14 DAY TRIAL // There is enough data to make a good case about solid state drive already being very fast, but that didn't stop Intel from inventing a way to make them even faster.
And I don't mean new chip types or ways of putting them together.
No, what Intel invented, and plans to show off at IDA 2013, is the Xtreme Tuning Utility (XTU), which allows Intel's next-generation HEDT (high-end desktop) platforms to overclock SSDs. That's what X-bit Labs thinks anyway.
SSD tweaking options were found in the code of an unreleased XTU version. The unified software utility also allows CPU, memory and system cooling modifications.
Besides the controller clock speed on SSDs, NAND flash bus speed should be modifiable. Removing interface overheads and other round-offs could lead to a to bandwidth of 560 MB/s on SATA III (SATA 6 Gbps).
Considering that Intel SSDs normally limit themselves to 450 MB/s when reading and quite a bit less when writing, that's a big gain. It would allow Intel SSDs to get better than even SandForce-based ones.