Intel 34nm SSD will have a 60% reduction in price!

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Heh, I managed to read it when it was up, The article actually had [Embargo till 11 EST] inside the title so I guess it wasn't supposed to be up yet. People in the comments were wondering about it.

The main point is that the new drives while having the same performance to the X-25 M's cost only half as much.

[EDIT[

Found the article in my browser cache:
[COMPLETE-EMBARGOED UNTIL 11 EST- see note]Intel Launches 34nm NAND SSDs, Claims 60% Price Cut Possible
Jansen Ng (Blog) - July 20, 2009 9:45 PM


Lower prices from Intel and others will push SSDs into the mainstream in 2010

Intel is announcing a new generation of Solid State Drives (SSDs) using 34nm NAND flash memory from IM Flash Technologies, its joint venture with chipmaker Micron Technologies. IMFT had previously announced production of 34nm NAND flash in November of last year, but various problems had led to a delay in the scale of mass production that Intel needed.

The most important thing that Intel will be able to do with the new SSDs is lower their prices in order to spur consumer purchasing. Intel says the new drives are so much cheaper because of "the reduced die size and advanced engineering design" of the new SSDs. Many consumers have been waiting patiently for prices to drop and the market to stabilize before jumping in with a purchase, despite dramatically improved performance.

NAND flash built on the 32nm process by Samsung and Toshiba, along with a much improved JMF612 controller from JMicron, are expected to lead to lower prices on competing SSDs from other manufacturers.

「Our goal was to not only be first to achieve 34nm NAND flash memory lithography, but to do so with the same or better performance than our 50nm version,」 said Randy Wilhelm, Intel's Vice President and General Manager of the NAND Solutions Group.

「We made quite an impact with our breakthrough SSDs last year, and by delivering the same or even better performance with today's new products, our customers, both consumers and manufacturers, can now enjoy them at a fraction of the cost.」

This improved performance is not shown in the X-25's sustained sequential write speed, which can only achieve up to 70 MBps. Instead read latency is now 65 microseconds and write latency is just 85 µs. That compares to read and write seek times of 4.2 ms and 4.7 ms, or 4200 µs and 4700 µs.

The X-25 has a maximum sustained sequential read speed of up to 250 MBps, unchanged from its predecessor. There aren't any apparent major changes to Intel's flash controller, which still uses the same 10 lane Parallel Channel Architecture with ONFI 1.0 compatible flash.

Support for Windows 7 and the TRIM command, which improves performance when deleting files, will be available later in a firmware update. There will also be an end user tool which will help users to optimize the performance of their SSDs on the Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems.

Interestingly, Intel will continue to use the X25-M moniker in 80GB and 160GB sizes. However, new SKUs are starting to appear with the 34nm 80GB (SSDSA2MH080G2C1)and 160GB (SSDSA2MH160G2C1) models. A 320GB model is expected to arrive later, but has not yet been announced. The X18-M, which comes in a 1.8 inch form factor, will begin shipping with 34nm parts later this quarter.

Intel originally introduced the 80GB X25-M for $595 less than a year ago. Now, the new 34nm 80GB X25-M will sell for $225 to the channel for quantities up to 1,000 units. The 160GB version will be available at $440 to the channel at the same quantities, down from a remarkable $945 at its launch in December.
 
I thought the new 34nm flash was supposed to be based on the ONFI 2.1 spec? Should be way faster than this. Maybe this is just a transition product until they can integrate SATA 6G and a better controller design.
 
60% compared to what ? Compared to original price at release ? And who cares about that price ? No one.

Current price for example on newegg is $314.00. Yes, it's still "29% price cut", but $314.00->$225.00 looks less cool than $595.00-$225.00, right ?
 
60% compared to what ? Compared to original price at release ? And who cares about that price ? No one.

Current price for example on newegg is $314.00. Yes, it's still "29% price cut", but $314.00->$225.00 looks less cool than $595.00-$225.00, right ?

You need to look at them on even ground ie launch price. Plus this means after going through the same degree of price cuts within the same amount of time the new drives will be very close to parity with raptors.
 
But their competition is not their launch price, no one cares about launch price from a year ago. Their competition is the current price of their own X25-M, the current price of Samsung and Indilinx drives...
 
But their competition is not their launch price, no one cares about launch price from a year ago. Their competition is the current price of their own X25-M, the current price of Samsung and Indilinx drives...

good point :p
 
Support for Windows 7 and the TRIM command, which improves performance when deleting files, will be available later in a firmware update. There will also be an end user tool which will help users to optimize the performance of their SSDs on the Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems.

What about Gen1 X25-M? (Not that I have one :(). It would be a huge kick in the balls if Intel didn't have a firmware update for the early adopters.
 
