Intel Corp. and Lightbits Labs today announced an agreement to propel development of disaggregated storage solutions to solve the challenges of today's data center operators who are craving improved total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) due to stranded disk capacity and performance. This strategic partnership includes technical co-engineering, go-to-market collaboration and an Intel Capital investment in Lightbits Labs. Lightbits' LightOS product delivers high-performance shared storage across servers while providing high availability and read-and-write management designed to maximize the value of flash-based storage. LightOS, while being fully optimized for Intel hardware, provides customers with vastly improved storage efficiency and reduces underutilization while maintaining compatibility with existing infrastructure without compromising performance and simplicity.

Lightbits Labs will enhance its composable disaggregated software-defined storage solution, LightOS, for Intel technologies, creating an optimized software and hardware solution. The system will utilize Intel Optane persistent memory and Intel 3D NAND SSDs based on Intel QLC Technology, Intel Xeon Scalable processors with unique built-in artificial intelligence (AI) acceleration capabilities and Intel Ethernet 800 Series Network Adapters with Application Device Queues (ADQ) technology. Intel's leadership FPGAs for next-generation performance, flexibility and programmability will complement the solution.

The Xbox Series X & S consoles are now available to pre-order and come with 1 TB and 512 GB custom NVMe storage drives respectively. The two consoles both feature a custom port for an Xbox Storage card which features the same custom NVMe technology used in the internal drives. The consoles can still be expanded via an external USB storage device but will be limited by the bandwidth of USB 3.2.

The Xbox Series S will only support digital games and with the rise of Xbox Game Pass and ever-increasing game sizes the internal drive will quickly be exhausted. The price for a 1 TB expansion module will be £159 (~ 200 USD) which is fair considering the speeds offered by the drive and the mandatory Microsoft tax. The expansion modules do represent a considerate cost in comparison to the consoles with the 1 TB expansion module costing over 60% of the MSRP for an Xbox Series S.

Direct-attached performance from network-attached devices is no longer a thing of storage architects' dreams. KIOXIA America, Inc. (formerly Toshiba Memory America, Inc.), is now sampling Ethernet SSDs to select partners and customers interested in validating the benefits of Ethernet attached storage to their existing Ethernet (RoCEv2) networks. KIOXIA has been working in collaboration with key industry players Marvell, Foxconn-Ingrasys and Accton to bring groundbreaking Ethernet Bunch of Flash (EBOF) technology solutions to market - and this announcement is pivotal to that endeavor.

In an ongoing quest to contain explosive amounts of data, storage capacity and bandwidth must continue to grow while processing time must decrease. An EBOF system addresses these challenges through an Ethernet fabric that can scale flash and optimally disaggregate storage from compute. The EBOF storage solution bypasses the cost, complexity, and system limitations inherent with standard JBOF storage systems, which typically include a CPU, DRAM, HBA, and switch. This accelerates applications and workloads where disaggregated low-latency, high bandwidth, highly available storage is needed - bringing greatly improved performance and lower total cost of ownership to edge, enterprise and cloud data centers.

Sonnet Technologies today announced the Fusion Dual U.2 SSD PCIe Card, the latest product in the company's line of high-performance storage cards that enable the installation of SSDs into a computer's or Thunderbolt expansion system's PCIe card slot. The Fusion card supports two U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 SSDs, which share the same form factor as 2.5-inch SATA drives but deliver up to seven times the performance of the fastest SATA SSDs available.

The Fusion Dual U.2 SSD PCIe Card enables users to install two enterprise-class U.2 SSDs (sold separately) into a full-length PCIe card slot, mounting and connecting the SSDs with no cables, adapters, or mounting trays required. For users who need to add storage to their computer setup and require ultra-high-speed data transfer speeds for a smooth workflow—such as video editors working with 6K and greater resolution footage—U.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 3 SSDs are ideal. Mainstream U.2 SSDs are currently available in capacities up to 16 TB and support data transfers at up to 3,500 MB/s. With two SSDs installed on the Sonnet card and configured as a RAID 0 set, sustained data transfers up to 6,250 MB/s are possible.

Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today unveiled the company's first consumer PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive (SSD) - the Samsung SSD 980 PRO. The new 980 PRO is designed for professionals and consumers who want cutting-edge performance in their high-end PCs, workstations and game consoles.

"Over the years, Samsung has continuously challenged the limits of high-speed flash memory storage solutions," said Dr. Mike Mang, vice president of Memory Brand Product Biz at Samsung Electronics. "The new 980 PRO SSD reflects our continuing commitment to delivering exceptional products consumers have come to expect from Samsung."

AAEON, an industry leader in embedded industrial computing, announces the BOXER-6842M, the latest solution in high performance industrial computing. Powered by the 8th and 9th Generation Intel Core processors and supporting graphics cards up to 250 W for video capturing applications, the BOXER-6842M is designed for the most intensive applications from Edge AI server to automated optical inspection (AOI).

The BOXER-6842M features the 8th and 9th Generation Intel Core i9/i7/i5/i3 and Xeon E processors (formerly Coffee Lake/Coffee Lake Refresh), offering top end computing performance. Paired with up to 128 GB of SODIMM memory, the system is designed to deliver the best performance possible to handle processing intensive machine vision and AI applications. Additionally, the BOXER-6842M supports graphics cards up to 250 W TDP without the need of a secondary power supply, making setup and deployment even easier.

ADATA XPG, a provider of systems, components, and peripherals for gamers, esports pros, and tech enthusiasts, today announces the XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite PCIe Gen 4x4 M.2 2280 solid state drive (SSD). With the advent of 5G networks and the ever-growing volume of data being processed, the PCIe Gen4 interface is a critical upgrade that will bring storage devices to the next level. The S50 Lite expands the GAMMIX S50 series with a new option for mainstream users wanting to harness the capabilities of PCIe 4.0.

"With the launch of the S50 Lite, we have now extended our PCIe 4.0 SSD offering to meet not only the demands of early adopters but also mainstream users, whether for work or play," said Ibsen Chen, Director of Product Marketing at ADATA. "With support from our strategic partners at Silicon Motion, we have invested in developing a next-generation SSD that is accessible and offers exceptional performance."

Yangtze Memory Technology Company (YMTC), China's ambitious new memory manufacturer specializing in NAND flash, launched the first client-segment SSDs under its own brand, the PC005 Active series and the SC001 Active series. Rumors of YMTC developing its own brand SSDs surfaced first in June. Prior to that in May, it was reported that Phison could add support for YMTC NAND flash chips to variants of its existing SSD controllers, and so it's highly likely that the new YMTC SSDs use Phison-sourced controllers. Interestingly, the company deployed its first-generation Xtracking 64-layer 3D TLC NAND flash chips instead of its 2nd generation 128-layer QLC chips.

The PC005 Active comes in the M.2-2280 form-factor with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 host interface, leveraging the NVMe 1.3 protocol. The drive is available in 1 TB. 512 GB, and 256 GB capacities. All three variants read sequentially at speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s, wiring at up to 2,900 MB/s, up to 2,500 MB/s, and up to 1,200 MB/s, respectively. Their endurance is rated at 640 TBW for the 1 TB version, 320 TBW for the 512 GB, and 200 TBW for the 256 GB variant. All three are backed by 5-year warranties.

GIGABYTE today introduced a 2 TB variant of its AORUS Gen4 AIC SSD. This drive is essentially a PCI-Express 4.0 x16 to four M.2 PCIe Gen 4 x4 riser card that comes with four 500 GB AORUS Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSDs pre-installed. Using it requires a platform with PCIe lane segmentation (most modern platforms since 2016 do), and for the OS to support NVMe RAID.

The riser card component of the AORUS Gen4 AIC SSD has basic logic that controls a lateral blower based on drive temperature, and provides basic disk activity LEDs. Inside, a copper monoblock heatsink pulls heat from all four drives. Each of the four internal M.2 NVMe drives features 96-layer 3D TLC NAND flash memory, and Phison E16 controllers. With NVMe RAID striped, the card offers peak performance of up to 15,000 MB/s sequential reads, and up to 9,500 MB/s sequential writes. Random access performance is rated at up to 425,000 IPS 4K random reads, and up to 440,000 IOPS 4K random writes. GIGABYTE is backing the drive with a 5-year warranty. The company didn't reveal pricing.

