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OCZ Vector SSD Spotted - Indilinx Barefoot 3 Controller

Subject: Storage | September 11, 2012 - 09:48 PM |
Tagged: ocz, idf, idf 2012, vector, ssd, Indilinx, barefoot 3

While wandering around San Francisco today, I was stopped by a stranger on the corner of Market and 4th to show me something he found outside the convention hall.  It LOOKS like an SSD PCB but what do you think?

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What you have here is a the internals of a new OCZ Technology SSD brand called Vector that will sit ABOVE the Vertex 4 in the product stack.  This SSD uses the as yet unreleased Indilinx Barefoot 3 controller.

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The drive should be available sometime in Q4 of this year and it marks the first complete Indilinx controller design - no Marvell or other third party intellectual property to be found.

That's all we know for now but you can be sure we'll have the details as they are released!!

Source: PC Perspective

Western Digital Hybrid Hard Drives: 5mm 500GB Sampling

Subject: General Tech, Systems, Storage | September 10, 2012 - 05:50 PM |
Tagged: ultrabook, ssd caching, ssd, Hard Drive

Western Digital has been sampling 5mm-thin 2.5” hard drives designed for Ultrabooks. They have currently announced partnerships with Acer and ASUS to include these drives in future ultrathin laptops. Western Digital has currently only listed capacities of 500GB for the spindle portion of the drive but no word how much MLC flash will be included to cache most used files. The product will be discussed during the company’s investor day on the 13th of this month.

At this stage SSDs are pretty much the missing link to a fast and responsive computer.

Prices have dropped to under one dollar per gigabyte ($1/GB) a few months ago with some models reaching 70c/GB – and those are the good ones too. The massive drop in price is still about an order of magnitude more expensive than spindle hard drives and consumers are using whatever space they can get. Several solutions exist to balance the speed of SSDs with the storage effectiveness of HDDs.

One solution is to include both in a single drive and keep the most used data in the SSD cache. Western Digital has just released samples of 5mm-thin hybrid hard drives for OEMs to put in extremely thin laptops.

I wonder if they're feeling chip-er...

Users who purchase laptops often have the mistaken assumption that a faster processor directly leads to increased response. That is certainly the case when comparing an Intel Atom to an i5 – but an i3 will probably spend just as much time idle and awaiting instructions from the hard drive as an i5 would.

Western Digital has not broken the SSD market despite their long success with spindle storage. It makes sense that Western Digital will push into the market with the starting point from which they are most comfortable. Western Digital has been shipping SSDs for over two-and-a-half years at this point but never really gained any traction.

It looks like Western Digital is realizing that they need to mix SSDs with what they know best and do something innovative to get a unique hook in the market – buying just a little more time.

The drive which has been announced today will contain a storage capacity of 500GB with an undisclosed amount of MLC NAND flash memory caching the most used data. The hook to differentiate themselves from other hybrid hard drives is its size: 5mm compared to the more common 9.5mm.

The Ultrabook market could be a lucrative wave to ride for the time being and give them even more capital to invest future SSDs. Hopefully they will not wait for solid state storage to creep up on them twice. Fool you once…

Western Digital is expected to discuss and showcase this product more at their Western Digital Investor Day on this Thursday, September 13th, 2012.

Source: Western Digital

Corsair's newest SSD is the bomb!

Subject: Storage | September 7, 2012 - 08:24 PM |
Tagged: LAMD, Amber, corsair, neutron

The new kid in the SSD controller wars is LAMD, or Link_A_Media which is paired with 256GB of IMFT 25nm NAND in the new Corsair Neutron SSD.  [H]ard|OCP loved what they saw, the lowest recorded latency in their max read tests and their max write tests.  This great result may not shock those of you who have encountered LAMD in the past, they have provided enterprise class products for a long time now, they are only new to the consumer/enthusiast market.  Check out the next great SSD controller on the market, which will hopefully drive Indilinx, Intel and Sandforce to better their upcoming controllers.

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"Corsair innovates as the first company to market a consumer LAMD controlled SSD. While the Corsair line currently utilizes both of the highest performing controllers on the market, the new LAMD controller has generated more than its fair share of interest, so we take a look and see how the newest entrant to the SSD realm fares."

Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:

Storage

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Deal for September 4th - Plextor 256GB SSD for $195

Subject: General Tech, Storage | September 4, 2012 - 06:11 PM |
Tagged: ssd, plextor, deal of the day

Today's deal comes from TigerDirect and will allow you jump on the SSD bandwagon for a more than reasonable price.  How does a 256GB Plextor M5 series SSD for just $195 with free shipping sound? 

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Source: LogicBuy

Western Digital Releases 2TB Thunderbolt-connected My Book VelociRaptor Duo

Subject: Storage | August 30, 2012 - 10:49 PM |
Tagged: western digital, WD, VelociRaptor, my book, duo

We took a look at the 1TB VelociRaptor back in April. Well now Western Digital went and stuck a pair of them into an oversized My Book chassis, connected it via Thunderbolt, and voala:

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This is a nice little external storage device that can be configured as a RAID 0 or 1. My Book Duos can even be daisychained to support RAID 10! Daisychaining allows up to four My Book Duos to be connected simultaneously. The price is a bit steep, but seems to be in-line with other Thunderbolt enabled products. More to follow once we get a sample in for review!

Source: My Book VelociRaptor Duo product page

Deals for August 28th - Kingston SSDNow V+200 120GB SSD for $70

Subject: Editorial, Storage | August 28, 2012 - 05:40 PM |
Tagged: ssd, kingston, deal of the day

Top Deal

120GB Kingston SSDNow V+200 SATA 6Gb/s SSD for $70 (normally $90).

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Cheaper and cheaper SSDs continue to find their way to our deals pages!!

Laptops

Rare $150 coupon code gives lowest price ever on Core i7 model of Inspiron 17R Special Edition

17.3" Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition Core i7-3610QM 2.3GHz Quad-core Ivy Bridge Laptop w/8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 1GB GeForce GT 650M & 1080p LCD for $950 with free shipping (normally $1,139 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

15.4" Apple MacBook Pro (MC975LL/A) Core i7 2.3GHz Quad-core Laptop w/8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Retina Display & 1GB GeForce GT 650M for $2,150 with free shipping (normally $2,199).

Lowest price we've seen on this Inspiron 14z Core i3 Laptop bundle

14" Dell Inspiron 14z Core i3-2350M 2.3GHz Dual-core thin & light Aluminum-body Laptop w/4GB RAM, 500GB HDD & Adobe Elements 9 Bundle for $430 with free shipping (normally $600 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

14" Samsung Series 5 (NP530U4B-A01US) Core i5-2467M 1.6GHz Dual-core Ultrabook (Refurbished) w/4GB RAM, 500GB HDD + 16GB Express Cache for $675 (normally $900).

11.6" ASUS Zenbook UX21E-DH52 Core i5-2467M 1.6GHz Dual-core Ultrabook w/4GB RAM, 128GB SSD for $904 with free shipping (normally $1000 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

Desktops

23" Dell Inspiron One 2330 Core i7-3770s 3.1GHz Quad-core 1080p All-in-one PC w/8GB RAM, 2TB HDD for $1,000 with free shipping (normally $1,200).

HP Pavilion p7-1380t Core i5-2320 3GHz Quad-core Desktop w/6GB RAM, 1TB HDD for $480 with free shipping (normally $650 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

Dell Optiplex 990 Core i5-2500 3.3GHz Quad-core Desktop w/4GB RAM, 250GB SATA III HDD, Windows 7 Professional & $100 Gift card for $669 with free shipping (normally $1,199 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

20" Dell Inspiron One 2020 Core i3 All-in-one PC w/6GB RAM, 1TB Hard Drive, Wireless Keyboard + Mouse Bundle for $600 with free shipping (normally $750 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

Monitors

27" HP ZR2740w 2560 x 1440 LED-Backlit IPS Monitor for $690 (normally $730).

27" I-Inc IL272DPB 1080p 2ms LED-backlit LCD Monitor for $200 (normally $300).

24" Viewsonic VX2450wm-LED 1080p LED-Backlit Monitor for $180 with free shipping (normally $220).

Tablets

10.1" ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime 32GB Android 4.0 Quad-Core Tablet (pre-owned) for $290 with free shipping (normally $350 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

7" Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 8GB Android 4.0 Tablet + $50 Gift Card for $250 with free shipping (normally $300).

Peripherals

500GB Lenovo F360 Portable USB 2.0 Hard Drive (Black) for $66 with free shipping (noramlly $99 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

256GB Crucial M4 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s 7mm Internal SSD (CT256M4SSD1) for $209 with free shipping (normally $220).

