weight: 100g
Shock resistant to 1000G
Standard temperature version: 0° C to 70° C
Extended temperature version: -40° C to 85° C
Non-operating temperature: -55°C to 125°C
Altitude: 80 000 feet max
3 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Western Digital SiliconDrive III 2.5 PATA

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:13:54 -0400

The Western Digital SiliconDrive III 2.5 PATA is a Parallel ATA version of the WD SiliconDrive III 2.5 SATA drive. WD have provided an option for the older PATA protocol which although is generally slower and doesn't have Hot Plug support for adding a drive with the power still on, has in recent years narrowed the speed gap between itself and SATA to within a 5% margin. The series was introduced in June 2009 and it is WD's first foray into the SSD market, although standout features make it ideal for specific fields including military as well as functioning as a professional business server. The speed has decreased from the SATA version as one would expect with PATA, showing a read speed of 85MB/s and write speed of 60MB/s, although maintaining a 133MB/s burst speed. However the capacities are the same(15GB, 30GB, 60GB, 90GB and 120GB), as well as the 3 million hour MTBF or, mean time between failure and 1000G shock resistance.

Proprietary WD technology is included, extending the lifespan and efficiency including SiSMART which keeps track of worn out and spare blocks, warning you if the drive is going to fail, as well as PowerArmor which safeguards against power surge damage to the drive. As per the company website, the military would benefit from drives like these because of their reliability, and, an extended temperature version is available which increases the operational temperature for use in extreme conditions.

Features

Read: 85MB/second
Write: 60MB/second
Seek Time: 0.25ms
15GB, 30GB, 60GB, 90GB and 120GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 3.937 X 2.75 X 0.370 inches
Weight: 100g
Shock resistant to 1000G
Standard temperature version: 0° C to 70° C
Extended temperature version: -40° C to 85° C
Non-operating temperature: -55°C to 125°C
Altitude: 80 000 feet max
3 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Western Digital SiliconDrive III 2.5

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:44:10 -0400

The Western Digital SiliconDrive III 2.5 is a 2.5" SATA Solid State internal hard drive that comes in 15GB, 30GB, 60GB, 90GB and 120GB capacities. This series was introduced by WD in June of 2009 and is their first SSD to hit the market. Although expensive, they have been rated at 3 million hours mean time between failure which is over twice that of most SSD drives, hence their appeal to military use and professional business servers where system security and reliability are most important. An extended temperature version is also available for use in extreme conditions as well. Western Digital have incorporated a few original technologies to improve the lifespan including a voltage monitoring system called PowerArmor which can detect harmful changes in the power level and suspend data transfer before any damage to the drive is done. Shock resistance has been rated at 1000G's and a 1.8" Micro SATA and 2.5" PATA version are offered as well. SSD drives have advantages of traditional HDD drives because they consume much less power and have no moving parts, are more reliable and have a vastly improved lifespan.

Features

Read: 100MB/second
Write: 80MB/second
Seek Time: 0.25ms
15GB, 30GB, 60GB, 90GB and 120GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 3.937 X 2.75 X 0.370 inches
Weight: 100g
Shock resistant to 1000G
Standard temperature version: 0° C to 70° C
Extended temperature version: -40° C to 85° C
Non-operating temperature: -55°C to 125°C
Altitude: 80 000 feet max
3 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

OCZ Vertex Turbo Series

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:01:44 -0400

The OCZ Vertex Turbo Series is a 2.5" Solid State(SSD) internal SATA II hard drive that comes with 64MB onboard RAM. Available capacities are 30GB, 60GB, 120GB, and 250GB and RAID support is also offered for running multiple drives together. This drive has the fastest read/write speeds in its class at 270MB/s and 210MB/s, which is in part due to the increase in host speed and an upgrade of the onboard RAM cache from the original 166MHz to 180MHz. Basically this is a tweaked version of the original Vertex Series so it shares the same MLC (multi-level cell) construction and compact alloy housing which, along with its total weight of 77g makes it great for laptops. Many of the new OCZ 2009 SSD drives have benefited from an update in controllers which has greatly improved read and write speeds. The Vertex Turbo Series uses an Indilinx Barefoot controller which is currently the top performer, showing up on more and more OCZ drives. SSD drives allow you to boot up your computer or start a large program in just a few seconds simply because they are so fast, as well they use very minimal power since there are no moving parts.

