Intel has announced the latest extension to their SSD lineup, the Intel SSD 310. The 310 delivers X25-M performance in a tiny mSATA package designed for highly mobile applications like tablet and ultraportable notebooks. Intel is using 34nm MLC NAND and offering the 310 in both 40GB and 80GB capacities.
Intel has announced the latest extension to their SSD lineup, the Intel SSD 310. The 310 delivers X25-M performance in a tiny mSATA package designed for highly mobile applications like tablet and ultraportable notebooks. Intel is using 34nm MLC NAND and offering the 310 in both 40GB and 80GB capacities.
The Intel SSD 310 measures in at 51mm x 30mm and just 5mm thick. The unit weighs in at 10 grams. At just 1/8 the size of a normal 2.5 notebook hard drive, even traditional notebooks can benefit from the 310 by using it as a boot drive in dual-drive system builds.
While the most obvious application for these drives is inside tablets and other popular ultraportable devices, using the tiny SSD 310 in dual-boot systems at least has the attention of Lenovo. Lenovo intends on pairing the 310 with a traditional hard drive in some of their ThinkPad notebooks to give users the benefits of rapid boot with the SSD 310 and robust storage with a traditional 2.5″ hard drive.
The rugged nature of the design also seems to be a hit, DRS Technologies has already announced they’ll be using the Intel SSD 310 in their new ARMOR communications tablet. The ARMOR mobile and field unit tablet PC is certified by DRS to work in extreme temperatures and hold up to shock, vibration and drops, delivering up to nine hours of operating time.
Pricing and Availability
The Intel SSD 310 is shipping to OEMs now at $99 for the 40GB capacity and $179 for the 80GB version, both in 1,000-unit quantities.
Update – Intel SSD 310 Review Posted
