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OCZ launches budget SSDs
MEMORY MAKER OCZ has launched a new range of more affordable solid state disks (SSDs) as part of its Onyx range.
The 'ultra-affordable' 2.5in SATA II MLC drives start at less than $100 MSRP for the 32GB version, which should be large enough to comfortably run the operating system and most applications, while content can be stored on a more capacious traditional spinning disk.
Being based on flash based storage, SSDs are a lot faster and less power hungry than traditional hard drives, but they are still generally considered to be prohibitively expensive by many users.
According to OCZ, the Onyx SSDs feature a 64MB onboard cache and offer read and write speeds of up to 125MBps and 70MBps respectively. They also feature TRIM support to help ensure that peak performance is maintained.
"Designed to offer the best of both worlds, the OCZ Onyx SSD delivers the speed and reliability of solid state storage to mainstream consumers at an aggressive price point that makes the technology more accessible to customers who want to take advantage of all the benefits of the SSDs without incurring the high cost normally associated with the solution," explained Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ.
So far there is only the 32GB version available in the Onyx range, but bigger drives are surely in the pipeline. µ
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When you consider that there's talk of 2TB micro SD cards in the next few years, even 1.8" enclosure sizes are going to seem overly big.
I predict we'll start to see disks come in credit card dimensions before long.
If you do not know what you are talking about, you better say nothing.
PCI-e is NOT a bottle-neck, not even 1.x
It's more then fast enough.
The problem is many vendors use just 1 lane to connect harddisks, and that makes SSD hitting the ceiling!
If they simply use PCI-e 2 or 4 lanes there is no problem at all, we do not need PCI-e 2.x or higher for that, 1.x is already fast enough when used the right way.
Forget about 1.8" inch drives for consumer products? Sorry but that is a bit of a mad statement. The trend in computers is that everything gets smaller. Maybe it would be more correct to say that 1.8" hasn't quite made it for most consumer laptops YET. Also, most business users these days want a 13" or smaller machine with as much oomph and storage as possible. Guess dual 1.8" will become an more common option before too long.
Should I hasten a guess that as we've seen 2.5" take on enterprise storage due to drive density that 1.8" will go that way too...
Onboard flash drives could be a good option for netbooks and ultrathins, but could be problematic for standard machines if you have a drive failure you'd need to replace the MB. I still think we'll see these and there's bound to be devices that already use this now. (I suppose Asus has this with the onboard linux)
Hate to bare some bad news, but 32G ain't enough for your OS, recently installed windows 7 home premium, after 2 weeks of using it (userdata, program files and users folders were all stored on other drives, along with the pagefile) thing was full.
OK, there are some expensive 15" noteboks with dual 2.5", but why it isn't standard for all notebooks. Most of the 2.5" SDD is empty space, and space is quite precious in notebooks. That's why I think there should be more 1.8" SSD for notebooks.
SSDs need to be be able to store about 4 times more before any one will be seriusly considering replacing their system HDs with SSDs, while price stays around the 100$ mark.
That might happen in 4 years from now, but then HHDs will be even faster, store even more data on even fewer disks... unless some one figures out how to make SSDs better faster they will lag behind HHDs for a very long time...
That said... if the SSDs dont become faster or better, but cheaper instead that will work too.
@Jon, you're right on the money with the onboard flash integration.
It's only a matter of time before desktop motherboards manufacturers start releasing premium products with onboard flash too. If they also bypass the SATA interface like the Fusion IO PCI Express cards, performance would be insane.
I'm still wondering why aren't there any real upgrade options for PATA 2.5" users?!?! There should be PATA SSDs available everywhere. A PATA SSD would do wonders for the Centrino 1 Laptops and even for older systems. The features are not that demanding for the producers ... a 100MBs read speed and a 70 MBs write speed should be enough with 133MBs Read speed for premium models. I think there would be tens of thousands of such drives being sold. Also, having a 1.8" SSD option on mainstream laptops leaving the low end models with the "single HDD configuration" would really help users make an easier choice when buying a new laptop and could bring more money to the SSD makers as well as the laptop manufacturers. Dual 2.5" is ok but really takes more space.
I think it's a matter of time before the netbook manufacturers just stick a 64GB flash chip on the motherboard as the primary drive.
For better or worse.
No, there's no need to promote 1.8" SSDs. If you want dual hard drives in your laptop you have to buy a business class machine like the Thinkpad T-series or Latitude E6xxx series. With those, you can operate dual 2.5" drives no problem.
I've got a 60GB Summit as the OS drive and a 500GB Scoprio Blue as my data drive on my T500.
The 1.8" standard is largely dead for any kind of consumer laptop...
Last Quarter World+Dog 8ate in ,with resounding glee, about NEW Pci-e Standard. thats when THREE Became obvious monacur'.
Pci-e 3.0 takes out bottlenecks, Burp, Hiccup. Doubles Everything & Burns Down House. Blazingly FAST. Just need to Find Way to Get IT Done.
So Wait & Wait, & Wait Some Moore. Yet, Tech Already Exists & IS Waiting For US.
When pci-e 3.0 Hits Shelves late or Next year. Then SSD Will have Due Course to Take On Entire World, NO DOG. Well, errr, HOT DOGS, OK. Now with Pickle Relish. Mayo, Mus turd & Flamin' HOT Sauce. Onions, Shrimpi Sausage & Cheese. Plus Wonderful Seasame BUN.
NOW FIX THAT. Ummmm,LUNCHTIME, Kiddies.
15"-16" notebooks should have place for one 1.8" SSD and one 2.5" HDD. It would be great to have notebook with 32-64GB SSD and 500GB HDD.