MAINGEAR, a leading provider of high-performance custom PC systems, and Phison, a global leader in NAND controllers and storage solutions, today unveiled groundbreaking MAINGEAR PRO AI workstations with Phison's aiDAPTIV+ technology. Specifically engineered to democratize Large Language Model (LLM) development and training for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), these ultra-powerful workstations incorporate aiDAPTIV+ technology to deliver supercomputer LLM training capabilities at a fraction of the cost of traditional AI training servers.

As the demand for large-scale generative AI models continues to surge and their complexity increases, the potential for LLMs also expands. However, this rapid advancement in LLM AI technology has led to a notable boost in hardware requirements, making model training cost-prohibitive and inaccessible for many small to medium businesses.

MSI, a leading global server provider, will showcase its latest liquid-cooled and GPU servers powered by AMD processors and 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, optimized to meet the evolving needs of modern data centers, at CloudFest 2024, booth #H02 in Europa-Park from March 19-21. "With an increasing number of data centers leveraging applications like AI to enhance customer experience, the demands for more computing power and higher density deployments have driven significant changes in IT infrastructure, leading to greater use of liquid cooling," said Danny Hsu, General Manager of Enterprise Platform Solutions. "MSI's liquid-cooled server platforms enable data centers to deliver efficiency while deploying more compute-intensive workloads."

The G4101 is a 4U 4GPU server platform designed for AI training workloads. It supports a single AMD EPYC 9004 Series processor equipped with a liquid cooling module, along with twelve DDR5 RDIMM slots. Additionally, it features four PCIe 5.0 x16 slots tailored for triple-slot graphic cards with coolers, ensuring increased airflow and sustained performance. With twelve front 2.5-inch U.2 NVMe/SATA drive bays, it offers high-speed and flexible storage options, catering to the diverse needs of AI workloads. The G4101 combines air flow spacing and liquid closed-loop cooling, making it the optimal thermal management solution for even the most demanding tasks.

Add two super fast NVMe SSDs to your Raspberry Pi 5. Ideal if you need redundancy or just a load more storage on your RPi. NVMe Base Duo is a PCIe Gen 2 extension board for Raspberry Pi 5. Simply populate it with one or two M-key NVMe SSDs (2230 to 2280 sizes supported) and mount it under (or over) your Pi for a compact and fast storage solution. It even comes with rubber feet!

It's the perfect solution for turning your Raspberry Pi 5 into a file server, media center, reverse proxy, etc.—really any task that benefits from large amounts of fast storage, redundancy, or just to make use of a couple of spare disk—especially with random high operations per second (IOPS) workloads. In short, it's a game changer! NVMe Base Duo is now available for pre-order with the first batch of units shipping in mid-April. For a lot more detail about NVMe Base Duo and to reserve your unit click here.

According to TPU's SSD database, the Microsoft Z1000 M.2 22110 form factor solid-state drive launched back in 2020—last week, well-known hardware tipster, yuuki_ans, leaked a set of photos and specifications. Their March 7 social media post showcases close-ups of a potential enterprise product—sporting a CNEX Labs CNX-2670AA-CB2T controller, Toshiba BiCS4 96-layer eTLC NAND flash dies and 1 GB Micron MT40A1G8SA-075:E DDR4 RAM cache. The mysterious storage device appears to be an engineering sample (PV1.1)—an attached label lists a possible manufacturing date of May 18, 2020, but its part number and serial code are redacted in yuuki's set of photos. PCIe specifications are not disclosed, but experts reckon that a 4.0 standard is present here (given the prototype's age).

The long form factor and presence of a CNEX Labs controller suggest that Microsoft has readied a 960 GB capacity model for usage in data servers. Unoccupied spaces on the board provide evidence of different configurations. Extra BGA mounting points could introduce another DRAM chip, and there is enough room for additional capacitors—via solder pads on both sides of the Z1000's PCB. It is speculated that 2 TB and 4 TB variants exist alongside the leaked 960 GB example—a "broad portfolio" of finalized Z1000 products could be in service right now, but the wider public is unlikely to see these items outside of Microsoft facilities.

