Published work
Technical Analysis
More than 500 reviews, articles, guides and white papers, written to make storage technology legible and useful. 425 carry my byline and are listed below. The rest are white papers, press releases and technology-trend posts I wrote for enterprise SSD and server makers.
The archive
Every byline, 2011–2022
425 bylined pieces from Tom’s Hardware, The SSD Review, TechnologyX and Overclock.net, 40 of them Editor’s Choice reviews. Every card opens the original.
Stories 251 to 300 of 425, newest first.
SSD of the Week – PNY CS2211 XLR8With summer comes more time to play games for many and today we wanted to bring back to light a high quality SATA SSD for our readers who want that extra edge when playing. The CS2211 is manufactured by PNY and is part of their XLR8 line, aka, their top performing gamer/enthusiast class products.
Mushkin Triactor SSD Review (480GB) – Another Barebones TLC OptionBack in 2014 we took a good look at the Mushkin Reactor. At the time, it was the best value 1TB SSD you could buy. You could even argue that it was THE SSD which made high value, high capacity SSDs the norm. Now, Mushkin is trying to take value a step farther by introducing a cheaper alternative into the market.
Mangstor Introduces P2P capabilities and 5.4TB model to MX-Series NVMe SSDsMangstor Inc., a leading developer of high performance next generation non-volatile memory storage solutions, today announced that its MX-Series family of NVMe-based PCIe SSDs now features higher capacity 5.4TB models as well as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) capabilities.
Crucial MX300 SSD Review (750GB)For what seemed like an eternity Samsung has been the leader in manufacturing 3D NAND. Starting with the release of the Samsung 850 Pro two years ago, they have paved the way for innovation. 3D NAND brings greater capacity, power efficiency, and lower cost to the consumers.
SanDisk X400 SSD Review (512GB)Targeted towards read-intensive workloads, boot, and logging applications in both servers and mobile computing, the X400 is SanDisk’s top-tier client SATA SSD available in both M.2 and 2.5″ form factors. Based on the marketing material it seems that SanDisk has put a lot of value into this drive, not only with its feature set, but performance and efficiency.
Techman SSD XC100 Series NVMe SSD Review (3.2TB)High capacity and high-performance SSDs are starting to pop up every which way in the enterprise segment and competition is getting heated. Thanks to PMC with their latest Flashtec NVMe controllers, third party SSD vendors are able to develop these high capacity, high performance devices faster than ever with features catered to their target buyers.
Micron Announces Next-Gen NVMe 3D NAND 1100 & 2100 Series Client SSDs – Computex 2016 UpdateToday Micron Technology, Inc. introduced the Micron 1100 SATA and Micron 2100 PCIe NVMe. These are two new solid state drive (SSD) product lines designed to tackle client computing workloads from web browsing and email, to video editing and auto CAD design.
OCZ RD400 NVMe SSD Review (256GB/512GB/1TB)More MB/s, more IOPS, and lower latencies are what storage enthusiasts dream of. CPUs, RAM, and GPUs are all pushing faster speeds than ever, but storage has typically been a bottleneck for enthusiasts, even after the introduction of SSDs.
Intel 540s SSD Review (480GB) – SMI Controller With SK Hynix MemoryAs the SSD industry continues to grow, manufacturers try to maintain their consumer presence with more value-oriented consumer products. Such is the case with Intel’s latest step into the TLC segment by introducing their newest 540s SATA 3 SSD a few weeks back.
Micron Simplifies Path to Next-Generation All-Flash Data Center with Introduction of Micron Accelerated SolutionsOn Tuesday Micron Technology, Inc. introduced to us new NVMe SSDs for the enterprise market, however, that was just one of many announcements. They also announced the creation of Micron Accelerated Solutions, a set of purpose-built, scale-out solutions for open source and software-defined data centers.
Micron Accelerates Data Center Storage with New NVMe PCIe SSD PortfolioMicron announces a new PCIe solid state drives that leverage the high-performance NVMe protocol. The new Micron 9100 and 7100 PCIe SSDs provide data center customers with purpose-built storage products for implementing an agile, scale-out IT infrastructure.
