Micron launches 2210 and 2300 M.2 NVMe PCIe consumer solid state drives

Solid state drives are exploding in popularity thanks to their performance benefits and ever-increasing affordability. If you are still using a mechanical hard disk drive, there is probably no better upgrade you can make than moving to an SSD. You won't only see a boost in artificial benchmarks, but in actual usage too -- it is an upgrade you can truly feel.

Micron has two new solid state drives that are aimed towards consumers. Called "2210" and "2300," the former uses QLC flash, while the latter uses TLC. So while both are M.2 NVMe PCIe SSDs, the 2300 will be faster, while the 2210 should be cheaper. Both can be had in capacities of 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB, but the 2210 is also offered in 256GB.

"The Micron 2300 SSD combines the power and density needed to drive compute-heavy applications in a compact form factor with the reduced power consumption modern mobile users demand. For the first time, Micron brings together NVMe performance and low-cost quad-level-cell (QLC) NAND in the Micron 2210 QLC SSD. It combines fast NVMe throughput and Micron’s leadership in QLC technology to offer flash capabilities at hard disk drive-like price points while reducing power consumption by 15 times when compared to hard drives," says Micron.

ALSO READ: ADATA Falcon M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen3x4 SSD has a golden heatsink

Roger Peene, vice president of marketing, Storage Business Unit, explains, "Ninety percent of client platforms will ship NVMe SSDs within the next year, and the market is fast bifurcating into mainstream and value market segments. Our two new client SSDs, the 2300 and 2210, are optimized for each segment. The 2300 offers outstanding power performance, while the 2210 delivers compelling price performance by using Micron's industry-leading QLC NAND."

Micron shares specifications for both drives below.

2300 (TLC)

• Form Factor: M.2 (22x80mm)
• Interface: PCIe Gen3, NVMe 1.3
• Capacities: 256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB
• Seq Read (MB/s): 3,300 3,300 3,300 3,300
• Seq Write (MB/s): 1,400 2,700 2,700 2,700
• Random Read (IOPS): 210K 225K 400K 430K
• Random Write (IOPS): 355K 500K 500K 500K
• Endurance (TBW): 150TB 300TB 600TB 1,200TB
• MTTF (Million Hours): 2 2 2 2
• Sleep/PS4 Power (mW): <5 <5 <5 <5
• Idle Power (mW): <600 <600 <600 <600
• Active Read Power (mW): <5,500 <5,500 <5,500 <5,500
• Advanced Features: AES 256-bit encryption, Power-loss protection (data at rest), Host-controlled thermal management, Dynamic write acceleration, RAIN & S.M.A.R.T., Power loss signal support, TCG Opal 2.0, TCG Pyrite 2.0, eDrive6, Micron Storage Executive management tool

2210 (QLC)

• Form Factor: M.2 (22x80)
• Interface: PCIe Gen3 x4, NVMe 1.3
• Capacities: 512GB 1TB 2TB
• Seq Read (MB/s): 2,200 2,200 2,200
• Seq Write (MB/s): 1,070 1,800 1,800
• Random Read (IOPS): 150K 230K 265K
• Random Write (IOPS): 260K 320K 320K
• Endurance (TBW): 180TB 360TB 720TB
• MTTF (Million Hours): 2 2 2
• Sleep/PS4 Power (mW): <2.5 <2.5 <2.5
• Active Idle Power (mW): <400 <400 <400
• Active Read Power (mW): <4,000 <4,000 <4,000
• Advanced Features: AES 256-bit encryption, Power-loss protection (data at rest), Host-controlled thermal management, Dynamic write acceleration, RAIN & S.M.A.R.T., TCG Opal 2.0 or Pyrite 2.0, Micron Storage Executive management tool

Micron says both drives are currently available, but I have been unable to find them for sale anywhere online. Since the company hasn't disclosed pricing, that means cost is a mystery for now. With that said, it seems to be marketing the 2300 as an SSD for enthusiasts and the 2210 as a drive for bargain-hunters, so the 2210 should hopefully be very affordable.