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 301 to 350 of 425, newest first.
Intel and Micron Produce 3D XPoint Memory – 1,000 Times Faster Than NANDIntel Corporation and Micron Technology, Inc., are announcing the first new memory category since NAND flash was introduced in 1989, revealing their 3D XPoint technology. This major breakthrough in memory process technology enables non-volatile memory speeds of up to 1,000 times faster than NAND! Digital data services and connected device growth continues to explode, creating ever-more-massive new data amounts.
HGST Ultrastar He8 HDD RAID Review (8x8TB) – 64TB Analysis on the Adaptec 8805 RAID AdapterBig data is BIG. We create billions of gigabytes of data on a daily basis, from uploading a photo to Facebook or emailing a new project document, all this data is stored in data centers across the globe. Big data is usually divided between high performance and storage.
Micron M510DC SSD Review (480GB) – Cost Effective EnduranceJust as the consumer market is starting to flood with many lower cost value based SSDs, we are starting to see more and more low cost read-centric SSDs in the enterprise market.
OCZ Trion 100 SSD Review (240GB/480GB/960GB)Not four months after launching their flagship consumer SSD, the Vector 180, OCZ is launching a new value-oriented TLC SSD named the Trion 100. Our first look at the Trion 100 was at Computex 2015 where we saw that, while it is a value offering, its performance will be anything but.
Complete Guide To Speeding Up Your PC’s Boot Time – Under 10 Seconds is PossibleAs you know, many people buy SSDs to not only speed up their computing experience, but also speed up the boot time of their machines.
Intel 750 PCIe SSD Review (400GB)The Intel 750 is the first NVMe SSD released into the consumer market. It offers users some pretty killer performance at a price point that is roughly twice that of top performing SATA SSDs. Back in April we were able to review the 1.2TB model.
Samsung SM951 M.2 NVME SSD Review (256GB)The Samsung SM951 is one of the fastest SSD solutions out for those with a need for speed. It offers speeds that put most SSDs to shame and does it in a small M.2 2280 form factor. Last week we took a look at the 512GB variant that utilizes the AHCI host controller interface.
SSD of the Week – 1TB Samsung 850 EVO Just $0.33/GB!We have covered the Samsung 850 EVO in our SSD of the Week before, however, it was to highlight the 500GB capacity.
SanDisk CloudSpeed Eco SSD Review (960GB)When it comes to enterprise SSD storage solutions SanDisk is one of the largest manufacturers out there with a broad range of product to cover the many needs of the this ever growing market.
Samsung SM951 M.2 PCIe SSD Review (512GB)In 2013 we were able to get a hold of Samsung’s first go at an OEM M.2 PCIe 2.0 x4 SSD, the XP941. Once word got out about this SSD’s speeds many storage enthusiasts thirsted for it.
SSD of the Week – OCZ Vector 180When consumer SSDs were still in their infancy OCZ was quick to fill the market with SandForce force powered SSDs. This quick release of products came at a price. Due to issues with firmware consumers wound up with unreliable SSDs.
SSD of the Week – Crucial BX100In today’s SSD of the Week we look back at Crucial’s new entry-level SSD that we reviewed a couple of months ago, the BX100. This SSD was one of the first value oriented SSDs released following CES.
Kingston HyperX Savage SSD Review (240GB)Back in January, at CES 2015, Kingston revealed their fastest SSD yet, the HyperX Predator. Luckily for us we were able to not only review this SSD, but we were able to run two in RAID 0 and it turned out to be quite the performer.
Eluktronics Eluktro Pro Performance SSD Review (250GB/500GB/1TB)Eluktronics isn’t a name brand you think of when you start looking for a new SSD. Up until just recently we didn’t even hear about this company, let alone know they offered some very price competitive SSDs.
SSD of the Week – Intel SSD 750 SeriesToday we have something very special for SSD of the Week. A new enthusiast class SSD that outshines any of the same form factor PCIe SSDs. By utilizing the new NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) interface, Intel’s 750 series of SSDs are leagues above the current PCIe interface in efficiency and speed.
Kingston HyperX Predator M.2 PCIe SSDs in RAID 0 – You Thought One Was Fast?More M.2 PCIe SSDs are starting to hit the consumer marketplace. Not only do they offer a compact form factor builds and mobile platforms, but they also provide speeds that demolish their SATA based competition.- Intel 750 PCIe SSD Review (1.2TB) – 1st Consumer 2.4GB/s NVMe SSD Set To Change The IndustryYou know how we said in previous reviews that the enthusiast market hasn’t had much action and is just starting to take off? Well, right when we thought we were starting to see some fast PCIe SSDs, Intel decides to step in and release a beast.
- OCZ Vector 180 SSD Review (240GB/480GB/960GB)OCZ has completely revamped their brand image for the better since they have been purchased by Toshiba. They have unified their product designs and now all their products are easily recognizable and powered by in house Indilinx Barefoot 3 controllers paired with Toshiba’s A19 Toggle MLC NAND.