What about Gen1 X25-M? (Not that I have one :(). It would be a huge kick in the balls if Intel didn't have a firmware update for the early adopters.

Remember, press releases is for everyone, not just us tech junkies. Regular consumers read this to be assured that their current hardware will be supported in the future.

Just ask any normal consumer about the Vista launch and it's early driver/compatibility support.

Most likely the firmware will be the same across the models. In the new (speed improved) models probably we'll see at the end of the year, will start having different firmware.
 
Rebel44, if they do this stunt, then they can bet i won't buy any Intel SSDs anytime soon.
 
It's very bad to do yep, but first adopters in anything tend to be the expensive guinea pigs for the rest of us.
 
Why are you surprised by that?

Intel has gone though more chipset (CPU sockets) than almost anyone. With an intel motherboard you have a very limited upgrade path. With AMD you usually can upgrade to two, three of even more chips that use the same socket (not always, Slot A was a huge failure, but often enough)

But who am i kidding, im running an intel chip now, and its fast. that why people will keep on buying them.
 
It does suck that they haven't said they'll do it, but it's worth keeping in mind that they haven't said they won't do it, they just haven't said they will. Given (admittedly limited) past history with their SSDs, I would expect they'll put something out for the G1s too, they probably just wanted to keep this announcement focused on the G2s. That's how marketing types work after all.

Generally a good announcement, maybe not everything everyone wanted, but it's a strong step forward - cheaper prices for the same (maybe marginally improved) product is a good thing, and there are indications that the prices may drop even more before the end of the year, depending on what the competition does. I think it's a strong sign that the SSD market is maturing when we have fewer gigantic leaps forward, and rather strong but evolutionary steps.
 
Intel is definitely going to piss off more than a few enthusiasts who bought Gen1 X-25M drives if they don't push out TRIM-capable firmware... especially if there are no "technical limitations" preventing such an update (as Anand mentioned).
 
The press release doesn't talk about limiting TRIM to 34nm :

At that time, Intel plans to deliver a firmware update to allow support of the Windows 7 Trim command, along with an end user tool, to allow users to optimize the performance of their SSD on Windows XP and Vista operating systems.

Let's hope they don't do this stunt, or they can say goodbye to many of their early adopters.
 
If the old and new drives use different controllers. Does that mean they'll have to make two seperate firmware updates for the G1 and G2 drives?
 
If the old and new drives use different controllers. Does that mean they'll have to make two seperate firmware updates for the G1 and G2 drives?

Yes they would have to make serparate firmware updates....that doesnt mean they will though :(
 
If the old and new drives use different controllers. Does that mean they'll have to make two seperate firmware updates for the G1 and G2 drives?

Like I said, people should not be freaking out.

Price drops. WHY? 34nm process. WHY? No other changes, just the fab process is now cheaper.

If it was going to be the same price as Gen 1, then they would have new controllers.

This is simply slightly better performance upgrade and capacity increase due to the fab process.

Until someone opens up the new SSDs, I'm willing to bet that pcb/chip wise they're about the same (gen 1 and gen 2).
 
I hope these get to Newegg soon. Some of these places like ZipZoomFly make me wonder if they ever actually had any in-stock at all or just tossed the out-of-stock page up anyway in order to direct more traffic to their site. :rolleyes:
 
Like I said, people should not be freaking out.

Price drops. WHY? 34nm process. WHY? No other changes, just the fab process is now cheaper.

If it was going to be the same price as Gen 1, then they would have new controllers.

This is simply slightly better performance upgrade and capacity increase due to the fab process.

Until someone opens up the new SSDs, I'm willing to bet that pcb/chip wise they're about the same (gen 1 and gen 2).

The new pcb is now manufactured without Halogen to make environmentally friendly companies feel better. They probably had to change it around to adjust for the decreased latencies and sizes also. I don't know why they have to wait for Win 7 to release trim support on the new drives, but at least it's coming. The Anand article clearly states that the older generation drives will not be getting it.
 
Until I see specifically from Intel that they are not going to ever release firmware for the first gen, I will not believe review sites, unless it is [H]ARD!
 
Well, everyone wanting cheaper first-gen X-25M's will get 'em. I forsee a mass selling spree on eBay and other places...

Yikes.
 
Until I see specifically from Intel that they are not going to ever release firmware for the first gen, I will not believe review sites, unless it is [H]ARD!

But that's not really how most companies work. They wouldn't come out and say "this old product isn't going to receive any more updates". Instead, they will simply talk about the positive aspects of their new products and omit any mention of the older versions. They have no reason to voluntarily give themselves negative press.
 
