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
The SSD Review bylines, 2014–2019
Every card opens the original.
Stories 101 to 150 of 211, newest first.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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