SSD

Solid state drives continue to get faster, with PCIe 4.0 variants leading the pack nowadays. Of course, most PCs don't have PCIe 4.0 support, so these ultra-fast drives are reserved for enthusiasts and those with brand new computers. If you have such a cutting-edge PC, you will probably want to get a PCIe 4.0 SSD to maximize your performance. True, it is largely for bragging rights and benchmarks, but you might as well go for the best if the difference in price isn't totally obscene.

Today, KIOXIA unveils its latest solid state drive. Called "BG5," it uses PCIe 4.0 x4 to achieve up to 3,500 MB/s read and 2,900 MB/s write. Yeah, this DRAM-less SSD is actually a bit slow compared to other PCIe 4.0 drives, but it does have a very cool feature -- it is being offered in the M.2 2230 form factor. This means it will fit inside Microsoft's all-new Surface Pro 8.

See that graphics card? Actually, it is not a GPU at all! While it does have a x16 PCIe connector, it is a solid state drive -- sort of. Actually, it technically is not a drive itself, but instead, a card that you plug SSDs into. Called "Accelsior 8M2," it can be had with up to 64TB of storage pre-installed with an insane performance of up to 26,000MB/s.

Yeah, the actively cooled OWC Accelsior 8M2 is an absolute beast. In fact, the company claims it is the "world’s fastest and highest capacity PCIe SSD." With that said, you will need a pretty modern computer to truly take advantage of the high-end performance. You see, a desktop with a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot will be necessary to achieve the promised top speeds. It will be compatible with previous generation PCIe x16 slots, just not at full speed.

Solid state drives make wonderful internal boot drives for computers, but they are also great options for external storage too. Not only are they smaller than mechanical hard disk drives, but they use less power and are much quicker as well. Quite frankly, if you are someone that needs to transport data on a portable drive, you'd be crazy to still use a HDD with moving parts.

Today, TEAMGROUP launches its latest portable solid state drive under its T-FORCE gaming brand. Called "M200," it has a USB-C port and ships with both a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-A cable. In other words, it can be used with any modern computer -- whether it has a USB Type-C port or not. What makes this external SSD notable, however, is its rugged shell. Oddly, the design of the drive is apparently inspired by sniper rifles...

Do you need a PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive? No, nobody really needs the insane speed these drives offer. However, the drool-worthy performance is certainly nice to have. Look, if you can afford such an SSD and your computer supports it at full speed, you might as well get one. I mean, why not?

Today, Kingston announces its latest such PCIe 4.0 SSD under its FURY gaming brand. Called "Renegade," it features blazing fast speeds and capacities up to 4TB. Of course, even non-gamers will want to check out the extremely high-end performance FURY Renegade offers.

The transition to PCIe Gen4 is in full effect, with more and more computers and motherboards having the new standard. Whether or not a user truly needs the benefits of PCIe 4.0 is debatable, but it is still cool regardless. After all, it is important to continually push boundaries.

One of the best aspects of PCIe 4.0 is faster solid state drives. For instance, today, Kingston launches its latest such SSD. Called "KC3000," this PCIe 4.0 NVMe is insanely fast -- it will surely delight both gamers and computer enthusiasts alike.

Solid state drives make wonderful internal boot drives for computers, but they are also great options for external storage too. Not only are they smaller than mechanical hard disk drives, but they use less power and are much quicker as well. Quite frankly, if you are someone that needs to transport data on a portable drive, you'd be crazy to still use HDD in 2021.

Today, KLEVV announces a pair of external solid state drives. Called "R1" and "S1," both drives connect using USB-C, but they can interface with USB-A ports too. While both SSDs are very fast, the S1 is faster than the R1. The former uses USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, while the latter relies on the slower USB 3.2 Gen 2.

If you have personal files that you want to be able to access when on the go, but don’t trust cloud providers to keep them safe, and are worried about the dangers of storing them on a USB memory stick which could be easily lost or stolen, the best solution is to use a 100 percent hardware encrypted USB drive like the Aegis Padlock SSD.

This is a much more secure solution than using software encryption and is designed to meet NIST FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) 140-2 Level 2 requirements. The SSD drive protects data as it’s being written with military grade 256-bit AES XTS encryption, and is small enough to fit comfortably in any pocket.

Solid state drives obviously make wonderful internal computer boot drives, but believe it or not, they are really great options for external storage too. Not only are SSDs smaller than mechanical hard disk drives, but they use less power and are much quicker as well.