120GB OCZ Vertex 3 2.5" SATA III Internal SSD (VTX3-25SAT3-120G) for $100 (normally $139).

120GB Kingston SSDNow V+200 SATA 6Gb/s SSD for $70 (normally $90).

64GB CentonDataStick Waterproof USB 2.0 Flash Drive for $30 (normally $40)

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB GDDR5 Video Card for $300 (normally $320>).

Dell WM311 3-Button Wireless Mouse (Glossy Tomato Red) for $20 with free shipping (normally $30).

Konica Minolta Magicolor 3730DN Laser Printer for $199 with free shipping (normally $399).

HP LaserJet Pro 400 Color Printer (M451dn) for $380 with free shipping (normally $500 - use coupon code 20LOGICBUY).

Home Entertainment:

73" Mitsubishi WD-73C12 73" 1080p 3D DLP HDTV w/2 Year Warranty for $1,000 with free shipping (normally $1,400).

60" LG 60PA5500 1080p Plasma HDTV for $900 with free shipping (normally $1,100).

55" TCL LE55FHDF3300 1080p 240Hz LED HDTV for $700with free shipping (normally $800 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

55" Samsung UN55EH6070 3D 240Hz 1080p LED HDTV + Blu-ray Player Bundle for $1,200 with free shipping (normally $1,500 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

50" LG 50PA5500 1080p Plasma HDTV for $600 with free shipping (normally $1,000).

47" LG 47LS4600 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV for $700 with free shipping (normally $850).

40" Samsung LN40E550 1080p LCD HDTV for $428 with free shipping (normally $500)

Harman Kardon HKTS 60BQ 5.1 Home Theater System + Yamaha 5.1-Channel Receiver for $699.99 (normally $800 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Integrated Wi-Fi 3D Blu-ray Player for $113 with free shipping (normally $139).

Personal Portables & Peripherals:

16MP Nikon Coolpix S9300 Red Digital Camera for $240 with free shipping (normally $279 - use coupon code on LogicBuy).

Sony MHSTS10/B Bloggie Touch Camcorder w/ Sony Softcase and HDMI Cable for $80 with free shipping (normally $100).

14MP Olympus Tough TG-320 Digital Camera Bundle for $131 with free shipping (normally $159).

Miscellaneous:

Logitech Harmony 1100 Infrared Universal Remote for $244 with free shipping (normally $300 - use coupon code USMEDALS.

Ultrasone HFI-580 S-Logic Surround Sound Headphones + $2 MP3 Credit for $120 with free shipping (normally $150).

Source: LogicBuy

Synology refreshes DiskStation line with DS213 and DS213+

Subject: Storage | August 28, 2012 - 09:45 AM |
Tagged: synology, NAS, diskstation

Today Synology launched an updated revision to their DS212 and DS212+. We looked at the DiskStation 212+ as part of our ioSafe review.

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The new DS213 models boast further improvements to their predecessors:

DS213+ Hardware Highlights

  • Dual-core
  • Floating-point to greatly accelerate decoding and encoding

DS213 Hardware Highlights

  • Equipped with SD slot
  • 2 USB 3.0 slots

Business Usage:

  • Support for backups from Windows® and Mac OS X clients
  • Centralized file sharing using common network protocols
  • ACL support for granular, file-level control
  • ADS support up to 100,000 users and groups
  • Granular notification system via email, SMS, and push
  • Antivirus package

Pricing:

DS213 $299 and DS213+ $369 respectively.

Press blast after the break.

Source: Synology Product Page

Corsair's new Neutron family of SSDs with the brand new LAMD controller

Subject: Storage | August 27, 2012 - 06:31 PM |
Tagged: Link A Media, LAMD, corsair, neutron, neutron gtx, ssd, LM87800

We have certainly seen a lot of new versions of SSD controllers from companies well established in the market but there haven't been any new companies join the market until earlier this month.  Corsair unveiled their new Neutron series of SSDs, featuring the new  LM87800 controller from Link A Media.  Both models contain a pair of Samsung DDR2-800 128MB DRAM cache for a total of 256MB of cache, the difference is in the flash, with the GXT sporting eight 32GB modules of Toshiba Toggle Mode 24nm NAND while the non-GTX model has sixteen 16GB modules of synchronous Micron 25nm NAND.  Check out SSD Reviews article to see how that effects the performance.

