The Avexir S100 - The World's First Crowdfunded SSD?

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By Chris Ramseyer
last updated

As a reviewer, the only products that really pique my interest are the ones I don't already have. Such is the case with the Avexir S100. Avexir has made a name with the PC modding community by combining commodity components, such as system memory, with lighting effects. The company wasn't the first to wed lights with PC parts, but the build quality is exceptional.

The upcoming S100 SSD looks to be more of the same. The drive takes on a striking form modeled after an aircraft. It's the same out-of-the-box design that makes the tooling costs for production more expensive to put into production than standard SSDs. To help offset the initial tooling costs, Avexir has set up a crowd funding page that also doubles as a presale on Indiegogo for the S100 SSD.

So far, the company has raised a bit over $1,200 in the first few hours. The target goal is $50,000 in thirty days. As a presale, potential buyers are forced to just order the S100 SSD with Avexir system memory.

There are several color options available. Pricing breaks down like this:

  • S100 SSD (120 GB) with Core Series DDR4 (8 GB) $135
  • S100 SSD (240 GB) with Core Series DDR4 (8 GB) $190
  • S100 SSD (480 GB) with Core Series DDR4 (8 GB) $299

Buyers save around $10 off the MSRP of the combined products. The S100 SSD MSRP by itself, as stated on the Indiegogo page, is:

  • 120 GB for $89.99
  • 240 GB for $149.99
  • 480 GB for $259.99

The SSD and DDR4 memory will ship color-matched to light up the inside of your computer case.

The page also gives us the first look at S100 performance. The SATA 6 Gbps drive delivers just over 550 MB/s sequential read and 450 MB/s sequential write speeds. The drive uses a JMicron controller, but we don't know what specific controller model or what NAND flash the controller is paired with. The S100 SSD comes with a three-year warranty.

The drive appears to have a larger frame than most modern client-focused SSDs on the market today. Most drives use a 7 mm frame to fit in height-restricted ultrabooks and thin notebooks. The S100 appears to use an older 9.5 mm standard or even a 15 mm case that is normally used in enterprise SSDs. This shouldn't be a problem for the target customer looking to use the product in a desktop case that shows off the LED lighting effects, though.


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Chris Ramseyer
Chris Ramseyer
Chris Ramseyer is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews consumer storage.
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11 Comments Comment from the forums
  • karmazyn
    I could never understand why people put all those on their pc's. My case has absolutely no windows and all external LED's are covered with blu-tac. Last thing I need is a turned on lantern in my bedroom at night.
    Reply
  • firefoxx04
    The thing that peaked my interest was the on-board 8GB ddr4. I think my 840 pro has 2GB ddr2... I'm curious what the difference is if any. I have an 850 Evo but I never bothered to check those specs. I went with samsung because I knew they would work well. Same with intel.

    The LED thing is not going to attract nor deter me from buying if the product is excellent. I have an Enthoo Pro (window version) but the only led in my case is a 120mm fan in the bottom front. Its light is very dim and gives the case just enough light to make it noticeable but its not super bright/distracting. There is certainly a market for such things, however.
    Reply
  • Pooslipper
    -firefoxx, it's not onboard RAM, it's standard DDR4 DIMMs bundled with the SSD. " As a presale, potential buyers are forced to just order the S100 SSD with Avexir system memory."
    Reply
  • alidan
    I could never understand why people put all those on their pc's. My case has absolutely no windows and all external LED's are covered with blu-tac. Last thing I need is a turned on lantern in my bedroom at night.

    sadly, the best cases that i want all demand windows... i'm probably going to bite the bullet get a 25 gallon bucket of window paint because they only sell the crap to businesses to paint their windows, i could never find a consumer size version.

    but that said, there are a few lights i want on my computer, just so when i hear a weird noise in when im going to sleep i can look over and see if my computer is still on or i need to get up and see what just happened.
    Reply
  • Larry Litmanen
    That's a legit deal with DDR4 ram.
    Reply
  • JimmiG
    Some custom-built computer case lighting can look really cool. The problem is when people just stick a bunch of random LED lights and lit components in their cases. Everything has different colors and is flashing and blinking out of sync. It just looks cheap.
    Reply
  • RogerE
    This arrives just in time for my holiday build. I like it. That being said, Avexir really needs an English speaker to copy edit their marketing materials. The poor grammar does not instill buyer confidence.
    Reply
  • RogerE
    16846134 said:
    I could never understand why people put all those on their pc's. My case has absolutely no windows and all external LED's are covered with blu-tac. Last thing I need is a turned on lantern in my bedroom at night.

    Well, I hear you, but many of us don't put these in our bedrooms, we put them in our offices or other play spaces.

    Reply
  • spentshells
    I've seen their stuff on newegg. Has anyone tried them out? I went with Team RAM for this build, but generally I stay away from mystery brands (mystery to me that is).
    Reply
  • JonnyDough
    Not everyone keeps their computer in the bedroom. Some of us have basements that are set up to host an entire LAN party and the lighted window cases look awesome. I guess some things are subjective, but that's no reason to knock other people who want some wow factor.
    Reply