14 DAY TRIAL // Nowadays, it looks as though every possible new solid state drive is likely to end up powered by one of the famous SandForce controllers. There are, however, some storage solutions developers that don't “stick to the norm,” so to speak, especially when they can actually reach arguably better results, such as higher performance, at least in one area or another. Lexar, for instance, decided to make use of an SSD controller developed by Marvell when it designed its latest RealSSD C300.
Lexar/Micron has finished putting together a 64GB RealSSD C300 unit. It is intended as a more or less affordable flash storage solution for the consumer market. As such, it predictably does not have the highest transfer speeds, especially not when it comes to writing data. What is noteworthy, however, is that, even far below the $200 threshold, this model has both the benefits of the SATA 6.0Gbps interface, as well as of 34nm-based MLC (multi-level cell) NAND Flash memory chips.
For those interested in numbers, the 2.5-inch Marvell-powered drive can write at up to 75MB/s and read at up to an impressive 355MB/s. Of course, the product is backwards compatible with the SATA 3.0 connection, though performance will, obviously, be less extraordinary in such scenarios.
"The 64GB C300 drive is a natural extension of our award-winning Crucial RealSSD C300 product line. This aggressively priced 64GB C300 drive makes SSD technology more affordable than ever, delivers durability for mobile computing, and makes it a compelling boot drive for desktop PCs," said Robert Wheadon, Lexar Media senior worldwide SSD product manager.
The 64GB RealSSD C300 comes as an addition to a line that already featured versions with capacities of 128GB and 256GB. The price point of the newest addition is $150 and Lexar also offers a three-year warranty.