GALAX have recently unveiled the Hall Of Fame (HOF) Extreme PCIe 4.0 SSD. This is a second-generation PCIe 4.0 SSD featuring the Phison PS5018-E18 controller which allows for speeds which near the limits of PCIe 4.0. The GALAX Hall Of Fame Extreme SSD promises sequential read and write speeds of 7000 MB/s and 6850 MB/s respectively. These claimed speeds are in line with other SSD's utilizing the PS5018-E18 controller such as the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus which also uses TLC NAND flash. The GALAX HOF Extreme will be offered in 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB versions, and all feature premium designs with mirrored heatsink, pricing and availability were not announced.

TechPowerUp and Team Group bring you a chance to win a Team T-Force Cardea Ceramic C440 1 TB M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD. Announced this June, the T-Force Cardea Ceramic C440 is an M.2 NVMe SSD that takes advantage of PCI-Express 4.0 x4 host interface - perfect for a cutting edge build based on 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen or upcoming Intel processors. This isn't just another Phison E16 + 3D TLC NAND based drive, Team Group innovated a patented new heatspreader which uses ceramic composite materials that more effectively pull heat from the drive's controller and NAND flash components. The 1 TB variant offers blistering speeds of up to 5,000 MB/s reads, with up to 4,400 MB/s writes. Open worldwide (wherever legal), the Giveaway accepts entries until September 17, 2020. To enter, all you have to do is fill us a short form that helps us get back to you if you've won. Good Luck!

For more information, and to participate, visit this page.

Introducing the Z490 DARK K|NGP|N Edition, now the premier motherboard in EVGA's Z490 lineup. The Z490 DARK K|NGP|N is a limited-edition motherboard that features validated support for memory speeds at 5000 MHz+ (OC), and a collectable retail box hand-signed by K|NGP|N himself.

The EVGA Z490 DARK K|NGP|N is also packaged with an 18-phase power design, right-angled connectors, and an Intel 2.5 GbE NIC to ensure that the only limitation of your Z490 DARK K|NGP|N is your imagination. The Z490 DARK K|NGP|N is a masterwork of design and engineering, bringing the best performance and stability available on the Z490 chipset.

NVIDIA at its GeForce "Ampere" launch event announced the RTX IO technology. Storage is the weakest link in a modern computer, from a performance standpoint, and SSDs have had a transformational impact. With modern SSDs leveraging PCIe, consumer storage speeds are now bound to grow with each new PCIe generation doubling per-lane IO bandwidth. PCI-Express Gen 4 enables 64 Gbps bandwidth per direction on M.2 NVMe SSDs, AMD has already implemented it across its Ryzen desktop platform, Intel has it on its latest mobile platforms, and is expected to bring it to its desktop platform with "Rocket Lake." While more storage bandwidth is always welcome, the storage processing stack (the task of processing ones and zeroes to the physical layer), is still handled by the CPU. With rise in storage bandwidth, the IO load on the CPU rises proportionally, to a point where it can begin to impact performance. Microsoft sought to address this emerging challenge with the DirectStorage API, but NVIDIA wants to build on this.

According to tests by NVIDIA, reading uncompressed data from an SSD at 7 GB/s (typical max sequential read speeds of client-segment PCIe Gen 4 M.2 NVMe SSDs), requires the full utilization of two CPU cores. The OS typically spreads this workload across all available CPU cores/threads on a modern multi-core CPU. Things change dramatically when compressed data (such as game resources) are being read, in a gaming scenario, with a high number of IO requests. Modern AAA games have hundreds of thousands of individual resources crammed into compressed resource-pack files.

Sabrent have recently announced the Rocket 4 Plus NVMe SSD which they claim is the fastest available. The Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus utilizes the next-generation Phison PS5018-E18 SSD controller which enables significantly faster performance with 7,000 MB/s sequential read and 6850 MB/s sequential write speeds. These speeds are just above the recently announced Samsung 980 PRO and beat virtually all other PCIe 4.0 SSD's using the Phison PS5016-E16 controller which maxes out at sequential read speeds of ~5,000 MB/s.

The Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus is available in 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB variants which is double the max available capacity offered by Samsung on the 980 PRO. These speeds from Samsung and Sabrent are now approaching the bandwidth limits of PCIe 4.0 x4 slots, however the practical applications of such speeds are minimal for most users. Pricing and availability was not announced.

Running the ZFS-based QuTS hero operating system, the GM-1000 focuses on data integrity and features powerful block-level inline data deduplication and compression. Near-limitless snapshots, real-time SnapSync, and many more business-oriented features are also included to achieve reliable service-level agreement performance and Big Data storage.

"The GM-1000 features a unique dual-NAS architecture that delivers cost-efficient and space-saving advantages, ideal for offloading services between the two NAS nodes or running cross backup," said David Tsao, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "Its ZFS storage and performance makes it perfect for massive file storage, virtualization, and post-production with outstanding reliability and cost-effectiveness."

Nimbus Data, a leading innovator in flash memory storage, today unveiled ExaDrive NL, the world's highest capacity QLC flash SSD and the industry's first QLC flash SAS SSD for enterprise workloads. With industry-leading capacity up to 64 TB in a single SSD, ExaDrive NL helps organizations eliminate server sprawl, reduce software licensing costs, improve efficiency, and reduce data center operating costs by up to 75%.

"Customers are always looking for more capacity and more efficient ways to access their data," said Jeff Janukowicz, Research Vice President, IDC. "High capacity QLC flash SSDs, like Nimbus Data's ExaDrive NL, help organizations migrate to enterprise-grade flash storage as cost-effectively as possible, while simplifying hybrid storage that blends HDDs and SSDs seamlessly to optimize cost and performance for their workloads."

MSI today rolled out the MAG B460 Torpedo, a Socket LGA1200 motherboard based on the Intel B460 chipset. This marks the debut of the new "Torpedo" brand extension that's part of the MSI Arsenal Gaming (MAG) product family, positioned a notch below the MAG Tomahawk. MSI has been giving the Tomahawk extension value additions over the past few generations, pushing its typical pricing up, along with features such as dual Ethernet, rear I/O shroud, etc. The MAG B460 Torpedo keeps things simple within the ATX form-factor. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and uses a 13-phase VRM to power the CPU. The VRM heatsinks appear slightly smaller than the ones on the MAG B460 Tomahawk. The tiny heatsink over the PCH is hard to miss, too.

Expansion slots on the MSI MAG B460 Torpedo include one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 reinforced slot wired to the CPU, a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (electrical x4) slot wired to the B460 PCH, and two other PCIe x1 slots. Storage connectivity includes two M.2 NVMe slots, both PCI-Express 3.0 x4 wiring, one of which includes a heatsink; and six SATA 6 Gbps ports. Networking features one 2.5 GbE interface driven by a Realtek 8125B controller. The onboard audio solution uses a Realtek ALC1200 codec with audio grade capacitors, 8-channel jacks, and headphones amp. As part of the CoreBoost feature set, you get to eke out more performance from your non-K 10th Gen Core processors by relaxing power limits. MSI is pricing the MAG B460 Torpedo at USD $109.99, about $30 cheaper than the Tomahawk.

For consumers who need to accelerate their productivity and protect their valuable content without compromising style, Western Digital Corp. today introduced the new WD brand My Passport SSD in capacities up to 2 TB. With a sleek, compact metal design and blazing fast speeds powered by NVMe technology, the new palm-sized drive allows home and business users to save, access and protect the content that matters.

"The new My Passport SSD delivers the speed, reliability and functionality consumers have come to expect from us," said Susan Park, vice president, Consumer Solutions, Western Digital. "It is a powerful and sophisticated solution for the everyday content creators, curators and hobbyists who need to move files quickly. The rounded corners, waving ridges and soft edges enhance the My Passport SSD's portability and make it easy to carry, yet also distinctly recognizable as a member within WD's award-winning My Passport product line-up."