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"It is always an exciting time when a new controller makes it’s way on to the SSD scene. It is like seeing a new contender in any sporting event and predicting their success based on the balance of strength and inexperience. Our analysis today examines the new Link A Media (LAMD) 6Gbps controller found within the Corsair Neutron and Neutron GTX SSDs. Watch as the Neutron delivers a first round knockout."

Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:

Storage

Source: SSD Review

Corsair's Accelerator ... cache me if you can!

Subject: Storage | August 22, 2012 - 06:49 PM |
Tagged: ssd, Nvelo Dataplex, Intel SRT, corsair, cache, accelerator series

Forget Intel SRT, the Corsair Accelerator Series cache SSDs and the Nvelo Dataplex software which come with them will give you the best of both your HDD and SSD and increase both read and write speeds of commonly accessed data.  Part of the effectiveness of these drive comes thanks to the fact that they move frequently access data blocks and not entire files, ensuring only the bits you need to read quickly end up on the SSD and it is not filled with tag along data that is accessed infrequently.  [H]ard|OCP found themselves more impressed with these drives than they expected to, seeing boot times that matched an OS installed on an SSD after only two reboots as well as improved launch speeds on their most used programs.  As you can pick up the 60GB model for $70 after MIR and the 30GB model for $45 the price per gigabyte might not match larger SSDs but the actual cost is so low it makes it a very worthy upgrade.

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"One of the hottest applications for consumer SSDs is using data caching to accelerate the performance of traditional spinning hard disks in your PC. We look at Corsairs Accelerator Series of caching SSDs to test the performance of these value-centric approaches to providing you a better computing experience."

Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:

Storage

Source: [H]ard|OCP

OCZ Technology to Showcase Its Latest Enterprise Storage Solutions at Flash Memory Summit 2012

Subject: Storage | August 20, 2012 - 06:00 PM |
Tagged: z-drive R4 CloudServ, talos 2, ssd, PCIe SSD, ocz, Intrepid 3, indilinx everest 2, flash memory

If you can get out of work and make it to Santa Clara, OCZ has some enterprise level SSDs to show you, in both standard drive format as well as PCIe SSDs.  They are showing off performance under Linux as well as Windows, so no matter what your infrastructure is based off of you should be able to find something to accelerate your businesses data.  All the information to get you there can be found on their Flash Memory Summit post.

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SAN JOSE, CA—August 20, 2012—OCZ Technology Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:OCZ), a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, will showcase its latest storage products, encompassing a mix of both solid state drives and software solutions, at this year’s Flash Memory Summit, Booth #208, Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, California, from August 21st through August 23rd.

Demonstrating SSD products along with recent partner implementations, OCZ will showcase a comprehensive lineup of innovative solutions for business, server, and OEM clients. This includes product presentations of both the impending Intrepid 3 SATA III-based SSD solution based on the company’s Indilinx Everest 2 architecture, along with the company’s leading PCI Express (PCIe)-based Z-Drive R4 featuring new Linux Acceleration software (LXL) that unleashes the full performance potential of infrastructures that use this popular open source operating system. Live technical demos of LXL and Z-Drive R4 SSDs will include a VDI boot storm, efficient SQL CPU utilization, and vMotion and Fault Tolerance support.

Additional booth demonstrations will include OCZ’s acceleration of SQL Server 2012 databases using its leading Z-Drive R4 PCIe SSD with VXL Cache and Virtualization software. This combined hardware/software solution dramatically increases SQL Server 2012 transactional IOPS performance, reduces database read latencies, and improves query completion times. OCZ will also demonstrate Talos 2 Series SAS-based drives showcasing the performance advantages of a true full duplex, dual-port SAS 6Gb/s SSD in a Microsoft Cluster in a Box (CiB) solution, further leveraging the strengths of OCZ’s storage drives when paired with leading partner systems.

As a complete solution provider for the enterprise, offering both leading edge storage hardware and complementary software products,, OCZ continues to deliver enterprise-class solid-state solutions with higher endurance, cutting edge performance, increased reliability, unparalleled security and reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) for large scale data centers and IT infrastructures worldwide. Join OCZ Technology at this week’s FMS 2012 to see the latest drives, software, and partner solutions designed for enterprise server and storage customers.

Source: OCZ

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