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This USB Drive is Powered By SandForce

By - Source: Geeky Gadgets

It's an SSD trapped inside a little USB 3.0 body.

On June 15, Super Talent began shipping a device that looks like a standard USB stick on the outside, but is really an SSD on the inside thanks to a SandForce SF-1222 controller and four NAND devices (eight channels). Called the USB 3.0 Express RC8, this new external storage device includes an advanced multi-channel SSD architecture, virtual caching system and an advanced wear leveling algorithm – all crammed in a USB-stick form factor.

"Featuring an 8 channel architecture and virtual caching system, the USB 3.0 Express RC8 was built for speed," the company said. "True SSD performance comes from reading and writing to multiple flash channels simultaneously. The new RC8 has 8 such channels of flash, just like a full sized SSD. A full-sized SSD also includes a data cache to elevate “real world” performance and the RC8 is no different.  Now true SSD performance can be integrated into a portable device that is both small and convenient."

The flash drive measures 93.5 x 25 x 8 mm and is enclosed in sleek aluminum accented by a translucent blue plastic trim. It also requires no separate cable and is fully backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports, at USB 2.0 speeds. The SandForce SSD processor includes DuraClass and DuraWrite technology which enhances both flash durability and data integrity. The specs claim that the drive reaches read speeds up to 270 MB/s and write speeds up to 240 MB/s.

“Super Talent’s new RC8 blurs the line between flash drives and SSDs," said Super Talent’s Director of Product Marketing, Peter Carcione. "Now SSD reliability, performance and capacities can be had in a portable USB 3.0 flash drive."

Super Talent is now offering the USB 3.0 Express RC8 in 25 GB, 50 GB and 100 GB capacities. Prices aren't available as of this writing, but the 50 GB version is believed to retail for around $110 USD.

Super Talent USB 3.0 Express RC8

There are 15 Comments. B
Top Comments
  • 20
    segio526 , June 28, 2011 3:55 AM
    goodguy713this might be good for ready boost.

    No, add more RAM so you don't need ReadyBoost (plus it way faster). Then use this drive for what it was intended, high speed porn transfer.
Other Comments
  • 2
    goodguy713 , June 28, 2011 2:54 AM
    this might be good for ready boost.
  • 7
    milktea , June 28, 2011 3:03 AM
    I want one to carry around my pocket :) 
  • 0
    zaho0006 , June 28, 2011 3:03 AM
    Wish my work laptop had USB 3.0, would be nice have my own OS setup on one of these when I'm on the road
  • 5
    anonymous@guest , June 28, 2011 3:14 AM
    You'd waste it on Readyboost?? Why would you buy this expensive USB SSD just to leave it always plugged in, doing something that only speeds a computer up by a tiny amount? Much better to buy a normal SATA SSD and install your OS and programs on it. Then you get a massive performance increase instead of an occasional marginal boost. Save this for real work.
  • -6
    dalethepcman , June 28, 2011 3:38 AM
    This tech was announced at Computex, but its just now getting covered by Tom's.
  • 20
    segio526 , June 28, 2011 3:55 AM
    goodguy713this might be good for ready boost.

    No, add more RAM so you don't need ReadyBoost (plus it way faster). Then use this drive for what it was intended, high speed porn transfer.
  • 3
    liveonc , June 28, 2011 4:20 AM
    ChromeOS or Puppy Linux that works sometimes, or Windows 7 on it & the HDD for data??? I wasted my HDD when I upgraded with an SSD, but I don't have USB 3.0
  • 1
    dalethepcman , June 28, 2011 6:05 AM
    Vote me down, thats ok. The source of this article was "Geeky Gadgets", their source was "Everything USB", and their source was "Anandtech", who got their information from Computex a month ago.

    I suppose it would be too much to create an article based on the press release though.
  • 2
    fir_ser , June 28, 2011 6:12 AM
    Very interesting USB drive from Super Talent.
  • 0
    nukemaster , June 28, 2011 6:22 AM
    No more waiting for all that pron to copy :) 
  • 0
    alidan , June 28, 2011 12:11 PM
    how much would install of windows 7, linux, osx (just an example) and what ever other oses would be nice to have take up? and assume that you are going to have 1 year of updates for each.

    this would be a great key to have, rendering the computer more or less when its not with it (normal people, like family) and not having it tied to an internal part is even nice.
  • 0
    eddieroolz , June 28, 2011 12:44 PM
    Nice product. I hope USB 3.0 is not going to bottleneck it.
  • 1
    back_by_demand , June 28, 2011 3:45 PM
    This would be ideal if the transfer rates are legit to make your machine truely portable, imagine the idea of having your OS and programs all installed on the drive and you just plug into whatever dumb machine you are at and booting from the flash drive.

    I already did this with USB2.0 but the speed was awful, this would make thing a lot snappier.
  • 1
    alidan , June 28, 2011 5:10 PM
    only works with linux distros that are built to be usable on any configuration, but that would be awesome

    now, what if instead of usb, we get a universal sand forceadapter... than we just plug the memory into the computer, take the cost of the controller out of the equation.
  • 0
    ojas , July 2, 2011 2:33 AM
    Peter Carcione thinks they have a solid state "disk" in there. solid state drives don't have disks in them, someone tell him...