Super Talent SSDs Offer 128 MB DRAM Cache

By Kevin Parrish
published

super Talent's new line of SSDs provide 128 MB of DRAM cache.

Earlier today, Super Talent Technology launched its new line of MasterDrive SX 2.5-inch solid state drives (SSDs), based on a new, advanced 8-channel controller and multi-level cell (MLC) NAND Flash. Super Talent also injected the MasterDrive SX series with 128 MB of DRAM cache, allowing the SSDs to take full advantage of the 3 Gbps SATA-II bandwidth. Additionally, all three models--the 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB versions--are capable of reaching sequential read speeds up to 220 MB/sec and sequential write speeds up to 200 MB/sec, depending on the model.

“We developed the MasterDrive SX series to offer extreme reliability at an aggressive price point that makes sense for mobile professionals and enthusiasts. Moreover, these drives boast power efficiency and write speeds that few SSDs can match”, said Super Talent Director of Marketing Joe James.

According to Super Talent, the MasterDrive SX SSDs are the most reliable on the market based on "thousands of hours of intensive validation and stress testing" in Windows and LINUX environments. They're also quite sturdy thanks to a lightweight aluminum shell that protects against physical damage, and more resistant to vibration and shock than standard disk-based hard drives.

Super Talent said that the SSDs are ideal for laptops, as they consume less energy by "sipping" only half a watt of power in read mode; .015 watts while idle. "That’s considerably lower than typical notebook hard drives, and even lower than the vast majority of 2.5-inch SSDs," the company said. Overall, consumers experience far less fan noise and an extended battery lifespan thanks to the SSDs' power efficiency.

As of this report, Newegg and SuperBiiz retail outlets are currently selling two MasterDrive SX models. The 64 GB version will cost around $173, whereas the 128 GB version retails around $336, depending on the site. Super Talent's 256 GB version wasn't listed on either outlet, however it's highly likely that it will retail around $672 when it finally appears.

For additional detailed specs on the MasterDrive SX series, read this PDF file.

Kevin Parrish
12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • tipoo
    Most big-name 256GB SSD's already have at least 128 MB of DRAM, don't they? Whats so special about these?
    Reply
  • crisisavatar
    Price is too high if you ask me. OCZ has similar performance for considerably less.
    Reply
  • kr33py
    It's nice to see all these new ssd's etc being reviewed and flaunted,but all still very expensive and theres no way i would even consider paying the amount asked.But people must be buying them or im sure they would already be dropping the prices.
    Reply
  • These drives are cheaper by 10-20% than the OCZ drives while seemingly providing better performance. The 60 GB (64GB equiv) is $225-$250 for OCZ while the Supertalent drive is $173. $50-$75 difference, but also the ST drive has 128MB cache compared to the 32MB for the 60GB Vertex. This seems like another stride in the right direction for SSD's.
    Reply
  • The new Super Talent 64 GB MasterDrive SX - SATA-II states that its read speed is 200 MB/sec. The 30 GB & 60 GB Vertex Series SATA II 2.5" SSD's quotes a read speed "up to" 230 MB/s. The smaller Vertex have a 64 MB cache. The Super Talent has 128 MB cache.

    Is Super Talent being modest while OCZ is being expensive? Or is OCZ just faster? Benchmark anybody?
    Reply
  • Shadow703793
    What controller? I do hope it's not the JMicron one.
    Reply
  • JeanLuc
    Shadow703793What controller? I do hope it's not the JMicron one.
    By all accounts the latest JMicron controller fixes all of the problems associated with earlier models. However Intel still has the best controller (they uses their own proprietary controller) hence why their SDD's are the most expensive but it's good to see Intel will get some competition from Super Talnet, OCZ and Samsung which will hopefully lower prices.
    Reply
  • Additionally, all three models--the 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB versions--are capable of reaching sequential read speeds up to 220 MB/sec and sequential write speeds up to 200 MB/sec, depending on the model.

    confusing sentence!
    Do they all support read upto 220MB/s and write upto 200MB/s, or only some?
    the phrase "depending on the model" added at the end implies there's something else there...
    Reply
  • baov
    Well, power consumption is indeed lower than other drives with indilix controler, so maybe it's another controler.
    Reply
  • I've had a Supertalent SSD in the past, and it was soooooo slow, that it couldn't even run Vista.
    I hope their random read/write ops will be adequately fast enough to run an OS like Vista comfortably; at least faster than a 5200rpm notebook HD!

    I'd love to see some tests on this!
    If the drive will be faster in random ops than a notebook HD, I might consider buying the 64GB version (which is the only drive that fits my budget, and able to extend my notebook/netbook's battery life.
    Reply