Samsung 850 EVO SSD With 3rd Gen 48 Layer V-NAND Performance ComparisonOut with the old, in with the new is how the saying goes! Although, in this case, the old really isn’t that old and is still quite bleeding edge technology. This doesn’t stop Samsung though. Today we are going to take a look at the performance of Samsung’s 3rd generation 48-layer 256Gb TLC V-NAND.
SSD of the Week – 960GB MyDigitalSSD BP5e Slim 7 Just $190!Are you interested in getting a 1TB class SSD for dirt cheap? If so, today we stumbled across a great SSD of the Week deal for all our readers.
SSD of the Week – Adata Premier SP550It has been a while since our last SSD of the Week post, but after seeing the current prices of the Adata Premier SP550, we just had to bring it back. The Adata Premier SP550 is an entry-level SSD designed to meet the needs of those who want to upgrade to flash storage, but need to pinch pennies at the same time.
Zotac Premium Edition SSD Review (480GB)Zotac has been in the computer industry since 2006 and has made quite the name for itself in the gamer market. Better known for their graphics cards, motherboards, and Mini-PCs, Zotac isn’t typically a name one would associate with solid state drives, especially high-performance ones.
OCZ Trion 150 SSD Review (240GB/480GB/960GB)Entry-level SSDs have been a hot commodity for many companies as of late. In the past few months, we have seen many new TLC based options released into the market. Today, OCZ is back at it again with a new release, this time around it is an update to their entry-level SSD series, the OCZ Trion 150.
OWC Mercury Electra MAX 6G SSD Review (2TB)OWC has been around for quite a while and is usually on the ball when it comes to creating flash products for Mac systems. They have robust storage portfolio for any media creation workflow with products designed and manufactured in the USA.
HGST Ultrastar SN100 Enterprise NVMe SSD Review (3.2TB)With the introduction of the Samsung XS1715, back in 2014, we were able to review our first ever PCIe SSD in a 2.5″ form factor. Utilizing the NVMe interface, it provided from some jaw dropping performance. At the time Intel also had (and still has) multiple 2.5″ form factor PCIe SSDs within their Intel SSD Data Center family lineup.
PNY CS1311 SSD Review (120GB/480GB)Yet again, we see a new entrant to the ultra-cheap, entry level SSD market. Aimed at those who are looking for a nice step up from a HDD, but have to pinch pennies, PNY has released a TLC packed contender, the CS1311.- PNY CS2211 SSD Review (240GB/480GB)Just last week we announced PNY’s latest SSD products for the new year, the CS1311 and CS2211. It just so happens that today we have some in our hands for review. The CS1311 is your basic, entry level SSD jam packed with TLC NAND for those looking for a cheap SSD upgrade from an HDD.
Toshiba’s Client and Enterprise Lineup – CES 2016 UpdateToshiba’s show room was packed with NVMe goodness and a bit more. To start off, while Toshiba does not target the consumer retail market under their name they do target OEM and enterprise customers with their client and enterprise products.
OCZ Showcases RevoDrive 400 and Trion 150 – CES 2016 UpdateAfter a long delay to the convention center today we were finally able to make it to the OCZ showroom where one of their newest products caught us by surprise. Along with the Vector 180 and Trion 100, OCZ showcased their Trion 150.
Kingston Demos E1000 PCIe NVMe SSD Capable of 1.25 Million IOPS and More! – CES 2016 UpdateCES has been quite interesting so far, with many new consumer storage devices on the horizon. This year, however, Kingston hasn’t announced anything new on the SSD front, that is, for consumer storage. They did, however, show off some of their newest enterprise products including the E1000 PCIe NVMe AIC and announced a new client SATA SSD, the KC400.
LaCie Unleashes New 1TB External Chromé SSD and Porsche Design Desktop Drives – CES 2016 UpdateLaCie, the premium brand from Seagate Technology, has just unleashed the fastest USB storage solution on the market at CES 2016! Designed by Neil Poulton the LaCie Chromé is a sleek combination of style and performance. The polished aluminum enclosure attaches to a removable magnetized display stand and the back features magnetized cable management.