Eurocom, a pioneer in high-performance, upgradeable mobile computing solutions, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking advancement in mobile computing technology with the integration of PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD support in the EUROCOM Raptor X17 Mobile Supercomputer. Eurocom's commitment to innovation and performance has led to the enhancement of the Raptor X17, making it one of the most powerful and versatile mobile supercomputers on the market. By incorporating PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSD support, Eurocom is setting a new standard for speed, efficiency, and storage capabilities in mobile computing. The EUROCOM Raptor X17 Mobile Supercomputer is powered by Intel Core i9-14900HX 24C/32T Processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 16 GB DDR6 graphics with NVIDIA ADA Lovelace architecture, 24 TB of total SSD storage in RAID 0/1/5, 96 GB DDR5-5600 RAM and now PCIe 5.0 SSD support in one M.2 slot.

"The EUROCOM Raptor X17 continues to push boundaries in mobile computing. Now with support for the Corsair MP700 2 TB PCIe 5.0 (Gen 5) x4 NVMe M.2 SSD, users can experience unparalleled storage performance. Whether you're a 3D modeler, researcher, AI Developer, or creative professional, the Raptor X17 delivers exceptional power and flexibility," said Mark Bialic, Eurocom President. The integration of PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD technology in the EUROCOM Raptor X17 unlocks unparalleled data transfer speeds, significantly reducing loading times and enhancing overall system responsiveness. This advancement not only caters to professionals and enthusiasts who demand high-performance computing but also revolutionizes the mobile computing landscape by offering cutting-edge technology in a portable form factor.

Nextorage Corporation's President, Katsuyuki Honda, has announced that the company will start selling its PCIe Gen 5.0-compliant NVMe SSDs "X Series" this month. The PCIe 5.0-compliant X Series is equipped with a high-performance controller and advanced NAND flash for unparalleled high-speed performance, making it ideal for professional use cases that require high-load processing, such as 4K/8K content creators and data scientists, as well as for users pursuing high-end gaming environments. It is ideal for users who pursue high-end gaming environments.

The NN5PRO-2000 is ideal for professional use cases such as 4K/8K content creators and data scientists who require high-load processing, as well as for users pursuing high-end gaming environments. Maximum read speed of 12,400 MB/s, maximum write speed of 11,800 MB/s—this is the measured values of Nextorage's NN5PRO-2 TB model.

Sabrent today announced its latest flagship M.2 NVMe SSD series, the Rocket 5. Built in the M.2-2280 form-factor, the Sabrent Rocket 5 is sold as a bare drive, with an included fan-heatsink that you install if needed. This cooler comes with a tiny fins-stack, two copper heat pipes, and a 20 mm fan. At the heart of the drive is the new Phison PS5026-E26 Max14um controller, paired with Micron B58R 232-layer 3D TLC NAND flash memory, and LPDDR4 based DRAM cache. The drive comes in 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB capacity variants.

The company didn't put out capacity-specific performance or endurance numbers, but mentioned sequential read speeds of up to 14 GB/s, as is characteristic of the Max14um controller variant; up to 12 GB/s sequential write speeds, up to 1.55 million IOPS 4K random reads, with up to 1.8 million IOPS 4K random writes. The Rocket 5 replaces the Rocket 4 Plus as Sabrent's flagship SSD. The 4 TB variant is listed at $730, the 2 TB variant at $340, and the 1 TB variant at $190.

GIGABYTE Technology, an IT pioneer advancing global industries through cloud and AI computing systems, is presenting innovative enterprise computing solutions at MWC 2024, featuring trailblazing servers, green computing solutions, and edge AI technologies, under the theme "Future of COMPUTING." These advancements usher in new possibilities for agile and sustainable IT strategies, enabling industries to harness real-time intelligence across hyperconnected data centers, cloud, edge, and devices, resulting in enhanced efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and competitive advantages, all propelled by the synergies of 5G and AI technologies.

