Storage News - Page 17

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.

Sabrent has just launched its new Rocket 2230 SSD, which falls into the M.2 2230 form factor, a smaller SSD that will super-speed your system no matter how small it is.

The new Sabrent Rocket 2230 SSD and its M.2 2230 form factor will fit into devices like Valve's popular Steam Deck handheld console, a Microsoft Surface, an ultrabook, an Intel NUC system, a compact HTPC, and everything in between.

Sabrent's new Rocket 2230 SSD comes in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities with reads of up to 5000MB/sec (5GB/sec) on the 512GB variant. Sabrent is using the new PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD controller with 'exceptional' 3D TLC flash, with the company noting that users usually need to compromise with M.2 2230 SSDs, but with their new Gen4 controller, you'll be enjoying gaming desktop-class performance, mixed with the efficient flash for the best experience.

Phison has just announced that its 8TB M.2 2280 SSD memory module has passed the required certification for space flight required by Lonestar Data Holdings and its initial data center mission into space.

Lonestar's upcoming mission to the Moon will see the Phison 8TB SSD inside of their systems, with space logistics company Skycorp being a p[partner to Lonestar's engineering design and manufacturing for the mission. Phison had certification for NASA Technology Readiness Level 6 -- TRL-6 -- by checking all the required boxes for flight and space tests.

This includes conditions like the vacuum of space, and deep cryogenic temperatures that the Phison 8TB SSD will have on the surface of the Moon. Phison also had to complete testing with their SSD against environmental and stress testing, working with SpaceX and its Falcon 9 rocket at Silicon Valley commercial and governmental testing facilities.

Micron has just unveiled the first client SSD shipping with over 200 layers of NAND flash, with the introduction of the new Micron 2550 SSD that delivers an injection of performance in PCIe 4.0 SSDs.

The new Micron 2550 SSD packs 232-layer NAND flash and falls on the current-gen PCIe 4.0 standard, but the PCIe Gen4 SSD standard will be here in PCs and devices through to 2026. Praveen Vaidyanathan, vice president and general manager of the Client Storage Group at Micron said: "We focused on delivering a superior user experience for PC users with this SSD".

"The new 2550 SSD builds on our established and broadly adopted PCIe Gen4 architecture. It also incorporates Micron's industry-leading 232-layer NAND and focuses on thermal architecture and power design. These capabilities deliver impressive application performance and phenomenal power savings".