SandForce demos SSDs running next generation NAND flash

Shawn Knight

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Last week Toshiba announced the world’s first solid state drives to use 19nm MLC NAND flash, the THNSNF series. Toshiba’s press release detailed multiple features and specifications, save for which controller was used. Fortunately the 19nm Toggle MLC NAND flash popped up in other Computex coverage, complete with controller information.

The crew from The Tech Report met with SandForce during the show and were shown SSDs with new flash memory from Intel, Micron and Toshiba. The first system utilized Toshiba’s 19nm NAND while the second was equipped with 20nm ONFI NAND from Intel, both using SandForce SF-2000 series controller.

nand sandforce ssds intel toshiba micron ssd sandforce

These early prototype drives are reportedly capable of 500MB/s in 128KB sequential reads / writes with 4K random writes around 60,000 IOPS. In actual testing, the demo units scored “pretty close” to advertised numbers.

The gang also spotted a drive using 20nm Micron flash. But because Micron and Intel get their 20nm flash from the same production line through a joint venture called IM Technologies, this unit wasn’t connected to a demo system.

SandForce says that new NAND flash should enter mass production in the very near future with SSDs using the memory not too far behind. The company also told the publication that they will continue to use the SATA interface throughout this year but PCI Express is the future. Controllers for PCI Express solutions will become a reality in 2013.

Smaller NAND will most typically equate to lower prices as more chips can be squeezed onto a single wafer. With any luck, these savings will be passed along to the end-user to further drive down per-gigabyte pricing.

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The article shows the wrong picture - I recognise this as an aerial shot of the military base in Orcusville.
 
You can't really complain about the £/GB of SSD's nowadays.

I recently saw a Samsung 64GB 830 for £52.98 on Ebuyer. I mean, that's crazy cheap.

I have this exact SSD, and it's plenty for my OS, programs and a few games.
 
When is it going to be necessary for a new SATA standard?
It is already necessary. That is why they are working on the controllers for pci-e which should be good enough for using as a boot drive. The speeds are already way above sata (also the prices) but it's too bad that u can't put an OS on them just yet.
 
[FONT=Helvetica]"The speeds are already way above sata"[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica]No, they are not. SATAIII allows for a speed of 600MB/sec. Even with overhead, no current drive can actually surpass that easily in real world apps. Soon SATAIII will be a bottleneck, but it isn't just yet. [/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica]By the time drives which can exceed 600MB/sec are released we will have the next generation PCI Express ready to go. [/FONT]
 
PC nerd, 64GB is enough for OS, programs, AND a few games!?

What are you smoking? I'm using an older intel 90GB and it's enough for OS, just the most important progs, and ONE (1) game. THAT'S IT!

you sure you have a 64GB and not something like a 164GB? (if they have those)
 
PC nerd, 64GB is enough for OS, programs, AND a few games!?

What are you smoking? I'm using an older intel 90GB and it's enough for OS, just the most important progs, and ONE (1) game. THAT'S IT!

you sure you have a 64GB and not something like a 164GB? (if they have those)
I'm not sure about PC nerd but I have a 60GB SSD with OS, programs, and a few games installed. It's funny how you need 90GB but yet I am only using 25GB of my SSD.
 
You can't really complain about the £/GB of SSD's nowadays.

I recently saw a Samsung 64GB 830 for £52.98 on Ebuyer. I mean, that's crazy cheap.

I have this exact SSD, and it's plenty for my OS, programs and a few games.

The 128GB version is £80 at Dabs, even better deal ;)
 
PC nerd, 64GB is enough for OS, programs, AND a few games!?

What are you smoking? I'm using an older intel 90GB and it's enough for OS, just the most important progs, and ONE (1) game. THAT'S IT!

you sure you have a 64GB and not something like a 164GB? (if they have those)


No. I'm not a retard.

I've moved the pagefiles to my mechanical HDD and removed the hibernation files from my SSD. As a result, the OS barely takes 20GB up. Then I have Office and a few smaller programs on there and Darksiders.

ZIw9m.png
 
I agree with PC nerd, pagefile, system restore and hibernation take up at least 10GB of precious space. Obviously also make sure all your music, pictures, documents etc. aren't on the SSD.

But given current prices there's really no reason for getting anything less than a 128GB SSD now.
 
I bought a Samsung 830 64GB SSD a few months ago, and then the SSD prices plummeted...

I paid £77 for a 64GB SSD. 120-128GB SSD's are around that price now.

The market screwed me again!
 
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