If you are in the market for an external solid state drive, you must check out the TEAMGROUP T-CREATE CLASSIC. Not only is the drive fast and small, but it has a special trick -- it supports both Thunderbolt 3 and USB! In other words, it is an excellent option for those that value versatility and optimal compatibility.

The transition to PCIe Gen4 is currently in full effect. More and more computers and motherboards with the new standard are being released all the time. Whether or not the average computer user truly needs the benefits of PCIe 4.0 is debatable, but it is still cool regardless. After all, it is important to continually push boundaries.

As you can imagine, one of the best aspects of PCIe 4.0 is faster solid state drives. Today, CORSAIR launches its latest such SSD. Called "MP600 PRO XT," the M.2 PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD is insanely fast. To keep it cool and maintain its speedy performance, it is equipped with an enormous heatspreader. Seriously, folks, that heatsink is quite the chonky boy!

Is the Sony PlayStation 5 better than the Xbox Series X? Absolutely. It has better exclusive games, a more futuristic design, and quite frankly, a much better name too. I mean, Series X? Microsoft has begun mocking its own ridiculous naming scheme lately.

Thanks to a new firmware update (currently in beta) you can finally expand the PlayStation 5's internal storage too, using an ultra-fast NVMe SSD. And now, TEAMGROUP is releasing a new such M.2 SSD for PlayStation 5. It is called "T-FORCE CARDEA A440 Pro Special 5eries," and no, the word "Series" being stylized with a 5 is not a typo -- it is a clever way to indicate it is designed for the PS5.

The transition to PCIe Gen4 is in full effect, with more and more computers and motherboards having the new standard. Whether or not the user truly needs the benefits of PCIe 4.0 is debatable, but it is still cool regardless. After all, it is important to continually push boundaries.

One of the best aspects of PCIe 4.0 is faster solid state drives. For instance, today, Micron unveils the latest such SSD from Crucial. Called "P5 Plus," the PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD is insanely fast. The drive features 6600MB/s read speed across all capacities. The 1TB and 2TB capacities offer 5000MB/s write speed, while the 500GB variant offers 3000MB/s.

Battlefield 2042 is one of the most highly anticipated video games, and it is due out later this year. It is currently scheduled for an October 22 release, but as we all know, these dates can be pushed back due to unforeseen issues. With that said, I am pretty confident Electronic Arts will meet this deadline, and Battlefield 2042 will prove to be one of the hottest Christmas gifts this year.

If you want to ensure you get your copy of Battlefield 2042 and that your PC's storage can load it quickly, Western Digital has a special bundle you must check out. You see, the company has launched a special Battlefield 2042 variant of its WD_Black SN750 SE NVMe SSD. Not only does it comes with a redeemable download code for the game, but it is emblazoned with really cool Battlefield 2042 branding.

When disasters happen, such as a flood, it can be devastating to lose belongings -- especially expensive computers. While laptops and desktops can be replaced, the data housed on them often cannot. That's why it can be smart to back up your data to both the cloud and a rugged external drive. Redundancy is key to protecting your cherished photos, videos, and more.

Speaking of rugged external storage, today, OWC launches a very durable new portable solid state drive. Called "Envoy Pro SX," the Thunderbolt 4 SSD is insanely fast and is compatible with both Windows and Mac. More importantly, it is is built like a tank -- OWC says the drive is certified to not only be water resistant, but dustproof and drop-proof too. Nice!

Solid state storage technology is constantly improving. The truth, however, is while PCIe Gen 4 SSDs are now available, they are total overkill for most consumers. Heck, most people would be absolutely fine with a SATA drive. With that said, the previous-generation PCIe Gen 3 SSDs are now much more affordable (and quite fast) making them a smart buy whether you truly need the extra speed or not. In other words, a SATA SSD should be avoided nowadays unless your PC simply isn't compatible with anything else.

Today, TEAMGROUP announces its latest NVMe PCIe M.2 solid state drive, and it is offered in capacities up to 8TB. Called "MP34Q," the PCIe Gen 3 SSD it is quite fast with read speeds up to 3,400 MB/s and write speeds up to 3,000 MB/s.

Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, are wildly popular these days. Whether or not it's smart to invest in these digital currencies is up for debate. Of course, the same can be said about any investment -- including stocks. With that said, cryptocurrency volatility can cause you to lose a lot of money. Still. some people have become very wealthy with crypto. Ultimately, your mileage may vary.

Unfortunately for some cryptocurrency investors, many of the coins are being vilified for their negative impact on the environment. If you aren't aware, "mining" many of these cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, require computers with high-end graphics cards that use a lot of electricity. Elon Musk even famously tweeted Tesla would stop accepting Bitcoin due to the horrific environmental impact.