The upcoming Steam Deck device has recently been confirmed to feature a M.2 NVMe 2230 slot on all three models. This confirmation comes after Valve CEO Gabe Newell confirmed in various emails the presence of the slot and this information has since been updated on the Steam Deck website. The official device specifications now list all models as featuring socketed 2230 M.2 modules with a notice that they are not intended for end-user replacement. The base Steam Deck model features just 64 GB of eMMC flash so the availability of this upgrade option will be appealing to many users. The M.2 2230 form-factor is the smallest currently available measuring just 22 mm x 30 mm which does come with the disadvantage of less available products and higher prices compared to full size M.2 drives.

The EVGA Z590 DARK once again strikes fear into the hearts of other Z590 motherboards by combining every ounce of power available to the Intel Z590 chipset and fine-tuning it to perfection. This armed and fully-operational motherboard is born from a 10-layer PCB and powered by a 21-Phase VRM. With support for PCIe Gen4 graphics cards and M.2 NVMe SSDs, overclockers have nothing to fear when shooting for the highest scores in any benchmark.

For everyone else, the Z590 DARK is loaded with over a dozen USB options, eight SATA ports, two 2.5 Gbps NICs + WiFi 6/BT 5.1, 7.1 Channel HD Audio, three M.2 Key-M slots, and two fan headers dedicated to AIO CPU Coolers. As a wise overclocker once said, "Once you start down the DARK path, forever will it dominate your destiny." and with the EVGA Z590 DARK, that destiny is sure to be filled with shattered records and countless victories on the battlefield.

To meet the market demand for large-capacity data storage, TEAMGROUP today announced two high-performance, huge-capacity storage products: the TEAMGROUP MP34Q M.2 PCIe SSD, which utilizes QLC Flash and the PCIe Gen3x4 interface and comes with capacities up to 8 TB; and the HIGH ENDURANCE CARD designed for high-resolution surveillance systems. Whether it is for computer equipment or security systems used at home or a business, TEAMGROUP provides reliable upgrade solutions for those who seek the best performance and stability.

Today the company announced the TEAMGROUP MP34Q M.2 PCIe SSD, which utilizes QLC Flash and the PCIe Gen3x4 interface. It also supports NVMe 1.3 and the Dual Cache technologies: SLC Caching and DRAM Cache Buffer. The MP34Q M.2 PCIe SSD offers a massive capacity of up to 8 TB, excellent read/write speeds of up to 3,400/3,000 MB/s, and an official five-year warranty with purchase, so consumers can buy and upgrade with confidence.

SilverStone today introduced the Raven RVS03, a unique M.2 SSD enclosure that supports both NVMe and SATA drives. Typically M.2 enclosures only support either of the two. The drive is based on the Realtek RTL9210B-CG controller that takes advantage of 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 and UASP protocols, and offers sequential transfer rates of up to 1000 MB/s. The Raven's body is made entirely of aluminium, with a high-conductivity thermal pad being included, letting you transfer heat from the drive inside to the enclosure body. The enclosure uses a single USB 3.2 cable for both power and host connectivity. Cables are included for both type-A and type-C. It measures 105.7 mm x 35 mm x 13.5 mm (LxHxW), dry-weighing 52.2 g. The company didn't reveal pricing.

A lightweight M.2 SSD is a great way to add significant performance gains to any laptop or PC workstation. Silicon Power (SP) is releasing a new enclosure that will give your SSD the ability to not only achieve these gains but also take it wherever you go. The PD60 turns your M.2 M-key NVMe or SATA SSD into a portable hard drive for whenever and wherever you need it. Transfer data rapidly up to 10 Gbps via its USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface with the included Type-C to Type-C cable. It's also backwards-compatible with USB 3.1/3.0/2.0 at their respective speed limits.

The aluminium body is durable enough to protect your SSD, yet light enough to toss in your bag and hardly notice it, making it the perfect travel companion. It also provides superior heat dissipation, which is further enhanced by its slide design, allowing excess heat to escape when the cover is removed.

