SSD

Last month, Micron released a solid state drive designed for consumers. Called "1300," it used the SATA interface, meaning it was slower than the much faster NVMe drives many enthusiasts crave these days. Offered in both 2.5 inch and M.2 form factors, it would make a good drop-in for consumers looking to upgrade.

Today, Micron unveils yet another SSD, but this time, it uses the speedy NVMe interface. The "2200," as it is called, will mostly be sold to computer manufacturers, but it could show up for direct retail for end-users too. It can be had in your choice of three capacities -- 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. You can also opt for self-encrypting variants if that is important to you. And yes, it will work in NVMe enclosures, such as this excellent one from Plugable.

Last month, I reviewed the HUAWEI MateBook 13 -- an excellent Windows 10 laptop. I was impressed with many aspects of that computer, including the very speedy Western Digital NVMe solid state drive. I’m usually a Samsung man when it comes to SSDs -- after all, its drives are always superb. But thanks to the respectable performance of the drive found in the aforementioned laptop, I am now intrigued by Western Digital SSDs too.

Back in January, Western Digital announced the WD Black SN750 -- an NVMe SSD for enthusiasts. Today, the company releases a budget-focused NVMe SSD aimed at upgraders that don’t necessarily need the absolute fastest storage drive. Called "WD Blue SN500", the 2-lane drive is significantly faster than an SATA SSD, but slower than performance-focused NVMe drives. Most importantly, the M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 x2 drive is very affordable, regardless of which capacity you choose.

If you are looking to upgrade your existing solid state drive or hard disk drive, Micron has a new product that may interest you. The "1300," as it is called, uses the "slower" SATA interface, meaning it isn't as fast as the fancy new NVMe options on the market. If your computer doesn't have an NVMe M.2 slot anyway, that is sort of a moot point.

With the SATA interface, speeds are still respectable -- 530 MB/s read and 520 MB/s write. Those speeds are regardless of capacity. If you go with the 2.5-inch form factor, you can choose among 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB. The M.2 variant has the same capacities as the other, minus 2TB.

SATA solid states are hardly exciting to tech enthusiasts and hardcore PC builders these days. After all, NVMe SSDs are much faster and getting more affordable all the time. The problem? Many consumers simply don't own a computer with the NVMe-compatible m.2 slot needed to accommodate the speedier drive. With that said, many computer users do own machines with the ubiquitous SATA. If they want to replace an aging mechanical hard drive -- or even an existing 2.5-inch solid state drive -- a SATA variant is an affordable and easy drop-in upgrade.

ADATA has a new SATA solid state drive that is designed for upgraders. Called "SU750," it is a 2.5-inch SSD that utilizes 3D TLC NAND Flash with capacities up to 1TB. Performance is exactly what you would expect from such a SATA drive, as all of them are pretty much the same speed these days. Despite being a fairly unremarkable SSD, ADATA is dubbing it "Ultimate" for some reason -- marketing, I suppose.

NVMe solid states are insanely fast and getting more affordable every day. It is for this reason that most consumers should opt for them when possible -- they put SATA variants to shame. Even if you don't need the extra performance of an NVMe SSD, the ever-lowering prices make them a no-brainer.

While most people probably think of NVMe SSDs as something to go inside a computer, they also make exceptional external drives -- when paired with an enclosure, that is. Today, Plugable launches such a new product, and it has a very cool feature -- it is tool-free. In other words, you won't need a screwdriver to open the USB-C enclosure or secure the drive. Instead, it uses a clever unlock button to open up, and a rubber peg holds the SSD down. I've been testing this USB 3.1 gen 2 enclosure with a 250GB Samsung 970 EVO and it has proven quite speedy and solidly built.

There are many companies producing quality solid state drives these days in various capacities, speeds, and form factors. SATA variants are perfectly fine, but NVMe models are significantly faster. With all brands considered, one company's offerings have stood out among the rest thanks to speed and reliability -- Samsung. Remarkably, the wildly popular company's storage drives are competitively priced too, making them an absolute no-brainer.

Today, Samsung launches its latest solid state drive. The "970 EVO Plus," as it is called, is an upgrade to the standard 970 EVO. Not only do you get increased speed, but improved power efficiency too.

NVMe solid state drives are quite incredible. They offer insane speeds that put SATA SSDs to shame. With that said, many -- if not most -- consumers do not really need such performance. In other words, if your PC already has a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, it probably isn't worth upgrading. Simply put, your real life performance gains will be negligible. With that said, if you need a new SSD, and your computer is compatible, it would be foolish not to go NVMe -- prices have gotten quite affordable.