SanDisk Release World’s Thinnest 1TB M.2 SSD and Extreme 510 External SSDToday SanDisk unveiled a few products for 2016, among them are a new client SSD and a rugged waterproof external drive. Their client product, the X400, is the first single-sided 1TB SATA M.2 form factor SSD that measures in at a mere 1.5mm height.
Micron’s Future Without Mark Adams – Storage Visions 2016 UpdateOf course Storage visions is where we learn what the future will hold in terms of storage. Right now, who better to look at than Micron about this subject? Just yesterday Micron, one of the biggest players in both the DRAM and NAND, released a press statement entailing that their president Mark Adams has resigned due to personal health reasons.
Samsung to Release 750 EVO in US Market, 4TB Consumer SSDs and More – Storage Visions 2016 UpdateIn a quick meeting with Samsung today we learned some interesting things coming up in 2016. Other than the release of the Samsung Portable SSD T3 we’ve mentioned here, Samsung aims to expand the release of the 750 EVO to the United States.- MyDigitalSSD BP5e Slim 7 Series SSD Review (960GB) – Unequaled Value with TLCThe competition between value based SSDs is getting ever more fierce this holiday season. Comparing back to just a few weeks ago we see most manufacturers offering great prices to entice more sales before year’s end. Building upon this steam is MyDigitalSSD with their latest model, the BP5e Slim 7 Series.
Black Friday SSD Sales 2015 – SanDisk Ultra II @ $0.21/GB and More!Black Friday is finally here and deals are a plenty! Of course, we at The SSD Review are looking after you and have created a guide to help you navigate through this Black Friday’s SSD deals. After checking out Amazon this morning, this is what we found.
SSD of the Week – AMD Radeon R7 Just $0.29/GB!This week we were looking around for the best deal at the ~250GB capacity range of SSDs. Hands down, it turned out to be the AMD Radeon R7. At a low price of just $69.99 it is even cheaper than many of its competitors and delivers great performance! The Radeon R7 is a 2.5″ 7mm form factor, SATA 6GB/s SSD.
Crucial BX200 SSD Review (480GB/960GB)Crucial has always been quite aggressive with their value driven strategy in the SSD market and it has resulted in success for many of their products. This has led to their most recent product launches of the MX200 and the introduction of a new entry-level product line earlier this year with the BX100.
The SSD Review Power Testing – Now Powered by Quarch TechnologyOne of the big marketing points for SSDs, besides their shear speed, is their low power consumption compared to their mechanical rivals. SSDs are not only more power efficient during workloads, but they are able to read and write so quick, that most of the time they are in an idle state.
OCZ Announces Host Managed SSD Technology in Saber 1000 ModelsToday, OCZ is introducing HMS technology in their Saber 1000 2.5” SATA 6Gb/s SSDs. What is HMS? HMS or Host Managed SSD technology is a new frontier for SSDs and the initiative is referred to as Storage Intelligence.
SSD of the Week – Kingston HyperX PredatorWell, it has been some time since we have reviewed the Kingston HyperX Predator. Back in March we were lucky enough to not only review one of these drives, but also two in RAID 0! The HyperX Predator is currently their top tier storage product.
Intel SSD DC P3608 Review (1.6TB) – Over 5GB/s and 850K IOPS!A year ago Intel launched their first line up of NVMe SSDs. The DC P3700, DC P3600, and earlier this year they officially launched the DC P3500.- BitFenix AEGIS Core mATX Case ReviewThe BitFenix AEGIS is quite an interesting microATX case. Its shield-inspired front is stylistic and they claim that it also helps to keep down noise. It is offered in bold colors and just like many cases as of late, its designed has been heavy influenced by watercooling capability and modularity.
SSD of the Week – The Samsung 850 EVO Once AgainToday we have a SSD that has been a recurring topic for SSD of the week this year. The Samsung 850 EVO was last covered when the 1TB capacity reached an amazing value of $0.33/GB. This week, however, we are focusing on value of the mid-size capacities along with the recently released 2TB capacity.
SSD of the Week – Is the 2TB CUK Cyclone a Samsung 3D V-NAND, SandForce or JMicron?Okay, so this Week’s SSD of the Week is a bit extraordinary and even leaves us a bit confused. Just when we thought the 2TB SSDs from Samsung had no competition we stumbled across a new 2TB SSD while looking for deals on Amazon! It is called the CUK Cyclone by a seller called Computer Upgrade King.