OWC, the premier zero-emissions Mac and PC technology company, and a respected provider of Memory, External Drives, SSDs, Mac & PC docking solutions, and performance upgrade kits, announces the OWC U2 ShuttleOne. This innovative "build your own" heat dissipating full metal adapter brings U.2 SSD performance and capacity to the mainstream in a flexible, easy-to-use design. Performance enthusiasts, IT admins, M&E pros, gamers, and more can now use a readily available and affordable NVMe M.2 "blade" style SSD in a 2.5-inch U.2 bay. Whether you have a U.2 bay equipped server, workstation, gaming rig, or external drive, the OWC U2 ShuttleOne gives you access to a new world of storage possibilities.

The OWC U2 ShuttleOne offers a full-metal housing that solidly protects your drive and data while providing cooling that's superior to adapters made with other materials. The OWC U2 ShuttleOne delivers complete drive reliability and takes your workflow beyond the limits. Small form factor NVMe M.2 SSDs can pack a powerful performance but swapping them can damage the connector and make the drive unreadable. The OWC U2 ShuttleOne lets you change your NVMe M.2 SSD at will in any 2.5-inch U.2 drive bay with the peace of mind that your drive will stay protected. This innovative adapter is fully certified and rated up to PCIe Gen 4, meaning the OWC U2 ShuttleOne supports your drive's fastest performance up to 8,000 MB/s. The OWC U2 ShuttleOne can make your dream of mind-blowingly fast speeds a reality.

MSI is announcing the launch of its solid state drive (SSD) product line with the introduction of SPATIUM. The initial product offering will include M480, M470, and M370, which are Gen4 and Gen3 PCIe NVMe SSDs in compact M.2 2280 form factors that can be installed into compatible desktop motherboards and laptops.

MSI continues to refine its identity as a high-performance PC brand and SPATIUM was envisioned to expand our ecosystem and cover the high-performance storage category. These SSDs are built with high-quality, high-density 3D NAND flash that deliver the best compromise of performance and endurance for professionals, content creators, and gamers. Among the performance improving technologies include a DRAM cache buffer for M480 and M470, and a SLC cache for all announced models.

GIGABYTE is giving finishing touches to its new motherboard targeted at creators who like to game, and premium desktop builders, the X570S AERO G. This marks the debut of the company's AERO brand, associated with notebooks, over to the desktop PC components segment. The board's aesthetics appear more in line with the company's VISION line of products. The Socket AM4 motherboard is based on the new AMD X570S chipset, a low-power version of the X570 that can make do with fanless cooling.

What sets the X570S AERO G apart is its five M.2 NVMe Gen 4 slots, leveraging the PCIe Gen 4 downstream connectivity of the X570S. You also get two PCI-Express 4.0 x16 slots (x8/x8 with both populated), and creator-relevant connectivity that includes 2.5 GbE wired LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, and GIGABYTE's highest onboard audio grade. Thunderbolt connectivity is unlikely to be found. The board will come with out-of-the-box support not just for Ryzen 5000 "Vermeer" processors, but also Ryzen 5000G "Cezanne" APUs, which it wires out through DisplayPort and HDMI ports.

Update Jul 5th: GIGABYTE formally launched the X570S AERO G. It lacks 10 GbE, unlike previously reported, offers 2.5 GbE, and comes with USB 3.2x2 (20 Gbps) ports.

GIGABYTE Technology, one of the top global manufacturers of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announced the AORUS XTREME Gen4 AIC SSD with 28 GB/s ultra-fast access speed. This high capacity and extreme performance SSD builds in eight 4 TB 2nd generation PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSDs with PHISON PS5018-E18 controller, AORUS XTREME Gen4 AIC SSD offers ultra-high transfer bandwidth and superior access performance through RAID configuration.