Today, Western Digital unveils its latest NVMe drive, and it looks wonderful. The "WD Black SN750," as it is called, features several capacities and price points, making it achievable for most consumers -- even those on a budget. Best of all, you can opt for a variant with a heatsink, which will cool it down, and in theory, prevent throttled performance. Why wouldn't you want the heatsink? Depending on your computer -- laptops in particular, although some desktops too -- it may not physically fit.

Today at CES 2019, Toshiba announced a new SSD series. Designed primarily for PC manufacturers, the "BG4," as it is called, is an NVMe SSD that features 96-layer 3D flash and up to 1TB capacity.

While the drive is not necessarily intended for consumers to buy directly, it will undoubtedly find its way to them through PC purchases. So yes, it is OK to be excited for it, folks -- especially since it is significantly faster than its predecessor, the BG3.

One of the biggest knocks against solid state drives, is their capacities are typically much lower than those of mechanical hard drives at the same price points. With that said, this really only matters if you truly need a lot of local storage space. For some, performance is the most important aspect, especially thanks to the cloud.

These days, however, solid state drives are becoming more affordable and gaining higher capacities all the time. Today, Samsung unveils an affordable drive that doesn't compromise on speed or capacity. The "860 QVO," as it is called, uses 4-bit multi-level cell (MLC) NAND and starts at 1TB capacity. Yes, the base model is 1TB -- how crazy is that? You can also opt for 2TB or 4TB if you need. Speeds are exactly what you'd expect from a SATA drive -- slower than NVMe, of course, but more than fast enough for most people.

Apple has discovered a problem with a "limited number" of SSDs used in non-Touch Bar 13-inch MacBook Pro that could lead to drive failure and data loss. The laptops in question were sold in the year between June 2017 and June 2018.

Apple has launched a service program that will enable those with affected drives -- 128GB and 256GB models -- to have the issue addressed free of charge. The problems have come to light just as the company launched a free iPhone X screen replacement program to people suffering with a "ghost touch" problem.

We are currently in the golden age of storage -- NVMe solid state drives are insanely fast and getting increasingly more affordable. Whether you are a gamer or performance enthusiast, you are probably in tech heaven.

Today, Corsair launches its latest storage drive, and yes, it is an NVMe PCIe SSD. The "Force Series MP510," as it is called, offers blazing fast performance -- 3,480MB/sec read and 3,000MB/sec write.

With the exception of extremely low-cost budget models, all modern computers (laptops and desktops) should have Thunderbolt 3 these days. Why? Because TB3 is simply amazing -- it uses the USB-C connector, but is much faster than USB 3.1 Gen 2.

With Thunderbolt 3 being so fast, many consumers -- including yours truly -- have been waiting for external PCIe NVMe TB3 drives to begin hitting the mainstream. I am happy to say I have been testing one from VisionTek with my 2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, and as you can imagine, it is super quick.

The solid state drive revolution is in full effect for home consumers. Whether you have a laptop or desktop, you should no longer have a mechanical hard drive -- especially for running your operating system. SSDs are more affordable than ever, plus, insanely fast too.

With so many SATA solid state drives on the market with similar specifications, how does a company make its offering stand out? RGB lights, of course! Yes, today, Hyperx launches the FURY RGB SSD with customizable lighting. In addition to this beautiful internal drive, the company is also launching an external model -- the SAVAGE EXO SSD.

NVMe solid state drives are one of the best PC innovations ever. This storage is insanely fast, making SATA SSDs look slow in comparison. Seriously, folks, a quality NVMe drive will make your computer scream.

Today, Samsung announces a new Thunderbolt 3 SSD that uses NVMe storage. In other words, it is an external drive that matches the ultra fast speeds found in internal variants. Called "Portable SSD X5," it will be sold in three capacities -- 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB. Not only is it fast, but quite beautiful too. As you can expect, the X5 is very pricey.

For PC builders and enthusiasts, these are quite exciting times. Hardware is faster than ever, making it possible to build some monstrously powerful computers. Solid state drives in particular have made storage blazing fast -- especially since NVMe began replacing the slower SATA drives.

Today, Toshiba unveils its latest NVMe solid state drive and it has some revolutionary technology on-board. You see, the "XG6," as it is called, is the first SSD to feature 96-Layer 3D Flash.