GIGABYTE presents G593-ZX1/ZX2, the AI server featuring AMD Instinct MI300X 8-GPU, which is a new addition to GIGABYTE's flagship AI/HPC server series. Other highlighted exhibits include the high-density H223-V10 supporting the NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchip, the G383-R80 server supporting four AMD Instinct MI300A APUs, and a G593 series AI server equipped with the powerful NVIDIA HGX H100 8-GPU.

LG Electronics USA (LG) today announced pricing and availability of its 2024 premium lineup of laptops - the LG gram Pro and LG gram Pro 2-in-1. The 16- and 17-inch LG gram Pro models retail for $2399 (16Z90SP-A.ADB9U1) and $2499 (17Z90SP-E.ADB9U1) respectively while the CES 2024 Innovation Award-winning 16-inch gram Pro 2-in-1 (16T90SP-K.ADB9U1) retails for $2099. For a limited time, customers shopping on LG.com can pre-order the 16- and 17-inch LG gram Pro and 16-inch LG gram Pro 2-in-1.

Throughout the duration of the pre-order period from February 21, 2024, to March 10, 2024, customers will be able to purchase the 32 GB-RAM/2 TB-SSD LG gram Pro laptop for the price of a 16 GB-RAM/1 TB-SSD model of the same screen size. They'll also receive an LG gram +view IPS portable monitor (16MR70.ASDU) and expedited shipping at no additional cost. All standard terms of purchase apply.

GIGABYTE today introduced the Gen 4 4000E line of value M.2 NVMe SSDs that take advantage of the PCI-Express Gen 4 host interface, as it says on the tin. These drives form the company's new entry level M.2 NVMe SSD series. The drive comes in 250 GB, 500 GB, and 1 TB capacities, and are really targeted at the crowd that likes to pick up well-priced processor+motherboard+DRAM+SSD bundles in the DIY retail channel. The company didn't specify controller and NAND flash type, but we gather from the specs sheet that it uses a DRAMless controller.

The 1 TB variant (model: G440E1TB) offers sequential speeds of up to 4 GB/s reads, with up to 3.9 GB/s sequential writes. The 500 GB and 250 GB variants offer speeds that don't really need Gen 4 bandwidth. The 500 GB model (G440E500G) does up to 3.6 GB/s sequential reads, with up to 3 GB/s sequential writes. The 250 GB (G440E250G) model offers 3.5 GB/s reads, with up to 1.8 GB/s sequential writes. Endurance is rated at 320 TBW for the 1 TB model, 300 TBW for the 500 GB model, and 150 TBW for the 250 GB model. All three models are backed by 3-year warranties. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Patriot Memory, a leading manufacturer of high-performance enthusiast memory modules, SSDs, flash storage, and gaming peripherals, proudly introduces the Viper PV553 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 5 x4 SSD. This groundbreaking SSD is designed with the core idea of delivering next-gen performance, featuring an innovative active cooling system.

The PV553 introduces a revolutionary cooling solution as Patriot's first SSD with a blower fan design. Patriot Memory's cutting-edge advancements ensure active thermal dissipation, providing consistent cooling even during extended usage for intense gaming sessions. Crafted with premium materials and a slim 16.5 mm aluminium heat shield, the PV553 incorporates an embedded thermal sensor, guaranteeing unwavering high performance. With a 5-year warranty, this SSD exemplifies quality and reliability.

Crucial launched its Crucial T700 Gen 5 SSD family midway through last year—a "marquee product" within their (at the time) new Pro Series family—thanks to industry-leading performance. Micron's consumer brand boasted about the T700's technical prowess: "sequential read/write speeds (of) up to 12,400 MB/s and 11,800 MB/s respectively." The Micron 232-layer TLC NAND-equipped SSD range was leaked two months ahead of an eventual May 2023 launch, and history is seemingly repeating itself with a semi-related product in early 2024. Hardware sleuth, momomo_us, has uncovered Crucial T705 and T705 Limited Edition models—the latter appears to be outfitted with a special white variation of the company's "SSD5" corrugated passive heatsink design (as seen in W1zzard's T700 review). Crucial's "SSD3" model suffix indicates a barebones package—minus the chunky "premium" aluminium and nickel-plated copper heatsink.

