The popular solid-state drive controllers never actually managed more than 128-bit

Jun 12, 2012 08:11 GMT  ·  By

Well, here's something that will burst the bubble of a lot of people. It turns out that all those who bought SandForce SSDs never got everything they paid for.

SandForce solid-state drives are the only SSDs with two encryption engines: a 128-bit engine at the back and a 256-bit engine at the front.

Unfortunately, according to LSI's findings, the latter only works in 128-bit mode.

LSI recently bought SandForce and is working on a fix. It should have a firmware update out soon. In the meantime, each SSD maker is dealing with the situation in its own way.

Intel, for example, is offering full refunds on 520 Series SSDs bought before July 1, 2012 (you have to call before October 1, 2012). Kingston has some affected units too, but it's working with LSI on a universal fix. It still welcomes customer support calls though.

Contact your local representatives in case you want to get your money back. You can also go here to read further about the matter.