The AORUS Xtreme Gen4 AIC SSD features ultimate thermal design with large aluminium finned heatsink, M.2 baseplate for passive cooling, 10 temperature sensors and active dual-fan heat dissipation design, while the exclusive SSD Tool Box offers users real-time status and temperature monitoring of SSDs. GIGABYTE AORUS Storage Manager allows users to configure a RAID array with a single click and 3-phase fan speed adjustment, which enabling AORUS XTREME Gen4 AIC SSD to keep cool and performing at a high level. It promises a non-throttling experience for users who phase for high capacity and breakthrough performance.

At the beginning of June, MSI presented the brand-new X570S Series motherboards during MSI's online product launch event. The unique designs and remarkable features sparked widespread discussions. Here are more in-depth concrete details regarding the MSI MAG X570S Series. In 2019, AMD's X570 platform came out and became the first chipset that supports PCIe 4.0 solution. Even now, MSI X570 Series motherboards are undoubtedly a great lineup with high specifications and aggressive designs. However, MSI can't just stop there. Our mission is to deliver the best computing experience for every gamer and creator. The new X570S Series motherboards achieved exactly that.

MSI is dedicated to product optimization so the new motherboards are made with prominent features. The MAG X570S Series is at the forefront of this launch. Inspired by military design, the MAG X570S TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI and MAG X570S TORPEDO MAX share identical looks. More excitingly, the MAG X570S TORPEDO MAX now comes in the Pacific Blue colorway, which is all the rage for our fans. Apart from the attractive designs, the imperative modification is the fanless chipset heatsink. We removed the fan to reduce dust and noise, while the ranges of the heatsink are expanded. Also, both MAG X570S TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI and MAG X570S TORPEDO MAX have M.2 Shield Frozr. The former has an All aluminium Design while the latter has an Extended Heatsink Design.

TEAMGROUP unveils the T-FORCE CARDEA Z44Q PCIe 4.0 SSD with two patented cooling modules, QLC Flash, and PCIe Gen 4x4 interface that supports the latest NVMe 1.4 standard and provides a massive capacity of up to 4 TB. Consumers can opt for different specs based on their preference and needs, and gamers can have everything from cooling, performance, and capacity in one SSD, and explore the infinite possibilities with T-FORCE CARDEA Z44Q PCIe4.0 SSD.

Equipped with QLC Flash, the T-FORCE CARDEA Z44Q PCIe 4.0 SSD supports the latest PCIe Gen 4x4 interface and NVMe 1.4 standards, meaning that it is compatible with PCIe Gen3.0 interface while offering up to 4 TB in capacity. The read/write speeds reach up to 5,000/4,000 MB/s, which are 10 times faster than traditional SSDs, making it a pioneer for the new TB M.2 era and the best choice for players in terms of cooling, speed, and capacity.

Seagate today announced its newest PC gaming SSD, the FireCuda 530, at the company's inaugural virtual gaming event, SG21. The new drive offers gamers the latest PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD technology and the fastest performance from the company's line of PC gaming storage products - bringing speed, endurance, and high capacity to the peak of PC performance.

Delivering sequential read speeds of up to 7300 MB/s, the FireCuda 530 catalyzes PCIe Gen4 power with transfer rates up to two times faster than PCIe Gen3 SSDs and 12 times faster than SATA-based SSDs. The drive is built with a Seagate-validated E18 controller and the latest 3D TLC NAND to provide the most advanced speed and durability for PC gaming. Seagate also offers a minimalist heatsink option, specially designed by EKWB that swaps out cooling fins for a more massive, high-grade aluminium block with a finely textured finish, maximizing cooling.

Western Digital is reportedly preparing a firmware update for its WD Black SN850 M.2 NVMe SSD that restores the drive's write performance levels on PCs based on the AMD X570 platform. This problem is localized to X570, specifically to when the drive is installed on an M.2 NVMe slot that is wired to the X570 chipset. Drives that are installed on the slot that's directly wired to the Ryzen processor perform as expected (Ryzen 3000 "Matisse" and Ryzen 5000 "Vermeer").

