Toshiba has unveiled a new enterprise class SSD for the business market that is a 2.5-inch form factor device using 32nm SLC NAND for storage. The SSDs connect to 6Gb/sec SCSI SAS interface and Toshiba plans to make samples available in Q1 2011 with mass production set for the first half of 2011.
The new SSD will be offered in 100GB, 200GB, and 400GB capacities and all of the SSDs fall into the MKxx001GRZB family. The SSDs have nice performance with random sustained read performance of 90,000 IOPs and wire performance of 17,000 IOPS.
The sequential sustained read is 510MB/s with write speed of 230MB/s. The SSDs only consume 6.5W of power during operation and have a power efficiency rating of 13,800 IOPS/Watt. The SSDs are rated for five years of use.
RunCore has announced that it is offering some special deals on a couple of its SSD upgrade products just in time for geeky Christmas giving. The deals will see some impressive discounts on a pair of its consumer focused SSD devices.
The two special deals include the 64GB RunCore ProIV Light 50mm PATA mini PCIs SSD that is made specifically for the Dell Mini 9 and Vostro A90 machines. The regular price for the SSD is $229.99 and the sale price for Christmas is $199.99.
The other special deal is the 64GB RunCore ProIV 1.8″ 5mm PATA ZIF SSD for PCs. The normal price on this SSD is also $229.99 with the special sale price right now at $189.99. You can get the special deals at several RunCore dealers including MFACTORS and My Digital Discount in the US. In Europe, you can get the deals at KOBE, Diamond Point International, and WINKOM; and in Asia at Sarutek and BuySaturday.
Toshiba sent out a news bit today saying that their Yokkaichi plant is in the midst of a power outage and that this failure (at 5:21AM yesterday) could affect flash memory supply. This failure wont be fixed until sometime Friday, the supply hit planned for shipments toward January and February of 2011. No estimates were given on how this will affect Toshiba’s partners or if their products will be able to ship on time. Apple, who is currently using Toshiba for their MacBook Air’s SSD, is said to be fine since it also depends on Samsung and Hynix.
The person who says Apple will end up being fine is Brian Marshall, an analyst for Gleacher & Co. Marshall noted that there aren’t any shortages in parts and that Apple could draw on the Intel-Micron partnership if they had to. The “crunch” instead could be around iPad components such as their upcoming 9.7-inch LG Display screen. Oh dear oh my!
Lenovo has refreshed its Idea line-up of consumer-centric PCs with a pair of new notebooks, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y460p and Y560p, and a desktop, the Lenovo IdeaCentre K330. The Y460p and T560p are 14- and 15.5-inches respectively, with Intel’s second-gen Core i7 “Sandy Bridge” processors, up to 750GB HDDs and up to 8GB of RAM; they can also be specified with Lenovo’s RapidDrive, which combines a 32GB SSD with a regular hard-drive to boost system performance.
As for the K330, that has a choice of up to Core i7 CPUs, up to 16GB of DDR3 memory, and twin RAID-0 hard-drives for up to 4TB of storage. There’s also the option to switch out the standard DVD drive for a Blu-ray alternative, and an optional TV tuner.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Y460p and Y560p laptops will go on sale come January 11, 2011, priced from $849 and with a choice of metallic grey or white interiors. As for the IdeaCentre K330, that will go on sale early in 2011, priced from $699.
Press Release:
Lenovo Takes Multimedia Computing to New Heights with Three New Idea Products: IdeaPad Y460p, Y560p and IdeaCentre K330
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – December 09, 2010: Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (ADR: LNVGY) today introduced the IdeaPad Y460p, IdeaPad Y560p and IdeaCentre K330, which all sport high-performance processors and are packed with multimedia features. The new PCs are perfect for young adults who seek the ultimate multimedia experience for watching movies, listening to music and playing games.
