Intel Intros X25-M SSD Series 34 Nanometer NAND Flash SSD Results in Cheaper SSD Pricing

Intel have unveiled their new X25-M SSD range which, thanks to employing
a 34- nanometer (nm) manufacturing process resulting in reduced die size
and advanced engineering design will, according to Intel, see SSD
pricing reduced by up to 60 percent.

Our goal was to not only be first to achieve 34nm NAND flash memory
lithography, but to do so with the same or better performance than our
50nm version, said Randy Wilhelm, Intel vice president and general
manager, Intel NAND Solutions Group. We made quite an impact with our
breakthrough SSDs last year, and by delivering the same or even better
performance with today's new products, our customers, both consumers and
manufacturers, can now enjoy them at a fraction of the cost.
According to Intel's press release:

Compared to its previous 50nm version, the new Intel X25-M offers
improved latency and faster random write Input/Output Operations Per
Second (IOPS). Specifically, Intel's new SSD provides a 25 percent
reduction in latency, for quicker access to data, operating at
65-microsecond latency compared to approximately 4,000 microseconds for
an HDD.

Random write performance increases twofold, further separating the X25-M
from other competing SSDs. By delivering up to 6,600 4KB write IOPS and
up to 35,000 read IOPS, the X25-M continues to set the bar for SSDs,
while leapfrogging HDDs which only operate at several hundred IOPS. This
provides for markedly faster system and application responsiveness.
These improvements in latency and IOPS not only benefit desktop and
notebook users, but also server and workstation users, as they utilize
Intel's cost-effective, yet performance-oriented, MLC SSDs for
enterprise computing.

New channel prices for the X25-M 80GB are $225 for quantities up to
1,000 units (a 60 percent reduction from the original introduction price
of $595 a year ago). The 160GB version is $440 (down from $945 at
introduction) for quantities up to 1,000 units. The X25-M comes in a
standard 2.5-inch form factor. The X18-M, in a 1.8-inch form factor,
will begin shipping on 34nm later in the quarter.

Drop-in compatible with SATA-based HDDs and all operating systems, the
X25-M will also support Microsoft Windows 7 when it becomes available.
At that time, Intel plans to deliver a firmware update to allow support
of the Windows 7 Trim command, along with an end user tool, to allow
users to optimize the performance of their SSD on Windows XP and Vista
operating systems.