The drive performs as intended on AMD B550, as well as Intel platforms that support PCIe Gen 4, as the only Gen 4-capable M.2 slots are the ones directly wired to the processor. Western Digital localized the problem to certain X570 motherboards that have their PCIe maximum payload size (MPS) value set at 128 bytes. This dictates the maximum transaction layer packet (TLP) that goes through the PCIe controller, and a low MPS value cripples performance. The firmware update by Western Digital possibly works around this limitation. The company is expected to release the firmware update by 12 July, 2021.

When solid state drives were first manufactured, they were designed using form factors similar to hard disk drives. But, because they are made from flash memory, SSDs can be designed in various form factors that best take advantage of the unique needs of respective client, hyperscale and enterprise compute environments. The form factor that is best suited for rack storage over the current industry-standard M.2 drive is the E1.S, according to experts at Phison Electronics Corp., a global leader in NAND flash controller integrated circuits and storage solutions. Phison's own E1.S SSD with the world's highest capacity storage is coming to market soon.

When first released, the M.2 form factor was popular in hyper-scale data centers due to its small size, low-cost structure, flexibility and scalability of multiple drives per server. But the M.2 form factor is not hot-pluggable and typically a challenge to service with the SSD installed on an internal motherboard socket. The M.2 form factor dimensions are also not ideal to fully utilize the space available in a 1U rack height (1.75") for storage capacity.

ASRock has been accommodating the mining craze and the company is today launching its H510 Pro BTC+ motherboard designed to host a suite of GPUs. More precisely, the company has released a motherboard with six full-size PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. Measuring at the huge 50.1 x 22.4 cm, the motherboard is anything but small. There is room to install any triple-slot GPU with ease, as the slots are spaced out nicely. However, to feed all six GPUs at full speed, you would need as many as 96 lanes. That is why only the first slot runs at full x16 speed, while others are stuck at x1 speeds. The H510 chipset can not support 96 lanes naturally.

To power the board, you need a double 24-pin PCIe power connector. The power is regulated by four-phase power delivery with 50 Amp chokes. There is one SATA III connector and an M.2 PCIe 3.0 slot for M.2 SSDs that are up to 110 mm long. The motherboard is available for purchase at Newegg at the price tag of $279.

Sabrent today released a firmware update for its Rocket 4 Plus M.2 NVMe SSD. The new version 1.2 firmware addresses several caching and performance issues with initial batches of the drive that shipped with the version 1.1 firmware. The latest batches should come with version 1.2 firmware pre-installed. The update is released as a click-to-run drive firmware updater that works from Windows. The company recommends those with version 1.1 firmware to update their drives. Usual precautions, such as a data backup, as well as power backup during the firmware update, are recommended.

DOWNLOAD: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus version 1.2 Firmware Update

PLEXTOR, a leading provider of high-performance storage solutions, announces the launch of the M10P series PCIe Gen4 solid state drives (SSD). With faster speeds, higher capacities, and excellent stability, M10P series SSDs offer avid gamers and audio-visual (AV) enthusiasts alike a high-performance device that also exudes gaming flair with its dynamic industrial design and RGB lighting.

Implementing the next generation of PCIe, Gen4, M10P series SSDs can deliver read/write speeds of up to 7000/5000 MB/s, approximately two times faster than previous generation SSDs. This amazing performance is achieved in combination with Plextor's proprietary PlexNitro II technology, which uses an SLC cache mechanism as a buffer to improve read and write speeds. PlexNitro II technology ups the ante on random read/write performance and enhances sequential read/write performance by up to fifty-percent over previous generation SSDs.

The ToughArmor MB872MP-B supports 12x M.2 SATA SSDs from 30 mm to 110 mm (2230 / 2242 / 2260 / 2280 / 22110) in just a single 5.25" optical drive bay. It uses 3x high-speed OCuLink (SFF-8612) connectors in the rear to support twelve M.2 SATA SSD with 6 Gb/s transfer speed per drive while reducing the amount of cable clutter for optimal system airflow and easy cable management. The removable drive tray design with an innovative adjustable M.2 locker allows you to interchange M.2 drives without using tools or screws.