Features

30GB, 60GB, 120GB and 250GB capacity
64MB onboard cache @ 180MHz
Seek Time: less than 0.1ms
MLC NAND technology
Dimensions: 99.8 X 69.63 X 9.3mm
Weight: 77g
Shock resistant to 1500G
RAID support
1.5 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Model Variations

30GB
- Read: Up to 240 MB/s
- Write: Up to 145MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 100MB/s
60GB
- Read: Up to 240 MB/s
- Write: Up to 145MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 100MB/s
120GB
- Read: Up to 270 MB/s
- Write: Up to 200MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 120MB/s
250GB
- Read: Up to 270 MB/s
- Write: Up to 210MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 120MB/s

OCZ Vertex Series

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:27:52 -0400

The OCZ Vertex Series is an internal 2.5" Solid State SATA II hard drive that comes in 30GB, 60GB, 120GB and 250GB capacities. Released in early 2009, the Vertex is the first to use a new Barefoot SSD controller which has improved efficiency and reduced lag. The read/write speeds are 230MB per second and 135MB per second respectively for the 30GB version, and 250MB/sec and 160MB/sec for the 250GB version. RAID 0 (striped) support is also featured which allows you to run multiple drives together and have them recognized as one drive. These work equally well in desktop and laptop computers and are becoming more and more popular with the latter, owing to their indestructible design and super-fast, noiseless and not mention low power consuming construction. They have been rated at 1.5 million hours MTBF (mean time before failure) and come with a three year company warranty.

Features

30GB, 60GB, 120GB and 250GB capacity
Seek Time: less than 0.1ms
64MB onboard cache
MLC NAND technology
Dimensions: 99.8 X 69.63 X 9.3mm
Weight: 77g
Shock resistant to 1500G
RAID 0 support
1.5 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Model Variations

30GB
- Read: Up to 230 MB/s
- Write: Up to 135MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 80MB/s
60GB
- Read: Up to 230 MB/s
- Write: Up to 135MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 70MB/s
120GB
- Read: Up to 250 MB/s
- Write: Up to 180MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 100MB/s
250GB
- Read: Up to 250 MB/s
- Write: Up to 160MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 100MB/s

OCZ Agility Series

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:23:07 -0400

The OCZ Agility Series is an internal 2.5" SATA II Solid State hard drive that is available in 30GB, 60GB and 120GB capacities. This drive is similar to the Agility EX Series with the difference being this one comes in four different capacities whereas the EX only comes in 60GB, while the EX is an SLC (single-level cell) design as opposed to the cheaper and more common MLC (multi-level cell) found here. A notable difference between SLC and MLC would be write speed, which is greater with SLC, although both are SSD and thus share similarly fast performance that is becoming more popular, especially with professional users and gamers. The ability to turn your computer on with almost no wait for the OS to load is a plus, as well as data intensive applications like video editing and rendering where fast data transfer to and from a storage device is crucial. Also there are no moving parts which extends the life of the drive to an estimated 1.5 million hours.

Features

30GB, 60GB and 120GB capacity
64MB onboard cache
Seek Time: less than 0.1ms
MLC NAND technology
Dimensions: 99.8 X 69.63 X 9.3mm
Weight: 77g
Shock resistant to 1500G
RAID 0 support
1.5 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Model Variations

30GB
- Read: Up to 185 MB/s
- Write: Up to 100MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 60MB/s
60GB
- Read: Up to 230 MB/s
- Write: Up to 135MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 80MB/s
120GB
- Read: Up to 230 MB/s
- Write: Up to 135MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 80MB/s

Kingston SSDNow E Series

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:10:46 -0400

The Kingston SSDNow E Series are solid state hard drives for users who need very fast storage media, or for networks that have certain data that gets accessed often. Their storage capacity is generally smaller than the average hard drive, but they make up for it with high access speeds. They read at up to 250MB/s and write at up to 170MB/s. They go in a 2.5in bay via a SATA II connection, and carry a 3 year warranty.

