We've seen mSATA SSDs before, but even TDK's most recent launch didn't go beyond the SATA II interface, so Transcend definitely has an advantage in the MSA720. That's right, the solid state drive, or solid state drive line, supports the SATA III interface standard, otherwise known as SATA 6.0 Gbps.
What's more, in order to make the best of the bandwidth, Transcend chose to outfit the MSA720 with the SandForce 2281 controller chip.
This leads to transfer speeds of up to 530 MB/s when writing and 560 MB/s when reading, plus a 4K random file write rate of up to 91,000 IOPS.
Like for all SSDs, the performance differs according to capacity (decreases along with the available storage space). Still, even on the smaller drive (64 GB) the data speeds will be near those above.
Transcend's press release talks about how the MSA720 is meant to “offer the ideal solution for space-restricted embedded systems.”
The 128 GB drive definitely fits the bill for those, but after looking at the budding interest in Intel's Smart Response, as well as other SSD Caching technologies, we're pretty sure the newcomer will be used in Ultrabooks and other laptops sooner or later.
It doesn't hurt that the MSA720 has 256-bit hardware-based Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) protection. With this to encrypt all files in real time, there shouldn't be much fear of having one's precious data fall in the wrong hands.
Add to that long-term health and efficiency (granted by SMART, TRIM and NCQ) and there is no conceivable reason for tablets, ultrabooks and other laptops not to use Transcend's creation.
Servers and medical equipment might reap even more benefits, especially since the Toggle-mode MLC (multi-level cell) NAND Flash memory chips have significant shock and vibration resistance. Fast boot-up times are all well and good but they don't always sell a product on their own. Speaking of which, the prices are unknown, even though the warranty isn't (three years).
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