An alleged T705 specification sheet was leaked to social media over the past weekend—courtesy of Deepbluen's response to the initial momomo_us post. Crucial seems to be targeting industry leading performance once more—their 2 TB T705 model leads the pack with 14,500 MB/s read and 12,700 MB/s write speeds. The capacity range topper (4 TB) trails a little bit behind at 14,100 MB/s read and 12,400 MB/s (respectively), with the 1 TB model exhibiting a relatively sluggish 13,600 MB/s read and 10,200 MB/s (respectively). The leaked sheet does not contain any details regarding Crucial's choice of controller, as well as DRAM cache numbers and endurance figures. We see a repeat of the T700's Micron 232-layer TLC NAND, but we will have to wait a little longer to find out whether Phison's E26 controller is making a comeback (with entailing potential technical issues).

CORSAIR, a world leader in enthusiast components for gamers, creators, and PC builders, today announced the launch of the MP600 ELITE series of SSDs. The MP600 ELITE series is a lineup of high-performance PCIe 4.0 SSD available with a range of cooling options to ensure you get the most from your storage whether you're running a desktop PC, a laptop, or a Sony PlayStation 5 console.

Built using high-density 3D TLC NAND and available in 1 TB and 2 TB capacities at launch, with 4 TB models coming in April, the MP600 ELITE series offers impressive sequential read performance of up to 7,000 MB/sec and write performance of up to 6,500 MB/sec. This is bolstered by random read and write speeds of up to 1,000K and 1,200K IOPS respectively, making them ideal for gamers, creators, and hardware enthusiasts seeking impressive performance on a PCIe 4.0 platform. These SSDs are also backwards compatible with PCIe 3.0 systems.

You can check out our review: Corsair MP600 Elite 2 TB Review - The new Phison E27T Tested

In addition to the 37 Gbps GDDR7 memory, Samsung Electronics prepares to showcase several other memory innovations at the 2024 IEEE-SSCC as compiled by VideoCardz. To begin with, the company is showcasing a new 280-layer 3D QLC NAND flash memory in the 1 Tb density, enabling next generation of mainstream SSDs and smartphone storage. This chip offers an areal density of 28.5 Gb/mm², and a speed of 3.2 GB/s. To put this into perspective, the fastest 3D NAND flash types powering the current crop of flagship NVMe SSDs rely on 2.4 GB/s of I/O data rates.

Next up, is a new generation DDR5 memory chip offers data rates of DDR5-8000 with a density of 32 Gbit (4 GB). This chip uses a symmetric-mosaic DRAM cell architecture, and is built on a 5th generation 10 nm class foundry node Samsung optimized for DRAM products. What's impressive about this chip is that it will allow PC memory vendors to build 32 GB and 48 GB DIMMs in single-rank configuration with DDR5-8000 speeds; as well as 64 GB and 96 GB DIMMs in dual-rank configuration (impressive, provided your platform can play well with DDR5-8000 in dual-rank).

Graid Technology, an industry trailblazer in GPU-based RAID for NVMe, proudly announces the groundbreaking release of SupremeRAID SR-1001. This innovative GPU-based RAID solution is designed to maximize NVMe SSD performance while eliminating CPU cycle consumption and avoiding throughput bottlenecks. Utilizing patented out-of-path RAID protection technology, data travels directly from the CPU to the NVMe SSDs, ensuring unmatched flexibility, unprecedented performance, and overall superior value.

NVMe SSDs, with their high-speed performance and low latency, significantly enhance tasks across CAD, video editing, IoT, and gaming. Faster loading times, improved rendering, quick file transfers, smooth playback, efficient data processing, and reduced latency contribute to overall superior performance. But traditional RAID methods introduce bottlenecks, limiting the performance of NVMe SSDs in critical applications.