Model Variations

The Kingston SSDNow E Series is available in two storage capacities: 32GB and 64GB.

Features

32GB and 64GB storage capacity
SATA II connection
2.5in form factor
Read : 250MB/s
Write : 170MB/s
Optimized for server environments
3 year warranty

Kingston SSDNow M Series

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:42:19 -0500

The Kingston SSDNow M Series are solid state hard drives for users who need very fast storage media. These drives are similar to the E Series, but have increased storage capacity. They read at up to 250MB/s and write at up to 170MB/s. They also have S.M.A.R.T, which will warn users when a drive is about to fail. They install into a 2.5in bay via a SATA II connection, and carry a 3 year warranty.

Model Variations

The Kingston SSDNow M Series is available in two storage capacities: 80GB and 160GB.

Features

80GB and 160GB storage capacity
SATA II connection
2.5in form factor
Read : 250MB/s
Write : 170MB/s
10 parallel channel architecture
S.M.A.R.T (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology)
3 year warranty

Western Digital SiliconDrive II 2.5" PATA

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:08:10 -0400

The Western Digital SiliconDrive II 2.5" PATA is an internal 2.5" Solid State (SSD) hard drive that use the PATA ATA-5 interface and comes in 4GB and 8GB capacities. Offering modest read and write speeds of 34MB/s and 19MB/s compared to the faster SiliconDrive III Series that replaced it in the summer of 2009, this drive retains all of the standard WD technologies found in their SSDs including a top rated life expectancy of 4 million hours. Durability is a prominent feature in all of WDs SiliconDrive Series which make it suitable for use in military and high security applications, and is even available in an extended temperature version for use in extreme conditions. Other WD proprietary technologies have been included as well like SiSecure which safeguards data, PowerArmor for protecting against power surges or brown outs, and SiSMART which monitors drive condition and warns of any potential failure. A PATA CF card version is the other drive in this series which is actually a CF card that has the same features and comes with more capacity options of up to 16GB.

Specifications

Interface: PATA ATA-5
Form factor: 2.5-inch Drive
Read: 34MB/second
Write: 19MB/second
Seek Time: 2ms
4GB, 8GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 3.937 X 2.75 X 0.370 inches
Weight: 0.046 Pounds
Shock resistant to 1000G
Standard temperature version: 0° C to 70° C
Extended temperature version: -40° C to 85° C
Non-operating temperature: -55°C to 125°C
Altitude: 80 000 feet max
4 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Western Digital SiliconDrive PC Card

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:29:48 -0400

The SiliconDrive PC Card is a PCMCIA PC Card with solid state storage from Western Digital's SiliconDrive Series. The drive offers a maximum read/write speed of 8/6 MB/s and is available in storage capacities ranging from 1GB to 16GB. For more information see the Western Digital SiliconDrive Series report.

Features/Specs

PowerArmor Technology
SiSMART Technology
SolidStor Technology
Optional SiSecure Technology
PCMCIA PC Card - Solid State Drive
Interface: PATA ATA-3
Max Read/Write Speeds: 8/6 MB/s
Available Capacities: 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB. 16GB
5 year warranty

Western Digital SiliconDrive PATA CF (ATA-5)

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:24:51 -0400

The SiliconDrive PATA CF (ATA-5) is a Compact Flash Solid State Drive from Western Digital's SiliconDrive Series. The drive offers a maximum read/write speed of 20/12 MB/s and is available in storage capacities ranging from 1GB to 4GB. For more information see the Western Digital SiliconDrive Series report.

