Corsair announced a new Neutron series SSD at Computex 2016. The Neutron XTI replaces the aging Neutron XT at the top of the company's SSD stack. The drive uses a new memory configuration that we have yet to see, with a Phison S10 quad-core, 8-channel controller. Corsair doubled the DRAM density to improve performance consistency and lower the storage latency.
Corsair and Phison have also worked to increase performance via the firmware, the magic sauce that ties the hardware together. Programming performance is difficult but rewarding. In the past, we've seen products increase performance by a significant amount just by finding and tuning the correct settings.
| Product | Corsair Neutron XTI |
|---|---|
| Controller | Phison S10 With Expanded Cache |
| Flash | Toshiba 15nm MLC |
| Capacity Sizes | 240 GB480 GB960 GB |
| Sequential Read | Up to 560 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | Up to 540 MB/s |
| Random Read | Up to 100,000 IOPS |
| Random Write | Up to 90,000 IOPS |
| Warranty | 5-Years |
We managed to get the Neutron XTI feature list. This data will appear on Corsair's website soon, along with an official product page for this series.
● High Performance Quad-Core SSD Controller: Low command latency and top tier sustained performance achieved by utilizing unique quad-core controller.
● Exceptional transfer speeds: Effectively saturating SATA 6Gbps interface, SSD provides a sequential read of 560MB/s, sequential write of 540MB/s, 4KB random reads of 100K IOPS and 4K random writes of 90K IOPS.
● Consistent Performance: Very high sustained transfer rates enabled by expanded cache make it possible to capture and edit professional FullHD and 4K uncompressed video in real-time, as well as play PC games at the highest detail levels.
● End-to-End Data Path Protection: The entire data path within the SSD controller, from the host to the NAND gate, is fully protected against data corruption.
● Low Power Consumption: 95 percent less power consumption than HDD means better energy efficiency for your desktop machine and longer battery life for your laptop. Includes support for DEVSLP.
● Power Loss Protection: Data is protected with advanced SmartFlush and GuaranteedFlush technologies.
● Enhanced Error Correction: SmartECC and SmartRefresh features improve data retention and error correction.
● Static and Dynamic Wear-Leveling: The lifespan of the drive and its overall reliability are greatly enhanced by wear-leveling.
● Advanced Garbage Collection: Overall performance and NAND endurance are enhanced.
● Compatible with Corsair SSD Toolbox: Access a number of crucial software tools for getting the most out of your SSD
The performance and features list show us as much as we need to know for now. With products in hand, we can begin testing next week after our annual trip to Taipei, Taiwan. We expect to see an increase in performance consistency and reduced latency but neither appear on standard specification lists.
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Chris Ramseyer is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware, covering Storage. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