BOXX Technologies, the leading innovator of high-performance computer workstations, rendering systems, and servers, today introduced RAXX S1G, a rack-mounted workstation featuring up to two NVIDIA RTX GPUs and Intel Core i7 or i9 14th gen processors. The new Intel CPUs offer outstanding performance for CAD, 3D design, motion media, and other professional software applications, while RAXX S1G delivers the power and performance of a desk side workstation in a 1U form factor for both onsite and remote creators.

"BOXX innovation has enabled us to offer a version our best-selling APEXX S3 desk side workstation in the form of rackmount platform," said BOXX CEO Wes Breyfogle. "With RAXX S1G, organizations can harness the performance of Intel Core 14th gen processors to create and render, onsite or remotely, with the most demanding 3D modeling, CAD, and motion media applications."

T-FORCE, the gaming brand of Team Group Inc., the world's leading memory and storage provider, today announced the release of the new generation of Gen 5 SSDs, the T-FORCE GE PRO PCIe 5.0 SSDs. This much-anticipated SSD is powered by InnoGrit's newest 12 nm, multi-core, and low-wattage IG5666 controller, equipped with a patented ultra-thin graphene heatsink and has read speeds of up to 14,000 MB/s. Supported by smart cooling and state-of-the-art error correction technologies, the T-FORCE GE PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD provides gamers with the next level of peak performance.

The T-FORCE GE PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD features InnoGrit's latest 12 nm, IG5666 controller, which has multiple cores and low power consumption. The SSD's read speed maxes out at 14,000 MB/s, and equipped with an enhanced controller feature called Security Isolation that utilizes isolation technology to protect data from external attacks, providing a reliable, multi-faceted defense. The GE PRO SSD also supports smart power management and thermal regulation technology, which detects different workload conditions through internal temperature sensing and automatically adjusts the power management mode to prevent overheating. The T-FORCE GE PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD enhances data transfer accuracy by correcting data errors with the brand new 4K LDPC (Low-Density Parity-Check Code) technology. It also supports Team Group's patented S.M.A.R.T. monitoring software, allowing gamers to monitor the health and performance of the SSD at any time.

Samsung Electronics America today announced the release of the 990 EVO SSD, delivering solid performance for everyday tasks, improved interface compatibility to match the systems consumers own, and better energy efficiency. Designed to enhance everyday computing experiences like gaming, working, and video/photo editing, the NVMe SSD provides an ideal solution for a diverse range of users.

"The 990 EVO delivers a hybrid storage solution that lets you easily bring flexibility and future proof your setup," said Jose Hernandez, Senior Director of Memory Product Marketing at Samsung. "These drives balance performance, power efficiency and reliability, making them a versatile choice for the latest interface, and great for a variety of everyday tasks, like gaming, working, editing and more."

An anonymous industry source has divulged a grim set of near-future circumstances to Tom's Hardware—they believe that "NAND packages consisting of four and eight NAND devices are already in short supply," thus causing an expected "skyrocketing" of prices within higher-capacity consumer SSD product lines. This sharp climb could happen within the first quarter of 2024, and the article outlines early warning signs—"price upticks are starting to show in retail already" as documented in graphs generated by CamelCamelCamel for a sampling consisting of three 2 TB NVMe models (Samsung 990 Pro, CORSAIR MP600 PRO LPX & Team Group MP44). Their analysis of this situation continued: "A single-sided SSD in an M.2-2280 form factor can carry four 3D NAND packages. Modern 2 TB and 4 TB drives in this form factor tend to use packages consisting of four or eight 3D NAND devices to ensure high performance. There is already a shortage of these packages today as SSD makers are struggling to find adequate supply."

Late summer going into the autumn of 2023 presented a great time to pick up SSD bargains, since manufacturers had flooded the market with far too much stock (following an oversupply of NAND units). The unnamed source believes that it could take two to three months for early 2024 NAND shortages to cause large ripple effects within consumer and enterprise markets. A January 9-dated TrendForce report proposes that NAND Flash contract prices are set to rise by 15 to 20% in Q1Y24, although Tom's Hardware reckons that this "acceptance of new rates is more likely among notebook makers." TrendForce anticipates enterprise SSD contract pricing to increase by roughly 18% - 23% within the first quarter of 2024.