Features/Specs

PowerArmor Technology
SiSMART Technology
SolidStor Technology
Compact Flash Solid State Drive
Interface: PATA ATA-5
Max Read/Write Speeds: 20/12 MB/s
Available Capacities: 1GB, 2GB, 4GB
5 year warranty

Western Digital SiliconDrive PATA CF (ATA-3)

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:20:23 -0400

The SiliconDrive PATA CF (ATA-3) is a Compact Flash Solid State Drive from Western Digital's SiliconDrive Series. The drive offers a maximum read/write speed of 8/6 MB/s and is available in storage capacities ranging from 1GB to 8GB. For more information see the Western Digital SiliconDrive Series report.

Features/Specs

PowerArmor Technology
SiSMART Technology
SolidStor Technology
Optional SiSecure Technology
Compact Flash Solid State Drive
Interface: PATA ATA-3
Max Read/Write Speeds: 8/6 MB/s
Available Capacities: 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB
5 year warranty

Western Digital SiliconDrive 2.5" PATA

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:55:13 -0400

The SiliconDrive 2.5" PATA is a 2.5" Solid State Drive from Western Digital's SiliconDrive Series. The drive offers a maximum read/write speed of 8/6 MB/s and is available in storage capacities ranging from 1GB to 16GB. For more information see the Western Digital SiliconDrive Series report.

Features/Specs

PowerArmor Technology
SiSMART Technology
SolidStor Technology
Optional SiSecure Technology
2.5" Solid State Drive
Interface: PATA ATA-3
Max Read/Write Speeds: 8/6 MB/s
Available Capacities: 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB. 16GB
5 year warranty

Western Digital SiliconDrive Series

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:44:31 -0400

The SiliconDrive Series is Western Digital's first generation of solid state storage options that are designed to require low power. The series features Western Digital's PowerArmor technology which reduces the chance of drive failures as well as SolidStor technology which provides high performance and reliability. It also utilizes SiSMART which monitors the usage and predicts the remaining life. The SiliconDrive Series comprises a variety of drives including a 2.5" PATA, two Compact Flash, and PC Card solid state storage options. The series comes with a 5 year limited warranty from Western Digital.

Features/Specs

PowerArmor Technology
SiSMART Technology
SolidStor Technology
Optional SiSecure Technology
Solid State Drive
5 year warranty

Models

Cavalry CASD-P2 Pelican Elite Series

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:21:55 -0400

The Cavalry CASD-P2 Pelican Elite Series is the top of the line internal SSD drive from Cavalry which comes with a SATA II interface. Read and write speeds of 250MB/s and 200MB/s respectively can be achieved which suggest a faster SLC (single-level cell) as opposed to an MLC (multi-level cell) design, although the company has not specified which is used. Unlike the Pelican and Eagle series which also have a USB 2.0 port for external operation, the Pelican Elite only has SATA II, but is made up for in it's speed and greater available capacity of up to 256GB. Other features common to the whole CASD line are shock resistance to a whopping 15000G's, operating temperature of between 0°C and 70°C and protective metal casing. SSD drives are a quickly growing industry because unlike conventional HDD drives they have no moving parts, which dramatically improves reliability and lifespan and requires significantly less power to operate.

Features

Interface: SATA II(internal use)
Read: 250MB/second
Write: 200MB/second
64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash memory
Form Factor: 2.5"
Weight: 0.2 lbs
Shock resistant to 15000G
Operating temperature: 0°C to 70°C
1.3+ million hour life expectancy

OCZ Summit Series

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:40:36 -0400

The OCZ Summit Series is a 2.5" SATA II internal Solid State hard drive that comes with 128MB onboard cache and is available in 60GB, 120GB and 250GB capacities. It has been designed to benefit business professionals and gaming enthusiasts as well as entry-level enterprise applications. The drive has no moving parts and like all SSD drives does not require defragmentation, uses little power and is ideal for laptops because it is so light and compact. MLC (multi-level cell) construction has been used which has a greater storage capacity than the newer, more expensive and reliable SLC (single-level cell) format although it is the industry standard until SLC becomes more affordable. RAID is also supported so multiple drives can run together and be recognized by the computer as one drive. The 128MB of onboard RAM make this drive stand out as a workhorse in any high-end processing application including video editing and gaming, and as a host of computer programs that are accessed frequently from other company computers(enterprise server).

