The SSD 320 is targeted at devices for mainstream consumers, corporate IT people, or power-PC enthusiasts who want a performance boost.
Intel, which has been putting more and more emphasis on its
solid-state drive business since moving into it full force in 2009 with
its partner, Micron, on March 28 started shipping the third generation
of its SSD 320 series on 25-nanometer NAND flash memory.
The SSD 320, the next generation of Intel's client product line for use
in desktop and notebook PCs, is targeted at devices for mainstream
consumers, corporate IT or PC enthusiasts who want a performance boost
over conventional hard disk drives, Intel marketing executive Pete
Hazen said.
The new drives, designed to replace Intel's current X25-M SATA SSD and
are more than twice as fast doing sequential writes, come in a range of
capacity options: 40GB, 80GB, 120GB, 160GB, 300GB and 600GB.
They also feature "enhanced security features and improved power-loss
management" for desktop/notebook PCs or server data center storage,
Hazen said.
The redesigned SSD has an all-new Intel controller to go with 128-bit
AES self-encryption. Its data reliability has been improved with
additional data arrays that augment the error correction in the NAND
flash.
A failsafe feature has been added, so that the drive can complete a
write in midstream -- even if it has been hit by a power loss.
The
320 line (pictured) uses a 3-gigabit-per-second (3gbps) SATA II
interface to support an SSD upgrade for the more than 1 billion
installed SATA II PCs worldwide, Hazen said.
SSDs have no mechanical parts, use less power and have speedier
read/write performances than most hard disk drives. The tradeoff is
that they are more expensive than HDDs.
Only one month ago, the world's largest processor maker came out with another entirely new SSD series --
the Intel 510 -- aimed at high-performance users and high-end game enthusiasts.
Intel SSD 320 pricing, based on 1,000-unit wholesale quantities, is as
follows: 40GB at $89; 80GB at $159; 120GB at $209; 160GB at $289; 300GB
at $529 and 600GB at $1,069. Consumer buyers should check
retailers/e-tailers for pricing. All models include a limited 3-year
warranty, Intel said.
Email
Print
Chris Preimesberger was named Editor-in-Chief of Features & Analysis at eWEEK in November 2011. Previously he served eWEEK as Senior Writer, covering a range of IT sectors that include data center systems, cloud computing, storage, virtualization, green IT, e-discovery and IT governance. His blog, Storage Station, is considered a go-to information source. Chris won a national Folio Award for magazine writing in November 2011 for a cover story on Salesforce.com and CEO-founder Marc Benioff, and he has served as a judge for the SIIA Codie Awards since 2005. In previous IT journalism, Chris was a founding editor of both IT Manager's Journal and DevX.com and was managing editor of Software Development magazine. His diverse resume also includes: sportswriter for the Los Angeles Daily News, covering NCAA and NBA basketball, television critic for the Palo Alto Times Tribune, and Sports Information Director at Stanford University. He has served as a correspondent for The Associated Press, covering Stanford and NCAA tournament basketball, since 1983. He has covered a number of major events, including the 1984 Democratic National Convention, a Presidential press conference at the White House in 1993, the Emmy Awards (three times), two Rose Bowls, the Fiesta Bowl, several NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments, a Formula One Grand Prix auto race, a heavyweight boxing championship bout (Ali vs. Spinks, 1978), and the 1985 Super Bowl. A 1975 graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., Chris has won more than a dozen regional and national awards for his work. He and his wife, Rebecca, have four children and reside in Redwood City, Calif.Follow on Twitter: editingwhiz
