Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
is goneOoops! The article you requested could not be found, please navigate our site to locate the article you requested
[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.
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 ?
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...
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.
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.
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?
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).
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!
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 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 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
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.
When are the new drives suppose to be available or was this a paper launch?
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.
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 its the old drive, if they are a G2 its the new one. If you have them in hand, the new drives are silver, the old ones are black.