The 40 mm fan with 3-Mode fan speed control working along with intelligently placed ventilation holes keeps your drives in optimal temperatures. The device and trays are made out of heavy-duty metal to ensure long-lasting durability. The ToughArmor MB872MP-B's high storage density design makes it suitable for high-performance systems with limited storage space, such as high-performance PCs, home servers, workstation PCs, and data centers. It's designed for systems that require high IOPS, high capacity, and low latency storage access.

(Update May 6: Added PNY's official word on the endurance changes)

PNY has quietly reduced the endurance rating (TBW - TeraBytes Written) for its XLR8 CS3030 M.2 NVMe SSD by almost 80%. The "quietly" comes from the fact that the company only deemed it necessary to update the product specifications on their website, and didn't announce any such changes via press release or any other means. Hence, prospective buyers who might look to launch reviews of this NVMe SSD so as to make a decision regarding its purchase may be led astray by the (then) quoted TBW ratings, which are actually no longer relevant for samples of this SSD - at the very least for any model manufactured post-specifications change on their website.

There are no other changes to specifications - neither in capacity, nor in Read/Write speeds. However, endurance has taken an almost 80% dive in the worst case scenarios - those of the 2 TB and 500 GB capacities, which saw reductions from their respective 3,115 TBW and 800 TBW down to 660 TBW and 170 TBW - or 78.8%. The 1 TB capacity takes a 78.4% dive in endurance (1665 TBW down to 360 TBW) and the 250 GB model is the least affected one, whilst still losing out 55.3% of its rated endurance (380 TBW down to 170 TBW).

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, today announced the all-new 2021 BRIX mini-PC series, which adopts the latest AMD Ryzen 5000U mobile processors that have leading 7 nm technology, 8 cores/16 threads CPU architecture, low 15 W TDP, and reduced power consumption compared to the previous generation. Benefiting from AMD's premium "Zen 3" core architecture and "Vega" GPU cores, these processors boost the performance significantly in CPU and GPU related workloads. Enhanced by GIGABYTE's exclusive design, the all-new 2021 BRIX mini-PC design integrates 4 display outputs, 2.5G Ethernet, and 802.11ax WiFi 6E configuration, creating the most powerful multitasking mini-PC with astounding performance and responsiveness for either gaming or content creation.

The latest AMD Ryzen 5000U mobile processors highlight 7 nm technology, and when compared to the previous generation, these new processors feature a 16% increase in single-threaded performance, 14% increase in multi-threaded performance, and do so with higher clock frequencies and lower SoC power consumption. The powerful performance of AMD Ryzen 5000U mobile processors sets a milestone for the mobile platform. When it comes to benchmark testing, it is inspiring to see that 3DMark CPU Performance scores come in at 1.23x that of competitor's 11th Gen processors and 1.8x on Cinebench R20 benchmark too. No more needing to compromise between productivity, performance, and gaming/video performance.

QNAP, today launched the high-performance 6-bay TVS-672X and 8-bay TVS-872X 10 GbE NAS with Intel Core i3 processors. With expandable storage capacity and feature-rich apps, both models support M.2 NVMe SSD cache acceleration, PCIe expansion, multi-cloud backup, 4K@60Hz HDMI output, real-time transcoding, support for Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS), and many more features to enhance the workflows and productivity of small and medium businesses.

The TVS-x72X series features an Intel Core i3-8100T quad-core 3.1 GHz processor with dual-channel DDR4 memory (upgradable to 64 GB). It provides two Gigabit and one 10GBASE-T RJ45 (10G/5G/2.5G/1G/100M) port to increase virtual machine performance, intensive file access, high-speed backup/restore, and media file transfer. Four USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports also allow compatibility with newer, faster USB drives/expansion enclosures for transferring large media files. The TVS-x72X series is perfectly suited for use with QNAP's budget-friendly managed and unmanaged 10 GbE switches for high-speed, secure, and scalable network environments.