Features

60GB, 120GB and 250GB capacity
64MB onboard cache
Seek Time: less than 0.1ms
MLC NAND technology
Dimensions: 99.8 X 69.63 X 9.3mm
Weight: 77g
Shock resistant to 1500G
RAID 0 support
1.5 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Model Variations

60GB
- Read: Up to 220MB/s
- Write: Up to 125MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 120MB/s
120GB
- Read: Up to 220MB/s
- Write: Up to 200MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 200MB/s
250GB
- Read: Up to 220MB/s
- Write: Up to 200MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 200MB/s

Intel X25-E Extreme

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:54:20 -0400

The Intel X25-E Extreme is an SLC-based flash solid-state disk drive released as a replacement to the MLC-based X25-M. The single-level cell (SLC) NAND technology allows it direct access to each bit of data, which in turn enables much better performance for random access and write operations. Suffice it to say, the X-25-E Extreme is built specially for high-end servers operating enterprise-level applications. And unlike a conventional hard-disc drive, the X25-E can handle a greater workload with less space, zero cooling, and bare-minimum power consumption. It is available in either a 32GB or 64GB format; both deliver 170MB/s sequential writing and 250MB/s sequential writing.

Features

SLC-Based SSD
NAND Technology
Zero Cooling
Energy Efficient

Specifications

Model Name: Intel X25-E Extreme SATA Solid-State Drive
Capacity: 32/64GB
NAND Flash: Intel Single Level (SLC) NAND Flash Memory
NAND Flash: 10 Parallel Channel Architecture w/50nm SLC ONFI 1.0 NAND
Bandwidth (Write): Sequential up to 170MB/s
Bandwidth (Read): Sequential up to 250MB/s
Ready Latency: 75 microseconds

OCZ Vertex EX Series

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:35:56 -0400

The OCZ Vertex EX Series is an internal 2.5" SATA II Solid State hard drive that has been designed to work with enterprise servers and anyone demanding ultra-fast failsafe storage. This drive is faster than the OCZ Agility EX Series, boasting read and write speeds of 260MB per second and 210MB per second respectively for the 120GB model and it has a sustained write speed of 100MB per second which is the same as the Agility EX. Released in early and mid 2009, these drives are part of a new wave of affordable SLC (single-level cell) designs which are more expensive to produce than the common yet slower and more heat sensitive MLC (multi-level cell) design. Although pricier, this technology is currently the fastest SSD format and is very reliable with no moving parts. Combined with super fast transfer rates it is ideal for video or audio editing applications where large amounts of data must be saved and recalled extremely quickly, and in this case where the series has even been given an 'Enterprise' designation making it useful as an enterprise server with top speed and fail-safe operation. To quickly explain, an enterprise server is a central computer to an internet based company, where programs specific only to that company are located and accessed.

Features

60GB and 120GB capacity
64MB onboard cache
Seek Time: less than 0.1ms
SLC NAND technology
Dimensions: 99.8 X 69.63 X 9.3mm
Weight: 77g
Shock resistant to 1500G
RAID 0 support
1.5 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Model Variations

60GB
- Read: Up to 260 MB/s
- Write: Up to 200MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 100MB/s
120GB
- Read: Up to 260 MB/s
- Write: Up to 210MB/s
- Sustained Write: Up to 100MB/s

