Toshiba Updates SSD Lineup With Three New Drive Series

Toshiba’s storage products business unit expanded its enterprise solid-state-drive lineup Aug. 21 with three new models aimed at high-performance use cases.

The Japanese drive maker launched its PX-Series, designed for servers that take the most pounding each day: boot, read-intensive, entry level servers; entry-to-midrange application servers; and high-performance enterprise application servers.

Toshiba, which in 2012 is celebrating its 25th anniversary as the inventor of NAND flash memory, has optimized each new drive series for specific market segments with high-end NAND flash processes, capacity and interface support.

The company made the announcement at the Flash Memory Summit in Santa Clara, Calif., which continues through Aug. 23.

The PX02SM series is Toshiba’s first eSSD (enterprise solid-state drive) to use 24-nanometer eMLC (enterprise multi-level cell) NAND memory, with capacities of 200/400/800GB1 and 1.6TB2. This also is Toshiba’s first offering with a dual-port 12G-bps SAS interface with a form-factor equivalent to industry-standard 2.5-inch HDDs, the company said.

The PX02AM series is optimized for entry-to-mid-level server and storage applications requiring balance, reliability, capacity and endurance, Toshiba said. This product set also features 24nm eMLC NAND flash in capacities of 100, 200 and 400GB, all with a 6G-bps Serial ATA (SATA) interface.

All capacities feature a 7mm, 2.5-inch industry-standard form-factor in addition to power-loss protection, the company said.

Lastly, the PX03AN series is aimed at entry-level server applications. This is Toshiba’s first eSSD family to use 19nm cMLC (consumer multi-level cell) NAND flash, in capacities of 55, 120, 240 and 480GB. Utilizing the 7mm 2.5-inch form-factor, the PX03AN series drives also offer power-loss protection, Toshiba said.

The PX02SM 200/400/800GB and 1.6TB models will start shipping in the fourth quarter, Toshiba said. The PX02AM series of value-line eSSDs and the PX03AN series of entry-level eSSDs will also begin shipments in the fourth quarter.