“Lenovo is continuously expanding its product line to provide consumers with the latest advancements in multimedia and entertainment capabilities,” said Dion Weisler, vice president, business operations, Lenovo. “The Y460p, Y560p and K330 all feature speedy performance and advanced processing in a sleek form factor. Immense storage and high-quality graphics make these ideal for those looking for a superior and easy multimedia experience.”
IdeaPad Y460p and Y560p – High Performance Entertainment System in a Sleek Design
The powerful and stylish IdeaPad Y460p and IdeaPad Y560p are high-performance notebooks that come packed with top multimedia features, perfect for entertainment seekers, gamers or those consumers who are always creating content to share with friends. Featuring the Second Generation Intel® Core™ Processor family, these 14-inch and 15.6-inch PCs are available with up to Intel® Core™ i7 processors. With up to 750 GB HDD and up to 8GB DDR3 1333 memory, consumers now can store more movies, music and games while enjoying enhanced-application performance. Lenovo’s RapidDrive feature combines 32GB SSD and HDD capacity to speed up system performance. The Y460p and Y560p, which come with 16:9 widescreen, also meet Lenovo’s Windows 7 Enhanced Experience certification, providing up to 33 percent faster boot up and 50 percent faster shutdown time as well as rich multimedia capabilities and easy system maintenance tools.
Consumers who are looking for the ultimate entertainment setting will be pleased with the spectacular sound quality of the Y460p and Y560p, which is made possible by JBL speakers and Dolby® Home Theater™. The beautifully engineered notebooks come with OneKey™ Theater, allowing users to experience richer images and enhanced sound while watching movies with just the press of a button.
Available with a metal hairline etching exterior and the choice of two interiors, metallic grey and white, the Y460p and Y560p are designed for easy use with a one-handed hinge open feature and user-friendly ports. Other key features include OneKey Rescue and Lenovo’s VeriFace™ face recognition.
IdeaCentre K330 – The Power Performance Desktop
The all new IdeaCentre K330 desktop is the ideal PC for consumers who want the most thorough computing experience and desire the very best in aesthetics and high-performance capabilities. Boasting a sleek and powerful design with a metallic and vibrant color scheme, the K330 features up to Intel® Core™ i7 processors with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0. This ultimate desktop experience comes with up to 16GB DDR3 memory, increasing user multi-tasking capabilities, twin RAID0-configured hard disk drives1 and up to 4TB HDD storage, providing plenty of space for multimedia.
The K330 desktop is packed with fun-enabling features to maximize time spent gaming, surfing the Web and utilizing all of its multimedia attributes. The Power Control Switch provides easy changing between three convenient power modes for the fan and CPU speed – Turbo Red for high speed and power performance, Auto Blue for regular operation and Cool Green for the silent, energy-saving mode. The entertainment doesn’t stop with the K330, thanks to advanced features, including an integrated DVD or Blu-ray Disc™ drive, optional TV Tuner and HD graphics support. With full HD 1920×1080 resolution and DirectX 11 graphics, users can experience vibrant video imaging and high-power gaming effects.
The IdeaCentre K330 also features the Lenovo Dynamic Brightness System2 to adjust screen brightness based on ambient light and the Lenovo Eye Distance System3 to alert users when they are too close to the screen for ultimate eye protection. The OneKey Recovery makes data backup and recovery a simple one-touch task while the tool-free CPU design eliminates the need to use a screwdriver to open the K330 so upgrades and replacements are quick and easy.
Pricing and Availability4
The Lenovo IdeaPad Y460p and Y560p laptops are available beginning January 11, 2011 and will start at $849. The IdeaCentre K330 will be available in early 2011 and will start at $699. All of the devices will be available on Lenovo.com.
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About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 0992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centers in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.
1 Optional feature; requires using twin-matching hard drives.
2 Requires Lenovo monitor with webcam.
3 Requires Lenovo webcam. Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.
4 Prices do not include tax or shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.
SiliconPower has all manner of storage devices in its lineup of offerings. The company has added a new and fast new SSD to its offerings today called the E20. The SSD has some cool features like DDR2 DRAM cache memory implementation that claims to eliminate lag and help enhance read and write performance.