AMD today announced its entry-level A520 desktop chipset for 3rd Gen Ryzen "Matisse" processors, and possible readiness for Athlon and Ryzen 4000G processors based on the "Renoir" silicon. Much like the B550, it lacks support for Ryzen 3 3200G and Ryzen 5 3400G processors based on the "Picasso" silicon, as well as older 2nd- and 1st Gen Ryzen processors. The A520 succeeds the A320 chipset, and enables motherboards priced deep under the $100-mark, close to the $50 magic figure. The ASMedia-sourced chipset has quite a few similarities with the B550, but one big segmentation - complete lack of PCIe Gen 4.

Motherboards based on the AMD A520 completely lack PCIe Gen 4 support, even with a Ryzen 3000 "Matisse" processor. Even the PCI-Express x16 and M.2 NVMe slots wired to the AM4 SoC are limited to PCIe Gen 3. On the B550, these two slots run at Gen 4 speeds when paired with a capable processor. Much like the B550, the downstream (general purpose) PCIe lanes from the chipset run at PCIe Gen 3 speeds, although unlike the B550, the chipset only puts out 6 lanes. Other platform I/O includes up to five 10 Gbps USB 3.2 ports (includes two from the AM4 SoC), two 5 Gbps USB 3.1 ports, four SATA 6 Gb/s (AHCI-only) ports, and six USB 2.0 ports. At launch, A520 motherboards only support Ryzen 3000 "Matisse" processors, with support planned for 4000G "Renoir" processors when they launch in the retail channel, and future "Zen 3" processors, through firmware updates.

SK hynix Inc., a global semiconductor supplier based in Korea, announced today the release of its newest PCIe SSD: the SK hynix Gold P31. The latest edition is the world's first 128-layer NAND flash-based consumer SSD and the company's first consumer-facing PCIe SSD launched in the United States under the SK hynix brand.

The Gold P31 is intended for all PC users with a particular focus on gamers, designers, and content creators. The drive supports the PCIe NVMe interface based on 4D NAND flash technology and is now available for purchase in 1 TB and 500 GB capacities on Amazon U.S. The Gold P31 offers best-in-class read speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s and write speeds of up to 3,200 MB/s. The drive is a reliable choice for gamers whose PCs must support long hours of play, as well as professional creators and designers for whom performance and stability is essential. The Gold P31's reliability has been tested and validated through 1,000 hours of high-temperature operating life tests (HTOL) with mean time between failures (MTBF) reaching 1.5 million hours. The SSD also comes with a five-year warranty.

A lot is riding for Intel on its 11th Gen Core "Tiger Lake" system-on-chip (SoC), which will launch exclusively on mobile platforms, hoping to dominate the 7 W thru 15 W ultraportable form-factors in 2020, while eventually scaling up to the 25 W thru 45 W H-segment form-factors in 2021, with a variant that is rumored to double core-counts. The chip is built on Intel's new 10 nm SuperFin silicon fabrication node that enables a double digit percentage energy efficiency growth over 10 nm, allowing Intel to significantly dial up clock speeds without impacting the power envelope. The CPU and iGPU make up the two key components of the "Tiger Lake" SoC.

The CPU component on the "Tiger Lake" processors that launch in a few weeks from now features four "Willow Cove" CPU cores. Coupled with HyperThreading, this ends up being a 4-core/8-thread setup, although much of Intel's innovation is in giving these cores significant IPC increases over the "Skylake" core powering "Comet Lake" processors, and compared to the "Sunny Cove" cores powering "Ice Lake" a minor IPC (although major net performance increase from clock speeds). The "Willow Cove" CPU core appears to be a derivative of the "Sunny Cove" core, designed to take advantage of the 10 nm SuperFin node, along with three key innovations.

Here's the first picture of an ASRock A520M Pro4 Micro-ATX Socket AM4 motherboard based on AMD's upcoming A520 entry-level chipset that succeeds the A320. The picture reveals a spartan, well laid out motherboard that appears to cover all the segment essentials needed for entry-level builds using AMD's Athlon 3000 processors, or Ryzen 3000 and 4000G processors. Among its segment first features are the inclusion of two M.2 slots, from which one is wired to the AM4 socket, and includes an SSD heatsink. The board also features an M.2 E-key slot so you can add a WLAN card (provision for rear-panel antennae also offered). USB connectivity includes a type-C port on the rear panel. Surprisingly, the only display output is a D-Sub. Perhaps there are variants of this board that come with HDMI or DP.

