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
Reviews, 2013–2022
Every card opens the original.
Stories 201 to 250 of 271, newest first.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Samsung 850 EVO SSD Review (1TB) – Differing Series Controllers ComparedThe Samsung 850 EVO is a third generation TLC NAND SSD, second 3D V-NAND product on the market, and the first SSD in the industry to feature 3-bit 3D V-NAND. At first people were weary of TLC NAND, due to the issues it presents. TLC NAND has much lower endurance and slower performance when compared to MLC and SLC.
Mushkin Reactor SSD Review (1TB) – High Value High Capacity SSDs Become the NormIt has been quite a while since Mushkin has released a new SSD product. Our last Mushkin product review was in 2013 where we ripped apart their Scorpion Deluxe PCIe SSD which utilizes multiple SandForce controller based SSDs on a single PCIe card.
Samsung 850 EVO SSD Review (120/500GB) – Showing Off 3D TLC V-NANDAt the end of June, Samsung released the 850 Pro which was the successor to the 840 Pro. With it came their brand new 32-layer MLC 3D V-NAND flash, and this flash allows for greater durability, lower power consumption, improved performance and a 10 year warranty.
Thermaltake Core V51 Mid-Tower PC Case ReviewEstablished in 1999, Thermaltake has been in the computer case industry for years. Being a part time computer tech, I built plenty of rigs with their products. They typically offer plenty of value combining a high level of user convenience with their designs at low prices. Their new Core series of cases are no exception.
Transcend MTS800 M.2 2280 SATA SSD Review (128GB)We have been seeing more M.2 SSDs lately, a lot of which are companies’ first steps into the market since the form factor is so new. They have been designed to meet strict size requirements and allow for greater flexibility in product development. They are the perfect fit for mobile devices with their compact size and light weight.
KINGMAX M.2 2242 SATA SSD Review (128GB)KINGMAX started off back in 1989 and has been committed to becoming a leader in global memory technology since. They manufacture an array of memory products from DRAM to USB drives to SSDs. They have been offering 2.5″ SSDs since 2008 and the release of their M.2 2242 and M.2 2280 SATA SSDs marks their first step into the M.2 world.
IronKey Workspace W700 Secure Flash Drive ReviewThe International Data Corporation reported that there are over 1 billion workers in the mobile workforce today. With the increased use of mobile devices such as tablets, smartphones, and laptops, the fact is that the mobile workforce continues to grow.
Micron M600 mSATA SSD Review (256GB)M.2 SSDs were developed to replace the mSATA form factor, however these devices are still in their infancy and the demand for mSATA SSD still exists. mSATA SSDs are mainly deployed in mobile devices such as tablets, laptops, and Ultrabooks because they allow for lighter and thinner designs.
Micron M600 M.2 SATA SSD Review (256GB)M.2 SSDs are starting to gain traction. The Samsung XP941 is starting to become more available and Plextor won Best of Show with their M6e at FMS this year. Both LiteOn and Hynix displayed some 1TB M.2 SSDs and LSI showed off some M.2 reference designs with their latest SF37000 controller.
Micron M600 SSD Review (256GB/1TB)As a reader on our site, you should be very familiar with Crucial and their highly regarded consumer SSDs. Most recently recently, they announced their newest drive the MX100.
Kingston SM2280S3 M.2 SATA SSD Review (240GB)The introduction of the SM2280S3 M.2 SSD last June marked Kingston Technology’s first entry to the M.2 SSD arena. For those new to M.2 SSDs, M.2 marks the standardization of smaller form factor SSDs to sizes smaller than what we have seen in mSATA.
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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