Samsung Samples SATA-Interface Mini-Card SSDs for Netbooks

Posted by Sierra Monica B. in Technology on 06 23rd, 2009 | no responses

It is well-known that solid state drives can sometimes be a good alternative to traditional hard disk drives, delivering faster start-up times, lower read latency times, no noise thanks to the lack of moving parts, low power consumption, low heat level, shock-resistance, smaller size, as well as the capability of operating at high altitudes and of supporting extreme temperatures.
For the low-power consumption and high resistance among other characteristics, netbook computer manufacturers choose to add this technology to their systems, or even replace the hard disk drives with SSDs.

Samsung managed to develop a SATA-interface mini-card solid state drive for netbook computers, featuring mini-PCI Express form factor and SATA 3.0Gb/s interface, which makes it 80% more affordable than 2.5-inch HDDs. Manufacturers can use it in printers and mobile devices, including rugged systems.

According to the Samsung’s latest press release, the new SSD model is developed using the 40-nanometer technology and features 200MB/s reading speed, enabling 100MB/s writing speed. It is just 3.73-mm thick and measures 30 x 51 mm at a weight of 8.5 grams.

It will come in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities, having a power consumption of only 0.3 W.
Specifications include 8-channel, 16Gb MLC NAND type, and MTBF 1 million hour endurance.
As an option, Samsung will provide the SSD model with full disk encryption.

“The market is beginning to embrace a smaller SSD for the nascent netbook sector,” declared Jim Elliott, vice president, memory marketing, Samsung Semiconductor. “The cost-efficiency and reliability of lower-density, highly compact Samsung SSDs are perfectly suited as the storage medium for the rapidly growing netbook marketplace.”