Storage News - Page 16

Recently we looked at Sabrent's latest USB Docking Station, which features dual M.2 PCIe/NVMe and SATA 2.5/3.5 Inch support and a funky futuristic look. In the world of docking stations, it was pretty straightforward, following the standard toaster-style design of dropping in a drive vertically, copying data, and popping it out when you're done like some data-filled pop tart.

The new USB Type-C Flat Docking Station (DS-UFNC) is similar in terms of functionality; it supports the tool-free installation of M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs and 2.5"/3.5" SATA SSD/HDDs. It features a dual-drive mode and the ability to clone drives offline with LED indicators letting you know that data stuff is happening. Plus, the M.2 PCIe NVMe slot features an integrated heatsink to ensure that all that data is kept nice and cool. And transfer speeds can reach up to 10Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2) with a backward-compatible USB interface and support for both Windows and macOS.

Okay, so with all of the spec stuff out of the way, where Sabrent's new USB Type-C Flat Docking Station sets itself apart from others is the look that we can only guess was inspired by Sony's classic Walkman range of portable audio cassette players from the 1980s and 1990s. The press release has a header titled "Dock and Walk," so the answer is probably yes.

As Valve's Steam Deck approaches its first anniversary, the highly sought-after portable gaming PC handheld is still as popular as it was first released. It still hasn't made its way down to markets like Australia, home of the surprisingly large percentage of the TweakTown crew on account of Valve selling as many Steam Decks as it can produce.

As Valve offers two models with NVMe storage, a 256GB model and a larger 512GB model, the sheer size of most people's Steam libraries means this is probably not enough. The easiest way to expand the storage of a Steam Deck is to go the microSD route; even though microSD storage has now cracked the 1.5TB threshold, once you go over a certain storage amount in the SD realm, you're looking at a severe dent on the ol' digital wallet.

The problem with upgrading the internal NVMe SSD is that it uses the hard-to-find M.2 2230 SSD format, which differs from the more common 2280 SSDs on account of the '30' referring to a length of 30mm. Not many devices use this SSD style; the Steam Deck is one, and the Microsoft Surface is another. And with that, you can find all M.2 2230 drives top out at 512GB. That is, until now.

CFD Gaming is the first company to introduce consumer-grade SSDs with a 10 GB/s of read speed using the new NVMe 2.0 spec and PCIe Gen5 interface. It's also capable of delivering 9.5 GB/s of sequential write speed, which, when put up against one of the fastest PCIe Gen4-based SSDs, the Samsung 990 Pro, it's a notable improvement over read/write speeds of up to 7450/6900 MB/s there.

Keeping the comparison train going, pricing for the 2TB version of CFD Gaming's PCIe Gen 5.0 NVMe SSD, 48,980 Yen, or roughly USD 385 (including taxes), represents a 13% jump as per Wccftech. Three models are available; CSSD-M2M4TPG5NFZ (4TB), CSSD-M2M2TPG5NFZ (2TB), and CSSD-M2M1TPG5NFZ (1TB). Currently, only the 2TB model has hit retail.

All three are based on 3D TLC NAND tech from Micron and feature DDR4 DRAM cache and come with what looks like pretty serious cooling, which includes a chunky heatsink and tiny fan. And it comes with an additional cable to connect the cooling to a 5V connector, so there's a need for good airflow around the SSD - which we don't usually see in this space. It makes you wonder if non-heatsink PCIe Gen5 SSDs will become available.

Micron's new 1.5TB microSD card is the world's largest in terms of storage capacity, but it's pricey at around USD 400. Still, seeing a microSD card with a 1.5TB capacity is a little crazy - but before we wondered how Micron managed to fit that amount of data onto something the size of a sim card, we began thinking about its potential usage.

And sure, for photographers and videographers, it's a potential game-changer, but we were thinking something a little more literally game-changing. Pairing this with the Steam Deck or the Nintendo Switch would mean being able to install just about every game you can think of without having to worry about running out of storage.

The Switch features only 32GB of internal storage, and the Steam Deck starts at 64GB (256GB and 512GB are also available), so expanding that with an additional 1.5TB is the dream. And sure, 1TB microSD cards are a lot cheaper, but going all the way to 1.5TB would no doubt be worthwhile in an era when game install sizes keep growing.

Silicon Power's new UD85 PCIe Gen 4 M2 SSD is designed to deliver performance, speed, and reliability as an entry-level and budget-friendly choice for those looking to expand their storage.