The SSD also has a special circuit current sensor that can detect abnormal or fluctuating power currents and help protect your data from being lost during write operations. Other features include SMART support and the SSD has a maximum capacity of 256GB.
The E20 supports TRIM command and has a 2.5-inch form factor. It uses wear leveling for a long life and is shock and vibration proof. Several capacities are offered including 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and the 256GB version I already mentioned. The SSD has a maximum read rate of 250MB/s and a max write speed of 230MB/s. Pricing is unknown at this time.
Apple has reportedly demanded PhotoFast stop production of their 256GB MacBook Air SSD upgrade kits, which were billed as the only way to double the maximum storage in the 11.6-inch version of the ultraportable. A source close to the company has told 9 to 5 Mac that the request is supposedly being abided by, since PhotoFast is wary of losing its membership in Apple’s MFi program for officially licensed accessories and peripherals.
The PhotoFast kit was to consist of a 256GB SSD chip using the new, slender form-factor that has allowed Apple to make the MacBook Air so compact, as well as a bundled USB adapter. That adapter would turn the existing Air storage into a high-speed external drive. No pricing had been announced for the kit.
It’s possible that Apple will green-light PhotoFast at a later point, and the company has apparently frozen rather than scrapped production in the hope that this is the case. Still, for now it looks like 128GB is the most you can get in your 11.6-inch MacBook Air, at least until Apple says so.
Welcome back after an extended holiday weekend! Many of you’ve got your new Android smartphones and giant televisions and weirdo oddities under your belt (or maybe you had even more fun by buying those things as presents) and you’ve come back, hungry for some tech news! Well you’re in luck, especially if you DIDN’T pick up your device of choice yet, especially if you live in Korea (where you’ll find the LG LU3000, faster than Galaxy S, – that is of course if you dismiss the fact that you might be going to war soon,) in Japan (where Sharp is very soon releasing their fabulous Galapagos tablets,) or the USA (where you can get a FREE G2.) Of course, if you’re in Taiwan this week, you’ll probably flip out over a ASUS Eee Note EA-800, and if you’re in the USA… well… how about a pulse rifle? Or I bet you’re on the lookout for a SlashGear Cyber Monday Round Up?! All this and MORE on SlashGear Morning Wrap-up!
Apple’s intentions for their flagship laptop range, the MacBook Pro, made headlines this week with a new set of rumors suggesting 2011′s model would mark the transition to not only solid-state storage but Intel’s Light Peak connectivity for high-speed data transfers. Whether this particular speculation turns out to be accurate or not, SSD – and abandoning optical drives – certainly seems the most likely route for Apple to take.
As the tipsters would have it, Apple’s 2011 MacBook Pro – set for an April launch next year – will see traditional, platter-based hard-drives dropped in favor of standard SSDs across the line. At the same time, Apple supposedly intends to throw out the integrated SuperDrive DVD burner, following the path set by the MacBook Air, instead relying on external optical drives should users want to burn discs. Finally, the last significant change is a new, high-speed connection type, bypassing eSATA and USB 3.0 and instead jumping to Intel’s Light Peak, capable – in its first iteration – of 10 Gbps bi-directional throughput.
SSD’s have been available as options on MacBook Pro notebooks for years now, and you can currently specify the existing 15- and 17-inch models with up to 512GB examples. Apple’s change would be remarkable because it would see, barring the fans, the MacBook Pro lose all its moving parts. It would also reintroduce a significant differentiator between the entry-level MacBook line and the high-end machines, where currently it’s all relatively blurry. Apple could also well use the MacBook Pro refresh to debut official SSD TRIM support in OS X, something that’s being mentioned in the About This Mac dialog in Snow Leopard but not currently enabled:
Dropping the SuperDrive, meanwhile, would create more space for batteries, which as we’ve seen in the iPad, the MacBook Air and other recent Apple models with non-user-replaceable power packs, have become the largest occupiers of the company’s sleek aluminum casings. Bigger batteries mean longer runtimes – the MacBook Pro line already offering significantly greater longevity than many Windows-based rivals – or the ability to offset faster processors. Steve Jobs has already said that he sees no place for Blu-ray in Apple’s machines, instead preferring online distribution of content and data; those still requiring “legacy” options would be welcome to pick from the low-cost array of external disc burners, but it’s clear that, by eschewing Blu-ray, Apple considers optical media a dying technology. We’ve seen the same ostensibly draconian decisions in the past, when Apple cut out floppy drives and parallel/serial ports.