G-Tech G-RAID mini2 SSD

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:06:42 -0400

The G-Tech G-RAID mini2 SSD is an external solid state hard drive which comes in 256GB and 512GB capacity. Two drives are contained inside the unit which can operate as one whole drive (RAID 0, 'Performance') or as two mirror drives (RAID 1, 'Safe'). Performance mode means twice the available space and faster operation, while Safe mode only gives you access to one drive, as it creates a backup of all data on the second drive for safety. G-Tech have retained the usual 'Quad' of connection options with this drive including 3Gbit eSATA, Firewire 800, Firewire 400, and USB 2.0. An AC adapter is included for instances where laptop or USB power is not enough. The G-RAID mini2 SSD is made from lightweight aluminum, which not only compliments the look of Mac G5 computers but acts as a heat sink as well. There is an internal cooling fan as well which is necessary since there are two drives. Being a solid state drive, there are no moving parts or magnetic disks but rather a series of chips. This has improved shock resistance and overall speed dramatically and is quickly becoming more popular especially with mobile computers. As of now, unfortunately, solid state drives are quite expensive and still only available to those who can afford it.

Features

2 Solid State(SSD) drives with switchable RAID 0 and RAID 1 mode
256GB and 512GB capacity
1500 G shock resistance while operating
3Gbit eSATA, Firewire 800, Firewire 400 and USB 2.0 connections
A/C connection (adapter included)
Cooling fan with aluminum heat sink enclosure
Dimensions: 5.875" x 3.25" x 1.5" / 149 x 83 x 38 mm
Leather carrying case and all necessary cables included

OCZ 64GB Core Series SATA II 2.5" SSD (OCZSSD2-1C64G)

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:35:52 -0400

The description on this report is copy and pasted marketing material. The description should be rewritten to provide the facts from a neutral point of view, as per ProductWiki policy and guidelines.

The OCZ Core Series delivers the performance and reliability of the latest SSDs at a 50% less price per gigabyte than other high speed offerings currently on the market.

OCZ Core Series Solid State Drives enable enhanced productivity in everyday computing and intensive multi-tasking applications. Perfect for notebooks, the Core Series is ideal for energy-efficient mobile computing to extend battery life, increase access time, and provide a durable alternative to conventional hard disc drives with superior shock resistance. High capacities and low power consuming NAND flash technology provide the necessary performance and battery life boosts generated by the proliferation of mobile gaming and new ultra-thin laptops. With fast access and seek times combined with excellent reliability, the OCZ Core Series SSDs are the answer for consumers demanding this latest storage technology.

The drives feature a durable yet lightweight alloy housing, and because OCZ SSDs have no moving parts, the drives are not prone to damage from common mishandling. Designed for ultimate reliability, these SSDs have an excellent 1.5 million hour mean time before failure (MTBF) ensuring peace of mind over the long term. All Core Series SSD drives come backed a two year warranty and OCZ’s legendary service and support.

Core series SSD drives deliver incredible 120-143 MB/s 80-93 MB/s read/write speeds and seek times of less than 0.35ms, making the Core series up to 10x as fast on a seek-time basis and up to 40% faster on a R/W basis that the best performing 2.5" HDDs on the market, all while consuming 50% less power.

Read 120-143 MB/sec
Write 80-93 MB/sec
Slim 2.5" Design
100.2 x 70 x 9.3mm
Lightweight 77g
Operating Temp: -10C ~ +70C
Storage Temp: -55C ~ +140C
Low Power Consumption
Shock Resistant 1500G
RAID Support
MTBF 1.5 million hours
2 year warranty

Western Digital SiliconDrive II Series

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:48:39 -0400

The Western Digital SiliconDrive II Series is a line of internal PATA Solid State (SSD) hard drives consisting of the SiliconDrive II 2.5 and the SiliconDrive II PATA CF. The latter of the two is in the form of a CF card which is ultra compact and only 3.3mm thick, although it is compatible with the 2.5" form factor with the use of an adapter and therefore can be used as an internal drive. Both drives share the usual suite of onboard WD technologies including the patented SolidStor data transfer algorithms, SiSMART early warning system and PowerArmor surge protection. They also sport an improved lifespan rating of 4,000,000 hours MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) over the much faster SiliconDrive III Series that replaced them in June of 2009 but hey whats a couple million hours here or there? Read and write speeds are 34MB/s and 19MB/s respectively for both drives and shock resistance of 1000g's and operational altitude of 80,000ft is also featured. Military and high security applications have been targeted by WD with their SSD drives which also come in extended temperature versions for reliable operation in extreme climates.

