Plextor M5S, M5 Pro Get NAND Flash Design Change

btarunr · Jan 18, 2013, 02:17 AM

Plextor implemented a design change in the NAND flash memory of its M5S and M5 Pro series consumer SSDs. The two see a transit from 20 nm-class NAND flash chips in the BGA package, to 19 nm chips in the TSOP (pins along the shorter edges) package. Both chips are Toshiba-made. The controller and latest firmware (FW 1.02) remain unchanged. The move to chips in the TSOP package doesn't impact on the specifications or price of the products, but gives the controller the ability to handle greater page-size on the chips.

The TSOP chips feature maximum page-size of 16 KB/page, while the BGA chips feature 8 KB/page. In theory, this should improve "buffer management," when the controller decides to use NAND flash as scratchpads, in spite of having a gigabyte of DRAM cache at its disposal. Further, the new TSOP package NAND flash chips have lighter thermal requirements, letting Plextor get rid of the conductive thermal pads over the chips, saving a Dollar or two. The company did not release any markers on how to identify the two variants of drives by looking at serial numbers.

Source: Hermitage Akihabara

Prima.Vera · Jan 18, 2013, 01:02 PM

specs, speed, price???

Tarkhein · Jan 18, 2013, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prima.Vera

specs, speed, price???

Not sure if subtle joke at most PR or just can't read.

1c3d0g · Jan 18, 2013, 07:29 PM

Odd. I thought TSOP was on its way out because supposedly, the BGA-style packaging is the wave of the future?

Frick · Jan 18, 2013, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1c3d0g

Odd. I thought TSOP was on its way out because supposedly, the BGA-style packaging is the wave of the future?

Why do you think that?

1c3d0g · Jan 19, 2013, 02:41 AM

That's what I heard, and that's why I'm asking...?

xorbe · Jan 19, 2013, 04:49 PM

And they didn't change the model number? It's like a whole different product that will have to be retested, right? AnandTech will have a hayday with this.

Jan 18, 2013, 02:17 AM	#1
btarunr Editor & Senior Moderator Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 14,981 (7.31/day) Thanks: 788 Thanked 12,895 Times in 5,647 Posts System Specs	Plextor M5S, M5 Pro Get NAND Flash Design Change Plextor implemented a design change in the NAND flash memory of its M5S and M5 Pro series consumer SSDs. The two see a transit from 20 nm-class NAND flash chips in the BGA package, to 19 nm chips in the TSOP (pins along the shorter edges) package. Both chips are Toshiba-made. The controller and latest firmware (FW 1.02) remain unchanged. The move to chips in the TSOP package doesn't impact on the specifications or price of the products, but gives the controller the ability to handle greater page-size on the chips. The TSOP chips feature maximum page-size of 16 KB/page, while the BGA chips feature 8 KB/page. In theory, this should improve "buffer management," when the controller decides to use NAND flash as scratchpads, in spite of having a gigabyte of DRAM cache at its disposal. Further, the new TSOP package NAND flash chips have lighter thermal requirements, letting Plextor get rid of the conductive thermal pads over the chips, saving a Dollar or two. The company did not release any markers on how to identify the two variants of drives by looking at serial numbers. Source: Hermitage Akihabara

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Jan 18, 2013, 01:02 PM	#2
Prima.Vera Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Antagonia Posts: 1,360 (2.22/day) Thanks: 224 Thanked 179 Times in 120 Posts System Specs	specs, speed, price??? __________________ *The richest man is not he who has the most, but he who needs the least.*

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Jan 18, 2013, 07:29 PM	#4
1c3d0g Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 615 (0.31/day) Thanks: 2,255 Thanked 47 Times in 38 Posts	Odd. I thought TSOP was on its way out because supposedly, the BGA-style packaging is the wave of the future?

Jan 19, 2013, 02:41 AM	#6
1c3d0g Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 615 (0.31/day) Thanks: 2,255 Thanked 47 Times in 38 Posts	That's what I heard, and that's why I'm asking...?

Jan 19, 2013, 04:49 PM	#7
xorbe Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 108 (0.23/day) Thanks: 11 Thanked 9 Times in 8 Posts	And they didn't change the model number? It's like a whole different product that will have to be retested, right? AnandTech will have a hayday with this.

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