It’s all a path to more speed, with the various components – and decisions on which to leave out or replace – conspiring to rid the flagship notebook line of its current weak links. Light Peak offers super-fast connectivity with peripherals and other hardware, but traditional hard-drives could present a weakness in the data chain. Fast solid-state memory would correct that. Simultaneously, Light Peak is intended not only as a USB 3.0 replacement, but a universal successor to SCSI, SATA, USB, FireWire, PCI Express, ethernet and HDMI. Rather than accommodating an array of ports – each taking up chassis space and making assumptions as to what connectivity users will demand – Apple could eventually offer just a few Light Peak ports. Not in this first new iteration, perhaps, but you can bet the company has an eye on the second, third and fourth revisions down the line.
Beyond bare speed, it also gives Apple more opportunity to keep users within their ecosystem: just as the Apple TV lacks a DVD player, meaning rentals and purchases generally have to be through iTunes, so the MacBook Pro will present another way for DRM-enabled content and connectivity to take hold. Oh, there’ll be a halfway house on offer, an entry-level “legacy” MacBook Pro for those not quite brave enough to make the jump, but from the shape of the rest of the range it’ll be clear that those who opt for it are missing out on what’s considered “the future”.
That offering will be alluring, certainly. Fast, slim, slickly-designed and long-running notebooks, with access to Apple’s ever-broadening iOS and OS X software catalogs and the speed of consumer devices like the iPad. On the other hand, Jobs & Co. haven’t been shy in their play for a connected ecosystem, one in which they have a strong hand in how data is managed, distributed and paid for, and while abandoning things like optical drives could lead to lighter or otherwise improved notebooks, there are compromises that will turn off many who resist the relatively controlled Apple world. Still, where Apple goes, the PC industry arguably follows, and what’s considered high-end is likely to stick closely to Cupertino’s idea of MacBook Pro perfection.
With most of the excitement happening in Apple’s iPad tablet, MacBook Air ultraportable and iPhone 4 smartphone segments, the poor MacBook Pro has been somewhat relegated. The latest rumors, however, suggest that’s all likely to change in April 2011, with Three Guys and a Podcast tipping a significant refresh that will see the new MacBook Pro gain not only up to 512GB of SSD storage in a wholesale shift to solid-state memory, but the adoption of Intel’s Light Peak technology.
“The new MacBook Pros will move to solid state storage, up to 512GB, remove the optical drive, and we believe light-peak is being pushed to make it’s first-ever entrance into the market, another Apple exclusive.” Three Guys and a Podcast
Light Peak is a new, super-high-speed data transfer technology promising – in its first iteration, at least – up to 10 Gbps of bidirectional throughput. Billed as the replacement to USB 3.0, Intel has previously said that the first Light Peak enabled machines should arrive by early 2011; they’ve also worked with Apple on the system, and TGAAP reckon the technology will be a Cupertino exclusive, at least at first.
Finally, the new MacBook Pro will also apparently lose its optical drive, and gain a new version of Final Cut Pro that will also debut in April 2011. Apple is expected to keep a “legacy” 15-inch MBP for those unwilling to drop the DVD burner, priced at around $1,799, but the new machines should kick off at $1,999. It’s unclear exactly what the podcast’s sources are, but they do have a reasonable track history of predicting Apple events.
