“Intel Inside” may increasingly refer to more than just the processor, as the company works to establish itself as a major player in the flash storage market. The company unveiled two new solid-state drives (SSDs), a new 2.5-inch 335 Series SSD and an mSATA 525 Series SSD for ultrabooks, microservers and embedded systems.
Intel’s 335 Series of 2.5-inch SSDs now has a 180 gigabyte (GB) version to complement the current 240 GB model. Like the 240 GB version, the 180 GB 335 Series SSD sports a SATA 6 gigabit per second (Gbps) interface and features the company’s 20-nanometer (nm) Multi-Level Cell (MLC) technology.
According to Intel, it adds up to a flash storage microarchitecture that can deliver up to 500 megabytes per second reads and up to 450 megabytes per second (MB/s) writes. The unit can attain random I/O (4KB) ratings of 42,000 input/output operations per second (IOPS) read and 52,000 IOPS write.
The 180 GB 335 Series SSD consumes 0.275 watts at idle and 0.350 watts while active. The SSD has boasts a mean time between failure (MTBF) rating of 1.2 million hours. Bundled software includes Intel’s Solid-State Drive Toolbox with SSD Optimizer and Data Migration Software.
Intel also announced a new product line for ultrabooks and mobile systems, the 525 Series.
At one-eighth the size of a 2.5-inch drive, Intel is not only targeting the ultraportables market, but also embedded implementations, including automotive electronics and digital signage. The miniscule, mSATA 6 Gbps storage device — a first for Intel — features a PCI Express (PCIe) mini-connector, 25 nm MLC flash storage and measures just 3.7 mm by 50.8 mm by 29.85 mm and weighs a mere 10 grams.
Performance-wise, the Intel 525 Series SSDs can deliver sequential read speeds of up to 550 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 520 MB/s. It offers random read performance of up to 50,000 IOPS reads and random write performance of up to 80,000 IOPS. Data is kept safe with built-in Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 128-bit encryption.
It’s a features list that makes the 525 Series SSDs suitable for more than sleek notebooks, said Intel product line manager James Slattery.
“Intel SSDs reduce the risk of data loss due to shock, vibration or jarring. With these new performance thresholds available in a small form factor package, and backed by Intel quality and reliability, the Intel SSD 525 opens the door to an unlimited number of creative embedded solutions such as in-flight entertainment, mobile workstations, microservers and IP phone storage,” said Slattery in a statement.
525 Series SSDs are currently available in 120 GB and 180 GB capacities. Intel plans to ship 30 GB, 60 GB, 90 GB and 240 GB versions later this quarter.