News

posted on 19 February 2008 11:28

Korean flash memory supplier Mtron has developed a 1.8-inch format flash solid state disk (SSD) that is more than six times faster than a 1.8-inch hard drive.

The product is for notebook computers, ultra-mobile PCs and other intelligent hand-held devices. It stores up to 128GB of data and comes in either single level cell (SLC) or multu-level cell (MLC) form. The SLC variant is the fastest, reading data at 120MB/sec and writing it at 100MB/sec. This makes faster in the disk I/O department, Mtron says, than a desktop PC with its hard drive.

The MLC version, described as having up to 128MB capacity, reads data at 110MB/sec and writes it at a slower 40MB/sec. Mtron does not say what capacity the SLC variant can reach but the supposition is that it is less than 128MB. The company also does not say how many cells there are in the MLC version.

If there were two that would take capacity for the SLC version down to 64MB.

Because of its parallel ATA (PATA) interface the new SSDs are drop-in replacements for current 1.8-inch hard drives. Clearly, in the writer's opinion, the writing is on the wall for 1.8-inch hard drives as equivalent form factor SSDs are quieter, more shock resistant, draw less energy and perform better.

Steve Jeon, Mtron CEO said, “With our new 1.8 Inch SSD, Mtron has added another great product line as a leader in SSD market, which is expected to grow into ten billion dollars in 2012."

In comparison Samsung's recent 64GB SSD has a SATA II interface, reads data at 100MB/sec and writes it at 80MB/sec.

Production of Mtron's new SSD will begin in April. No pricing information was released.