EXCLUSIVE: Kingston HyperX Predator M.2 PCIe SSD Review (480GB)This year is starting to look like a great one for consumer SSD storage. Competition is increasing, prices are lowering, and speeds are getting much faster…well they will be.
ASRock X99 WS-E Motherboard ReviewFrom motherboards sporting M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slots to others with support for a ridiculous amount of SATA ports, ASRock has jumped into the fast lane in the past few years with great motherboards that feature great connectivity options when it comes to fast storage. One of their latest Intel X99 boards proves to be no different.
EDGE Boost Pro Micro SSD Review (1TB)Typically, we see a lot of 2.5″ 7mm, M.2, and mSATA SSDs for review on our site, but rarely do we see 1.8″ SATA SSDs. As a matter of fact, our first and only 1.8″ SSD review was the Mushkin Chronos GO Deluxe, that we reviewed back in May 2013.
Fractal Design R5 Mid-Tower Chassis ReviewChoosing the right computer case can take quite some time, especially nowadays when the market is flooded with choices. You have a plethora of size and design options.
SSD of the Week – Portable SSD T1Last week we took a look at the Patriot Ignite, a new contender in the market that offers high capacity and performance for a great price.
Silicon Motion SM2256 Controller with Samsung TLC NAND ReviewControllers are the heart and soul of every SSD. Without one, an SSD would be a useless PCB with some components slapped on it. It is responsible for everything from garbage collection and wear leveling to error correction and hardware encryption. In simple terms, all these operations can be quite complicated to implement as well as expensive to develop.
Crucial MX200 SSD Review (500GB/1TB)The Crucial MX200 is yet another in the many steps that Crucial has taken on over the past few generations, their SSD lines building slowly upon the last since their first release so long ago. Replacing their M4, the M500 introduced a plethora of new features such as hardware encryption, data path protection, and power loss protection.
PNY CS2111 XLR8 SSD Review (480GB)If you have been into computers any time over the past few decades, you probably know of PNY. They are an American company that manufactures graphics cards as well as all things flash. Over the past few years they have joined in on the SSD industry, offering some very competitive products.
Patriot Ignite SSD Review (480GB) – Async Flash Takes On a Whole New LookUp until recently, Patriot Memory seemed to have moved back from the SSD scene and become focused on phone accessories and portable devices for their retail makeup. Today is a new day, however, and Patriot enters the SSD arena once again.
ADATA Premier Pro SP900 M.2 6Gbps SSD Review (256GB)While we are awaiting next gen SSDs featuring SF-3700 controllers, we are still seeing some SF-2200 based SSDs released in the market. A few years ago, SandForce SSDs saturated the marketplace as they were the go to for most companies, however as of late, this has changed. A lot more options are out there for companies to choose from.
Thermaltake Toughpower 1500W Gold PSU Unboxing & OverviewThermaltake has been making power supplies for quite some time. They have models for all segments of the market, from entry level to PSUs that meet even the most extreme enthusiast’s demands. In fact, we’d venture to say, if you’ve been building systems for a while, odds are you’ve used a Thermaltake PSU at one point or another.
SSD of the Week – Kingston SSDNow V300In our last week’s SSD of the Week we covered ADATA’s SP610, a great performing SSD featuring a SM2246EN controller. For this week’s SSD of the Week we have found some great deals on Kingston’s SSDNow V300 SSDs.
Kingston HyperX Cloud II Pro Gaming Headset ReviewGaming headsets are a dime a dozen. You can go out and buy one for $20 or shell out a few hundred. What Kingston had done with their original HyperX Cloud last year was that they created a quality headset for a value price. Now, they have built upon its success and have released the HyperX Cloud II.
Plextor M6e Black Edition SSD Review (256GB) – Back in Black!SATA 6Gb/s has been a bottleneck for SSDs over the past few years, utilizing multiple SSDs in RAID arrays has been best practice to overcome it. Plextor had seen this problem and originally released the M6e early last year in attempt to target the gamer market.
Kingston SDCA3 microSDHC/SDXC UHS-I U3 Card Review (64GB)For the latest and greatest action cams or even cellphones like the Note 4, microSDXC cards are essential. With 4K video output becoming a norm and high bit rates following it, flash memory with high write speeds is in great demand.
Thermaltake Water 3.0 Ultimate CPU Cooler ReviewSystem cooling is very important in high end systems. Gamers and enthusiasts are always looking for another way to push their system to its limit, whether it be by operating system tweaks or overclocking their CPU for every last bit of performance. With CPUs hitting overclocks in the 4.5GHz to 5GHz range, CPU cooling is very important.
New Headset & Peripherals By Turtle Beach – CES 2015 UpdateTurtle Beach had a great booth at CES this year, from live demo floors to private rooms, their set was rockin’! While there we were able to speak with David Lowey, senior director of corporate communications and public relations. He spoke to us about a brand new wireless headset for the Xbox One and their latest move into PC peripherals.
