More Details on Intel's 34 nm SSDs Emerge

[btarunr]

Reports about Intel's new SSDs with 34 nm NAND-flash chips first surfaced in June, when the company was believed to be working on its quick and silent launch. As it turns out, we still have no signs of these 34 nm SSDs, which Intel reportedly codenamed "Postville". We do have more details about these, however, and how Intel plans to hand over the benefit of lower manufacturing costs to the consumers right away.

Intel's Postville familiy of SSDs use NAND-flash chips made by IM Flash, a joint venture between Intel and Micron Technology. Products based on this series will be part of Intel's X25-M series, which Intel and its partners (such as Kingston, A-Data, PQI, etc.) will market in capacities of 80 GB, 160 GB, and 320 GB. The 320 GB model is a first for Intel in its segment. While the tentative pricing of the 320 GB model isn't known, the 160 GB model is expected to cost at least a 100 Euros less than its 50 nm predecessor, the current X25-M 160 GB, sending its price below 400 Euros. The X25-M 80 GB which currently costs around 270 Euros, will be down to around 200 Euros.

Being part of the X25-M series, these SSDs will use multi-level cell flash chips. There is no information available on 34 nm flash-based SLC drives from Intel, which it markets in the X18-E and X25-E series. While a new controller to drive these isn't on the cards, Intel could use the current 10-channel controller that provides read speeds in excess of 200 MB/s to speed up its launch.



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[WarEagleAU]

Bottom line, increased speeds and lower prices

 

[freaksavior]

yay! ssd's finally getting a bit cheaper

 

[n-ster]

It's getting better but it has a lot to do still

 

[Easo]

Thats a good start!

 

[eidairaman1]

so are these MLC or SLC? MLCs are still very pricey, slower and unreliable. SLCs on other hand cost way more but performance is much higher and reliability is too.

 

[Mussels]

so are these MLC or SLC? MLCs are still very pricey, slower and unreliable. SLCs on other hand cost way more but performance is much higher and reliability is too.

it says MLC at the end of the post. read closer.

Dont forget this is intel, their SSD's cost the most, but they're also the best performing and most reliable.

 

[eidairaman1]

Just because it has Intel's name on it doesn't necessarily mean they are the best. I think I'll wait until SSDs start costing less and are SLCs unless if someone figures out how to make MLCs as reliable as SLCs.

 

[Aximous]

Just because it has Intel's name on it doesn't necessarily mean they are the best ...

Quite on the contrary !
Intel makes the best (also the most expensive) consumer market SSDs nowadays
.. and form the other parts of your post seems to me that your experience with these
drives belongs to the first generation of 'em, read some recent articles and see how
much they have improved.

 

[eidairaman1]

It will probably be 5 years before I move to SSD tech, its just still too new.

 

[Aximous]

by 5 years SSDs gonna be old news and a newer tech should be the subject of the discussions!

 

[btarunr]

by 5 years SSDs gonna be old news and a newer tech should be the subject of the discussions!

Decades into the development of the Winchester disk drive, we still have discussions each time Seagate or WD come up with a new HDD.

 

[Aximous]

Well, not anymore, i believe.
the way i see it HDD tech has reached its limits and there's no exciting news about it.
Seagate's prependicular and Western's Raptor were the last Mohicans. tell me if i'm wrong but
i think they have reached the capacity limits too. (only WD has a 2TB model and i hear they
have some issues too)

 

[btarunr]

Well, not anymore, i believe.

Well, yes. Each time they come up with a more spacious/faster drive, there are discussions about it.

 

[Aximous]

People can discuss about them all they want, but those are just minor tweaks not a new tech really.
hey, People still even debating whether did we land on the Moon or not after so many decades!
it doesn't give the subject credibility

 

[Mussels]

People can discuss about them all they want, but those are just minor tweaks not a new tech really.
hey, People still even debating whether did we land on the Moon or not after so many decades!
it doesn't give the subject credibility

perpendicular recording, HRD drives, SSD's... theres been a few big advances in the last few years.

 

[joshiers8605]

it's nice to see these things starting to get a price cut

 

[Mussels]

it's nice to see these things starting to get a price cut

i know. 60% is a huge slash. If they do that every year or two, SSD's will take off in no time.