Another striking detail from this VideoCardz-sourced picture is the printed marking near the top M.2 NVMe slot (wired to the processor) which reads "PCIe Gen 3 x4." On AMD B550 based motherboards, ASRock marks this as "PCIe Gen 4 x4." This is a confirmation of the AMD A520 platform being segmented from the B550 with lack of PCI-Express gen 4.0 support. The lack of gen 4.0 ancillaries could slim the bill of materials for motherboard manufacturers, letting them sell motherboards based on the A520 around the $50-$70 mark. This shouldn't be a problem for people with Athlon 3000G, Ryzen 3000G, or even new 4000G, as none of these processors offer PCIe Gen 4.

TEVET, a premium test and measurement (T&M) supplier and RADX Technologies, an industry leading developer of modular, COTS, T&M solutions, today announced new 32 and 64 TB Trifecta-SSD COTS PXIe SSD RAID modules. The new models are the first NVMe SSD RAID modules supporting up to 7 GB/sec sequential read/write performance and up to 64 TB in a single PXIe hybrid or CPCIe slot. Manufactured in the USA by RADX and distributed exclusively by TEVET, Trifecta-SSD modules are available in 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 TB capacities, with pricing that is typically over 2x more cost effective than other SSD RAID modules.

GIGABYTE Technology,, an industry leader in high-performance servers and workstations, today announced the launch of the GIGABYTE G242-Z11 with PCIe 4.0, which adds to an already extensive line of G242 series servers, designed for AI, deep learning, data analytics, and scientific computing. High-speed interfaces such as Ethernet, Infiniband, and PCI Express rely on fast data transfer, and PCIe 3.0 can pose a bottleneck in some servers. With the expansion of the AMD EPYC family of processors comes PCIe Gen 4.0, which is valuable to servers so as not to bottleneck high bandwidth applications. The 2nd Gen AMD EPYC 7002 processors have added PCIe Gen 4.0, and GIGABYTE has included an ever-evolving line of servers to accommodate the latest technology.

The G242-Z11 caters to the capabilities of 2nd Gen AMD EPYC 7002 series processors. The G242-Z11 is built around a single AMD EPYC processor, and this even includes the new 280 W 64-core (128 threads) AMD EPYC 7H12. Besides a high core count, the 7002 series has 128 PCIe lanes and natively supports PCIe Gen 4.0. It offers double the speed and bandwidth when compared to PCIe 3.0. Having PCIe 4.0 allows for 16GT/s per lane and a total bandwidth of 64 GB/s. As far as memory support, the G242-Z11 has support for 8-channel DDR4 with room for up to 8 DIMMs. In this 1 DIMM per channel configuration, it can support up to 2 TB of memory and speeds up to 3200 MHz.

Memblaze today announced the release of low-power enterprise-class PBlaze5 520 Series NVMe SSD, which can meet the demand of energy conservation of green data center. The PBlaze5 520 Series NVMe SSD adopts 96-layer 3D eTLC NAND, provides capacity ranging from 1.6 TB to 3.84 TB, and comes in both 2.5" U.2 and HHHL form factors, offering flexible options for enterprises to deploy green data center. The PBlaze5 520 Series consists of models such as PBlaze5 C520, PBlaze5 D520, PBlaze5 C526 and PBlaze5 D526.

The Memblaze PBlaze5 520 Series employs 8-channel architecture, offers up to 520K random read IOPS and 3.3 GB/s read bandwidth, with read and write latencies lowering to 85μs and 15μs respectively. All these features contribute to the 6-fold improvement in its performance compared with enterprise-class SATA SSD. The typical power consumption of this Series is only 9 W and the standby power consumption is as low as 4 W. PBlaze5 520 Series also supports accurate power control per watt, which can dramatically cut back on the Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) and Operating Expense (OPEX) of the devices in data center.