ADATA Shows Off SandForce SF3700 SSD and New TLC SSD – CES Update 2015Last week we were eager to meet with ADATA’s team at CES 2015. In their suite they had not only some new lighting and hard drive products, but some very interesting SSDs on display. One of these is an enterprise M.2 drive featuring a SandForce SF3700 controller.
Patriot Showcases Ignite SSD and More – CES 2015 UpdateCES has been great so far, there are a lot of new products that have been unveiled and we look forward to reviewing everything we can get our hands on. We stopped by Patriot’s suite in the Bellagio to see what they had up their sleeve.
Samsung Discusses Enterprise SSDs – CES 2015 UpdateThis morning at CES Las Vegas, we attended the Bellagio where we met with Ryan Smith, Sr. Product Manager of SSD Marketing, Samsung. We got to take a look not only at their current SSD line up, but what should be coming out over the next year or so.
Samsung SM951 PCIe 3.0 M.2 SSD In Mass ProductionSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd., has recently announced that it has begun mass producing a high-performance, low-powered PCIe M.2 SSD, the SM951. The OEM drive is targeted for ultra-slim notebook PCs and workstations. It is compatible with both PCIe 3.0 and PCIe 2.0 interfaces.
Kingston HyperX Predator M.2 SSD Capable of 1.4GB/s and 125K IOPS – CES 2015 UpdateMaking our rounds at CES, we made a stop by Kingston to check out what they had going on. It turns out, they have something pretty impressive. They are releasing a brand new PCIe 2.0 x4 M.2 SSD capable of 1.4GB/s reads and 1GB/s write, the HyperX Predator! UPDATE: Exclusive Full Review Here.
OCZ Displays New JetExpress Controller On New NVMe M.2 SSDs – CES 2015 UpdateThis week at CES 2015 in Las Vegas, our good friends at OCZ introduced us to a few new SSDs, as welll as a dynamite new SSD controller. On their display floor, OCZ has a brand new Vector series SSD, the Vector 180. This SSD will be the last of their Barefoot 3 powered product line.
PNY Shows Off New SSD Product Lines – CES 2015 UpdateWhile at Pepcom’s Digital Experience! 2015 in Las Vegas, NV, we were quite interested in what was going on at the PNY booth. They have announced a new line-up of SSDs for enterprise, client, and consumer applications. The naming scheme has also changed from before, now opting for a two letter abbreviation per drive class followed by a number series.
Trusted Computing Group Booth – Storage Visions 2015 UpdateWith computers in use reaching the two billion mark and mobile phones exceeding the world population, security is mission critical. Based on IDC estimates, about half of all data is unprotected. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse reports that 536,508,478 records have been breached from unencrypted drives that were lost, stolen or hacked since 2005.
Samsung Unveils Portable SSD T1- Storage Visions 2015 UpdateWhile about the exhibit floor here at Storage Visions 2015, we couldn’t help but notice a small gathering around Chris Geiser, senior memory and storage product manager at Samsung.
Marvell’s New 88NV1120 Pictures Display Ultra Small Controller – Storage Visions 2015 UpdateThis afternoon at Storage Visions, we had the fortune of bumping into our close friend Mike Chen, Marvell SSD and Strategic Marketing Director, who had a bit of a surprise in store. Some might remember Marvell’s announcement of their new 88NV1120 and 88NV1140 controllers back in December, but we don’t think anyone could have imagined a controller this small.
SanDisk Intros Very Low Priced SSDPlus SSD – Storage Visions 2015 UpdateToday at Storage Visions 2015, we met with Siobhan Lyons, Sr. SanDisk PR Manager, and Brian Cos, Sr. Director of SanDisk Enterprise Storage Solutions, both of who had some great SSD news!. Today SanDisk announces a new affordable SSD line option to customers, the SanDisk SSD Plus.- SATA-IO Demo 4TB WD Hybrid Drives – Storage Visions 2015 UpdateMaking our rounds at Storage Visions 2015, the SATA-IO booth really caught our eye. SATA-IO is and independent organization which provides guidance and support for implementing the SATA specification. At the booth they are demonstrating SATA Express (SATAe) with some 4TB WD hybrid prototype drives as well as an M.2 SSD connected to an M.2 to SATAe adapter.
Storage Visions 2015 – The Future of FlashAfter yesterday’s long cross country flight and well needed rest, we’re all here at Riviera Convention Center to check out Storage Visions 2015! Today and tomorrow there are sessions on all things storage.
SSD of the Week – ADATA SP610In last week’s SSD of the Week we highlighted AMD’s first entry into the SSD market, their Radeon R7. It is a gamer oriented drive that has been developed with OCZ to deliver some great performance. This week we are starting off 2015 by recommending a great performing drive at very good price points, the ADATA SP610.
SSD of the Week – AMD Radeon R7We hope you have been enjoying the holidays and to all we wish you a happy new year! To end the week, our SSD of the Week will be highlighting a newcomer’s introduction to the SSD market, AMD’s Radeon R7. This gamer oriented SSD continues to expand AMD’s Radeon product diversity.
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.
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