Samsung SM863 & PM863 SSD Review (960GB)Samsung’s latest enterprise SATA device offerings come in the form of the PM863 and SM863 SSDs. Both come with Samsung’s latest 3D V-NAND technology and are developed for small and medium sized business with a large focus on QoS and value.
Adata Premier SP550 SSD Review (240GB)Early last month we reviewed Adata’s newest SATA 6Gb/s contender in the enthusiast market segment, the XPG SX930. Utilizing a JMicron controller and premium MLC NAND, it delivered good performance at a decent price point. Today we are going to shift gears and take a look at their latest entry level SATA 6Gb/s SSD, the Premier SP550.
SSD of the Week – Kingston HyperX SavageFor his week’s SSD of the Week we turn to Kingston, a well-established maker of memory products for over 25 years. Furthermore, Kingston has been the world’s number-one memory module manufacturer for the third-party memory market for over 10 years. Kingston’s HyperX line of products bring forth both the high performance and looks that gamers and enthusiasts demand.
Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II Card Review (64GB)A little over a year ago we were able to take a close look at a new breed of SD cards thanks to SanDisk releasing the world’s first UHS-II SD card, the SanDisk Extreme Pro. The standard was so new, besides the Fujifilm XT-1, no other camera even supported the form factor at the time.
SSD of the Week – Eluktronics Eluktro Pro-X Performance – A Samsung SM951 in Disguise?Well, we are back from this year’s Flash Memory Summit and thought we would get back into gear with a new SSD of the Week. As you all know, the Samsung SM951 is one of the best things since sliced bread in an M.2 form factor.
Phison Announces PS5007-E7 PCIe NVMe Controller and More – Flash Memory Summit 2015 UpdateThe Phison PS5007-E7 PCIe NVMe controller is not something new to us. We have seen it before, first FMS last year and then again at Computex where we saw it on demo delivering 2.7Gb/s read. Finally, at FMS this year they officially announce its availability with it being demoed continuously writing at 1.3GB/s.
JMicron Displays Controller Lineup – Flash Memory Summit 2015 UpdateBack at Computex we weren’t able to cover JMicron’s latest plans and products, but now at FMS we were able to catch a meeting with them. On display was their current lineup of controllers and while not as high performance as some we have been seeing, for them it is about efficiency, stability and driving down cost.
Lite-On Debuts EP2 NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD and More – Flash Memory Summit 2015 UpdateWhile officially announced last week, Lite-on debuted their latest addition to their enterprise SSD portfolio, the EP2. The EP2 is a PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD that will be available in capacities up to 2TB! That is right, by utilizing a M.2 110mm form factor, the EP2 will be available in capacities up to 2TB.
PMC Demos New Flashtec NVMe Controllers and NVMe over RDMA – Flash Memory Summit 2015 UpdateThis year at FMS we are not only seeing much more innovation in end storage products themselves, but the entire storage ecosystem as well. Over at the PMC booth there are multiple demos showing how they aim to address the oncoming migration to PCIe in enterprise storage.
OCZ Demos Z-Drive 6000 NVMe SSD Dual-Port Performance – Flash Memory Summit 2015 UpdateThis year at FMS it really shows just how close Toshiba and OCZ are based upon their booth location. Right near the entrance you have Toshiba’s grand display, but at first glance the OCZ section is almost impossible to see. After circling back twice, their section finally caught our eye.
ADATA XPG SX930 SSD Review (120GB/240GB/480GB)ADATA has memory products for all sections of the market, from consumer to industrial. As of late they have released a new consumer SSD, the XPG SX930. It is marketed towards the gamer and overclocker crowd at a pretty competitive price point.
SSD of the Week – Transcend SSD370 at $0.27/GB!It has been a bit since our last SSD of the Week where we covered the Eluktronics Eluktro Pro Performance drives. Continuing our coverage of value drives we are taking a look at the Transcend SSD370 today because for a limited time Amazon is offering it at a great price.
From my author pages at Tom’s Hardware and The SSD Review, as of November 4, 2026. TechnologyX is offline, so its cards open the Internet Archive copies.
Continue on this site