It’s not often you find an internal drive where the manufacturer has given obvious thought to aesthetics, but Samsung’s new 256GB 470 Series SSD bucks the trend. From its Apple-style packaging to its distinctive casing, the SSD certainly stands out from the crowd. Has Samsung spent too much time on unnecessary design and not enough on performance, though? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
Hardware
We’re used to SSDs being packaged in basic cardboard boxes – and Samsung do offer an OEM version of the 470 Series drive with more mundane packaging and a basic casing – so this new 256GB is particularly distinctive. The plastic packaging is reminiscent of an iPod, while the SSD itself is finished in glossy plastic and brushed metal with bright orange highlights. Most of the time you’ll never see it past installation, of course, but it has a premium feel that sets it apart from the more business-like Intel X25-M.
The drive itself is a 2.5-inch model with a SATA 3GB/s interface. This 256GB SKU is the largest – Samsung also offers 64GB and 128GB versions, the capacity neatly stencilled onto the corner of the drive – and uses homegrown Samsung controllers and NAND flash. There are also two 128MB cache chips, for a total of 256MB.
Samsung quote 250 MB/s read rates and 220 MB/s write rates, along with 0.24W active power consumption and 0.14W when idle. It’s worth noting that the 470 Series’ TRIM support is only useful if you’re running Windows 7, since Mac OS X lacks support for the technology. This won’t affect Mac performance out of the box, but over the lifetime of the drive its speeds will be better – or, more accurately, will degrade by a smaller amount – in a Windows 7 computer.
Performance
We first looked at sequential read and write speeds, comparing the 470 Series SSD with Intel’s X25-M 160GB SSD. On our test Windows 7 PC, sequentially transferring a 1GB file saw the Samsung hit 248.2 MB/s read speeds and 241.7 MB/s write speeds, while the Intel managed 235 MB/s and 98.0 MB/s respectively.
Moving to random 512K files, the Samsung managed 172.0 MB/s reads and 185.2 MB/s writes, while the Intel came in at 177.2 MB/s and 88.9 MB/s respectively. Finally, on random 4K files, the Samsung scored 15.9 MB/s read and 58.2 MB/s write, while the Intel scored 18.5 MB/s and 53.1 MB/s respectively.
Under OS X, meanwhile, the Samsung managed 117.0 MB/s reads and 231.1 MB/s writes with sequential 4K blocks, and 203.6 MB/s and 192.2 MB/s with sequential 256K blocks. Finally, with random 4K blocks it scored 13.4 MB/s read and 78.98 MB/s write, while with random 256K blocks it managed 147.2 MB/s read and 196.2 MB/s write.
Plenty of numbers, then, but the takeaway is that the Samsung generally balances its read and write performance more than the Intel is capable of. Writing large files is a particular strength of the 470 Series SSD, at more than double what the X25-M could manage. It’s worth remembering that these large file rates are measured across the whole transfer period, and while the drives will hit those speeds it won’t consistently manage them. Still, it’s only just below what Samsung quotes for read rates, and exceeds their write rate predictions.
Wrap-Up
With an RRP of around $550, the 256GB 470 Series SSG certainly isn’t cheap. However, what you do get is a solid, well-balanced shot of performance in not only read-rates, as most SSDs (and indeed faster HDDs) manage, but in write-rates, which is a rarer talent. The appealing aesthetics may be wasted on anybody without a windowed case, but it adds to an overall feel of this being a polished product.
Mac performance was less impressive, and the absence of TRIM support under OS X is worth bearing in mind since it will impact longer-term performance, but that’s an issue affecting all SSDs running on Apple machines. With an RRP of $280, the 128GB version Samsung offers may be a more affordable option, but for those demanding capacity and performance the Samsung 256GB 470 Series SSD certainly delivers.
![1103413_Y460p_Hero_06_low_res[1]](http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1103413_Y460p_Hero_06_low_res1-150x100.jpg "1103413_Y460p_Hero_06_low_res[1]")