Micron, the US-based manufacturer of various kinds of memory technologies, has today announced some quite interesting products at its Computex 2021 keynote. For starters, the company has announced a new portfolio of products based on 176-layer NAND. There are currently two products listed that use this new technology and those are the Micron 3400 and 2450 M.2 NVMe SSDs. Based on the PCIe 4.0 interface, the 2450 SSD lineup is designed as a value-oriented solution that comes in M.2-2280, M.2-2242, and M.2-2230 sizes. It ranges from 256 GB to 1 TB in capacities, which are supposed to be priced as a value purchase.

In a contrast, the 3400 SSD is M.2-2280 design, meant for only the highest performance. The sequential read speeds go up to 6600 MB/s, while the sequential writes go up to 5000 MB/s (in the case of the 2 TB model). Capacities range from 512 GB to 2 TB and only the 1 TB and 2 TB variants have the 5000 MB/s write speeds, while the 512 GB version is capped at 3600 MB/s speed. Both SSD models are featuring a heat spreader on top of NAND chips and spot an in-house and Micron-developed NVMe 1.4 SSD controller. However, Micron does note that the company is free to use any 3rd party SSD controller as we are deep in component shortages with high demand for SSDs. You can get an in-depth look at the 2450 and 3400 M.2 SSDs from Micron's website.

addlink has just announced three of their upcoming addGame products, which are the X95 M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD, SPIDER 4 and SPIDER X4 DDR4 memory at Computex 2021. addlink showcased the full range of addlink's M.2 NVMe SSD product line and has brought these products to the forefront for attendees to experience virtually.

Building on the success of addGame X70 SSD, addGame now presents high-performance M.2 PCIe 4.0 - X95 SSD, overclocking DDR4 memory - SPIDER 4 and SPIDER X4. All three of the products not only featured high-quality aluminium but also tightly screened ICs that optimized stability and compatibility when dealing with heavy workload or high-definition games.

Leading global motherboard manufacturer, ASRock, is proud to announce its latest X570S & B550 PG Riptide motherboards for AMD Ryzen AM4 desktop processors. "Riptide is named after a specific kind of water current with strong wave that occurs in the ocean. Riptide is unapparent, yet strong, fast and carries a powerful punch; this is the design philosophy of ASRock PG Riptide series motherboards" Said Chris Lee, General Manager of ASRock motherboard & gaming peripherals business unit.

The Riptide is a new crew of Phantom Gaming series, these stylishly PG Riptide series motherboards are armed to the teeth with gear designed to fulfill gamers everyday needs, without biting into the bank account unlike other similarly spec'd, high-end motherboards.

MAINGEAR—an award-winning PC system integrator of custom gaming desktops, notebooks, and workstations—today launched the MAINGEAR ELEMENT Lite, a 15" ultra-premium notebook designed in collaboration with Intel. Featuring Intel Iris Xe Graphics and up to an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, the MAINGEAR ELEMENT Lite pairs next-generation hardware with a sleek and minimal machined aluminium alloy chassis for maximum power, speed, and portability. The new MAINGEAR ELEMENT Lite is the perfect Windows laptop for work and play on the go.

Custom designed and engineered in collaboration with Intel, this uncompromising notebook PC comes equipped with up to an Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor running at 2.8 GHz with a Max Turbo Frequency of 4.7 GHz on 4 cores / 8 threads. Integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics make multimedia viewing, content creation, and even light gaming a breeze. ELEMENT Lite systems can be equipped with 16 GB of DDR4 memory and up to 2 TB of user-replaceable PCI-E Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSD storage. MAINGEAR optimized the ELEMENT Lite to pack exceptional performance and cooling into its frame without sacrificing on battery life or upgradeability. It weighs in at just 3.64 lbs (1.65 kg) and is 14.9 mm thin—making it the thinnest notebook that MAINGEAR has ever offered.