Specifications

SiliconDrive II 2.5

Interface: PATA ATA-5
Form factor: 2.5-inch Drive
Read: 34MB/second
Write: 19MB/second
Seek Time: 2ms
4GB, 8GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 3.937 X 2.75 X 0.370 inches
Weight: 0.046 Pounds
Shock resistant to 1000G
Standard temperature version: 0° C to 70° C
Extended temperature version: -40° C to 85° C
Non-operating temperature: -55°C to 125°C
Altitude: 80 000 feet max
4 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

SiliconDrive PATA CF

Interface: PATA ATA-5
Form factor: Compact Flash (CF)
Read: 34MB/second
Write: 19MB/second
Seek Time: 2ms
1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and 16GB capacity
MLC (multi-level cell) NAND technology
Dimensions: 1.433 X 1.685 X 0.130 inches
Weight: 109.769 gm
Shock resistant to 1000G
Standard temperature version: 0° C to 70° C
Extended temperature version: -40° C to 85° C
Non-operating temperature: -55°C to 125°C
Altitude: 80 000 feet max
4 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure)

Intel X18-M Mainstream

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:39:43 -0400

The Intel X18-M Mainstream is an MLC-based, 1.8” solid-state disk drive geared toward regular laptop/desktop PCs. It is the 1.8” counterpart to the 2.5” X-25M. It combines Intel’s NAND flash memory technology with a high-performance controller to deliver a 250MB/sec sustained read rate and 70MB/sec write speed. And unlike a conventional hard-disc drive, the X18-M can handle a greater workload with less space, zero cooling, and bare-minimum power consumption. And since there are no moving heads or rotating players, there is much improved latency and a far superior Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS). It retails in two sizes: 80GB, 160GB.

Features

MLC-Based SSD
NAND Technology
Zero Cooling
Energy Efficient

Specifications

Model Name: Intel X18-M Mainstream SATA Solid-State Drive
Capacity: 80/160GB
NAND Flash: 10 Parallel Channel Architecture w/50nm MLC ONFI 1.0
Bandwidth (Write): Sequential up to 250MB/s
Bandwidth (Read): Sequential up to 70MB/s
Read Latency: 85 microseconds
Interface: SATA I/II

G-Tech G-DRIVE mini SSD

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:12:53 -0400

The G-Tech G-DRIVE mini SSD is an external hard drive that runs on solid state technology. Solid state means that there is no delicate disk mechanism but instead, all of the data is stored on a series of chips. This is more durable, safe and more practical for mobile computers and external devices(the picture at right shows a cross-section of the inside, it does not actually have a hole in the top). There is no fan and the enclosure is made from brushed-aluminum which also acts as a heat sink for dissipating heat from the inside. Connections for USB 2.0, Firewire 400 and Firewire 800 are located on the back as well as an AC port for laptops that can't supply enough power(ac adapter sold separately). The mini SSD is designed to work with Mac OS X right out of the box, and is recognized by Time Machine as soon as it is plugged in. Windows however requires a format of the drive before it can be used. The speed of this drive has been tested at top spec, especially when using USB, although at a cost. Fortunately the 128GB model only costs half as much.

Features

128GB and 256GB versions available
Solid state design(no disk or moving parts)
Brushed aluminum heat sink enclosure
USB 2.0, Firewire 400 and Firewire 800 connectivity
Very fast, quiet operation
AC power optional(if required) sold separately
Includes: 1 Meter FireWire 800 Cable (white), 1 Meter FireWire 400 Cable (white), 1 Meter USB 2.0 Cable (white), Leather Travel Pouch
Drive type: SSD
Size 4.94" x 3.19" x .875" / 125 x 81 x 22mm
Weight: 0.55 lbs / 0.25 kg

Centon VS1 Diamond Series

Mon, 03 May 2010 19:23:35 -0400