Intel Introduces Super-Small 310 Series SSDs - PC Magazine

Solid-state drives (SSDs) are already much thinner and lighter than traditional spinning hard drives, so it may seem hard to believe that they need to get much smaller. But Intel will shrink them further with its new Solid-State Drive 310 series, which boasts performance on par with its regular X25-class SSDs but at one-eighth the size.

The 310-series drives measure only 30mm wide and 51mm in length—approximately the size of two postage stamps—and weigh 10 grams. According to Intel, this will allow SSDs to be used in devices and form-factors where their sizes were previously prohibitive, and could result in more dual-drive notebooks (with the SSDs paired with larger-capacity hard drives), single-drive tablets, and low-power ruggedized systems for industry or military use.

DRS Technologies has announced that it will use the drives in a new ARMOR communications tablet PC, intended to survive shock, vibration, and drops, which it will introduce at Storage Visions in Las Vegas next week.

Drives in the 310 series use 34nm Intel NANDFlash memory, and are currently shipping to customers. They are available in capacities of 40GB ($99) and 80GB ($179), in 1,000-unit quantities. The drives support SATA signals over a PCI Express (PCIe) mini-connector (similar to the way the solid-state memory works in the most recent incarnations of the Apple MacBook Air).