OCZ has taken the wraps off its new line-up off Vertex SSDs, based on the next-generation SandForce SF-2000 controller series. What's more, if the company's preliminary performance figures prove true, it could be on to a winner.
The OCZ Vertex 3 series will come in two flavours: a consumer-grade version called the Vertex 3 Pro, which uses multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory, and an enterprise-grade version known as the Vertex 3 EX, which will feature single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory.
Both versions feature 2.5in housing, a SATA 6Gbps interface, and the new SandForce SF-2000 series controller. They will also be available in capacities of 50GB, 100GB, 200GB and 400GB.
The drives' performance appears to justify the use of the high-speed SATA connection, with OCZ claiming that the higher end models can reach read speeds of 550MB/sec read and write speeds of up to 525MB/sec. Apparently, these figures were also obtained without any 'cheating' with in-built RAID controllers, so support for TRIM should still be included as standard.
Sadly, while OCZ is currently demoing pre-release versions of the drives at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it's not quite ready to send the drives out yet. Instead, it's predicting a retail launch some time in the second quarter of this year.
Are you impressed with the speeds that OCZ says it can get out of a single SSD, or are you withholding judgement until you see the prices and independent benchmarks? Share your thoughts over in the
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