At CES, AMD didn't give away too many technical details of its upcoming Ryzen 8000G-series APUs, but details are starting to trickle out and it's not all good news. As has been known for some time, AMD is using two different chips to make the Ryzen 8000G APUs and they're known as the Phoenix 1 and Phoenix 2, where the Phoenix 2 parts feature Zen 4c cores, which are not present in the Phoenix 1 APUs. This in and of itself shouldn't be a huge issue, although the Zen 4c CPU cores can be slightly slower in some tasks based on testing of AMD's EPYC server parts.

However, PCGamesN noticed that Gigabyte has posted the full specs for the B650E Aorus Elite X AX Ice motherboard and it looks like there's a much bigger difference between the Phoenix 1 and Phoenix 2 based APUs. Namely, the Phoenix 2 APUs have fewer PCIe lanes and as such are limited to two PCIe 4.0 lanes for the secondary NVMe slot. As if this wasn't bad enough, the Phoenix 2 APUs only have four PCIe 4.0 lanes for add-in GPUs, whereas the Phoenix 1 APUs have eight. This is very likely to lead to reduced performance if a higher-end GPU is used with such an APU. Note that this will vary depending on the motherboard design, but many B650/B650E boards feature a similar design with regards to the PCIe lanes coming from the CPU socket. Luckily, it's easy to avoid this issue, as the Ryzen 5 8600G and the Ryzen 7 8700G are both Phoenix 1 designs, whereas the Ryzen 5 8500G is the only Phoenix 2 design available in retail, as the Ryzen 3 8300G is an OEM only part.

AEWIN is glad to announce our latest High-Performance Network Appliance powered by Intel latest 5th Gen Xeon Scalable Processors, SCB-1942 Series. It is a series of flagship products powered by dual Intel Emerald Rapids CPUs, having up to 128 CPU cores (64 cores per CPU) for the extreme computing power pursued in the market. SCB-1942 series has multiple SKU with various PCIe slots options for great expandability to fulfill customer's solutions.

The SCB-1942A is a 2U, 2-socket network computing platform having 16x memory socket of DDR5 up to 5600 MHz, and 8x PCIe 5.0 expansion slots for AEWIN wide coverage NIC cards with 1G/10/25/40/100G copper/fiber interfaces or other Accelerators & NVMe SSDs for flexible functionality enhancement. The SCB-1942A provides the flexibility to change the 2x PCIe slots to 1x PCIe x16 slot for standard PCIe form factor which can install off-the-shelf add-on card for additional function required. It can support 400G NIC card installed such as Mellanox PCIe 5.0 NIC. In addition, the SCB-1942 series support 10 SATA which make it also suitable for various kinds of storage applications.

NVM Express, Inc. today announced the release of the NVM Express (NVMe) Computational Storage Feature, which provides a standardized, vendor-neutral framework for connecting applications to NVMe Computational Storage devices across both compute and storage services. Computational Storage includes two new command sets: Computational Programs and Subsystem Local Memory Command Sets.

"NVM Express Computational Storage is part of our efforts to help enterprises and hyperscale data centers meet the ever-evolving demands of the storage industry," said Bill Martin, NVMe Computational Storage Task Group Co-Chair and Board Member. "Computational Storage is a standardized approach that enables an open, interoperable ecosystem. By offloading compute to the device, we anticipate that these industries will experience reduced total cost of ownership and overall performance boosts."

The current crop of PCIe Gen 5 based M.2 NVMe SSDs run scorching hot to deliver sequential transfer speeds of 10 GB/s, requiring some massive cooling solutions with tiny fans. All this might change, as Phison, a leading SSD controller manufacturer, unveiled three new controllers at the 2024 International CES. One of these that stands out, is the PS5031-E31T, which is built on the 7 nm node, and could power the first Gen 5 SSDs delivering 10 GB/s without elaborate cooling solutions. This is a big upgrade from the 12 nm node used by their first Gen 5 controllers. The PS5031-E31T is a DRAMless controller meant for mainstream Gen 5 SSDs. This controller has a 4-channel flash interface (16 CE), a PCI-Express 5.0 x4 host interface, supports capacities of up to 8 TB, and is claimed by Phison to offer sequential transfer rates of up to 10.8 GB/s, and up to 1500K IOPS random access; exceeding the fastest Gen 4 SSDs.