I'm definitely in for one of the new 80GB X25's whether it's at close to $200 or $250... I was ready to swallow the $300+ price tag of the older model by October anyway (to go along w/the Win7 install), so this price drop is very welcome. I've still got time to see what the competition does though... And they better do something or they're screwed for the time being.
 
Why are you surprised by that?

Intel has gone though more chipset (CPU sockets) than almost anyone. With an intel motherboard you have a very limited upgrade path. With AMD you usually can upgrade to two, three of even more chips that use the same socket (not always, Slot A was a huge failure, but often enough)

But who am i kidding, im running an intel chip now, and its fast. that why people will keep on buying them.


I think you are failing to remember that s775 has been around since at least s939 and maybe even since s754. Yes, the same socket has been used from a DDR1 Prescott all the way to a DDR3 Core 2 Quad...
 
I think you are failing to remember that s775 has been around since at least s939 and maybe even since s754. Yes, the same socket has been used from a DDR1 Prescott all the way to a DDR3 Core 2 Quad...

although its the same socket, using a newer 775 CPU in an older motherbaord will not work
 
My first SSD is gonna be an 80GB Postville ... YAY !!

intelpostvillee680.jpg


... or should I go for 160GB ?
 
I wouldn't jump initially, as OCZ and the rest are going to have to adjust prices big time, which in turn will keep lowering the average price for everything. I think many people come October are going to be dropping the coin on these drives, since a fresh OS install (Win7) will be happening anyway, no better time to do it.

This is the best SSD news this year so far for a consumer, even if you don't care about ever owning an intel SSD.
 
I dearly want a fast SSD but none of the offerings for sale are ready for the mainstream imo.
Even with the latest, customers are still guinea pigs for beta products.
When they ship with TRIM support, improved write granularity (capable of smaller writes) and cost a lot less, I'll be happier.
 
I wouldn't jump initially, as OCZ and the rest are going to have to adjust prices big time, which in turn will keep lowering the average price for everything.

They can't adjust their prices much. What Intel did to change the pricing dynamics is beyond the capabilities of these companies except for those with the infrastructure and human capitol like Samsung.
 
I dearly want a fast SSD but none of the offerings for sale are ready for the mainstream imo.
Even with the latest, customers are still guinea pigs for beta products.
When they ship with TRIM support, improved write granularity (capable of smaller writes) and cost a lot less, I'll be happier.

Too bad man. I've been enjoying solid, blistering SSD speed for almost a year now. My SSD experiences have been nothing but awesome. Love it!!!
Absolutely ready for mainstream and have been. Faster in every way than the fastest hard drive for consumer use...
Posted via [H] Mobile Device
 
Too bad man. I've been enjoying solid, blistering SSD speed for almost a year now. My SSD experiences have been nothing but awesome. Love it!!!
Absolutely ready for mainstream and have been. Faster in every way than the fastest hard drive for consumer use...
Posted via [H] Mobile Device

Heh, I'm not an envious person but I do see the massive advantages, is why I want.
I cant let myself pay that much though for such a small product (GBytes) that has non transparent technical issues and will be superseded in a few months.
I anticipate updates and lower pricing to come thick and fast over the next year, its great there is decent competition.
I can hang on :)
 
When are the new drives suppose to be available or was this a paper launch?
 
I dearly want a fast SSD but none of the offerings for sale are ready for the mainstream imo.
Even with the latest, customers are still guinea pigs for beta products.
When they ship with TRIM support, improved write granularity (capable of smaller writes) and cost a lot less, I'll be happier.

Consumers are always guinea pigs for beta products now days.
Gmail was in Beta for 5 years.
IMO "Beta" is the new "RTM"
Also the small random writes issues are long gone. It was not even an issue for all SSD's just an issue for certain SSD's that used a certain JMicron controller.

People see these benchmarks for like the OCZ Solid/Apex series and see that it has 10MB/s random writes and freak out saying the world is gonna end.
However if you ran those same test on a regular 7200rpm HDD you would likely see those numbers are less than 1MB/s

When are the new drives suppose to be available or was this a paper launch?

Paper.
I cant find any in stock.

The problem is going to be with some retailers is making sure you get the new 34nm version, because the Product numbers are the same.
 
The problem is going to be with some retailers is making sure you get the new 34nm version, because the Product numbers are the same.

Not entirely correct...

How to Tell the Drives Apart

Despite the price drop and internal changes, Intel is still calling these things the X25-M and X18-M. So how do you tell the new drives apart from the old ones? It all comes down to the part number; if the last two digits are a G1 then it’s the old drive, if they are a G2 it’s the new one. If you have them in hand, the new drives are silver, the old ones are black.

http://anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3605
 
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