With read speeds of up to 3,600MB/s and write speeds of up to 2,800MB/s, plus support for NVMe 1.4 and Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology, you're looking at something perfect for upgrading and expanding laptop or desktop storage capacities. "The UD85 is all about value," writes Silicon Power in its announcement - which is good to see as PCIe Gen 4 M2 SSD speeds have recently made them the drive option of choice for gamers everywhere.

And with most desktop motherboards shipping with multiple M2 slots, it makes sense to pack in as many PCIe Gen 4 drives as possible.

We can't help but think of USB Docking Stations as toasters for all your hard-drive swapping action, pop a new drive in, grab or copy over the data you need, and then pop in the next one. More than a simple comparison, if you've had multiple PCs and gone through several HDDs over the years, a Docking Station is as essential for a home office/gaming den as a toaster is in a kitchen.

With support for M.2 PCIe/NVMe, SATA 2.5/3.5-Inch SSD and HDD, and offline cloning (DS-UNHC), the latest USB-C Docking Station from Sabrent might be the last one you'll ever need. It's packed with features, but the dual SATA and M.2 SSD support make it a winner.

Simultaneous SATA and PCIe access is very cool to see, as are several USB cables packed in to support any PC USB interface. This means you've got up to 10Gbps transfer speeds over USB 3.2 Gen 2 or slower when connected to an older USB interface. There are also some great features to support extended usage, with a built-in M.2 heatsink and dust guard. The visual look is striking too, and it won't look out of place sitting next to an RGB-lit gaming rig.

KIOXIA is no stranger to flash memory, with the company inventing NAND flash and being at the forefront of consumer and enterprise applications. At CES 2023, it brought its full range of next-gen SSDs with impressive solutions as flash memory and SSDs become the standard across vehicles, mobile devices, PCs, and more.

Being a leader when it comes to 3D Flash Memory technology, the company's BiCS FLASH 3D in particular increases density and reliability, making it a cutting-edge fit for data center, enterprise, and mobile storage.

"Whether it's the next connected vehicle, the next personal mobility device, or the next smart city - we keep advancing flash memory to make the next thing possible," said Alex Mei, vice president of corporate marketing for KIOXIA America, Inc. "Countless consumer devices and applications require flash memory and SSDs, and we are committed to continued innovation."

We've been hearing an awful lot about next-gen PCIe 5.0 SSDs, with MSI unveiling its first consumer-focused PCIe 5.0 SSD offerings at CES 2023 (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas.

The new MSI Spatium M570 and Spatium M570 Pro were spotted by the folks at Tom's Hardware, being shown off at the MSI booth.

MSI's upcoming Spatium M570 and Spatium M570 Pro are both super-fast, with the flagship MSI Spatium M570 Pro rolling out with Micron 232-layer NAND chips and Phison's upcoming E26 controller. MSI's second-fastest Spatium M570 uses the same Phison E26 SSD controller, but uses TLC-based memory.

Sabrent has just released its new USB Type-C To Dual 3.5" SATA and Raid Docking Station with CFast/SD Card Readers and USB Type-A Port (DS-2BCR) which has a wicked list of features and functionalities, so let's dive into what it can do.

The new Sabrent USB Type-C To Dual 3.5" SATA and Raid Docking Station with CFast/SD Card Readers and USB Type-A Port (DS-2BCR) lets you use your SSD or mechanical disks in single mode, or RAID mode, with solid and durable metal construction that packs two removable HD trays.

It's compatible with 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA III disks, but don't worry: it's backward compatible with SATA I and SATA II standards. Sabrent includes a locking key that prevents the accidental removal of the HD trays during operation. There's also fast and reliable USB Type-C connectivity with speeds that can burst over 1GB/sec (1000MB/sec).

KIOXIA has proudly announced that its CM6 and CD6 series of PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs as well as its PM6 series of 24G SAS SSDs have secured themselves Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) certification.

This allows the aforementioned KIOXIA SSDs to be used with Windows Server 2022 SDDC solutions that utilize Storage Spaces Direct, with certification of KIOXIA's SSDs conducted by Microsoft to ensure the compatibility and performance KIOXIA's CM6, CD6, and PM6 series SSDs.

As for Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct, it's a feature built into Windows Server that creates a software-defined software solution, which combines SSDs on clustered servers, allowing them to share the storage resources in converted and hyperconverged IT infrastructures. This means users can scale out storage capacity by simply adding in more drives or more servers into their cluster, with Storage Spaces Direct automatically onboarding the new drives, and rebalancing the storage pool.