Phison also updated its high-end controller lineup with the new PS5026-E26 Max14um. This is a variant of the E26 that's designed for the upcoming Micron B58R NAND flash chip that offers 2400 MT/s per channel transfers. Over the 8-channel interface of the E26, this finally unlocks sequential transfer speeds exceeding 14 GB/s reads, and 12.7 GB/s sequential writes. This is merely a revision of the existing E26 with updated power-optimized firmware, the underlying silicon is identical. The E26 Max14um is the first controller to surpass 1000 MB/s in all three PCMark 10 storage tests. We have a sample of an SSD powered by the E26 Max14um in our labs, and will post our review soon.

Lexar previewed part of their CES lineup late last week—we got a quick briefing that outlined various upcoming portable SSDs, M.2 NVMe SSDs, and professional CFExpress cards. TPU staffers spent some quality time at the storage specialist's booth in Las Vegas—they have reported back that emphasis has been placed on Lexar's portable SSD products. The headliner appears to be the prominently placed ARMOR 700 Portable SSD—this boasts an extra rugged design, thus providing the level of on-the-go protection that is required by modern professionals.

The ARMOR 700 will be available in three capacities: 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB. Maximum read and write speeds of 2000 MB/s are advertised on Lexar's wall-mounted exhibit, with support for 6K RAW video files. The rugged and durable housing has been certified at IP65, with drop-resistant properties. The already released SL660 BLAZE Gaming Portable SSD was showcased at CES, but it was joined by a similar looking (non-RGB equipped) sibling—the new SL600 is a more sober looking option, aimed at professional types. The SL500 Portable SSD sports credentials for a wide range of purposes: mobile devices, laptops, cameras as well as gaming on current generation games consoles. Lexar states that the SL500 is powered by Silicon Motion Technology portable SSD controllers—with speeds up to 2000 MB/s read and 1800 MB/s write. Capacities noted on the exhibit wall are 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB—this applies to the SL600 specification as well.

BIWIN is a major memory and SSD OEM that manufactures products for leading PC brands, including Lenovo, HP, and Acer. These include everything from USB flash drives, to portable SSDs; and even memory DIMMs. Acer has been trying to enter the DIY hardware market in a big way with its Predator brand, it's tapping into BIWIN for the memory side of things. We've had the Acer Predator Hermes DDR5 RGB series at the high-end; and the Pallas II DDR5 series at the entry level, and Acer is looking to fill the gap with the Vesta II DDR5 series. The original Vesta II series won a Red Dot design award in 2022. The Vesta II comes in certain upper mid-range speeds of DDR5-6000, DDR5-6400, DDR5-6600, and DDR5-6800; with capacities that include 32 GB (2x 16), and 64 GB (2x 32 GB). We also ran into some SSDs that strick to Acer's main marquee, which includes the FA200, a PCIe Gen 4 drive, which is based on a high-end Gen 4 platform, with speeds of up to 7.2 GB/s sequential reads, and up to 6.2 GB/s sequential writes. The drive comes in capacities of up to 4 TB.

Switching gears, we see the first Lenovo-branded DIY client SSDs in the retail channel. The LN960 is a fairly premium M.2-2280 drive with a Gen 4 x4 interface, capacities of up to 4 TB, sequential speeds of up to 7.4 GB/s, and a graphene-based heatspreader. The LN860 is an entry-level NVMe drive based on a Gen 3 x4 interface, with sequential speeds of up to 3.5 GB/s. The LS800 is is being offered more as an upgrade option for those still on older machines with a 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s drive bay. It comes in capacities of up to 1.92 TB, has modern SLC caching technology, and offers sequential speeds of up to 520 MB/s.