Intel announced the release of the solid-state drive 310 Series, an ultra-small solid-state drive that delivers
Intel X25-class SSD performance, but in one-eighth the size. Measuring
51mm-by-30mm and only 5mm thick, the Intel SSD 310 is designed to
enable highly responsive dual-drive notebooks, single-drive tablets and
low-power embedded industrial or military applications.
When paired with a high-capacity HDD (hard disk drive) in a dual-drive
system, the SSD 310 can improve overall PC system performance by up to
60 percent, according to a company release. Already shipping to
customers, the SSD 310 is priced at $99 for the 40GB capacity and $179
for the 80GB version, both in 1,000-unit quantities.
A solid-state drive uses no moving parts, and thus is more durable and
reliable than a mechanical HDD, while using less power and providing
better system responsiveness. The SSD 310 Series contains 34 nanometer
(nm) Intel NAND flash memory and is available in an m-SATA form factor
in 40 gigabyte (GB) and 80GB capacities.
“The Intel SSD 310 Series is the first in a wave of SSD products we
will introduce throughout the next year,” said Tom Rampone, Intel vice
president and general manager of Intel’s NAND Solutions Group. “With
this introduction, Intel is offering full SSD performance in a compact,
ultra-small form factor.”
The SSD 310 supports SATA signals over a PCI Express (PCIe)
mini-connector for on-board storage in single-drive netbooks, tablets
or handheld devices. Weighing just 10 grams, the compact size also
enables dual drive all-in-ones, notebooks or small-form-factor (SFF)
desktops to help accelerate boot time and access to frequently used
applications or files.
“The SSD 310 series will allow us to provide the advantages of a
full-performance Intel SSD paired with the storage of a hard disk drive
in a small, dual-drive system,” said Tom Butler, director of ThinkPad
product marketing for Lenovo. “We’ve offered Intel SSD solutions for
our highly innovative Lenovo ThinkPad laptops for some time, and now
we’re looking forward to incorporating this new solution across our
ThinkPad line.”
The SSD 310 Series has also been chosen by DRS Technologies for a new
ARMOR communications tablet PC to be unveiled at Storage Visions in Las
Vegas. The ARMOR mobile and field unit tablet PC is certified by DRS to
work in extreme temperatures and hold up to shock, vibration and drops,
delivering up to nine hours of operating time.
“In order to meet the rigorous demands of our mobile users, we design
for mission-critical tasks that require connectivity and handheld
mobility in all-weather operations,” said Mike Sarrica, vice president
and general manager for DRS Tactical Systems Inc. “The Intel SSD 310
Series fits the bill by offering a reliable and high performing memory
solution.”