Intel to Use eMLC in Next-Gen Enterprise SSDs

News
By Marcus Yam
published

The next-gen of Intel SSDs using 25nm flash are coming later this year.

Intel recently announced that its 25nm NAND flash chips are now shipping in volume to customers. This also means that we can soon expect a refresh of the Intel SSD's that are currently based off of 34nm Postville parts later this year.

Intel's next generation 25nm SSD parts for enterprises will use a new type of enterprise multi-level cell (eMLC) flash memory, which are expected to be even more resilient than other existing technologies, according to a roadmap seen by X-bit Labs.

Those looking to beef up their home gaming rigs will probably be more interested in the SSDs targeted towards enthusiasts. The next round of Intel X25-M will come in 600GB, 300GB, 160GB and 80GB capacities. This will mean roomier drives for those with the resources to purchase one, while the 80GB and 160GB models hopefully will be more affordable to those looking for a speedy OS drive.

For reference, the 34nm-based 80GB and 160GB models can be had for around $200 and $400, respectively.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
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17 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Will it use the SATA 6 Gbit/s or SATA 3 Gbit/s?
    Reply
  • gekko668
    That's nice but I still can't afford it.
    Reply
  • balister
    Billy BobWill it use the SATA 6 Gbit/s or SATA 3 Gbit/s?
    If it's enterprise class, more likely SAS.
    Reply
  • apache_lives
    gekko668That's nice but I still can't afford it.
    thats what normal hdd's are for
    Reply
  • ares1214
    if it is for enterprise, and all of it is changing, will it be as fast as ssd right now?
    Reply
  • TidalWaveOne
    The expression "off of" is never correct.
    Reply
  • zaznet
    ares1214if it is for enterprise, and all of it is changing, will it be as fast as ssd right now?
    In the Enterprise they certainly worry about speed but sometimes more important is redundancy or data protection and availability of that data. It's difficult to say from this article if the extra layers are for speed, capacity or data protection.

    No matter what the focus the end result will be cheaper home user SSD drives as chip production ramps up and chips are improved.
    Reply
  • kalogagatya
    i don't understand SSD manufacturers: they design a standard SSD, which is much better that a great HDD, but it is too expensive, and no one buys it.
    Then they design a better SSD, better than the standard SSD, also more expensive and duh, still people don't buy it.
    And THEN they launch EVEN BETTER SSDs which cost EVEN MORE. do they even notice that people won't buy the standard because they still ARE TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE???

    solution: they design sub-standard SSDs, with prices that HANG on the balance between just and overpriced....

    10*500 is less than 1000*100, don't they know this?
    Reply
  • ethanolson
    I hope it'll be released in SAS DP 6G variants!
    Reply
  • webbwbb
    kalogagatyai don't understand SSD manufacturers: they design a standard SSD, which is much better that a great HDD, but it is too expensive, and no one buys it.Then they design a better SSD, better than the standard SSD, also more expensive and duh, still people don't buy it.And THEN they launch EVEN BETTER SSDs which cost EVEN MORE. do they even notice that people won't buy the standard because they still ARE TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE???solution: they design sub-standard SSDs, with prices that HANG on the balance between just and overpriced....10*500 is less than 1000*100, don't they know this?
    The problem with SSD prices is not that they are too expensive to manufacture; they are too difficult to keep in stock because they are bought up so quickly. Several months ago Newegg more than doubled the price of them because the demand far outstretched the supply. even with that dramatic price increase they are not always in stock. For the general user they are still too expensive but there are many uses where it is a very justifiable purchase.
    Reply